Summer Collegiate
NorthPaws Secure New Pitching Coach
KAMLOOPS, BC—The Kamloops NorthPaws have gone to California to secure their new pitching coach. The WestCoast League team is pleased to announce that T.C. Fairfield has agreed to lead their pitchers in the 2024 season.
“I am super excited to be part of a budding franchise in a league I remember participating in way back when I went to Pacific University in 2012-13,” he says. Fairfield played for Portland that season.
“I’ve wanted to be a coach in this league since I started doing summer ball back in 2017 and Kamloops is an awesome spot to do it in.”
Fairfield likes what he sees in the Kamloops franchise. “The ownership and front office group have a very strong vision for building a successful team within an awesome sports community. When interviewing for this position, I was really craving a commitment to a growth mindset in the organization from the top down. The NorthPaws willingness to completely invest in the players and team experience, as well as improving the stadium experience really stood out to me and made me want to jump aboard.”
Fairfield and new head coach Jose Bautista have already had a few conversations about how they want the pitching staff to work.
“I am super excited to work with Jose. His style meshes so nicely with mine. It is going to be so much fun having two guys on the same wave length. He is kind of a pro style guy as well. We have to let the guys learn from mistakes and being there to help them. We will respect the game and handle our business the right way. We are going to have a club that is really talented and something Kamloops can be proud of as representative.”
What about the aspect of a large pitching staff? Fairfield says bring it on. “There will be more than 20 pitchers. Right now, we have 16 pitchers who we have offered contracts. We are expecting 10 or so more within the next month. When I was at San Jose State, as a pitching coach—we had 24 pitchers. 20 would be light. I am ready for it. Getting to know the different personalities and stories—it is so exciting.”
“My pitching philosophy is different from most people,’ he explains. “ I believe every single guy is an individual and is different. I can’t go into this thinking that every pitcher will operate the same way. It is more of a personal connection. Getting to know them, their styles and what it takes to get the most out of them. I think that getting the most out of each guy through their skill set and strength makes me a better coach as well.”
Fairfield says he is more of a mental coach than a mechanical one.
“The summer season is a short one, but the newest NorthPaws coach thinks he can pass on some helpful tips for the pitchers game. “ You get guys who have this small window of opportunity to improve their skills. It is my job to send them back to their coaches in University with a better idea of managing their day to day routine and their arsenal. The short season gives the players a sense of urgency to improve and maximize their skills. I can’t make you superman in two months but I can help you learn more about yourself and better schedule a routine and a maintenance plan or work on a grip.”
Fairfield has seven years of head coaching experience in summer baseball including with the South Bay Storm in San Jose and the Dubsea Fishsticks in Seattle last season. He is currently the pitching coach at Gavilan College in Gilroy, California.
“I love baseball,” he states. “You can’t take me away from being on the field. I love sharing experiences and helping others in their journey loving this game.”
Fairfield adds, “The chance to work with top level talent and help them develop as ballplayers and professionals is always fun. The higher level of competition involved the more fun it gets.”
Fairfield hasn’t been to Canada. He is looking forward to working and living in Kamloops and enjoying the natural surroundings including the North and South Thompson Rivers.
Academically, Fairfield is a graduate of Pacific University in Oregon (2014) and has a Masters degree in Kinesiology (2016) from Fresno Pacific University in California.
Article written by Larry Read
All inquiries to General Manager Jenna Forter – jforter@northpawsbaseball.ca
Nanaimo NightOwls fans have truly enjoyed watching great players from Hawaii on the Serauxmen Stadium diamond, and that will again be the case in 2026.
Head Coach Cody Andreychuk is pleased to add seven more players today — four from Hawaii Pacific (Honolulu), including one returning player, along with a Canadian pitcher, a returning catcher who is at a strong D1 school in Texas, and the brother of a 2025 NightOwls infielder.
“We all remember Hawaiian star Elijah Ickes and him being our first drafted player (by the Texas Rangers) — guys from the islands have thrived on our island,” said Managing Partner Jim Swanson. “We have had a strong record with players wanting to play multiple summers for our fans, for our coaching staff and becoming very close with our staff. We are proud of that.”
Announced today by Coach Andreychuk:
LHP Joshua Rego, Hawaii Pacific University, 6-4/175, L/L, Kapa’a, HI
RHP Jayden Gabrillo, Hawaii Pacific, L/R, 5-8/165, Ewa Beach, HI
IF Kyler Shojinaga, Hawaii Pacific, R/R, 5-6/160, Honolulu, HI
OF Ziah Chang, Hawaii Pacific, R/R, 5-10/170, Kahului, HI
RHP Zander Oudie-Senger, Okanagan College, R/R, 6-3/190, Regina, SK
C Clark Springs, University of Texas-Arlington, R/R, 5-11/190, Southlake, TX
OF Aidan Nykoluk, Ventura Community College, R/R, 6-0/195, Simi Valley, CA
Rego is a promising lefty who is making a strong transition to the college level, with upper 80s velocity and a feel for how to pitch — he will develop further under Gorman Heimueller, the fifth-year pitching coach of the NightOwls.
Shojinaga is a slick-fielding freshman who draws comparisons to great Hawaii-groomed shortstops of the past, including Ickes. He will grind out at-bats and get on base for the power bats in the lineup. As both a shortstop and pitcher, he was league MVP in his senior year of high school.
Gabrillo, who can also play infield, returns after a strong summer in Nanaimo in 2025 which put him in a lead pitching role for HPU this spring. He was 1-2 with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings for the NightOwls last summer.
Chang is a young outfielder known for his defensive game and speed that puts pressure on the basepaths. He stole eight bases in 23 games in a lower level summer league in 2025.
Oudie-Senger has been a top starter for Okanagan College and played four years for his hometown summer team in the WCBL, looking for a more professional experience at the end of his career. An innings-eater, he was a combined 10-3 for Regina,
Springs was part of the strong catching crew for the NightOwls in 2024 and loved the experience — famously driving all the way from his home in Texas to proudly play in Nanaimo. A strong defensive catcher who swings the bat well, he was at top-rated Weatherford College (junior college) before earning a scholarship at UTA. He had a home run and just five strikeouts in 23 games for the NightOwls.
Nykoluk is the brother of Andrew, a senior pitcher who moved to the mound after years as an infielder at HPU. Aidan is off to a great start at Ventura, batting .350, a strong defender with a potent bat.
Respected island businessman John Wilson has been named President of the company that oversees the successful collegiate baseball teams based in Victoria and Nanaimo.
Wilson, the CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and whose family owns and operates the Wilson’s Group of Companies, has been part of the core ownership group of the Victoria HarbourCats since 2015, and the Nanaimo NightOwls since inception in 2020 (started play in 2022). The NightOwls, a rival to the HarbourCats on the field, play at historic Serauxmen Stadium.
Wilson takes the position from Ken Swanson, who remains on the board after a solid 10-year run as team president. The group also operates the Victoria Collegiate (CCBC) baseball program and the busy indoor facility on Cook St., the Edwards Family Training Centre.
“Ken has led the corporate structure well, and he’s deserving of a break,” said Wilson. “We have a strong and committed group of owners and staff and a refresh is good for us all, keeping these teams playing great baseball and positively impacting these amazing communities in a stable, creative manner. Ken literally leaves big shoes to fill.”
The HarbourCats, which started play in 2013, will host the WCL All-Star Game in 2026 and 2027, showcasing the island’s immense love of baseball and the team that helped produce eight current MLB players including Nathan Lukes (Blue Jays), Nick Pivetta (Padres), Cade Smith (Guardians), Andrew Vaughn (Brewers) and Chase Meidroth (White Sox). The 2026 all-star festival will take place July 14-15 using Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park and sites around the South Island, with exciting details to come.
Wilson and Swanson lead a nine-member ownership group that includes Rich Harder, Helen Edwards, Mike Macdonell, Sean Finn, Vic Vendetti, John Schnaderbeck and Jim Swanson.
“No one knows the community like John, so we are all looking forward to what will be a flawless transition that will bring some new life to the organization,” said Ken Swanson.
The management structure remains the same — former GM Jim Swanson in the Managing Partner role, overseeing day-to-day operations, assisted by Adrian Somers (Business Operations and Marketing). In Victoria, Christian Stewart (General Manager) and John Pollard (Marketing Director) remain in place, while Tina Cornett continues her strong leadership in Nanaimo as General Manager, with Kent Malpass overseeing the concession.
The teams maintain wholly separate coaching staffs and recruiting processes — veteran Todd Haney, a five-year MLB player, as the sixth-year Head Coach in Victoria, and local product Cody Andreychuk, a collegiate program head coach at University of Pikeville, enters his second season in Nanaimo, assisted by pitching coach Gorman Heimueller, who has three World Series rings from his 50 years in the game.
Tickets are selling fast…get yours today. www.NanaimoNightOwls.com/ticketinfo
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – John Wilson named president of island WCL teams, HarbourCats and NightOwls
Hawaiian Pipeline Continues For NightOwls. Seven Players Added To 2026 Roster
John Wilson Named As New Team President
Victoria HarbourCats – John Wilson named president of island WCL teams, HarbourCats and NightOwls
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