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Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws Swept by HarbourCats in Season-Opening Series

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Article written by Larry Read.

VICTORIA, BC—The road wasn’t a very hospitable place for the Kamloops NorthPaws as they opened up their second season in the West Coast Baseball League. Playing at Wilson’s Group Stadium in Victoria, the NorthPaws were swept in three straight games by the hometown HarbourCats

The scores were 13-3 in the season opener Friday (June 2), 6-4 on Saturday (June 3) and 4-3 on Sunday (June 4).

Of the three games, Kamloops had its best chance of winning in the finale. They led the game 2-0 after scoring twice in the first inning. Up 3-0 in the bottom of the eighth inning, The NorthPaws surrendered two runs. The ninth saw Victoria load the bases on their first three batters. Kevin Shay (San Carlos, CA) drove the ball to left field scoring the tying and winning runs.

The NorthPaws will head home to host Portland on Tuesday (June 6) while Victoria stays at home to open a set against the Walla Walla Sweets beginning Monday (June 5).

SERIES RECAP:

Friday, June 2, 2023-HarbourCats 13 NorthPaws 3

The NorthPaws led 1-0 after two innings but gave up three in the fourth, six in the sixth and four in the eighth. Kamloops added their other two runs in the fifth inning as they had six hits and committed one error. Victoria scored 13 runs on 10 hits.

Felix Chenier-Rondeau (Blainville, QC) led Kamloops offensively. Rondeau had two runs batted in and two stolen bases as he went one for three. Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops, BC) the third of five NorthPaws pitchers was tagged with the loss. He gave up four runs and two walks. Griffin Almond started on the mound for Kamloops and went three and two thirds innings.

Bradden Kesey (Manchans, Texas) led Victoria at the plate. The Grayson Country College player was one for four with three runs batted in. Ryan Magdic (Beamsville, ONT) was two for three at the dish with two runs batted in. Russell Young (Surrey, BC), who attends UBC hit a solo homer for Victoria. Dawson Huford (Victoria, BC) was the winning pitcher. He threw six innings of three hit ball, striking out four and walking one. Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598651

Saturday June 3, 2023-HarbourCats 6 NorthPaws 4

For the second straight night, the NorthPaws got the early lead scoring the games first run in the third inning. But Victoria notched deuces in the fourth, seventh and eighth as they had five hits and committed two errors.

Kamloops added a single run in the fourth and two more in the eighth notching three hits and committing two errors.

Infielder Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) was one for four with two runs batted in for the NorthPaws. David Jeon (Coppell, TX) was tagged with the loss coming into the game in the eighth. He surrendered two runs, struck out one and walked two. He was the third pitcher for Kamloops who started lefty Hayden Walker. He pitched five innings, striking out three, walking one and walking one.

Offensively, Victoria was led by Ryan Magdic. The Florida Southern College player was one for three with two runs batted in. Jake Finkelstein (Richmond, BC) was the winning pitcher. He went an inning and a third and was the fourth HarbourCats pitcher. Starter Cam Calley (The Woodlands, TX) tossed the first five innings. The Baylor University lefthander had nine strikeouts, three walks, gave up two runs and one hit.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598652

Sunday, June 4, 2023 HarbourCats 4 NorthPaws 3

Kamloops scored two runs in the top of the first inning. Nathan Gray (Queen Creek, AZ) doubled to bring in leadoff hitter Tommy Green (Courtenay, BC) . Later, Nolan Austin (Kamloops, BC) singled and scored on a single from Jude Hall (Chilliwack, BC). Hall was two for three on the day.

The NorthPaws led 3-0 until that eighth inning when reliever Joey Carrenza (Duncanville, TX) gave up three straight walks to load the bases. The HarbourCats got on the scoreboard on a hit pitch and a ground ball.

In the bottom of the ninth, two ‘hot shots’ to third baseman Austin resulted in two Victoria players getting to first and second. Tyrus Hall (Victora, BC) beat out a bunt to load the bases setting up Kevin Shea’s dramatics. Hall was two for three on the day. Shea was two for four with two runs batted in.

Shortstop Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) was two for three and made two outstanding defensive plays for Kamloops.

Reliever Kolby Lukinchuk (Prince George, BC) suffered the loss. He was the fifth pitcher of the day and went an inning giving up the tying and winning runs. Tucker Christenson(Norwalk, IA) was the winner in relief. He pitched two thirds of an inning surrendering one strikeout.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598653

HEAD COACH KEITH FRANCIS:

On weekend vs Victoria: “I didn’t think we were too nervous. We have a lot of players who are new to the program. I thought the younger guys played well this weekend. On the first night we had one bad inning which did us in. Saturday saw us make some errors which cost us. Today (Sunday), our first two pitchers performed well. We just couldn’t pitch out of jams when we gave them (Victoria) chances to win. I am not taking anything away from them, they are a good team. We failed to execute but we will get better. I won’t lie to you—it’s a bitter pill to swallow (the results) but I have been there before. We will turn this around pretty quick.

On play of Nathan Gray and Cooper Neville: “Both these guys are just out of high school or have had just one year of college. Cooper especially hit the ball well. They are very fun to watch and will only get better.”

NorthPaws moving forward: “We have a catcher/outfielder and a pitcher who arrived in town (Kamloops) on the weekend. Both will be in the line up soon (one was sick and the others equipment didn’t arrive yet) and we have others making their way here after being knocked out of the College World Series. They will add a lot of depth to our roster.”

WE MEET AGAIN:

The NorthPaws and HarbourCats will meet one more time this season. The two teams will play in Kamloops in a three game series which begins July 28th.

NEXT UP:

The NorthPaws return home to Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium to entertain the Portland Pickles. The three game set is Tuesday through Thursday (June 6-8th). Opening pitch all three nights is 6:35 PM. Wednesday, June 7th will see the Western Hockey League Kamloops Blazers honored. Members of the team will be on hand and will be signing autographs.

Kamloops will be at home for six games. The visit June 9-11.

If you can’t make the games, they are all webcast on https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/ . Some will also be shown on Shaw TV in Kamloops (Cable 10 or 105 with Blue Curve). For “Everything NorthPaws-Go to the website : https://www.northpawsbaseball.ca/ “ Kamloops North Paws tickets: ticketing@northpawsbaseball.ca West Coast League: westcoastleague.com.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – 2026 HarbourCats schedule features many highlights

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Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park will be abuzz with fans packing the seats for  at least 31 home games in 2026, as well as the West Coast League All-Star Game.

October 23, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — Who is the next Nathan Lukes, to don the V-Cat logo and start a path to the World Series?

That will come into focus starting in May of 2026 when the Victoria HarbourCats — the first collegiate summer league team of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Lukes, a playoff star this fall — begin an eventful West Coast League campaign with a road series in Portland.

It won’t just be the games with the HarbourCats to look forward to, it will also be about the 2026 WCL All-Star Game being played at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park as part of a planned Festival of Baseball, July 14-15. The HarbourCats are hosting the event in both 2026 and 2027.

“No question, this is the most anticipated season yet for us — the All-Star Game, after a very strong schedule leading up to that, and playoffs to follow,” said Christian Stewart, the GM of the HarbourCats. “The variety of visiting teams, the rivalries with teams like Nanaimo, Wenatchee and Bellingham, facing the other tough Canadian teams — it’s a great mix for our fans and our corporate partners.”

The HarbourCats open on the road on Friday, May 29, against the Pickles, then are back on the island for the home opener on Tuesday, June 2, against the Edmonton Riverhawks.

Tentative plans for fireworks dates are Saturday, June 6 (vs. Kelowna Falcons, now managed by former Blue Jay Gregg Zaun), Tuesday, June 30 (vs. the Nanaimo NightOwls), and a special event on Monday, August 3 featuring local talent and a fireworks show to follow.

Further plans to announce popular features such as the Woofability Bark in the Park, the Mayfair Optometric School Spirit game (and maybe a second game!), something we are calling “Early Father’s Day,” and Harvey’s Birthday will be announced soon. Game times remain the popular 6:35pm, except for Sundays (1pm) and the School Spirit games (11am).

“Getting two teams from Oregon at our park this year will be fun — we have the first visit from the Springfield Drifters (June 12-13-14) and a rare appearance by the Bend Elks (July 7-8-9),” said Stewart, who is taking season ticket bookings and doling out 12-packs of tickets already.

“We plan to have the All-Star Game package on sale in short order, too — we love that we have so much time to plan out the WCL schedule and make it work for promotions and logistics. We are known for our creative ideas — this schedule will make things a lot of fun next summer.”

HOME GAMES 2026
June 2-3-4 (T-W-Th), vs. Edmonton Riverhawks
June 5-6-7 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Kelowna Falcons
June 12-13-14 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Springfield Drifters
June 16-17-18 (T-W-Th), vs. Redmond Dudes (non-league)
June 24 (Wed), vs. Nanaimo NightOwls
June 26-27-28 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Bellingham Bells
June 30 (Tues), July 2 (Thurs), vs. Nanaimo NightOwls
July 7-8-9 (T-W-Th), vs. Bend Elks
ALL-STAR GAME FESTIVITIES — Tuesday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 15
July 17-18-19 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Wenatchee AppleSox
July 24-25-26 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Kamloops NorthPaws
July 28-29-30 (T-W-Th), vs. Port Angeles Lefties
August 3 (Mon), vs. SIBL All-Stars (non-league)

ROAD GAMES 2026
The HarbourCats visit the following teams — Portland Pickles (May 29-30-31), Edmonton Riverhawks (June 9-10-11), Port Angeles Lefties (June 19-20-21), Nanaimo NightOwls (June 23, 25, July 1, and July 21-22-23), Kelowna Falcons (July 3-4-5), Kamloops NorthPaws (July 10-11-12), Bellingham Bells (July 31, August 1-2), Wenatchee AppleSox (Aug 3-4-5).

NOTE: SINGLE-GAME TICKETS, ALL-STAR GAME TICKETS and FLEX-PACK VOUCHER RENEWALS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE. We are finalizing a few logistics and dates and building the 2026 ticketing system and anticipate all those to go on sale in the next few weeks.

Season tickets and 12-game flex packs are NOW on sale on line at harbourcats.com/tickets or by stopping into the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Four returnees signed by HarbourCats, including all-star Shepherd

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2025 All-Star and home-run leader Logan Shepherd (28) will return to the HarbourCats for the 2026 season (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

October 15, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — It’s the norm for players to want to run it back for another summer, and four such returning players have started the foundation for the 2026 Victoria HarbourCats — headlined by a slugging DH/first baseman.

Logan Shepherd, a powerful right-handed hitter from Olympia, WA, will be back with the HarbourCats next summer. A product of Tacoma Community College and now at Mercer, he tied the franchise record for home runs in a season with eight last year, batting .345 and driving in 41 runs while being named to the West Coast League all-star game.

“Logan put up some serious numbers for us and wants to get even more out of the Victoria experience,” said WCL veteran head coach Todd Haney, who will be in his sixth season leading the HarbourCats when May rolls around. “He was a leader, and these players announced today will help us continue with the culture we have established with this program.”

Also signed:

  • C Dillon Lopez, St. Mary’s, 5-10/200, San Antonio, TX
  • RHP Austin Lindsey, Hill JC, 6-1/180, Lufkin, TX
  • RHP Marcus Janovsky, UBC, 6-0/195, Surrey, BC
  • 1B/DH Logan Shepherd, Mercer, 6-2/215, Olympia, WA

Lopez also put up all-star worthy numbers, if he’d been able to join the team earlier in the season — .350 with 18 RBIs in 21 games, hitting three home runs and providing premium defence behind the plate.

Catcher Dillon Lopez (18), here celebrating after a walk-off hit in 2025, will return behind the dish for the 2026 season (Photo: Justin Morash).

Lindsey pitched in 13 games with 27 strikeouts in 24 innings of work, mostly out of the bullpen — a high-leverage, dependable arm for Haney and the coaching staff. Janovsky, playing near his hometown of Surrey at UBC, was 2-1 while giving up 19 hits in 21.1 innings of work, with 19 strikeouts.

Right-hand pitcher Marcus Janovsky (centre), here celebrating after a clutch relief appearance in 2025, will return to the mound for the HarbourCats in 2026 (Photo: Justin Morash)

“We’re proud of the development of these players and can’t wait to welcome them back, with another year of experience under their belt,” said Haney.

Season ticket memberships and 12-game flex packs (new for 2026!) are now on sale for the HarbourCats 2026 season at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. BE SURE TO LOCK IN YOUR SEASON TICKETS TODAY to get first right of refusal on your seats for the 2026 WCL All-Star game that will be played here in Victoria.  These will be going on sale SOON!

Season tickets, 12-packs and team merchandise are also available at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, Tuesday thru Friday, 10am-4pm.

 

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Victoria HarbourCats – West Coast League meetings to be held in Victoria

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October 6, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — The capital city of British Columbia will become the centre of the West Coast League (WCL) for two days in October.

The 2025 WCL Fall Meetings, featuring a gathering of team owners/directors, will be held in Victoria, October 20-21. This marks the first time the meetings, often staged near a major U.S. airport (Seattle or Portland) for travel and logistics reasons, have been held in Canada since the formation of the collegiate elite baseball league that evolved from a gathering in Kelowna in 2003, with the Kelowna Falcons as one of the founding members — and the lone Canadian entry until the HarbourCats were founded.

Five of the league’s 17 teams now are located in Canada — in Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops and Edmonton. Kamloops, Nanaimo and Edmonton all started play in 2022.

The HarbourCats, who joined the WCL for the 2013 season and have watched as eight former players have advanced to the MLB level, will also welcome the league to Victoria in July of 2026 and 2027 when the organization plays host to the WCL All-Star Game festival for consecutive seasons, showcasing Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park. The all-star game was held in Bellingham the last two summers.

“The inner harbour in fall will be a fantastic setting for these meetings, just as it will be for events around the WCL All-Star Game next July,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the group that operates both the Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls.

Topics expected to be discussed are the finalization of the league’s 2026 schedule, WCL marketing initiatives, and ways to improve best practices around player, coach and umpire development — the keystone goal of the WCL.

“I’m incredibly excited to visit Victoria for our fall meetings,” said Commissioner Rob Neyer. “The city’s rich baseball history and beautiful scenery will provide the perfect backdrop for our teams to discuss the future of the League in one of my favorite WCL markets.”

Season ticket memberships and 12-game flex packs are now on sale for the HarbourCats 2026 season at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Lock in your season tickets today to get first right of refusal on your seats for the 2026 WCL All-Star game that will be played here in Victoria.

Season tickets, 12-packs and team merchandise are also available at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, Tuesday thru Friday, 10am-4pm.

 

 

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