Summer Collegiate
Oregon State Duo Joins NorthPaws with Eyes on College World Series
The Kamloops NorthPaws is looking to an NCAA program with a rich history of success to continue building the inaugural roster.
Oregon State University’s sophomore outfielder Wade Meckler and freshman utility player Brady Kasper have signed with the NorthPaws for 2021.
“We’re fortunate to have guys from a program like Oregon State. We want to create a winning culture in Kamloops and it starts with bringing in players who know how to win,” said head coach Cole Armstrong.
The team’s history of success was a key factor in both players’ commitments to Oregon State.
“When I committed, they were just coming off I think the highest win total in Pac-12 history. They went 27-3 in the Pac-12 and the year I committed here they won a national championship, so it was one of the best overall programs in the country,” Meckler said. “That’s the goal, to get to Omaha and win the whole thing.”
“When I was younger, I would watch them on tv with my dad because they were in the College World Series or Super Regionals almost every year. I just remember watching them all the time and thinking I want to go there,” Kasper said.
Wade Meckler | Photo Credit: OSU Athletics
Meckler, from Yorba Linda, Calif., was slated to play in the West Coast League with Corvallis in 2020 before the season was cancelled and is excited about another opportunity to play in the league.
“I wanted to stay on the West Coast. My coaches believe that the West Coast League is one of the best leagues competition wise in the country, so they wanted me to stay out here,” Meckler said. “I think the West Coast League is surpassing a lot of these other leagues that are historically known as the best leagues. I really think this is the biggest up and coming league in the country.”
For his 2021 collegiate season, Meckler said he wants to reach 80 hits and have good plate discipline, earning walks for at least 10 per cent of his at bats.
“I feel like if I do both of those things, I’m putting myself in a good position to be one of the best leadoff hitters in the country,” he said.
“If I had to use one phrase to use the way I play, its ‘high-octane.’ It’s full-go, it’s high-intensity, it might cause some scraps with the other team but at the end of the day I’m an extremely competitive person and it shows in the way I play, everything is 100 per cent.”
“He’s a veteran presence who will provide experience and leadership to go with a top of the order bat,” Armstrong said of the outfielder.
Kasper, from Mission Viejo, Calif., will get his first taste of summer collegiate baseball in Kamloops after the pandemic impacted his senior high school season.
Brady Kasper | Photo Credit: OSU Athletics
“Kamloops, I saw pictures of it and it just looks awesome. I saw the golf courses and the rivers for fishing, the town looks awesome, the field looks awesome and I didn’t need to look anywhere else. That looks like somewhere I want to be for the summer,” Kasper said.
Kasper is slated as a player who can slide into multiple positions and provide some versatility to the NorthPaws lineup.
“He’s a loud, left-handed bat who could provide a presence in the middle of our batting order,” Armstrong said of the freshman.
Before they can turn their focus on Kamloops, Meckler and Kasper are set on proving the pundits wrong. Oregon State was ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in preseason polls.
“I think we’re going to be a threat this year. We’ve been ranked a little lower in the polls than we think we should’ve been and I think we’re going to prove a lot of people wrong this year,” Meckler said.
“I feel like we just need to take it game by game and prove everyone wrong. I don’t think rankings matter very much to us, it is just a little bit more fuel to the fire just because they did rank us so low,” Kasper echoed. “It pissed some guys off, so we’re going to come out strong and we’re going to come out ready to win.”
Oregon State is off to a strong start to the 2021 season with a 4-1 record through the first week of the season. Meckler and Kasper are locked in a four-game series this weekend against their future NorthPaws teammates, including week one NCAA hits leader Ryland Zaborowski, with Grand Canyon University.
The Kamloops NorthPaws are an expansion West Coast League franchise bringing the highest calibre baseball Canada’s Tournament Capital has ever seen. The West Coast League, founded in 2005, has 15 teams across Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta featuring some of the top collegiate players during a 54-game summer season. Find the NorthPaws online at www.northpawsbaseball.ca, @northpawsbaseball on Instagram and Facebook, or @northpawsbb on Twitter.
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Four returnees signed by HarbourCats, including all-star Shepherd
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.
Victoria HarbourCats – 2026 HarbourCats schedule features many highlights
Victoria HarbourCats – Four returnees signed by HarbourCats, including all-star Shepherd
Victoria HarbourCats – West Coast League meetings to be held in Victoria
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