Summer Collegiate

Oregon State Duo Joins NorthPaws with Eyes on College World Series

Published

4 years ago

February 28, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

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.

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Summer Collegiate

The Bars Fall Short In The Series Finale

Published

1 hour ago

June 8, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

NANAIMO, BC — It seemed to be Arrowsmith day at Serauxmen Stadium as the Nanaimo Bars lost the series finale 10-3 against the Wenatchee AppleSox. “Walk this way” for seven combined walks from the pitching staff.

It was not a good day for starting pitcher Moosa Nonomiya who just went 1.1 innings and gave up four runs.

Nanaimo was down four runs after the 1st inning and were never able to get back in the game. Despite a couple of good rallies in the 3rd and 4th innings the NightOwls were only able to muster one run in each.

There were a couple of bright spots on the offensive side of the ball for the Nanaimo NightOwls. 3rd basemen Drew Gianni, who was making his debut, went three for five with a run. He should provide a solid bat going forward.

Brady Morse, the native of Daville Kentucky, also had a decent day at the plate going two for four with and RBI and a run. Talan Zenk also went two for four and added a Stolen Base and RBI.

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There will be a quick day off Monday before the NightOwls host their island rivals, the Victoria HarbourCats, on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 10th and 11th, before heading back out on a 7-game road trip.

Tuesday is CrackerJack night, and also Italian night at the Ballpark. Our very own Pitcher Vinny Bruno will be cooking up his own special recipe! Make sure to get out to Serauxmen Stadium and cheer on your Nanaimo NightOwls.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats beat Lefties 6-1 to win series

Published

1 hour ago

June 8, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

Tanner Beltowski reached base four times this afternoon (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

June 8, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats are back over .500, improving to 5-4 on the season with a 6-1 win against the Port Angeles Lefties on the first Family Fun Sunday of the season.

The Cats wasted no time this afternoon, scoring three runs in the first inning. Curtis McKay (Niagara) walked with the bases loaded, bringing in the first run. McKay was the last batter Lefties starter Cade Stuart faced, being replaced by Levi Arnold after Stuart surrendered three walks and a hit. Isaiah Afework (Tacoma CC) ripped the second pitch he saw from Arnold into left field for a two-run single, giving Victoria a 3-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

Enrico “Big Papi” Carrion (Hawaii) made his fourth appearance of the season, getting the start behind the plate, and he proved his inclusion right, driving in a run with an RBI single in the third inning, his first of two hits, to make it 4-0.

Julian Orozco (Cal Baptist) got the start for the HarbourCats and was lights out. The right-hander struck out six batters over four scoreless innings, giving up two hits.

Julian Orozco struck out five of the first six batters he faced (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

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Oliver Mabee (Nebraska Omaha) made his second appearance of the season, throwing two innings, giving up no runs on no hits and striking out a pair.

Three Cats singles to lead off the sixth inning loaded the bases, which put the pressure on Lefties pitcher Brad Johnson, who inherited the runners. He hit Xander McAfee (Texas Arlington) and then threw a wild pitch, which brought home two more runs for the home team, making it 6-0.

WCL STANDINGS

Carson Burks (Hill College), Marcus Janovsky (UBC), and Dustin Davidson (Brookhaven) pitched an inning of relief each for the Cats. Port Angeles tacked on one run in the eighth, but it was no more than a consolation.

The HarbourCats have the day off tomorrow before opening a three-game set against the Nanaimo NightOwls. Tuesday and Wednesday are in Nanaimo, but Thursday, June 12, is Mayfair Optometric’s Annual School Spirit Game in Victoria. First pitch is 11:00 AM and is guaranteed to be an incredible atmosphere.

The HarbourCats had 11 hits for the second straight game (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

WATCH GAME HERE

Missed the game? Catch HarbourCats in 30 airing at 10:30 PM after every home game all season long on CHEK TV.

Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and four “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ new and one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

Tickets and merchandise can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.

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Summer Collegiate

Crazy 8s: Another eigth inning rally gives NorthPaws the win in Kelowna

Published

10 hours ago

June 8, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

The Kamloops NorthPaws defeated the Kelowna Falcons on Saturday night at Elks Stadium 7-6, securing the series victory. It was another back-and-forth ball game that saw the NorthPaws score three in the eighth inning and hold on to win their second one-run game of the season.

Following a scoreless first where the NorthPaws left two men on base, third baseman Kieran Gaffney got hit by a pitch to lead off. Left fielder Cade Palkowski drove Gaffney in with a triple to left center field. Second baseman Joey Marino made it a 2-0 game by driving in Palkowski with a sacrifice fly. Kamloops made it 3-0 in the third courtesy of designated hitter Matthew MacDonald. The Kamloops native hit the NorthPaws first home run of the season.

The Falcons responded in the bottom of the third with a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. A single to right field scored a pair, making it a one-run game. Two batters later, Kelowna tied the game on a sacrifice fly.

The top of the fifth saw NorthPaws shortstop Elijah Clayton hit the team’s second triple of the night to lead off. Two pitches later, Clayton would score the go-ahead run off a wild pitch.

The back-and-forth battle would swing in favour of the Falcons in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game off back-to-back hits. Later in the inning, a strange situation would unfold as Falcons second baseman Zach Wieder was on third base. Righty Dylan Dekker was on the mound for Kamloops and saw Wieder break for home. Dekker threw the ball home, and the tag was applied. Initially, the Umpire ruled Wieder out at the plate, but the call was overruled because the third base umpire called Dekker for a balk, tying the game.

In the top of the eighth, first baseman Kalen Applefield and catcher Brendan Burke both reached base with third baseman Kieran Gaffney at the plate. Gaffney would get a hold of a 0-2 pitch and drive it to the gap in left-center field, scoring two runs. Cade Palkowski was up next and drove Gaffney in for the second time, making it 7-5.

“He had a big hit last night as well, and to see him do it again tonight was awesome; seeing our guys fight all night long is a great sign for us,” said Head Coach Reily Jepson.

The game would come down to the wire in the bottom of the ninth as righty Keith Manby came into the game with Falcons on second and third with no one out. Manby gave up a sacrifice fly, making it a 7-6 game, but shut the door, recording the final two outs and securing the series victory.

“That was massive for us. Keith was nails tonight. He did a great job,” said Pitching Coach Jack Slominski.

Although the NorthPaws improved to 6-2 on the season, the offence has struggled at times. However, tonight, the team finally saw its first home run and triple of the season.

“That’s been missing from our game early on, so it was nice to see tonight; those runs ignited our offence,” said Jepson.

After a pair of challenging games in Bellingham, the team has rattled off three wins in a row, and with more home games on the horizon, Jepson is excited.

“It’s nice for the guys to be able to sleep in their own beds and establish routines; it’s tough to do that when you’re on the road,” said Jepson.

The Falcons and NorthPaws will face off once again on Sunday afternoon at Norbrock Stadium. The first pitch is set for 12:05 pm, and you can watch the game on West Coast League TV.

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