Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats | Another Canadian JNT player signs with HarbourCats

Published

3 months ago

March 11, 2021

Duncan’s Gavin Pringle (above, pitching for the Victoria Eagles) headlines four new HarbourCat pitchers signed for 2021

For Immediate Release

March 11, 2021

Victoria, BC – If things keep going the way they are going, the Victoria HarbourCats may just have to permanently switch their uniforms to the alternate red and white, “Cats” Canada Day jerseys that they often wear, as with the signing of Duncan BC’s Gavin Pringle, the HarbourCats now boast seven players on their 2021 roster that, at some point in their young careers, donned the red and white for Canada’s Junior National Team (JNT).

Pringle joins Josh Walker, Steven Moretto, Declan Dutton, Russell Young, Noah Takacs and Giordano Mezzomo as former JNT members on the 2021 squad.

The 6′ 2″, 210lb. Pringle is a graduate of the Victoria Eagles of the BC Premier Baseball League (PBL) and made his NCAA college debut this past week, playing for Hawaii Pacific University. He has been one of the more dominant arms in the province over the past two years and in addition to his stints with the JNT, pitched in the Canada Cup and was impressive for the Eagles in the PBL, where in 2019, he had a 2-2 record, 2.06 ERA, striking out 28 batters in 20.1 innings of work.

The HarbourCats today also announced the signing of Braeden Gowdy, RHP (Chico State), teammate Micah Wallette, LHP (Chico State), and A.C. Plumb, RHP (Rice).

Gowdy, a resident of Pleasant Hill, California, is a Junior this season with Chico State, where he transferred after two seasons pitching for Cuesta College. The 6’2, 195lb. righty put together a 7-3 record in 2019 with one save and a 2.83 ERA, earning him Fist Team All-Western State Conference North recognition.

Braeden Gowdy pitching for Chico State (Photo: Ryan McCasland)

Micah Wallette

Wallette, a Long Beach, California resident took a similar path to his Chico State teammate, transferring there this season after pitching for two seasons with Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California. In 2019, the now Junior student posted a 7-5 record, making 14 starts with 60 strikeouts in 67 innings. The multi-sport athlete also lettered in football and can stake claim to saying he has played a ball game at Dodger Stadium.

Plum, a Los Angeles, California resident and in his sophomore season as a Rice Owl, will have to get used to disliking Owls (of the Nanaimo variety) when he comes to Victoria. Plum could be a dominant force on the mound for the HarbourCats. In 2019, the 6’7″ 220lb. righty held opposing hitters to a composite .143 batting average and averaged 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, while in his senior year of high school in 2018, he struck out 56 batters in 54.2 innings and amassed a 4.23 ERA.

A.C. Plum pitching for the Rice Owls (Photo: Maria Lysaker)

“We continue to be impressed by the level of baseball talent available right here in British Columbia,” said Curtis Pelletier, the HarbourCats Hitting Coach and Director of Player Development, “and adding Gavin [Pringle] to the list of local players we have already signed is a huge bonus for us. We expect him to give us a number of quality innings this season.

“We are also impressed by Plum, who with his size, could be dominating,” added Pelletier, “and Wallette give us yet another left-handed option on the hill.”

The HarbourCats are scheduled to begin the 2021 season on the road on June 1, 2021 with a three-game series against the Edmonton Riverhawks, the first ever West Coast League games in Alberta and then will return home for their home opener against the Port Angeles Lefties on Friday, June 4th.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are now on sale, while individual game tickets will go on sale in limited fashion on Tuesday, March 16th at 9:00 am.

For details and more information on the season, please visit the HarbourCats website at www.harbourcats.com and follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/harbourcats

Source

Summer Collegiate

Help Us Name Our New Canine Friend

Published

1 week ago

June 8, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

Our newest friend is dreaming of full stands at Norbrock Stadium.

The newest member of the Kamloops NorthPaws is dreaming of full stands today, on what was supposed to be our inaugural home opener.

This large brown and white canine was adopted from the BC SPCA Kamloops & District Branch to keep us company leading up to our first season at Norbrock Stadium next summer.

This quiet doggo is very playful and loves to make new friends. This dog is very well-trained and can shake a paw, roll over, play fetch in the outfield and even walk on two legs.

Our new companion has been settling in and has already been spotted bounding through the outfield, dancing in the bleachers, and chasing geese and marmots around Mac Island. Although puzzled by the lack of fans to play with, this friendly canine is excited to explore the Kamloops region this summer.

Keep your eyes out for your chance to meet our new friend this summer, and when you do, please be gentle and don’t play too… ruff.

The new pup does not yet have a name and we need your help. Send us your best, creative ideas.

Source

Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws Co-Owner to Receive Honourary TRU Degree

Published

2 weeks ago

June 1, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

NorthPaws co-owner Norman Daley will be one of four recipients of an honourary degree from Thompson Rivers University in their spring 2021 convocation ceremonies in June.

Daley will be recognized by the university as a community-minded chartered accountant, according the a press release.

In addition to bringing the West Coast League to Kamloops, Daley has been involved in volunteerism in the community for decades. His volunteerism includes co-chair for the 2016 Women’s World Hockey Championship, chairman of the Kamloops Blazers Advisory Board, volunteer chair for the 2014 Tim Hortons, local media chair for the World Junior Hockey Championship, helping the campaign to open the Sussex Insurance Centre indoor baseball facility, community sponsorship co-ordinator for the Kamloops International Baseball Tournament, and working with the Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society.

He was previously awarded the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year, Kaizen Award from Sport BC for Innovative Leadership, Community Service Award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC, and the Pioneer Spirit Award from Kamloops Mayor and City Council.

He was also the founding partner of Daley & Company LLP, Kamloops’ largest independently owned and operated accounting firm, which recently merged with Grant Thornton LLP.

Journalist Andre Picard, computer scientist Maria Klawe and lawyer Marving Storrow are the other honourary degree recipients. Click here for the full press release.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Western Canadian Baseball League ramping up plans for all-Canadian season

Published

3 weeks ago

May 27, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

Lethbridge, AB – In light of the Alberta government’s re-opening plans unveiled on Wednesday, the Western Canadian Baseball League is closing in on some key dates for its upcoming season.

After listening to the announcement, WCBL president Kevin Kvame met with governors to discuss the next steps.

“We have been in close contact with government and health officials since we announced our intentions for an all-Canadian season in March,” Kvame said. “With today’s announcement, we’re extremely excited by the possibilities that are on the horizon for this summer.”

It’s expected that the season will begin on June 18 with the Okotoks Dawgs visiting the Lethbridge Bulls while the expansion Sylvan Lake Gulls host the Edmonton Prospects.

“We will begin the season with a limited number of fans in the stands, as per guidance from officials,” Kvame commented. “We also anticipate increasing that capacity in late-June or early-July, depending on hospitalizations and vaccination rates.”

A tentative schedule is expected to be released over the next week, with the plan for playoff semi-finals August 16-18 and the championship series to be held August 20-22.

He adds the league and its teams will continue to exercise diligence throughout the summer and adhere to all provincial guidelines as they are changed and adopted.

“We’re just excited to get back on the field and provide a great summer of baseball for our talented Canadian players,” Kvame concluded. “We’re also excited for our fans, who we applaud for standing by us as we’ve been planning this season.”

Stay tuned to the Western Canadian Baseball League’s website http://westerncanadianbaseballleague.ca/ and social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for further updates on this upcoming season.