NANAIMO, B.C. — The Nanaimo NightOwls were very happy to be home at Serauxmen Stadium on Tuesday Night. Nanaimo improved its record to 14-17 on the season after a 9-4 win over the visiting Kelowna Falcons. Despite a slow start and the Falcons jumping out to a three-nothing lead, Nanaimo put two runs on the board in both the fourth and fifth innings before exploding for another four runs in the seventh.

Nanaimo would add one more run in the eighth, and some great pitching from the NightOwls would allow them to close out the game in front of a rowdy crowd of 529. The NightOwls finished off the day with nine runs on eight hits with one error. The Visiting Falcons had four runs on seven hits with three errors.

https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=621650

Starting pitcher Asher DeLeo struggled a bit with his control but was able to weather the storm and get out of the second inning. Asher finished the day with two strikeouts and had a no-decision. Nanaimo stranded 12 runners on base, and DeLeo was key in that, as things could have gotten out of control. It was fitting that Cole “Cowboy” Carmichael came out in relief on Country Night at the ballpark. He pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless ball, giving up just 2 hits.

Nanaimo NightOwls vs. Kelowna Falcons (Photo Credit: Chad Frostad)

Vinny “The Chef” Bruno was the winning pitcher on the evening for the NightOwls, going 1.2 innings and striking out four of the eight batters he faced, only giving up one hit and two walks. I spoke with him after the game about the game: “The whole staff really pitched well and the guys came up with the hits when it counted.” Short, sweet, and right to the point from a Senior from the University of Bridgeport.

Brennan Kettle and Carter Chad-Hill came in and closed out the final 3 innings for the Nightowls. Kettle went two innings and gave up no runs and no hits while striking out three and walking only one. Chad-Hill finished things off with one inning and a strikeout to end the game to the cheers of the Nanaimo fans.

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It was All-Star selection day for the West Coast League and the NightOwls had two players who will be making the trip to Bellingham. IF/OF Talan Zenk was named to the team and went one for three on the day with a single, RBI, run, walk and a stolen base (His 6th of the season). Not to be outdone his All-Star Counter part Jacob Hayes had a blast of a day.

Nanaimo NightOwls vs. Kelowna Falcons (Photo Credit: Chad Frostad)

Jacob went two for three with a massive two run home-run, a single, a walk and two runs scored. Another reason why he is an All-Star was shown off tonight as he was able to pick some throws at first base. Catcher Brock Wirthgen went three for five with two singles and an RBI. He did spill jam everywhere but since he had a great game I’ll let him off the hook this time because he threw out a runner trying to steal second base.

Nanaimo NightOwls vs Kelowna Falcons (Photo Credit: Chad Frostad)

Centerfielder Andrew Ivy went one for three with a single and was hit by a pitch. He was also a monster on the base path as he swiped a bag and scored two runs for the Nanaimo NightOwls on Tuesday night. Tyler Arnold also reached base twice on the day with a double, scoring a run and getting hit by a pitch.

http://Nanaimonightowls.com/tickets

We go again on Wednesday and Thursday, July 9th and 10th, at 6:35 pm against the Kelowna Falcons. Then it’s a series against the Wenatchee AppleSox on Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 11th, 12th and 13th. The Friday and Saturday games go at 6:35 pm while Sunday is our Family Fun Day with first pitch going at 1:05 pm. Remember kids, and adults who feel like kids can run the bases after the game!

Make sure to follow us on social media for the latest NightOwls news and use the hashtag #IlluminateTheDark so we can share your posts! We have some awesome promotions coming up so stay tuned for those

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July 8, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats will be well represented at the 2025 West Coast League All-Star Game with five players selected to the North Division team. Tommy Bridges, Logan Shepherd, Tanner Beltowski, Jack Johnson, and JC Allen will all be going to Bellingham on July 16.

Bridges has arguably been the most dominant starting pitcher in the entire league this season. His 0.35 ERA leads the WCL, and his 26 innings of work rank in the top ten. In six starts, he has given up just one walk and one earned run, while striking out 29, which is the eighth most across the league. He has done so with an impressive pitch mix that includes an elite changeup and slider. He has only surrendered one hit on each of those pitches all season. The Los Angeles native has recently committed to Northwestern University for the Fall.

Shepherd has cemented himself as one of the most dangerous hitters in the league. The recent Mercer University commit is hitting .337 with five home runs, five doubles, and 29 RBIs in 26 games. The slugger has come up clutch in big moments all season, none more so than his pinch-hit three-run home run at home to the Edmonton Riverhawks on June 25 that turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead. He is sixth in the league in RBIs and slugging percentage, and fifth in home runs.

Beltowski has been a revelation for Todd Haney’s team in the last few weeks. Since moving into the leadoff spot, the Ventura, California native has done nothing but hit, hit, and hit some more. His .357 average is the fifth-best in the WCL. He has nine multi-hit games and has also stolen a team high nine bases. He has eight extra-base hits, including two home runs, which puts him only behind Shepherd on the team.

Johnson, a returning HarbourCat from the 2023 team, has been the definition of consistency in 2025. He has played in 25 games this season and has reached base in every single one. That ongoing on-base streak is the longest in the WCL this season. He has two home runs, three doubles, 15 RBIs, and a team-high 23 walks. Johnson has played stellar defence in multiple positions across the infield and also has six stolen bases to his name.

Allen only joined the HarbourCats on June 21 but has made an immediate impact in the heart of the lineup. In 13 games, the junior from UC San Diego is hitting .396 with five home runs, 16 RBIs, 10 walks, and three doubles. Allen demonstrated in the sweep of the Nanaimo NightOwls a week ago how he can power his team to victory, producing eight hits, including two home runs, and nine RBIs across the three-game series. There is no doubt that with a bigger sample size, he would be right at the top of the WCL leaderboard in all major offensive categories.

Congratulations to our five All-Stars!

The WCL All-Star game returned in 2024 for the first time since 2019 and was won by the North Division team in dramatic fashion, a 3-2 walk-off win. That team included two HarbourCats, Tate Shimao and Carson Cormier. This season’s game in Bellingham will be the 13th All-Star Game in league history.

You can see these stars in action this weekend as the HarbourCats are back home to take on the Kelowna Falcons. Friday, July 11 at 6:35 PM is Harvey’s Birthday, Saturday at 6:35 PM is a Fireworks night, and Sunday’s 1:05 PM matinee is the always popular Bark in the Park game, where all dogs are welcome! Get tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets.

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Although the team is three games into their second half schedule, the first half concluded with the NorthPaws finishing 14-13. With last week’s three-game sweep of the Wenatchee AppleSox, the team has now surpassed last year’s win total. Head Coach Riley Jepson and assistants Trey Newman and Jack Slominski had a goal of changing the team’s vibe and becoming a winning ball club again.

“I think it’s huge to be winning games and in a lot of games, we want to put a good product out there for the community and encourage them to come out to more games,” said Jepson.

The team proved their point early on with an opening weekend sweep over the Port Anglels Lefties and continued to be consistent, including at Norbrock stadium, where they won four of their first five series at home.

Coming into the season, all eyes would be on the bats as the team featured several significant additions, but the bullpen has been one of the biggest keys to success so far, according to the coaches.

“At the beginning of the year, our starters struggled a bit, so the bullpen helped save us a few times, but the starters have been getting better every day, and the bullpen has still been just as good,” said Slominski.

The NorthPaws have taken the league by storm on the basepaths, having over 80 stolen bases and sitting second in the West Coast League. The team also has stolen base leader Elijah Clayton, who has 19 to this point. The coaches believe that this identity has been easy to adopt, given the team’s makeup.

“We preach to the guys every day to play your game, and we have a lot of team speed and athletes one through nine in our lineup, so we can’t get away from that, knowing that’s how we’re going to beat teams,” said Newman.

The West Coast League schedule isn’t an easy one to navigate, and the team hasn’t been immune to tough stretches at the plate, but Newman gives his group credit for staying tough.

“I give the guys a lot of credit, they show up every day, get their work in and take it seriously. They never had their heads down, they just kept battling, which is cool to see, and I think that mentality is infectious and runs through our whole team,” said Newman.

After a pair of disappointing seasons, the team has dramatically turned things around, including opening the second half with a sweep and sitting four games over .500. The NorthPaws last made the postseason in 2022, a year when Newman played on the team. The coaches are trying to revive that vibe in the community.

” We’ve played well so far, but I think we can play even better going forward. I think the guys are starting to realize that and believe it, and if those guys buy in, this is going to be a tough team to beat,” said Newman.

The NorthPaws will return from their days off Tuesday night when they visit the Wenatchee AppleSox as they look to extend their winning streak to a season-long four games.

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