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WCL Adds Springfield Drifters as Newest Member Team

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April 22, 2021

Thursday, the West Coast League announced the addition of the expansion Springfield Drifters as the league’s 16th member team. The Drifters will join the Bend Elks, Corvallis Knights, and Portland Pickles as the league’s fourth Oregon-based team.

“When you look at a map,” said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer, “adding another team in the Willamette Valley is an easy call for us. We were simply waiting for the perfect situation, and with the Springfield Baseball Project, that’s now exactly what we’ve got.”

The Drifters, Bushnell University, and Huddle Up Foundation comprise the Springfield Baseball Project, which is partnering with Springfield Public Schools to renovate the Hamlin Sports Complex baseball field, located at Hamlin Middle School. Beginning in 2022, both the Drifters and the Bushnell Beacons will call the Hamlin Sports Complex home in their inaugural seasons.

“Bringing the high-level play of the West Coast League to Springfield is a baseball dream come true,” said Drifters General Manager Jamie Christopher. “Through the Springfield Baseball Project and Springfield Public Schools’ partnership, we are not only building a first-class baseball facility; we’re also bringing a community facility to an under-served youth population.”

The Drifters join the Edmonton Riverhawks, Kamloops NorthPaws and Nanaimo NightOwls as the four expansion teams set to begin play in 2022. Edmonton, Kamloops and Nanaimo, along with the Victoria HarbourCats and Kelowna Falcons, are gearing up for the 2022 campaign after withdrawing from the 2021 season due to continuing pandemic-related border and gathering limitations.

Springfield’s ownership team of Ike Olsson, from Olsson Industrial Electric; and Kelly Richardson of Richardson Sports, have been planning this venture for a year. “In partnership with the school district,” said Olsson, “we are honored to present our community with another phenomenal baseball complex that builds upon Huddle Up Foundation’s success with Rich Schwab Field at Maple Elementary School. This new project will continue Huddle Up’s mission of providing mentorship and after-school programs to underserved local youth.”

“The Springfield School District has been an ideal partner. Without their cooperation and shared vision, the Drifters Baseball Club and this new facility would not be possible,” said Richardson. “We are excited to bring collegiate baseball to the Springfield community and provide a first-class facility for local kids to use and be proud of.”

To find more information about the Springfield Drifters Baseball Club, visit www.driftersbaseball.com. Fans can follow the team on social media: @driftersbball on Facebook and Twitter.

About the West Coast League: The West Coast League is the West’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Encompassing Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and now Alberta, the WCL showcases pro prospects from major collegiate conferences around the nation. Every summer, the league features unparalleled fan and player experiences, with North America’s best baseball weather. The 2019 MLB amateur draft began with former Corvallis Knight Adley Rutschman selected with the overall No. 1 pick by the Baltimore Orioles. Also in 2019, 317 WCL alums were active in affiliated professional baseball, including 45 in the major leagues, while overall attendance in the West Coast League increased to nearly half a million fans.

Summer Collegiate

Nanaimo NightOwls Lay An Egg Against Island Rivals

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VICTORIA, B.C. — On a beautiful Tuesday night from Royal Athletic Park, the Nanaimo NightOwls couldn’t get anything going and dropped game one of the series 9-0 against their Island rival, Victoria HarbourCats. Victoria jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning before putting 6 on the board in the fourth. Nanaimo was hitting the ball hard all night, but it was at an opposing player every time.

Royal Athletic Park, Victoria, B.C.

The NightOwls had no runs on 5 hits and two errors, while the HarbourCats had nine runs on seven hits with zero errors. Nanaimo had a hard time finding the strike zone on the evening, but they look to rebound on Wednesday in game two. Check out the complete box score below.

https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=620550

There were some bright spots on the night as Jacob Hayes added another hit and brought his hit streak up to 11 games. He also leads the team with 14 RBI.

Tyler Arnold and Jacob Hayes

Centerfielder Andrew Ivy had a solid day at the plate, going two for four, beating out a ground ball for an infield hit in the first inning and doubling in the fifth. Caden Petrey and Spencer Sullivan also added a hit each.

https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

Reliever Jakin Rohne, from Courtney, B.C., pitched very well to end the game for the Nanaimo NightOwls. The University of Victoria product threw three scoreless innings, giving up no hits and striking out one batter.

http://Nanaimonightowls.com/tickets

The Nanaimo NightOwls continue their three-game series with the Victoria HarbourCats June 18th and 19th. The team returns home on June 20th for a weekend series against the Port Angeles Lefties. That goes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 20th, 21st, and 22nd at Serauxemen Stadium.

The team is on a 10-game homestand starting on the 20th of June. We have some great promotional days coming up, including Indigenous Peoples Day and Halloween in June. Make sure to get your tickets and follow the team on our website and social media when they are on the road for the latest information and updates!

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Seven strong innings from Chien help NorthPaws win series opener

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The Kamloops NorthPaws defeated the Walla Walla Sweets in Washington 6-1 as the Sweets lost their first series opener at home this season. The NorthPaws have won back-to-back games and moved into sole possession of third place in the North Division, winning their 10th game of the season.

Righty Mason Chien was on the mound to start the week for the NorthPaws and pitched a gem, going seven innings, giving up one earned run on five hits, striking out eight batters. Chien’s lone troublesome inning was in the third when he gave up a walk and a single with one out. The second out was a fielder’s choice, leaving runners on the corners. Chien gave up a base hit, bringing home the only run of the game for the Sweets. That was the only inning Chien where gave up multiple hits.

At the plate, for the NorthPaws, the middle of the order was once again getting it done, with Drew Schmidt, Joey Rico and Jared Hall combining eight of the NorthPaws thirteenth hits. At the bottom of the order, the NorthPaws newest player, a second baseman from UT Tyler Tanner Hornback, had a pair of hits, including an RBI. Center fielder Ethan Kodama also had a pair of hits and scored twice as well.

In the second inning, the game would no longer be scoreless as Tanner Hornback, in his first at-bat as a NorthPaw, drove in Hall with a single. This would start a stretch of three consecutive innings, with Kamloops scoring a run. In the fourth, Joey Rico singled and brought home Kodama to make it 2-0. Kamloops made it three nothing with Kodama singling, scoring Hornback.

From there, it was all about Mason Chien. After the run scored in the third, he would only give up one more hit, and three of his final four innings were 1-2-3 innings, including striking out the side in order in the sixth. The Sweets had no answer, prompting Walla Walla Play-by-play broadcaster Drew Albaugh to say, “The NorthPaws are up by two right now, but it feels like way more the way Chein has pitched tonight.”

In the top of the eighth, Jared Hall singled, scoring Schmidt to give the NorthPaws some breathing room. The lead would be extended in the ninth courtesy of Schmidt, whose fourth hit of the night scored a pair, making it 6-1.

Lefty Kaden Douglas-Pluff came on in the eighth and cruised through the final two innings, securing the 10th win of the season for Kamloops. The NorthPaws and Sweets will be back at it tomorrow night at 6:35 as the NorthPaws look for their second road series victory of the season and third win in a row. You can find all the action on West Coast League TV.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Cats shutout Owls in series opener

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June 17, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats came to play Tuesday night, shutting out the visiting Nanaimo NightOwls 9-0.

The scoring started early courtesy of a pair of bases-loaded walks in the first inning. Nanaimo starter Brady Pavlovsky walked five batters in the opening frame and seven in total. He lasted 1-2/3 innings, giving up two runs.

BOX SCORE

Tyler Patrick (Fresno State) made his first appearance for the Cats, starting the game and produced an outing his new team desperately needed. The freshman threw four shutout innings, giving up four hits while striking out four.

Jacob Silva walked three times tonight (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

Jacob Doyle (Nevada) led off the bottom of the fourth with a 380-foot home run over the left field wall to make it 3-0. Later in the inning, Logan Shepherd (Tacoma CC) extended his hit streak to 10 games with an RBI single. Cayden Munster (Fresno State) followed that up with a bases-clearing double to the gap, increasing the Cats’ lead to 7-0. Xander “Boogie” McAfee (Texas Arlington) drove in an eighth run to end the frame with a single.

WCL STANDINGS

Shepherd drove in his team-leading 14th RBI with a fifth-inning single, making it 9-0.

Logan Saloman (Nevada) made his debut out of the bullpen and pitched two scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out a pair. Tristin Thomas (West Texas A&M) pitched the final three innings, giving up zero runs on zero hits while striking out two. Tonight, the three HarbourCat pitchers combined to walk zero batters.

WATCH GAMES HERE

The island rivals are back in action tomorrow at 6:35 PM. Get tickets at HarbourCats.com/tickets.

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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