The NightOwls are about to take flight.
Nanaimo’s expansion baseball team is about to take to the ball diamond for the start of its inaugural West Coast League season.
It’s a long time coming – the NightOwls were supposed to debut last summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the season for the league’s Canadian teams. Now, the NightOwls are doubly excited to play ball.
“It’s good to build a camaraderie around baseball in Nanaimo – I think it’s been missing for a couple years,” said Tim Holyk, NightOwls first baseman. “Now I think the game’s really evolving with the new upgrades to the stadium and stuff like that. I think it’ll be a big impact on baseball in Nanaimo.”
The 16-team league, including five Canadian squads, is a summer league meant to provide developmental opportunities for collegiate players as well as an entertaining product for baseball fans. The NightOwls will play a concentrated 61-game schedule, including a handful of exhibition games, and will play at home 16 times in June, 14 times in July and three times in August.
“For college guys it’s a chance to improve and test yourself against some of the top competition,” said Garrett Goodall, NightOwls pitcher.
Nanaimo, though an expansion team, intends to be competitive and has compiled a deep roster of approximately 40 players. General manager Jim Swanson says he also expects the NightOwls to be one of the league’s best-coached teams with a staff led by Greg Frady, complemented by assistant coach Sean FitzGerald and pitching coach Gorm Heimueller.
Holyk said management has brought in a lot of “impact” players to help ensure the program has an opportunity to start off with a great first season.
“All the guys I’ve met, they seem like great guys and I think we’ll all get along well,” he said. “We all have the same goal at the end of the day, winning on the scoreboard, so I think we’ll all come together here eventually and really create something special for the first year in Nanaimo.”
Goodall said the NightOwls can give themselves the best shot at winning games early in the season if they can get down to team-building.
“That’s going to happen once the games start and you start getting competitive and you start trying to win games,” he said. “That’s a quick way for everyone to come together as one.”
Stopped by the first-ever Nanaimo NightOwls practice today at Serauxmen Stadium. The baseball team's inaugural West Coast League season is just days away…
— Greg Sakaki (@BulletinSports) May 30, 2022
(📷GregSakaki/NewsBulletin) pic.twitter.com/28pVUR4C3R
It starts Tuesday, May 31, on the road in Portland, when Goodall is expected to get the start on the mound. Just three days later will be the home opener at a revamped Serauxmen Stadium and the first chance for baseball fans to start hooting for a new home team.
“Especially with us playing here, younger kids coming out and watching us play, I think it will really further baseball in this community,” Goodall said.
GAME ON … The Nanaimo NightOwls open the WCL season on the road Tuesday, May 31, against the Portland Pickles. The NightOwls play their home opener against the Edmonton Riverhawks on Friday, June 3, at 6:35 p.m. at Serauxmen Stadium. For more schedule and ticket information, visit www.nanaimonightowls.com.
READ ALSO: Nanaimo NightOwls could use more host families as ball players arriving
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter