| Nanaimo NightOwls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | West Coast League |
| Location | Nanaimo, British Columbia |
| Ballpark | Serauxmen Stadium |
| Founded | 2020[2] |
| Colours | Navy blue, gold, white |
| Mascot | Ney-Te the Night Owl[1] |
| Ownership | Jim Swanson, Ken Swanson, John Wilson, Richard Harder[2] |
| Manager | Greg Frady[2] |
The Nanaimo NightOwls are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Nanaimo, British Columbia. The Night Owls are members of the West Coast League and began play in 2022; they play their home games at Serauxmen Stadium.
History[edit]
The Nanaimo NightOwls were announced to the public on 15 July, 2020[1] with the ball club's name paying homage to the Nanaimo Owls baseball team of the 1920s,[3] whilst the 'night' in the name refers to the work that the City of Nanaimo's undertook to install floodlights at Serauxmen Stadium.[3] On the same day, the team's mascot was also announced; Ney-te (pronounced 'Nate') the NightOwl was named in honour of former mayor of Nanaimo Frank Ney.[1] A month later, it was announced that former Georgia State Head Coach Greg Frady would serve as the team's inaugural Coach.[4] One month after his appointment, Frady announced his first signings for the club; a quartet of players affiliated with Illinois State, three of whom had Canadian passports. This group was made up of infielders Aidan Huggins and Nick Gile, outfielder Dayton Peters and right-handed pitcher Chase Florendine.[5]
Name[edit]
The Nanaimo NightOwls are unusual among sports teams in that they have two names; the Nanaimo NightOwls and the Nanaimo Bars.[1] Named after the dessert of the same name, Nanaimo Bars had been the most requested name by the fans when asked to name the team.[1] Games that are played during the day will see the club go by the Bars moniker, whilst evening games will be played under the guise of the NightOwls. To this end, the team partnered with supermarket chain Save-On-Foods in order to stock away game concessions stands with Nanaimo bars.[3]
2024[edit]
The NightOwls are fifth in the north division with a 7-11 record and are five and a half games behind the AppleSox and Riverhawks for the division lead.[6] Outfielder & pitcher Riley Paulino (Pikeville College) is batting with an average of .356 while infielder Wylie Waters (Bossier Parish Community College) has hit two home runs. On the mound, pitcher Aidan Russel (San Diego State University) has thrown twenty-seven strikeouts.[7] 8,905 fans have attended the NightOwls' seven home games for an average of 1,272.[8]
Season-by-season record[edit]
| Season | League | Division | Finish | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | Postseason | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) | ||||||||
| 2022 | WCL | North | 6th | 22 | 32 | .407 | 11.5 | Did Not Qualify | Greg Frady |
| 2023 | WCL | North | 5th | 26 | 28 | .481 | 12.5 | Did Not Qualify | Greg Frady |
| 2024 | WCL | North | 5th | 8 | 12 | .400 | 7 | Greg Frady | |
| League Champions | Division Champions | Playoff Team |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "Nanaimo unveils new WCL baseball team". CTV News. July 16, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Nanaimo Night Owls". West Coast League. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Nanaimo NightOwls will play ball under the lights next season". Nanaimo News Bulletin. July 15, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ "Veteran NCAA coach Greg Frady takes helm of Nanaimo NightOwls". Times Colonist. August 26, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ "WHO's been signed by the NightOwls?". Nanaimo NightOwls. September 23, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ https://baseball.pointstreak.com/standings.html?leagueid=145&seasonid=33874
- ^ https://baseball.pointstreak.com/leaders.html?leagueid=145&seasonid=33874
- ^ https://baseball.pointstreak.com/attendance.html?leagueid=145&seasonid=33874