With the 2021 season cancelled the Nanaimo NightOwls have used the time to advance player recruitment, work through stadium upgrades and build up their operation for a 2022 launch. (Nanaimo NightOwls)

By Dan Marshall

Offseason Work

NightOwls using extra time wisely to build towards West Coast League debut

Oct 14, 2021 | 7:43 PM

NANAIMO — Work is ongoing behind the scenes in anticipation of the first ever Nanaimo NightOwls West Coast League baseball game.

The debut of Nanaimo’s newest baseball team was supposed to happen on June 1, 2021, but the new target date is May 31, 2022.

NightOwls co-owner Jim Swanson said player recruitment is well underway.

“On the baseball operations side we’re continuing on our recruiting path. We’re very happy with where it’s going with getting confirmations on players.”

Work is also being done on the league schedule, the team’s first office staff members are hired and massive upgrades to Serauxmen Stadium are well underway.

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Swanson said several of the players who committed for 2021 are still ready to move forward with the NightOwls next year.

“Connor Caskanette who played with the Mid-Island Pirates and Anson McGorman and Tim Holyk who played for the Parksville Royals are players who have advanced another year on their path. They’re all committed to coming back”

The NightOwls did lose some of their initial recruits who moved on to professional opportunities.

Continuing Serauxmen Stadium upgrades will create a new experience for both players and fans of the collegiate level summer league.

The wooden fence has come down, the grand stand is getting sandblasted and a new scoreboard and lights are in place.

“Anyone whose driven by it can see the changes to nearly everything,” said Swanson. “Nobody’s ever watched a game in that stadium from down the lines because you had to be eight feet tall. Now with four foot fences there’s going to be new seating options and new viewpoints.”

The league is working on the 2022 schedule with an official announcement hoped in late October or early November.

There was disappointment from the NightOwls about not playing in 2021 but the cancellation of the season did allow the stadium upgrades to be further along.

Now with extra year to plan process Swanson said the organization will be able to offer fans a stronger game day experience when the team hits the field.

The team will announce further roster additions later into the offseason, choosing to wait until impact of health restrictions on American players is more clear.

Nanaimo was awarded a WCL expansion franchise just prior to the life-altering pandemic taking effect in March 2020.

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