The Mid Island Pirates finished .500 and in the middle of the pack in the BC Premier Baseball League in 2025. The club is eyeing a much more successful campaign in 2026. (Image Credit: Mid Island Pirates)

By Dan Marshall

Batter Up

Mid Island Pirates full of optimism as baseball season begins

Apr 3, 2026 | 6:34 AM

NANAIMO — The Mid Island Pirates begin the 2026 BC Premier Baseball League season with a pair of games at UBC on April 4 and 5.

With a .500 record of 24 and 24 last season senior Pirates coach Larson Bauck said the group is poised to improve on that this year

“Our pitching staff is very deep, the lineup is very long, and defensively, we’re really strong in the middle of the field. Anytime you can combine those three, you’re going to have a pretty good shot to win every game. The Grade 11’s that are coming up and coming in are going to make an impact, and not be just fringe players, but impact players as well. It’s a really good balance between veterans and youth, and I think we’re positioned extremely well.”

The Pirates home opener is April 22 against the Victoria Eagles at Serauxmen Stadium.

Not only is Mid Island starting their season on the road, the team also had a spring training stint down in Florida.

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Bauck said the Pirates played nine exhibition games in an eight day span.

“It was a good opportunity to get back to where it was like in the old days, four to a room and obviously the bonding. On the field we did tons of practices and tons of games. It was a chance to get some really good work done, work through a process, and just kind of get better every day.”

This year’s group has several college committed players including Justyce Dahling to Dakota College, Hayden Robbins and Grady Reinhard are off to Colby College, Tyler McWhinnie will play for Midland College and Madden Peters will attend Cochise College.

Bauck said other players may follow as well.

“We’re probably going to have roughly six D1-JUCO commits, maybe the best recruiting class in Pirates history, so we’re pretty excited about that. Guys have done a really good job of getting themselves ready for post secondary.”

Aside from the BCPBL games the Pirates will also play at the Best of the West tournament in Kamloops April 29 to May 3 and look to qualify for the Road To Okotoks, which is a major national tournament in July.

“You’re not going to find an easy game there with the teams and the talent that are that are probably going to qualify for that tournament,” Bauck said. “We have to qualify, we have to get through our league, but at the end of the day the tournament itself is going to be really good.”

Mid Island also has their junior and bantam teams starting play this month and Bauck believes all the teams under the Pirates umbrella are in a position to finish in the top five in their respective leagues.

“Across the board, we’re in as good, if not the best position we’ve ever been in as an organization, from top to bottom. It’s a really exciting year to be to be a part of the Mid Island Pirates.”

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