The Nanaimo NightOwls have been on a tear to start the second half of the WCL season,  Nanaimo was 5-2 and will send Talan Zenk and Jacob Hayes to the league all-star game. (Nanaimo NightOwls)

By Dan Marshall

Stepping Up

NightOwls look to build in second half towards WCL playoff spot

Jul 12, 2025 | 9:48 AM

NANAIMO — The Nanaimo NightOwls have jumped out to a strong start in the second half of their West Coast League baseball season.

After going 12-15 in the first half the NightOwls were 5-2 in the first seven games of the second half, only the Victoria Harbourcats have a better record as the league heads towards the all-star break.

New head coach Cody Andreychuk said the team is still finding consistency.

“There’s still a lot of growing and learning as a group and figuring out what we have. There’s a stretch where we weren’t performing as well as we could have and there was a stretch where were playing at a very high level. We just finished a ten day stretch of playing ten games in a row and we went 4-5 with one exhibition game mixed in there.”

The coaches and players have set a goal of being a playoff team for the first time in franchise history as a main goal for this summer.

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“I think where we’re at we’ve got some work to do in the second half but you get a fresh start and you’ve got to roll through that. We still have a chance of making the playoffs so those couple last spots for playoffs are what we’re eyeing.”

Two NightOwls will be heading to Bellingham to participate in the WCL all-star break on July 16.

“Talan Zenk just got picked. He’s our second baseman and an outfielder utility guy. He’s swung the bat extremely well for us. Jacob Hayes is coming off a big weekend where he had two home runs in one game and he’s got six on the year. He’s a big first baseman out of Azusa Pacific.”

As a coach Andreychuk admitted it’s difficult not having a lot of practice days in the WCL but he’s pleased that this group hungry to perform and committed to getting better.

“The thing about coaching in summer ball is there’s no time to practice. You can tell them to do things differently pregame but you don’t have days in between to practice. When you do have an off day guys need time to rest. We’ve got to do things on the fly and guys have to buy in to that philosophy.”

Andreychuk said the club has a large group of Americans, many of whom are new to Vancouver Island but there’s also a strong group of local players stepping into the spotlight,

“Easton Mould has done a really good job for us. He’s a local boy who went to John Barsby and grew up in Nanaimo Minor baseball and played for the Pirates. He’s done a really good job playing multiple positions and having a good baseball IQ and doing the fundamental things right. Jakin Rohne has done a really great job out of Victoria and Carter Chard-Hill from VIU has done an exceptional job in closing out games for us and he’s been up to 90 miles an hour. He does all the little things right and he’s a fun guy to be around.”

Even though it wasn’t a victory the Canada Day game between the NightOwls and their island rivals the Victoria Harbourcats was a highlight for Andreychuk.

He said the stadium atmosphere and the Nanaimo fans were second to none.

“I’ve never seen Serauxmen Stadium that full. There was not a seat in the house and it was very electric in the sense of the rivalry. It was a very exciting game even though we didn’t come away with the win. That experience for the guys and that experience for the people in the city who may not have been to a game, it was a very cool moment for me and our players to have 3000 plus people in the stands.”

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