KAMLOOPS — If there is one thing the Kamloops NorthPaws have on their side, it’s time.
About four months worth of time.
Announced as an expansion team in the West Coast Baseball League last September, the NorthPaws are scheduled to begin play in June.
With COVID-19 holding most of the world hostage, many other leagues and teams have shutdown, or are experiencing difficult maneuvering through the pandemic.
The NorthPaws are keeping fingers crossed that much will change in the next four months.
Instead of strikes and pitches the only activity at Norbrock right now is from hammers and saws —- with renovations in anticipation of the NorthPaws first season.
“We’re optimistic that the season is going to happen.” says NorthPaws co-owner Jon Pankuch. “We have to be. We can’t wait for the last minute to plan.”
Jon Pankuch says season ticket sales, which went on sale in December, have not topped 100.
From day one when the franchise was announced last September, the NorthPaws have sold it as fan experience —– food, beverage, live entertainment in the parking lot —— oh, and baseball too.
From his home plate in Wichita, NorthPaws coach Cole Armstrong has been assembling a first team —– feeling he’s hit a home run so far with the signing of American College and Canadian University players.
“We’ve kind of solidified what our roster is going to forward.” says Armstrong. “We’re always looking to make additions —- but I think we’ve go the core of our guys that we targeted. I feel that if the season were to start today, I think we’re at a really good spot.”
The NorthPaws season is scheduled to start four months from tomorrow, on June 4th.
All ears will be open on Friday when Dr. Bonnie Henry is due to give an update on restrictions.
Even if the current restrictions are eased, it’s not going to change the restriction on non essential cross boarder travel.
The NorthPaws 2021 season includes a full schedule of games against the ten U.S. based and the other four Canadian based teams in Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna and Edmonton.
“As a league and an ownership group we’ve kind of set March or April we’re going to set done to look at where we are — can we have a Canadian Division, with five teams (Canadian) in the league? I think 100% we can.” says Jon Pankuch.
Another issue that remains is fans.
Will the NorthPaws, the league, be able to have fans in four months
“We don’t have T.V. rights like the big leagues.” says Pankuch. “This is still a collegiate baseball league at the end of the day. Fans are a very, very important part of it.”
