Image credit: CFJC Today

By Michael Reeve

ONE NIGHT ONLY

NorthPaws to transform into Sandpipers after dropping opener to Bellingham

Jul 12, 2025 | 6:49 AM

KAMLOOPS — After winning the first five games of the WCL second half, the Kamloops NorthPaws have now dropped back to back games.

The Bellingham Bells and ‘Paws battled in a barn-burner over at NorBrock Stadium on Friday night (July 11), with the visitors claiming a 14-12 victory in 11 innings. The Bells scored five times in the ninth to level the score, before taking the contest two innings later.

The NorthPaws will look for redemption this evening as they go back in time to the ’80’s becoming the legendary Kamloops Sandpipers for one night only.

The Sandpipers are a now-defunct senior men’s baseball team that won four consecutive provincial championships – from 1984 to 1987 – and Western Canadian titles in 1988 and 1991.

NorthPaws’ operations manager Kolby Lukinchuk said his club will wear Sandpipers uniforms during the contest against the Bells on Saturday and the jerseys will be auctioned off after the game.

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“They’ve been huge supporters through the whole building of this team,” Lukinchuk said, noting many Sandpipers alumni will be in attendance. “We figured it would be nice to honour these guys for what they did to build this.”

Sandpipers’ founder and Kamloops Sports Hall of Famer Rick Leroux is expected to throw the first pitch at 6:35 p.m.