Hawaiian Pipeline Continues For NightOwls. Seven Players Added To 2026 Roster

Nanaimo NightOwls fans have truly enjoyed watching great players from Hawaii on the Serauxmen Stadium diamond, and that will again be the case in 2026.

Head Coach Cody Andreychuk is pleased to add seven more players today — four from Hawaii Pacific (Honolulu), including one returning player, along with a Canadian pitcher, a returning catcher who is at a strong D1 school in Texas, and the brother of a 2025 NightOwls infielder.

“We all remember Hawaiian star Elijah Ickes and him being our first drafted player (by the Texas Rangers) — guys from the islands have thrived on our island,” said Managing Partner Jim Swanson. “We have had a strong record with players wanting to play multiple summers for our fans, for our coaching staff and becoming very close with our staff. We are proud of that.”

Announced today by Coach Andreychuk:

LHP Joshua Rego, Hawaii Pacific University, 6-4/175, L/L, Kapa’a, HI

RHP Jayden Gabrillo, Hawaii Pacific, L/R, 5-8/165, Ewa Beach, HI

IF Kyler Shojinaga, Hawaii Pacific, R/R, 5-6/160, Honolulu, HI

OF Ziah Chang, Hawaii Pacific, R/R, 5-10/170, Kahului, HI

RHP Zander Oudie-Senger, Okanagan College, R/R, 6-3/190, Regina, SK

C Clark Springs, University of Texas-Arlington, R/R, 5-11/190, Southlake, TX

OF Aidan Nykoluk, Ventura Community College, R/R, 6-0/195, Simi Valley, CA

Rego is a promising lefty who is making a strong transition to the college level, with upper 80s velocity and a feel for how to pitch — he will develop further under Gorman Heimueller, the fifth-year pitching coach of the NightOwls.

Shojinaga is a slick-fielding freshman who draws comparisons to great Hawaii-groomed shortstops of the past, including Ickes. He will grind out at-bats and get on base for the power bats in the lineup. As both a shortstop and pitcher, he was league MVP in his senior year of high school.

Gabrillo, who can also play infield, returns after a strong summer in Nanaimo in 2025 which put him in a lead pitching role for HPU this spring. He was 1-2 with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings for the NightOwls last summer.

Chang is a young outfielder known for his defensive game and speed that puts pressure on the basepaths. He stole eight bases in 23 games in a lower level summer league in 2025.

Oudie-Senger has been a top starter for Okanagan College and played four years for his hometown summer team in the WCBL, looking for a more professional experience at the end of his career. An innings-eater, he was a combined 10-3 for Regina,

Springs was part of the strong catching crew for the NightOwls in 2024 and loved the experience — famously driving all the way from his home in Texas to proudly play in Nanaimo. A strong defensive catcher who swings the bat well, he was at top-rated Weatherford College (junior college) before earning a scholarship at UTA. He had a home run and just five strikeouts in 23 games for the NightOwls.

Nykoluk is the brother of Andrew, a senior pitcher who moved to the mound after years as an infielder at HPU. Aidan is off to a great start at Ventura, batting .350, a strong defender with a potent bat.