The Kamloops NorthPaws have added a Canadian left-hander Colby Ring to the pitching staff for the 2021 season.
Ring, from Langley, B.C., is entering his sophomore season at the University of Antelope Valley after transferring from Johnson County Community College.
He throws a fastball, changeup and curveball, and though he won’t overwhelm anyone with velocity, Ring said he hopes NorthPaws fans will appreciate his dog on a bone mentality when he takes to the mound.
“I consider myself a crafty lefty. I’m not going to come out there and overpower anyone with a fastball. I like to work in all my pitches to keep hitters off balance,” he said. “Definitely something I can bring to Kamloops is a winning attitude and help out in any way I can when I step on the mound at Norbrock to hopefully win some games for the NorthPaws this summer.”
The southpaw got a taste of the West Coast League in 2019, suiting up for the Bellingham Bells.
“I can argue the West Coast League has some of the best players in North America and it’s definitely one of the best leagues to play in during the summer,” Ring said.
One of the best playing experiences for Ring was representing Canada at the Little League World Series with his Langley team in 2011 where they finished fourth in the international bracket.
“It was an unbelievable experience,” he said. “Every little leaguer’s dream is to go represent your respective region or country and I’m thankful I had the opportunity to do that and compete with some of the best players around. I honestly can’t describe the feeling. You’re treated like a big leaguer there even though you’re eleven years old. It was unbelievable.”
Looking ahead to playing with the NorthPaws, Ring said he’s excited to reconnect with former teammates Ryan Beitel and Tommy Green who have also signed on with the Tournament Capital’s expansion club.
“I don’t think there’s a better place to play in my opinion than up in Kamloops during the summertime. I’ve played with a bunch of the guys that we’ve signed so I’m looking forward to getting up there and competing with some of the best players around. I’m really excited,” he said.
The Kamloops NorthPaws are an expansion West Coast League franchise bringing the highest calibre baseball Canada’s Tournament Capital has ever seen. The West Coast League, founded in 2005, has 15 teams across Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta featuring some of the top collegiate players during a 54-game summer season. Find the NorthPaws online at www.northpawsbaseball.ca, @northpawsbaseball on Instagram and Facebook, or @northpawsbb on Twitter.
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