Kyle Slater is playing his first season of summer baseball since becoming a collegiate athlete and is making a difference in the Falcons line-up.

He’s been in Kelowna since the season started and has played 29 games so far this year. At the plate he is hitting .245 with 23 hits, has three doubles, a triple, one homerun and seven RBIs. He has been great on the bases, stealing nine bagss and scoring 17 runs.

As a Yamhil, Oregon native, this is Slater’s first trip to Canada and says he would “definitely spend another summer here. I have told everyone it has been an amazing experience playing baseball and meeting some amazing people. This summer has been a great first year of summer ball.”

Not many people can claim they are from Yamhil, Oregon. The 2020 census states that the population was 1,147 people and is part of Yamhil County situated just over an hour southwest of Portland. The town is known for “its family-friendly atmosphere and dog-friendly spaces.”

Slater left Yamhil and attended Mt Hood Community College in Gresham Oregon, on the other side of Portland. It’s only an hour and half from home so the freshman can head back at anytime.

He didn’t know anything about Kelowna, until his college coach text him back in October and said, “get your passport you are going to Kelowna.” Certainly, any apprehension of coming to the Okanagan evaporated pretty quickly thanks to a Google search and seeing the lake!

On the baseball side of things, Slater is really enjoying his time and is building on his skill base, “The level of competition has been challenging but has given me many opportunities to grow certain aspects of my game.” One of the biggest obstacles for most players is transitioning to a wood bat in summer ball, however Mt. Hood is a wood bat school, so he was able to adjust seamlessly.

With the league on pause for the All-Star break, Slater is hoping to enjoy some time exploring Kelowna and all its beauty, while taking advantage of living near a lake. After the lake, you maybe able to find him and some teammates at Wing Wednesday at Canadian Brewhouse, a place Slater says, he wished they had closer to home. Props to Canadian Brewhouse!

The Falcons are enjoying some downtime now that the All-Star break is here but will prepare for a big push for the postseason once play resumes on Friday night at Elks Stadium. They will host the Port Angeles Lefties this weekend beginning at 6:35pm on Friday night. Tickets can be purchased in advance online –Kelowna Falcons 2025 Season | The Box Office

Photo courtesy of Tami Quan Photography