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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Three returnees highlight first HarbourCats players signed for 2023 season

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(Above): Returning middle-infielder Hudson Shupe highlights a list of four players signed for the HarbourCats 2023 season.

November 3, 2022

VICTORIA, B.C. — Loyalty matters — and loyal fans of the Victoria HarbourCats will be happy with the first signed players for the 2023 West Coast League season.

Versatile infielder Hudson Shupe, catcher Russell Young, local pitcher/infielder Ryder Green and stocky lefty Jake Finkelstein, the only new player of the bunch, will be part of Head Coach Todd Haney’s attack when WCL baseball returns to Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP in June — with the potential home opener on Friday, June 2.

“Hudson and Russell were warriors for us last year, and it’s great to have them back and establish the culture we value in Victoria,” said Haney, who will lead the coaching staff for a third season, a HarbourCats longevity record. “Ryder came on and helped us late this last season, and Jake is the kind of southpaw that eats valuable innings in a competitive league like the WCL.”

Russell Young hitting his first career WCL home run in 2022 (Photo: Christian J Stewart)

Shupe, a middle infielder from West Richland, Washington and Seattle University was solid for the HarbourCats from start to finish in 2022, appearing in 38 regular season games and both playoff games and hitting a respectable .270 on the regular season. He also showed his versatility on the mound, pitching 13.1 innings and amassing an ERA of 4.05.

Productive and durable, Young, from Surrey and a Langley Blaze product, and with the HarbourCats from start to finish in 2023, hit .290 with two home runs (including a dramatic, game-winning, bottom of the eighth inning grand slam against Yakima last July 17) and 20 runs driven in over 29 regular season games.  He then went 5-7 in the two playoff games. Young is a former national junior team catcher who started his college career at Gonzaga, moved to Johnson County CC, and is now playing for Chris Pritchett at UBC.

Finkelstein is a 6-0/190 left-handed pitching product of Richmond, BC who moved from Spokane Falls CC to Montana State this fall, and has two years of summer experience with the Sylvan Lake Gulls of the Western Canada Baseball League, where in 2022 he had a 2-0 record and struck out 21 batters in 17 innings of work.

Green, a former HarbourCats batboy now with the Victoria Golden Tide (CCBC), joined the ‘Cats after completing his high school season with the Victoria Eagles. He appeared in non-league games, but also saw four innings in league action and was eligible for playoffs. He picked up a save in a win at Port Angeles. Green can play infield, outfield, and even catch — adding to his value.

Ryder Green, playing here this past fall for the Victoria Golden Tide, will be a useful utility player for the ‘Cats in 2023 (Photo Christian J. Stewart)

2023 Season Tickets
Season ticket renewals and new season ticket sales are now underway for 2023, the HarbourCats 10th season!  Lock in the best seats in the house by the end of November prior to single-game tickets going on sale. Contact chris@harbourcats.com or call the office at 778-265-0327 for details or to renew your existing seats!

2023 Flex-Packs
2023 10-Game and Season Ticket Equivalent Flex Pack vouchers are also now on sale! These can be purchased at the office in-person or by phone and can also be ordered on-line via The Cat Shop at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/products/10-game-flex-pack-general-admission

2023 Single Game Tickets
The 2023 West Coast League schedule is currently in draft mode and a final schedule is anticipated in the next week or two. As such, we anticipate that single-game ticket sales for 2023 will be available in person and on-line in early December.

Stay tuned to all of our social media for updates and details as they become available.

Web: www.harbourcats.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harbourcats
Facebook Fan Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/harbourcats
Twitter: https://twitter.com/harbourcats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harbourcats

 

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Summer Collegiate

No quit in NightOwls, drop tight game in Kamloops

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KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Fresh off a huge 3-2 extra-innings win at home over the Corvallis Knights, the road-tested Nanaimo NightOwls refused to go easily in the start of a six-game road trip.

The NightOwls scored three times in the ninth and had the potential winning run at the plate in a 9-7 setback at the hands of the host Kamloops NorthPaws at Norbrock Stadium.

Some stats details are unavailable due to a league-wide scoring system issue, but the NightOwls scored in the first inning, and built a 4-1 lead into the latter stages when Kamloops stormed back with eight consecutive runs spread over three innings.

The NightOwls threatened, and scored, in the ninth, but fell just short — they will still look to win the series with games Saturday evening and Sunday at noon. The team will venture home on Sunday, then on Tuesday head to Edmonton to face the Riverhawks for games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

There are just three more regular season home games for the NightOwls in 2025, a weekend series against Kamloops that starts a week from Friday (August 1-2-3), with the Friday and Saturday games at 6:35pm and the Sunday capper at 1pm. The NightOwls complete their fourth WCL regular season with a road series in Bellingham, August 4-5-6.



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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Nahaku’s big night powers Cats to win

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Garrett Brooks reached base three times tonight (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

July 25, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats returned to West Coast League action Friday night, beating the Wenatchee AppleSox 10-4.

Kamana Nahaku (Hawaii) got the home team on the board first with a sacrifice fly in the first inning to make it 1-0.

Adam Haight tied things up with a solo home run in the top of the third inning to level things at one.

Jack Johnson (Baylor) restored Victoria’s advantage in the bottom of the fourth with a great piece of situational hitting, driving in the run with a sacrifice fly to centre. Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-1 before Nahaku cleared the bases with a grand slam to left field to blow the game wide open, extending the lead to 7-1. It was the left fielder’s first long ball of the campaign after he hit four for the Cats last season.

Shea Lake has recorded the win in back-to-back starts (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) started for the HarbourCats and has been lights out in recent weeks, producing five shutout innings in back-to-back games. He came close to matching that tonight but was still dominant, going five innings, giving up just one run, and striking out three.

WCL STANDINGS

Ryne Palmer (Cal Baptist) pitched two innings of relief, with the only mark against him being a two-out RBI single by Theo Kim in the sixth inning.

Nahaku drove in his sixth run of the game with a double in the sixth, which gave his team an 8-2 lead.

Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) hit his second home run of the season in the seventh inning to push the lead to 10-2.

WATCH GAMES HERE

The Sox were able to score two runs late against Carson Burks (Hill College), who pitched the final two innings for the HarbourCats, but it was too little too late as the lefty closed it out for the 10-4 win.

Jack Johnson has reached base in all but one game this season (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

This win keeps the HarbourCats top of the North Division second-half standings and puts the AppleSox four games back in fourth place.

VOUCHER REMINDER: The Victoria HarbourCats only have 9 home games remaining this season so don’t forget to redeem your vouchers. You can do so at harbourcats.com/tickets, and if you have any questions or need help exchanging your vouchers, call the HarbourCats office at (778) 265 0327.

10 Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are on sale for all home games and “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Tickets and merchandise can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.

For more updates, be sure to follow @HarbourCats on all social channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

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NightOwls slide past Knights in extra inning thriller

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NANAIMO, B.C. — Never better timing from Andrew Nykoluk.

The shortstop from Hawaii Pacific slapped a single into right centre with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday night gave the Nanaimo NightOwls a much-needed 3-2 victory over the visiting Corvallis Knights.

Nykoluk’s hit scored JJ Abner from second base, rescuing a win to cap the three-game series, the first-ever visit by the Knights to Nanaimo.

The result ends a Nanaimo losing streak as the team prepares for a road series this weekend against the Kamloops NorthPaws.

On Thursday, both teams scored twice in the seventh inning — nothing but zeroes on the board other than that until the NightOwls scored in the 10th.

Jacob Hayes (Azusa Pacific) was 1-1 with two walks for Nanaimo, Jayden Gabrillo (Hawaii Pacific) was clutch for Nanaimo in weathering a storm in the ninth and 10th innings, holding the score at 2-2. Aidan Boice gave up just two hits and no walks in six innings, striking out five in a stellar start that Nanaimo sorely needed after dropping the first two games of the series.

Nanaimo pitchers limited the Corvallis bats to just five hits.

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