FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart

May 31, 2025

Victoria, BC – It wasn’t too long ago that players like Mike Piechnik and Reg Underwood and teams like Bate Construction, Payless and Travellers Inn were roaming the field at Royal Athletic Park and playing national championship caliber fastpitch in front of packed audiences.

Some of that history came alive again on Saturday afternoon as the Sooke Loggers and Lacey A’s put on a great exhibition of men’s fastpitch in front of a healthy crowd of 1,361 fans at Wilson’s Group Stadium.

The double header, put on by the HarbourCats Foundation and main sponsor Emery Electric, was an entertaining affair that saw the host Loggers thump the A’s 12-2 in game one and then eked out a tight 5-4 win in game two.

However the game was perhaps less important than some of the past legends of the game getting together and re-living old times. PA announcer extraordinaire Cliff Lequesne was on hand to handle some of the pre-game ceremonies,  Piechnik took the mound for first pitch duties along with his son Lucas, and Doug Roberts brought an amazing collection of classic jerseys that were on display on the third base concourse.

Saturday’s fastpitch games were a warm-up for the Victoria HarbourCats home opener that will take place next Friday June 6th against the Port Angeles Lefties.  Prior to that however, the local Victoria Eagles will invade Wilson’s Group Stadium as they will play a double header against the Langley Blaze at 12 Noon on Sunday and then follow that with a game Tuesday night at 6:35 pm against the cross town rival Victoria Mariners.

Tickets for all those games are available through the HarbourCats one and only ticketing partner Showpass at http://harbourcats.com/tickets.

Here are some more photos from today’s Fastpitch Showcase, courtesy of Christian J. Stewart.

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May 31, 2025

For immediate release

KELOWNA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats piled on nine runs as they won their second straight game against the Kelowna Falcons on Saturday night.

The Cats took advantage of some Falcon mistakes early, scoring two runs on an error and a wild pitch in the first inning. The two teams exchanged runs in the first two frames, with the HarbourCats taking a 3-2 lead into the third inning.

Andrew Carter (TCU) started for the visitors, going 1-2/3 innings, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out one. Lefty Carson Burks (Hill College) settled things down, pitching 2-1/3 shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit.

BOX SCORE

Victoria added to their lead in the fifth inning when Jordan Bond (Doane University) grounded out with bases loaded, scoring a run. In the sixth inning, returning HarbourCat Kyle Hepburn (SIUE) drove in two runs with a hard hit single to left field, extending the lead to 6-2. The catcher from Richmond, BC, had three RBIs on the evening.

From there, the Cats didn’t look back, adding two more runs in the eighth inning and a ninth run in the final frame.

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It was a team effort with seven different batters recording a hit. Tanner Beltowski (Westmont College) reached base four times tonight and has a team-leading five walks to go with his pair of hits and RBIs on the young season.

Austin Lindsey (Hill College), John Ondus (Niagara), Nolan Buskho (ETBU), and Jalen Sami (Golden Tide) all pitched out of the bullpen, keeping hold of the lead for the rest of the game.

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Don’t miss exciting BCPBL action at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park this week. On SUNDAY, JUNE 1 at noon, the Victoria Eagles take on the Langley Blaze in a Doubleheader. The Eagles are back on TUESDAY, JUNE 3 at 6:35 PM to take on the Victoria Mariners in BCPBL Regular Season action.

Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and four “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ new and one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

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

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Ahead of the 2025 season, Head Coach Reilly Jepson has brought in a set of best friends from Arizona to round out his coaching staff. Trey Newman will serve as the assistant coach, and Jack Slominski will be the team’s pitching coach.

It won’t be the first time these two friends are on the same coaching staff. Last summer, the two friends coached in the Arizona summer league, and it offered them a chance to build a special dynamic beyond playing the game they love.

Newman’s name may sound familiar to fans, and that’s because he was the first player signed in franchise history. Trey spent the 2022 season as a NorthPaw, where he hit .218 in 16 games.

“It’s cool to see how far this place has come with the money being put into the team and the players were getting as well as the support from the community,” said Newman.

Newman started his Collegiate career at Utah Valley State. After a sophomore season in which he hit .230 in 23 games, the catcher decided to return to his home state. Still, he didn’t play Division I baseball. Instead, Newman transferred to Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Arizona, to play Junior College Baseball. He would play 54 of the team’s 55 games en route to an NCJAA World Series crown.

From there, Trey would receive the call from Arizona State and head back to the valley where he was born. As a Sun Devil, he would appear in 26 games of two seasons, with 18 of those being starts. After the 2024 season, Newman decided Coaching was his calling, but based on his upbringing, many weren’t surprised.

Trey’s Grandfather, Jeff, was a nine-year MLB veteran with the Oakland A’s and Boston Red Sox. After his career ended in 1984, he quickly returned to Oakland as the bullpen coach. In 1986, when Manager Jackie Moore was fired, Jeff Newman was named interim manager, where he guided the A’s to a 2-8 record.

He remained with the organization at the minor league level until 1991. From 1992 to 1999, he was the third base coach for the Cleveland Indians and eventually landed in Seattle, where he retired from Coaching in 2005.

Trey Uncle Ryan Newman also has plenty of coaching experience, having served as a manager in various independent professional leagues. Today, he serves as the infield coordinator for the Chicago White Sox.

“Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the coach’s office, and I started to think from a young age that this is what I wanted to do,” Said Newman

Today, Newman serves as the Offensive Strategy and Analytics Director at the University of California, Berkeley. Growing up around Coaching planted the seed, but Newman says being behind the plate opened his eyes to Coaching.

“You look at the game in a different way when you are behind the plate. You start to think about the other eight guys as well as yourself and what the other team is trying to do, so it definitely got me into more of a coaching mindset as my career went on”, Said Newman.

Joining Trey this summer is long-time friend Jack Slominski. Despite going to rival high schools in Scottsdale, the two have been close friends since they were 14. Slominski is excited for the opportunity and said it was one he couldn’t pass up.

“He’s one of my best friends in the world, so to have someone like that here, it was a no-brainer to come up,” said Slominski.

Like Trey, Jack’s career took a couple of turns. After graduating from high school, he got recruited to attend Grand Canyon University, located across town in Phoenix. In two seasons there, he made only nine appearances, so he also decided to pursue the Junior College route, moving back across town to Scottsdale Community College.

Like Newman, the 2022 season was a huge bounceback for Slominski, during which he made 13 appearances, 11 of which were starts. He carried a 4-3 record with a 3.75 ERA over 57 and two-thirds innings pitched. The following season, he moved out of state to attend the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

In his final two seasons of eligibility, Slominski appeared in 30 games, making 27 starts. His record was 15-7, and he logged 149 innings, striking out 133 hitters over that time. After finishing his career, he accepted an assistant coaching job at his alma mater, Scottsdale Community College. After just one season of Coaching, Slominski has been promoted to the team’s pitching coach and is excited to build his skills.

“This will be a time where I can start brainstorming my own ideas and philosophies around pitching; I feel like having more responsibility this year will be a great opportunity for me to grow as a coach,” said Slominski.

Being a pitching coach in Summer Baseball can be difficult at times, managing players’ innings limits and the health of pitchers going back to school in the fall. This mentality can sometimes take the competitive spirit out of the game, but Slominski’s message to his staff was simple.

“We’re going to have fun and give you guys innings, but I want to win,” said Slominski.

Slominski believes that a skill that can be developed is learning how to win, something often not talked about by Summer Baseball coaches.

“Winning is fun, and knowing how to win is a great skill to take back to school with you,” said Slominski.

Away from the ballpark, the two friends have been known to take their competitive spirit to the golf course. With both being from a premier golf destination, they’re excited to spend a summer surrounded by great courses. However, Newman is also eager to learn a thing or two from his friend.

“Jack is really good, so hopefully, he gives me some swing lessons this summer,” said Newman.

When asked about this, Slominski took the humble road.

“I think my schedule allows me to play more, so maybe that’s why I’m a little better.”

With these two long-time best friends, their competitiveness has served them well in their short coaching careers and will be welcomed additions this summer as the NorthPaws embark on another season.

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