Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws/HarbourCats split and rained out

Published

10 months ago

July 28, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

KAMLOOPS, BC—The Kamloops NorthPaws got back in the win column but unfortunately, they were unable to capture their West Coast League series at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium. On Thursday (July 27), the third game of the series was cancelled with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning because of a rainstorm. The game will be replayed at a later date.

The NorthPaws and the visiting Victoria HarbourCats were battling to see who would win the series after Victoria won 2-0 on Tuesday (July 25) and the Paws won their 10 th game of the season on Wednesday (July 26) with a 6-3 victory.

Victoria leaves Kamloops with a record of 11-6 in the second half and 30-14 overall. Kamloops is 10-33 overall and 3-13 in the second half.

The NorthPaws will hop the ferry and head to Nanaimo for a three game set against the NightOwls. It’s the first time the two teams have played against each other this season.

The HarbourCats hit the road after this game to entertain the Kelowna Falcons. They play tomorrow.

All West Coast League games are available via their website: https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

SERIES RECAP:

Tuesday, July 25, 2023:HarbourCats 2 NorthPaws 0

The NorthPaws honored their billet parents before the contest. They saw an exciting game and a strong pitching performance from Nathan Gray (Queen Creek, AZ). Gray pitched seven strong innings, giving up two hits, one run, striking out six and walking two. Gray is 0-1 on the year in nine appearances.

The HarbourCats lost Tyler Davis (Fresno, CA) in the fourth inning. He was ejected after arguing with home plate umpire Blaise Leveay. At that point, Davis had struck out twice. He was replaced by Ryan Magdic (Beamsville, ON).

Joey Baran (Austin, TX) got the start at catcher for Kamloops and threw two base runners out in the first five innings.

Victoria opened the scoring in the seventh when Dallas Macias (Parker, Co) walked and scored on a single from Tripp Clark (Waco, TX). Clark was 3-4 in the ball game with that run batted in. Macias was 0-2 with a run scored.

Then in the eighth, Jesse Brown (Seattle, WA) doubled and scored on a wild pitch. The HarbourCats had four hits and one error. Kamloops had three hits in the ball game.

Cody Howard (The Woodlands, TX) was the third of four Victoria pitchers and got the win. He went two innings, striking out four, walking one and giving up a hit. He went to 2-0. Carson Latimer (Delta, BC), pitched the final two innings getting his second save in 11 appearances. He walked two and struck out one.

Offensively for Kamloops, Drew Giannini (Tracy, CA) was 2-4. Anthony Manuel (Antioch, CA) was 1-3.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598692

Wednesday, July 26, 2023: NorthPaws 6 HarbourCats 3

The NorthPaws snap a five-game losing streak with the victory as they pounded out 10 hits without committing an error.

Baran led the way going 2-3 with three runs batted in and a run scored. Two of those runs came in the bottom of the first inning on a double as he drove in Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) and Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, QC). Baran hit a double in the third inning to drive in Neville who led it off with a ground rule double as the ball got stuck in the fence in right field. Matthew Ward (Mississauga, ON) hit a 385 foot shot over the left field fence for his first homer of the summer to account for one of the other Kamloops runs. Ward was 1-3. Manuel was 2-3 with a run batted in.

New Zealand lefty MacLain Roberts improved his record to 2-6 with the win. He went five and two thirds on a five hitter, giving up three runs while walking five and striking out five.

Jed Decooman (Vancouver, BC) was the starter and losing pitcher for Victoria. He lasted three innings giving up five hits on three hits. The HarbourCats offense was led by Magdic who was 2-3 with a run scored. Clark was 1-3 with a run batted in

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598693

Thursday, July 27, 2023: game cancelled due to lightning in fifth inning.

At the time of the cancellation, Victoria held a 2-0 lead with Kamloops batting with one out in the bottom of the fifth. The HarbourCats had scored both their runs in the top of the third inning when Marco Pirrcuello (Rockin, CA) advanced to first base on an error and later scored along with teammate Brandon Green (Olds, AB). Green had singled. Both players came home on an error charged to NorthPaws catcher Ward.

Alexis Gravel (Repentgny, QC) was on the mound for Kamloops at the time.

The game will be replayed before the end of the 2023 West Coast League season. Date, time and venue will be determined later.

NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:

The North Paws will play the Night Owls in Nanaimo tomorrow (July 28) through to Sunday (July 30)

They return home to host Kelowna on August 1st before going to Elks Stadium in the “Little Apple” to meet the Falcons for their final two road games of the West Coast League season.

If you can’t make the home games, they are all webcast on https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/ . Some home games will also be shown on Shaw TV in Kamloops (Cable 10 or 105 with Blue Curve).

PLAYERS TO WATCH ON NANIAMO:

1. Jakob Fleury (Burlington, WA) leads Nanaimo with 4-0 record coming out of the bullpen. He has an E.R.A. of 2.32 in 10 appearances.

2. Payton Robertson (Lynden, WA) is 4-1 with an E.R.A. of 3.68. He has started seven of the eight games he has appeared in.

3. Wylie Waters (West Vancouver, BC) is ninth in the West Coast League in batting average (.343) with 18 R.B.I.

4. Aaron Marsh (Nanaimo, BC) is 19th in the West Coast League with a batting average of .313 with 16 R.B.I.

5. Ethan Rivera (Chino Hills, CA) has a team leading four home runs.

TAILGATE PARTY:

The Molson’s Tailgate Party is operating before every NorthPaws home game. It runs Tuesday through Saturday 5-630 PM. The Party runs Sundays noon-1 PM. Hotdogs and a Pilsner are sold for $ 12.00 plus tax.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HabourCats load up on pitching in preparation for 2024 season

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

Preston Kelly in CCAA action for the Cal State-San Marcos Cougars (Photo: Greg Siller, Cal State-San Marcos)

May 13, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — Local pitcher Jacob Thompson joins the HarbourCats for the 2024 season, along with four other college arms.

The HarbourCats are excited to announce the addition of five pitchers to their 2024 pitching staff, all joining the club for the first time.

Announced today:

RHP Jacob Thompson, Minot State University, 6-0/180, North Saanich, BC
RHP Preston Kelly, Cal State-San Marcos, 5-10/190, Eastvale, CA
RHP Jason Krakoski, Cal State-Fullerton, 6-3/180, Livermore, CA
LHP Payton Hawkinson, Cal State-Fullerton, 6-7/230, Turlock, CA
LHP Brandon Bertsch, University of Texas, 6-0/170, Dallas, TX

Thompson, a graduate of Lambrick Park Secondary, is a freshman at Minot State University. He has appeared in nine games for the Beavers in 2024, primarily as a reliever, and has given up one or less earned runs in seven of those appearances.

Kelly has posted a 3.96 ERA over 38.2 innings for Cal State-San Marcos during the 2024 season. The California native started the season on a tear as he did not allow an earned run until his 10th appearance. He has struck out 33 batters while limiting the walks to just eight over the course of the season so far. In 2023, Kelly finished with nine saves which was the second most in school history.

Krakoski is the first of two pitchers joining Victoria from Cal State-Fullerton. He has struck out 20 batters over 21.2 innings in 2024 and has limited the long ball by only giving up one home run all season. In high school, he captained his team to the NCS playoff semi-finals in back-to-back years. The freshman comes from a family of athletes as both his grandfather and uncle played professional football – his grandfather played for the Oakland Raiders from 1963-1966 and his uncle was a linebacker in the NFL for Washington in 1986.

Hawkinson (pictured right), another California native, is a big lefty standing at 6-7/230. The freshman has pitched in seven games this year for the Titans and has given up one or less earned runs in six of those appearances. In his junior year of high school he earned first-team all-conference and conference pitcher-of-the-year awards as he led his team to conference championship.

Bertsch is a freshman right-hander from Dallas. He starred in high school becoming just the second player in school history with more than 100 strikeouts in a season. He will add a lot of swing and miss potential to an already formidable HarbourCats pitching staff.

The HarbourCats are looking forward to seeing these young arms in action against West Coast League batters.

The HarbourCats open on the road May 31 in Kamloops, the start of back-to-back series in Kamloops and Kelowna, before returning for the June 7 home opener against Wenatchee. The HarbourCats will be on the road this summer in Kamloops, Kelowna, Edmonton, Wenatchee, Ridgefield, Port Angeles, Bellingham, and six games in Nanaimo against the Island-rival NightOwls at Serauxmen Stadium. Teams visiting Victoria this year are Wenatchee, Nanaimo, Bellingham, Port Angeles, Kelowna, Edmonton (two series), Kamloops and Corvallis, along with non-league games against the Redmond Dudes, Dub Sea Fish Sticks, the SIBL All-Stars, and Victoria Mavericks All-Stars.

The regular season runs until August 7, with WCL playoffs running from August 10 to August 16.

Single game tickets are now available for the HarbourCats 2024 season including the home opener on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 6:35pm against the Kamloops NorthPaws. These can be purchased online through our one and only ticketing partner, Select Your Tickets, at www.harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale via the HarbourCats office or by calling 778-265-0327.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Fresno State bats and two returning pitchers part of next six signed by HarbourCats

Published

2 weeks ago

May 4, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

2023 pitcher Flynn Ridley will return to the HarbourCats for 2024, along with 2023 teammate Brett Harvey and four other new players announced today (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

May 4, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — On a strong pitching staff, Flynn Ridley and Brett Harvey were standouts for the 2023 Victoria HarbourCats.

The HarbourCats are excited to announce the return of the two right-handers, along with excitement at adding two quality hitters from a school that has long provided great players, Fresno State.

Ridley and Harvey, along with Sky Collins and Cam Schneider from Fresno State, highlight a new signing group that includes a huge right-hander from TCU in Carson Cormier, and a star catcher from Texas A&M in Kyle Micklus, a lefty hitter with power.

Announced today:

RHP Flynn Ridley, Ottawa (AZ), 6-4/200, Burnaby, BC
RHP Brett Harvey, Puget Sound, 6-2/190, Auburn, WA
C Kyle Micklus, West Texas A&M, 5-9/190, Waller, TX
OF Sky Collins, Fresno State, 6-1/180, Fresno, CA
IF/OF Cam Schneider, Fresno State, 6-3/190, Fresno, CA
RHP Carson Cormier, TCU, 6-5/225, Westford, MA

Harvey (pictured right) posted a combined 1.90 ERA over 15 regular season and playoff games for the ‘Cats in 2023, giving up 20 hits in 23.2 innings. Ridley started four games among his nine appearances and was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA, striking out 28 in 24 innings. Take away his last start, and he was 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA, limiting opposing hitters to a .132 average.

Micklus, an energy guy behind the dish, is hitting .421 with six homers for West Texas A&M, after starring at Lassen College in California. He’s also stolen 11 bases, adding 15 doubles and two triples, and will give the catching staff an older presence.

Collins and Schneider are both from Fresno, and bring size to the lineup. Schneider is hitting .273 as a freshman this season, while Collins joined the Bulldogs off a strong two years at Fresno City College, winning a gold glove and being named second team all-conference.

Cormier is big, 6-5 and 225. From just outside of Boston, the freshman has won numerous academic and leadership awards and was on the Dodgers scout team before landing at TCU as a top prospect who will get valuable innings in the summer with the HarbourCats.

The regular season runs until August 7, with WCL playoffs running from August 10 to August 16.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale via the HarbourCats office or by calling 778-265-0327.