Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Announce 2024 West Coast League Schedule

Published

6 months ago

November 7, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

HarbourCats to host 32 regular season home games at Wilsons Group Stadium in 2024

November 6, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VICTORIA, B.C. — More meetings in the RE/MAX Island Cup with Nanaimo and a season-ending visit by the rival Corvallis Knights highlight the Victoria HarbourCats schedule for 2024, announced today by the HarbourCats and the West Coast League (WCL).

The 2024 season of HarbourCats baseball will start with a six-game road trip to the middle of BC, games in Kamloops and Kelowna starting May 31, before a rematch of last year’s first round of the playoffs with the Wenatchee AppleSox in Victoria for the home opener on Friday, June 7 at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP.

Head Coach Todd Haney and his roster will be intent on defending home turf — last summer, a league record 25-2 record at the best park in the WCL — and making the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season under the former MLB player’s leadership.

The HarbourCats will face the island rival Nanaimo NightOwls nine times this season in an expanded Island Cup series — and in a quirk of the schedule, all nine are in the first half of the season — with six of those games at historic-and-renewed Serauxmen Stadium in Nanaimo. The first-ever weekend meeting of the teams since the NightOwls joined the league in 2022 will take place leading into the Canada Day holiday, including the traditional Fireworks Night in Victoria on Sunday night, June 30th.

Overall the ‘Cats will play 32 home games at Wilson’s Group Stadium, including five non-league games against teams like the Redmond Dudes and for the first time ever, the Seattle based Dub Sea Fish Sticks, a two-game series July 9-10 that should have HarbourCats mascot Harvey the HarbourCat and hopefully fans, drooling with anticipation.

“We are working on arranging the specific dates of our promo schedule, special events like fireworks and Odlum Brown jersey-off-our-backs, and Bark in the Park — those will be released soon so people can buy single tickets or redeem 10pks well before Christmas,” said GM Christian Stewart. “Todd will have our players ready and looking to give our fans more exciting baseball from the home opener through the playoffs, the best entertainment value on the lower island.”

HarbourCats fans will see all the Canadian teams – Nanaimo NightOwls, Kelowna Falcons, Edmonton Riverhawks and the Kamloops NorthPaws – along with the Wenatchee AppleSox, Bellingham Bells, Port Angeles Lefties and Corvallis Knights. Victoria will also participate in the 2024 WCL All-Star game scheduled for July 17th (location to be announced), marking the first time this event returns since 2019.

The August 5-7 match-up with the Knights, a re-match of the 2023 Championship Final, marks the first time the Knights have travelled to Victoria since 2019 and given that the plan for that series includes BC Day Fireworks, the annual Jersey Off Our Backs night and Fan Appreciation night, it is anticipated that tickets for that closing series will be in high demand.

Speaking of tickets, Season Tickets and 10-game flex packs are now on sale for the 2024 season and can be purchased at the office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, or by calling the office at 778-265-0327.

SINGLE GAME TICKETS and flex pack voucher exchanges are not yet available. It is anticipated that these will be available on-line for the general public starting December 1, 2023 and through our one and only ticketing partner, Select Your Tickets. Stay tuned or more information on that.

The full HarbourCats 2024 schedule and a number of tentative promotional dates (subject to change) is presented below (Download Graphic of calendar schedule HERE):

Fri May 31 @KAMLOOPS
Sat June 1 @KAMLOOPS
Sun June 2 @KAMLOOPS
Mon June 3 @KELOWNA
Tue June 4 @KELOWNA
Wed June 5 @KELOWNA

Fri June 7 vs WENATCHEE 6:35 PM – Opening Night
Sat June 8 vs WENATCHEE 6:35 PM – FIREWORKS!
Sun June 9 vs WEN 1:05 PM – Sunday Matinee

Tue June 11 vs NANAIMO 6:35 PM
Wed June 12 @ NANAIMO
Thur June 13 vs NANAIMO 11:00 AM Matinee School Spirit Game

Fri June 14 @EDMONTON
Sat June 15 @EDMONTON
Sun June 16 @EDMONTON

Tue June 18 @NANAIMO
Wed June 19 @NANAIMO
Thur June 20 @NANAIMO

Fri June 21 vs BELLINGHAM 6:35 PM
Sat June 22 vs BELLINGHAM 6:35 PM
Sun June 23 vs BELLINGHAM 1:05 PM Sunday Matinee

Tue June 25 vs REDMOND 6:35 PM – Non-League

Wed June 26 vs PORT ANGELES 6:35 PM
Thur June 27 vs PORT ANGELES 6:35 PM
Fri June 28 vs PORT ANGELES 6:35 PM

Sat June 29 @NANAIMO
Sun June 30 vs NANAIMO, 6:35 PM CANADA DAY FIREWORKS
Mon July 1 @NANAIMO

Tue July 2 @WENATCHEE
Wed July 3 @WENATCHEE
Thur July 4 @WENATCHEE

Fri July 5 vs KELOWNA 6:35 PM
Sat July 6 vs KELOWNA 6:35 PM
Sun July 7 vs KELOWNA 1:05 PM Sunday Matinee – HARVEY’S BIRTHDAY

Tue July 9 vs DUB SEA FISHSTICKS 6:35 PM – Non-League
Wed July 10 vs DUB SEA FISHSTICKS 6:35 PM – Non-League

Fri July 12 vs EDMONTON 6:35 PM
Sat July 13 vs EDMONTON 6:35 PM FIREWORKS!
Sun July 14 vs EDMONTON 1:05 PM Sunday Matinee – BARK IN THE PARK

Tue July 16 vs SOUTH ISLAND ALL-STARS 6:35 PM – Non-League
Wed July 17 WCL ALL-STAR GAME (LOCATION TBD)
Thur July 18 vs VICTORIA MAVERICKS 6:35 PM – Non-League

Fri Jul 19 @ RIDGEFIELD
Sat July 20 @ RIDGEFIELD
Sun July 21 @ RIDGEFIELD
Mon July 22 @PORT ANGELES
Tue July 23@PORT ANGELES
Wed July 24 @PORT ANGELES

Fri July 26 vs KAMLOOPS 6:35PM
Sat July 27 vs KAMLOOPS 6:35 PM
Sun July 28 vs KAMLOOPS 1:05 PM Sunday Matinee

Tue July 30 vs EDMONTON 6:35 PM
Wed July 31 vs EDMONTON 6:35 PM
Thur Aug 1 vs EDMONTON 6:35 PM

Fri Aug 2 @BELLINGHAM
Sat Aug 3 @BELLINGHAM
Sun Aug 4@BELLINGHAM

Mon Aug 5 vs CORVALLIS 6:35PM – BC DAY FIREWORKS!
Tue Aug 6 vs CORVALLIS 6:35 PM – JERSEY OFF OUR BACKS!
Wed Aug 7 vs CORVALLIS 6:35 PM – FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT!

August 10-12 Divisional Playoffs
Wed August 14 Championship Semi-Finals
Fri August 16 Championship Final

$10 Tuesdays – June 11, June 25, July 9, July 16, July 30 (not Aug 6)
All General Admission and Premium Reserved seats just $10

Winning Wednesdays – June 26, July 10, July 31, Aug 7
All Red Arrow beer products on sale for just $6

Forces Fridays – June 7, June 21, June 28, July 5, July 12, July 26
Military and first responders can get half-price General Admission seating

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.