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Victoria HarbourCats – 2024 is the summer of THEME NIGHTS at Victoria HarbourCats baseball

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A summer’s worth of great baseball, fireworks and wacky promotions, set to begin June 7!

June 3, 2024

For Immediate Release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The themes – they are the thing.

For more than a decade now, The Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park has been the place to be during the summer. The Victoria HarbourCats have long provided Victoria residents with countless theme nights full of fun and memories for fans of all ages.

This season the HarbourCats will host 32 home games, beginning on Friday, June 7 at 6:35 pm against Wenatchee, with exciting new theme nights and returning favourites to follow after that. The first Saturday home game of the season, June 8, will bring the first of four always-popular fireworks nights, also including June 30 (Canada Day), July 13, and August 5 (BC Day).

The HOME OPENING SERIES is sponsored by Starlight Investments – and Opening Night is presented by Wilson’s Transportation.

Fireworks sponsors this season include Re/Max, Odlum Brown, and Joan Wallace Driving School.

Calling all Swifties! The Cats are delighted to give fans the opportunity to see Taylor Swift when she performs at BC Place in Vancouver at the end of this year. The Eras Tour has been a global phenomenon since its first show in March 2023 and the HarbourCats are giving away a pair of tickets! Come to one or more HarbourCats games between June 25-28 to be entered into the draw to win tickets to her December show, thanks to Maxxam Insurance. The winner will be announced during Taylor Swift Night on June 28.

On June 13 at a special start time of 11:00, Mayfair Optometric Clinic’s annual School Spirit Day will bring over 3000 middle school and elementary school students to the ballpark. The lively fan atmosphere that these kids provide will be one of the best of the season.

Harvey the HarbourCat’s birthday will be celebrated at the July 7 afternoon game, which has been a fan favourite game in previous seasons.

The highlight of many dogs’ summer is the popular Bark in the Park game, presented by Bosley’s on Yates, on July 14 where fans are encouraged to bring their dog to the game.

Another returning giveaway will take place on July 10 when one lucky fan will win an extensive funeral package thanks to H.W. Wallace Cremation and Burial Centre. Also returning for 2024 is the ever-popular Odlum Brown “Jersey Off Our Backs” night on August 6, where fans can win a game-worn jersey off the back of a player following the game.

Full list of 2024 theme nights:

June 4: High School Baseball, Victoria Eagles vs Victoria Mariners
June 7: OPENING NIGHT! Opening series sponsored by Starlight Investments. Presented by Wilson’s Transportation. Forces Friday, presented by Galaxy Motors.
June 8: FIREWORKS! Opening series sponsored by Starlight Investments. Presented by Wilson’s Transportation
June 9: First Family Fun Sunday! Opening series sponsored by Starlight Investments
June 11: $10 Tuesday and Pregame Challenger Baseball, presented by Penninsula Co-op
June 13: School Spirt Day, sponsored by Mayfair Optometric Clinic
June 21: National Indigenous People’s Day, Forces Friday presented by Galaxy Motors
June 23: Beacon Hill Little League Day, Family Fun Sunday! With Dodd’s Furniture.
June 25: $10 Tuesday! Special Olympics Pre-Game Softball, sponsored by Penninsula Co-op. Day 1 to enter for Taylor Swift tickets
June 26: Grumpy Bum Pants Night with Helen Edwards. Winning Wednesdays with Red Arrow Brewing. IG Wealth Management Family Day. Day 2 to enter for Taylor Swift tickets
June 27: Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Mixer. Day 3 to enter for Taylor Swift tickets
June 28: Taylor Swift Night! Presented by Maxxam Insurance. Forces Friday, presented by Galaxy Motors. Final day to enter for Taylor Swift tickets
June 30: Canada Day Fireworks! Sponsored by Re/Max. With Salsa Caliente Dance Company.

July 5: Forces Friday, presented by Galaxy Motors
July 6: Burpees for Charity, presented by KidSport. Sponsored by BCLC
July 7: Harvey the HarbourCat’s Birthday, Family Fun Sunday!
July 9: $10 Tuesday! Dan Duvall Pre-Game Stand-Up Comedy
July 10: Funeral Package Giveaway, presented by H.W. Wallace Cremation and Burial Centre. Winning Wednesdays with Red Arrow Brewing. Sponsored by Island Savings.
July 12: Forces Fridays, presented by Galaxy Motors
July 13: Summer Fireworks Spectacular! Sponsored by Odlum Brown
July 14: Bark in the Park presented by Bosley’s on Yates. Family Fun Sunday!
July 16: $10 Tuesday! HarbourCats Foundation Slo Pitch Home Run Derby
July 18: BC Transit Game Night
July 26: Kids Free Weekend, with Penninsula Co-op! Forces Friday, presented by Galaxy Motors
July 27: Kids Free Weekend, with Penninsula Co-op! Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame Night
July 28: Kids Free Weekend, with Penninsula Co-op! Family Fun Sunday!
July 30: $10 Tuesday! Anawim House Sock Toss!
July 31: Host Family Appreciation Night, Winning Wednesdays with Red Arrow Brewing.

August 1: Help Fill a Dream Foundation Day with BC Transit
August 5: BC Day Fireworks! Sponsored by Joan Wallace Driving School
August 6: Jersey Off Our Backs with Odlum Brown. $10 Tuesday!
August 7: Fan Appreciation Night sponsored by Passion Sports. Winning Wednesdays with Red Arrow Brewing
August 10-12: Divisional Playoffs, sponsored by Wilson’s Transportation
August 14: Championship Semi-Final, sponsored by Wilson’s Transportation
August 16: Championship Playoff, sponsored by Wilson’s Transportation

Check out https://harbourcats.com/events-promotions/ to see the full list of promotions at any time!

The best part is fans do not have to pick and choose which theme night to attend thanks to how affordable tickets are. Single-game ticket prices start as low as $15. There are six $10 Tuesday games where all general admission and premium reserved seats are on sale for just $10. Every Friday home game is “Forces Fridays” where military, first responders, and their families can buy general admission tickets for $7.50. Fans can also grab $11 General Admission vouchers from any Save-on-Foods store and on the weekend of July 26-28, thanks to Peninsula Co-Op, it is “Kids Free Weekend” where all kids 12 and under receive free admission to the three games against Kamloops.

At the park, fans will have plenty of food and beverage options at all the different food trucks that are stationed around the stadium, as well as the City concession and a new Fan Food ordering app will be available for fans seated in the Campbell Club and Diamond Club VIP section. “Winning Wednesdays” are back where all Red Arrow Brewing products will be sold for $6.

Between innings, activities such as “bubble balls,” “dizzy bats,” and other fun promotions will allow select fans to compete for prizes on the field and hopefully make the rest of the crowd laugh!

Fans can also come on the field following the game and run the bases and get autographs with the players on our “Family Fun Sundays,” following each of our five Sunday matinee games.

The HarbourCats are proud to be a part of the community here in Victoria and will give local organizations a platform to showcase their initiatives. This season they are partnering up with Habitat for Humanity and Soap for Hope Canada for a pair of full-season promotions. The Cats are also working with the HarbourCats Foundation to provide fundraising opportunities for over 30 different community organizations and youth sports teams through the HarbourCats 50-50 program, which this year, will be electronic for the first time!

Also of note, on June 11 there will be pregame challenger baseball while on June 25, Special Olympics softball teams will have the opportunity to play at the park ahead of the HarbourCats game against the Redmond Dudes. There will be more community giveaways throughout the season.

There is a lot for fans to be excited about off the field, however, the excitement does not stop there. Led by returning head coach Todd Haney, the Cats are determined to go one step further in 2024 after losing in the Championship Final in 2023. They will look to replicate their remarkable performances at home as they won 27 games and lost only two here in Victoria last season. In addition to returning players, the Cats have added some new players to their ranks, none more exciting than Lucas and Manny Ramirez Jr., the sons of 12-time MLB all-star and 2004 World Series MVP Manny Ramirez.

Experience the thrill of high-quality baseball in action or enjoy a day out in the sun with friends, HarbourCats baseball offers something for everyone to enjoy.

Victoria is on a six-game road trip to start the season, and now head to Kelowna for a three-game series with the Falcons starting Monday night, before returning to Victoria for the home opener against the Wenatchee AppleSox on Friday June 7 at 6:35 pm.

Tickets for that game are going fast and can be found on-line at our one and only ticketing partner Select Your Tickets at http://harbourcats.com/tickets, or can be bought at the office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

NEED A SCHEDULE?
The Victoria HarbourCats are proud to announce direct links to a DOWNLOADABLE SCHEDULE that will work on your iPhone or tablet, your Google calendar, or your Android device. Click here to access the calendars! Contact zach@harbourcats.com if you have any problems downloading the calendar to your device.

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Summer Collegiate

Sixteen runs, seventeen hits and six shutout innings from their starting pitcher: NorthPaws dominate Falcons in series opener

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The Kamloops NorthPaws defeated the Kelowna Falcons 16-0 on Tuesday night at Norbrock Stadium, winning their 13th game of the season. Righty Mason Chien had another great outing, following his eight-strikeout performance last week in Walla Walla Chien pitched six scoreless innings, giving up just five hits and striking out seven batters. At the plate, the NorthPaws had a season-high in both runs and hits, scoring 16 on 17 hits, including five from second baseman Tanner Hornback.

“It was tough against Victoria; we scrapped it out for a couple of wins, but this is what our offence is capable of,” said Head Coach Riley Jepson.

The NorthPaws got on the board first outfielders Ethan Kodama and Connor Clark reached base. Kodama was on third, and Clark was on first before attempting to steal second. The Falcons catcher tried to catch Clark stealing but was unsuccessful. Kodama meanwhile was anticipating the throw and scored while the focus was on Clark. The right fielder later scored the second run of the game courtesy of a sacrifice grounder from Matt MacDonald.

Designated hitter Joey Rico led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk and advanced to third a few pitches later as Hornback singled. Third baseman Elijah Clayton stepped up to the plate and delivered with a double to the gap in left-center field, making it 4-0. The next three Kamloops hitters would reach base, loading the bases for Clark, who made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly. MacDonald collected another RBI this time with a base hit.

In the bottom of the fifth, an error by the Falcons gave shortstop Drew Schmidt the green light to score from second base as Clayton and Hornback both were on base. By now, it was 7-0, and Chien marched out for his final inning of work, giving up a leadoff single but striking out two of his final three batters to cap off an excellent night.

“Walla Walla was a turning point for me; I felt like I wasn’t trying to be too perfect and was pitching to the big part of the plate and getting ahead of hitters,” said Chien.

Although catcher Matt MacDonald had three RBIs, his work behind the plate won’t go unnoticed as he and Chien have been battery mates for three of Chien’s four starts this season and are starting to build chemistry at the right time.

“He knows what I want to throw in certain counts,” said Chien. “I’ve rarely ever shaken him off; It’s great to build chemistry like that because it builds confidence both ways,”

After Chien exited the game, Kamloops would blow the game wide open with seven runs on six hits. The Falcons found themselves in a deep hole after committing two crucial errors to extend the inning. Hornback had two at-bats during that offensive explosion and hit two of his five singles, notching a pair of RBIs. Hornback came into the contest hitless since last Thursday in Walla Walla.

“You go through phases as a hitter where you don’t get the results you want, then eventuality you’re up there, and you feel like you can’t miss a pitch; he’s a good hitter who’s been trusting his process,” said Jepson.

After a tough weekend at the plate, the offence showed up in a big way while the pitching stayed strong, throwing their second shutout of the season and holding the Falcons to just five hits. The NorthPaws will look to keep it rolling as they travel to Kelowna on Wednesday night before returning to Norbrock Stadium for the series finale on Thursday.

The NorthPaws sit just one game back of first place in the north division. Wednesday’s first pitch is set for 6:35; you can watch the action on West Coast League TV or listen on the NorthPaws Mixlr.

 

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NightOwls Pitch A Clinic In Exhibition Game Against The Dudes

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NANAIMO, B.C. — It was an impressive win by the NightOwls on Tuesday night at Serauxmen Stadium against the Redmond Dudes. It was a pitching masterclass, and the NightOwls exploded for 12 runs on 12 hits with zero errors. Nanaimo was only a double and a walk away from a perfect game. The pitching staff faced just 29 batters to get the required 27 outs.

The team has exploded on offence in the past two games, scoring a combined 23 runs. It’s the perfect time for the team to find its groove before they resume regular season play on Friday against the Edmonton RiverHawks. Tuesday night, it was a six-run 3rd inning, and they just continued to score. Brock Wirthgen had a big night at the plate with two RBI, but it was everyone getting in on the scoring.

https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=629558

Newcomer Zach Horwith, from Castlerock, Colorado, made the start for the Nanaimo NightOwls and pitched two perfect innings and striking out two. He arrived from the airport last week when the team was down in Victoria. Jakin Rohne got the win for the NightOwls, pitching two innings and giving up the only hit on the night for the dudes.

NightOwls Pitch A Clinic In Exhibition Game Against The Dudes

Not to be outdone, the rest of the pitching staff didn’t allow a hit for the remainder of the game. Vinny Bruno is looking sharp in his return from injury. He faced a minimum of six batters and struck out three of them in his two innings of work. Brady Morse, Carter Chard-Hill, and Cody Carmichael all threw scoreless innings to close things out for the Nanaimo NightOwls.

I mentioned him earlier, but Brock Wirthgen, with his parents in town, went two for four on the night with two doubles and two RBI and set the tone for the NightOwls. I spoke with Brock after the game, and he had this to say about the team, “I think this team is something special, the bond that we have has been nothing but family-like. I believe we are a good team, a post-season team if you will.”

He would continue, ” We just hit a rough patch which all great teams do. But, I will say that I don’t think we’ve played out best ball yet this summer and when we start playing it, it will be a fun team to watch.”

Outfielder Alessandro Volpe also went two for four with two RBI’s. Brady Morse along with his one shutout inning, also went two for three with two RBI. Jaisen Abner, Hunter Stencil, Easton Mould, and Carter Cathers all chipped in with RBI’s for the Nanaimo NightOwls against the Redmond Dudes.

NightOwls Pitch A Clinic In Exhibition Game Against The Dudes

That’s one of two exhibition games out of the way with the Redmond Dudes, a huge win for the NightOwls and we get right back at it Wednesday June 25th at 6:35 pm. It is Valentines Day in June so bring your sweetheart for a hot dog and some amazing baseball. I might even give you a flower as you walk in, I’ll give it to you to give it to them!

The regular season gets back in action with a weekend series starting this Friday against the Edmonton RiverHawks. Friday and Saturday June, 27th and 28th are 6:35 pm first pitches while we go Nanaimo Bars Family Fun Sunday at 1:00 pm on the 29th. Make sure to follow us on all social media platforms and tag us in your photos and videos from the game using the hashtag #IlluminateTheDark! See you at the ball park!

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Victoria HarbourCats – Hawks cruise to series opener win

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Xander “Boogie” McAfee started the game batting eighth for the Cats (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

June 24, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Edmonton Riverhawks continued their dominance against the Victoria HarbourCats this season, winning 8-3 Tuesday night.

Tyler Patrick (Fresno State) made his second appearance of the season for the Cats after his impressive debut last week against Nanaimo. After getting through the first inning unscathed, he allowed his first run when he missed the mark on a throw to third, allowing the runner to score on the error. A sacrifice fly added to the Hawks’ advantage, and they led 2-0 after two innings.

BOX SCORE

Trent Lenihan hit a solo home run in the top of the third to make it 3-0 Riverhawks. The visitors scored two more in the top of the fourth to increase their lead to 5-0. Patrick’s night was done after four innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits, walking a pair and striking out five.

JC Allen went one for four with a home run in his home debut (Photo: Justin P. Morash) 

Riley Barrett started for the Riverhawks and was dominant early. The right-hander gave up no hits until the fourth inning when JC Allen (UC San Diego) smashed a home run to left centre, giving the hosts their first run. Jacob Doyle (Nevada) hit another solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-2.

WCL STANDINGS

Austin Lindsay (Hill College) was impressive out of the bullpen for the Cats, throwing three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out two.

Jalen Sami (Golden Tide) started the eighth inning, but his night was done after four walks and a sacrifice fly, which made it 6-2 Hawks. Tristin Thomas (West Texas A&M) came into the bases-loaded jam and limited the damage to just one run on a sacrifice fly, giving Edmonton a 7-2 lead. The lefty also pitched the ninth inning, giving up another sacrifice fly, making it 8-2.

Helen Edwards threw out the first pitch for her “Grumpy Bum Pants” night (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

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Cayden Munster hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to make it 8-3.

The HarbourCats were limited to just three hits all game.

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The two teams are back in action tomorrow on Winning Wednesday. Select Red Arrow products will be just six dollars. Buy tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets.

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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