Good morning to all sports enthusiasts, fellow islanders, and Victorian brethren. Salute to everybody that clicked the post today & took the time to rock with Back Page Athletics. After many months of contemplation, I have finally decided to launch an official Sports Blog, and thus here we are. Why, Kay? Well, to be proper,…
Good morning to all sports enthusiasts, fellow islanders, and Victorian brethren. Salute to everybody that clicked the post today & took the time to rock with Back Page Athletics.
After many months of contemplation, I have finally decided to launch an official Sports Blog, and thus here we are.
Why, Kay?
Well, to be proper, I’ve dedicated the last 12 months of my creative life to loyally covering my hometown Western Hockey League team, the Victoria Royals. In doing so, I’ve gained a loyal base of readers, met many incredible people, and also fallen in love with the Victoria Harbourcats of the West Coast (Baseball) League.
Despite my feverish passion for writing, community, & sport, my blog, The Royals Report, was less a blog and more so just me posting Notes to my Twitter account.
Did it serve its purpose? 100%
Did it help build my confidence & sharpen my pen? Undeniably.
Was it a brand to build upon & stand behind? Maybe not.
So, with that expressed, this post is us officially taking a massive step forward in the world of local & independent sports journalism.
So, what exactly can you expect from Back Page Athletics?
At this point, on Day One, BPA will serve as the home base for a two-headed Blog-monster.
Scary? Not so much.
Two-Headed Monster —
I could not be any more stoked to launch my first Season covering the beloved Victoria Harbourcats. Not only is this top-tier local organization a complete Wagon of success that regularly produces Big League Talent, but this is also the 10th Anniversary Season for this incredible organization. How could this summer be even more hype? This off-season, the WCL officially became a developmental league for Major League Baseball, thus propelling the credibility of this club to heights never seen before. So, what can you expect from BPA? Weekly Think-Tank articles, Players & Coach interviews, In-Game content, Franchise lore & historical moments, and intensive Alumni coverage all year round.
I fully intend on taking The Royals Report to a whole new level moving forward into the 2023/24 campaign. Despite not posting as much content as I would’ve hoped for last season due to family & health limitations, I’m eager to completely blow the doors off & ramp up my coverage tenfold. Despite the lingering sting from another season without playoff hockey on the Island, I am more pumped for the ‘23/24 schedule than I probably should, and that’s called being an enthusiast. Let’s go, Royals. New reports will be coming soon.
Without taking up too much of your Easter weekend, I wanted to end this inaugural essay by stating the following.
With the creation of Back Page Athletics, I’m passionately looking forward to the future of my reporting full of fire & inspiration in the hopes of helping to bring the already impressive Island sports media to the next level.
With that said, expect an inaugural The Cats Report article or two dropping next week and many more to follow. It’s going to be a scene, y’all.
In conclusion, I’d like to thank you all in advance for reading & following BPA. I honestly can’t wait to write for & cheer with you all, while also having the opportunity to get to know all of you during this upcoming year & beyond. Let’s take this Sporting community to the next level.
Local schools packed the park for game three of the homestand!
Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats sent the School Spirit Day crowd home happy on Thursday afternoon, defeating the Edmonton Riverhawks 6-2 to clinch the series win.
The Cats got on the board early in this one thanks to a sizzling long ball off the bat of Matt Westley (George Mason) to lead off the second inning.
Right-hander Erik Rico (Fresno State) was utterly dominant through a four-inning start, allowing just one hit and racking up a septet of strikeouts over that span. Austin Lindsey (Hill College) took up the torch in the fifth inning, securing a quick three outs to preserve a 1-0 lead for Victoria.
The Cats put on a show in front of a crowd of 3,128 at Royal Athletic Park.
Victoria found another chance to score in the bottom of the sixth, with infielder Jax Heid (Southeast Oklahoma State) putting pressure on the Edmonton defence and bringing home a run to make it 2-0 for the HarbourCats. Dryden Fuoco (Hill College) wasted no time following up, rocking a line drive to left field and driving in two more.
The very next inning, Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) kicked the score and the energy up a couple notches. The Cats infielder utterly obliterated a baseball, ensuring same-day delivery to Pembroke Street on his second homer in as many days.
Hunter Daniels (Phoenix College) made a relief appearance in the eighth inning for the HarbourCats. The Arizona native allowed two runs, but a shutdown ninth inning from Asher Clark (Northern Colorado) cemented a 6-2 victory for the home team.
With a series win under their belts, the HarbourCats will take on the Kelowna Falcons for a weekend series, beginning Friday, June 5 at 6:35 pm.
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.
The Cats were unable to claw their way back in game two of the homestand. (Photo by JPM Photography)
Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats hit the field for a skirmish with the Edmonton Riverhawks Wednesday evening, coming up short in a 13-11 loss.
HarbourCats starter Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) wrestled with command issues early on, hitting a batter and issuing two free passes to load the bases in the top of the first inning. Edmonton took advantage, driving a pair of doubles to take a 4-0 lead before Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State) entered the game from the bullpen to get the final out of the opening frame.
The Riverhawks stayed on the attack in the second inning, driving in two more runs on a screamer down the left field line to extend their lead to 6-0.
Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) showed up ready to slug. The shortstop notched two leadoff hits; a triple and a homer. (Photo by JPM Photography)
A second-inning leadoff triple from shortstop Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) sparked a Victoria comeback attempt. After Hewitt scored on an errant throw by the Riverhawks catcher, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rohne Klein (San Jose State) would bring in another run for the Cats, closing the gap to 6-2 in favour of Edmonton.
Edmonton answered right back in the top of the third, driving home a run that ended Houston Tomlinson’s outing. Tomlinson, an Arkansas State sophomore from Spring, Texas, pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Summoned from the pen was Landon Marchetti (San Jose State), who quickly secured two outs to head back to the dugout down 7-2.
Marchetti found himself in the midst of a tough spot in the top of the fourth, and a barely fair ball down the line in right field gave the Riverhawks a 9-2 lead.
Outfielder Kade Davis (UTSA) earned three walks in the loss. (Photo by JPM Photography)
The Cats struck back in the bottom of the fourth. Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) blasted a solo homer well beyond the left field wall, followed up by two more runs when the Edmonton infield decided to engage in a snowball fight. The inning came to an end with a sizeable dent in the Riverhawks’ lead, bringing the score to 9-5.
HarbourCats hurler Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) assumed control of the mound to begin the fifth inning, deftly tossing a much-needed zero on the board. Kratt returned for the sixth, surrendering a run to push the Hawks to double digits.
Victoria made things interesting two more runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth, but Edmonton’s three-run shot in the top of the eighth inning kept them in front for a 13-11 win.
The HarbourCats take the field at 11:05 am tomorrow for the first School Spirit Game of the season, and will host the Kelowna Falcons for a three-game series this weekend.
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.
The Cats got hot in the middle innings to take a commanding lead. (Photo by JPM Photography)
Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats faced off against the visiting Edmonton Riverhawks tonight, claiming a decisive 6-3 victory in the first home game of the season.
The Riverhawks were the first to get on the board, scoring on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the second. Edmonton would strand three runners with a groundout to the shortstop shortly after, but not without claiming an early 1-0 lead.
The lead stood until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Marcus Nolen (Fresno State) brought in a pair of runs on a clutch two-out single to left field, pushing the home team in front by a score of 2-1.
David Krahn (UBC) was a mainstay on the bases tonight, going 3/5 with a pair of stolen bases and an RBI. (Photo by JPM Photography)
Cats starter Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) was relieved after four innings of work, in which he surrendered just one run on four hits. Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) took over from the bullpen and shut down the Riverhawks in a clean fifth inning.
Victoria added on to their lucrative fourth inning with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kade Davis (UTSA) drove in a run on a single, followed up by a 2-RBI knock from Dryden Fuoco (Hill College). The fun didn’t stop there, as Marcus Nolen stole two bases and came in to score on the third hit of the ballgame for David Krahn (UBC), giving the Cats a 6-1 lead.
Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) made an immediate impact in his first start of 2026, giving up just a single run. (Photo by JPM Photography)
Pierce Stone (Regis) opened up the seventh inning on the mound for the HarbourCats. The Austin, TX native gave up two runs before handing the ball over to Garen Geoghegan (Whitman), who left the bases loaded to escape the frame with a 6-3 lead. Geoghegan would return to start the eighth inning, swapping out for Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) from the bullpen. The Levin, New Zealand product tallied three quick outs in the eighth and powered through the ninth to nail down a 6-3 victory for the HarbourCats in the home opener.
The Cats are back in action against the Riverhawks tomorrow at 6:35 pm and Thursday at 11:05 am, before hosting the Kelowna Falcons for a three-game series this weekend.
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.
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