Summer Collegiate

Duran Becomes 100th WCL Alumni to Reach the Major Leagues

Published

3 years ago

July 20, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

Saturday night, the West Coast League reached a huge milestone when Jarren Duran batted sixth and started in center field for the first-place Boston Red Sox, becoming the 100th alumnus of a current or past West Coast League team to make his MLB debut.

Please enjoy Jarren Duran’s 1st major league home run. pic.twitter.com/ImiIyCSRlK

— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 19, 2021

Chronologically, the list of 100 begins with Mike Thurman, who pitched briefly in 1993 for the Aloha Knights, an amateur (and independent) team based in the Portland area. The Knights would later join the summer collegiate Pacific International League, and in 2005 a few PIL teams broke away to form today’s West Coast League.

Among the early WCLers were future MLB stars Chris Davis, Mark Rzepczynski, and Tommy Hanson. Just last year, former Cowlitz Black Bears ace Shane Bieber captured American League Cy Young honors, and he recently earned his second American League All-Star nod. The long list of other notable WCL alumni includes Seattle Mariners stars Mitch Haniger and Marco Gonzalez; Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins; and 2021 rotation mainstays James Kaprielian (Oakland) and Nick Pivetta (Boston)

“I look forward to being around for the next 100,” said WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer, “and at the rate we’re going, I don’t think it’ll take long to get there. We’ll set another single-season record later this summer, and with our expansion to 16 teams next year, we’ve never had more opportunities for young top-tier talent.”

In 2016, the speedy Duran batted .278 with the Walla Walla Sweets, ranking among the league leaders in triples and stolen bases. This season with Boston’s Triple-A Worcester farm club, Duran blasted 15 home runs in only 46 games.

A complete list of WCL alumni with MLB experience can be found here.

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Summer Collegiate

VISL, and HarbourCats/NightOwls, enter strategic partnership

Published

4 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

Different sports, but the same community ideals.

The Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls, of baseball’s West Coast League, and the Vancouver Island Soccer League, have entered into a strategic partnership intended to assist the entities in growing grassroots sports and improving facilities on Vancouver Island.

The VISL provides programming and championships on the Island and leads leagues which give the best soccer players an avenue to play the sport for life. Championships such as the Jackson Cup, with many finals played at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, serve as the crown jewel of the VISL.

More than 6,000 participants are involved with the VISL — sports fans, who will keep track of the Island’s top baseball programs, the HarbourCats and NightOwls, who combined to draw more than 100,000 spectators in 2024.

The baseball teams and VISL will jointly promote each others’ schedules, and provide opportunities for youth participation.

“Baseball fans are soccer fans, and soccer fans are baseball fans — it’s about supporting quality programs on the island and furthering awareness. Adding youth opportunities between the two will be the cherry on top.”

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – You’re Invited! Christmas Open House, November 28-29

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

Please join us as we usher in the Holiday Season with our annual Christmas Open House!

When: Thursday and Friday, November 28 and 29
Time: 12 Noon to 7 PM each day
Where: HarbourCats office 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

Come by to say hello and enjoy some hot cider and other beverages and snacks and talk about our upcoming 2025 season!

Plenty of merchandise on hand for the HarbourCats fan on your Christmas list – all at 20% off for the month of November! Plus plenty of HarbourCats and Victoria Golden Tide items available on our special $10.00 clearance rack!

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs will also be available for sale and as a special BLACK FRIDAY bonus, we will throw in a free-gift with the purchase of any 10-pack or season ticket package.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Summer Collegiate

A top-end catcher and four arms to throw strikes to him make up the latest signings for the Nanaimo NightOwls.

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

Wirthgen has MLB bloodlines as the nephew of former MLB slugger and manager Phil Nevin, the first overall pick in the 1992 draft who played for six teams and hit 41 home runs for the Padres in 2001 as part of a 1,200-game career. A strong defensive catcher with power potential, Wirthgen played in the Alaska summer league in 2024.

Teper, also from D1 powerhouse Cal Baptist, is an aviation major who plans to fly planes once his days in pro baseball are over. The lefty will be counted on in key situations this summer, and made 11 appearances, including three starts, in the Alaska league in 2024.

Three players will arrive from the University of Pikeville, where they play for new NightOwls coach Cody Andreychuk — including returning lefty Richtter Castillo, a Venezuelan fan favorite who pitches with a lot of emotion and did strong work out of the bullpen for pitching coach Gorm Heimueller in 2024. Castillo was 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 12 innings.

Shaye McTavish, a Canadian addition from Lethbridge, has been a starter at UPike and in the Western Canada summer league. Schultz, another power arm from Lethbridge, has summer experience in the WCBL in Swift Current and is developing into a high leverage righty for Andreychuk.

Season tickets and 10packs are available for 2025 and information can be found by emailing GM Tina Cornett — tina@nanaimonightowls.com

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