FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 18, 2026

VICTORIA, B.C. — It’s all the excitement of a HOME RUN DERBY with fun and unique twists… including points on defence.

And — with former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar, known as “Superman” for his fence thievery as well as his bat, as the star attraction.

Pillar, 37, who recently retired after a stellar 13-season, 1234-game career spent mostly as a Blue Jay, will be one of the West Coast League (WCL) Home Run Derby participants — he and his family are excited to be in Victoria for the event.

Pillar, a former Vancouver Canadian who also played for nine other MLB teams over his final seasons and is now doing some broadcasting on Sportsnet, hit 114 MLB home runs and was a fan favourite for how hard he played the game — and of course his memorable home run robbing catches at Rogers Centre.

Yes, the format will showcase a HR derby with gloves and sliding catches, even fence robberies, and an altered field configuration.

Intrigued? You should be — and no one should miss this.

The host committee of the 2026 WCL All-Star Game is excited to announce it will use the groundbreaking format/rules of Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby X as part of the WCL All-Star Game Festival, July 14-15.

It will be the first time that a Canadian site will use the format, which MLB has successfully showcased in the US and overseas over the last few summers.

This event will be an important Day 1 aspect of the overall All-Star Game festival, Tuesday, July 14, 6:35pm.

“The West Coast League has a working relationship with Major League Baseball, so the fans will see something special on that Tuesday at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP,” said ASG co-chair Brenda MacFarlane. “This is all about the home runs, but the twists on defence make it an absolute blast — pardon the pun.

“Having Kevin Pillar as one of the players in this, wearing a Blue Jays uniform, will be a must-attend for any Jays fan, any sports fan.”

The rules involve a three-on-three, three-inning competition in which hitters have two minutes, thirty seconds during their time at the plate. The opposing team of three grab their gloves and can steal points in the “catch zone” near the fence, while hitters aim for a double-point target zone and use strategy to add “hot streak” bonus points.

With a unique defensive component in the 2026 WCL Home Run Derby, fans may get to see Kevin Pillar make some of the amazing catches that were a signature of his time with the Blue Jays.

“It’s a creative way to bring more of the game into a home run derby, and fans have loved it,” added MacFarlane.

The home run derby, which will start at 6:35pm on that Tuesday, July 14, is just part of the overall WCL All-Star Game Festival, which will take over so many locations on the Lower Island — more announcements to come. The main spot will of course be Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.

Tickets for the All-Star Home Run Derby on July 14th are currently available in a package that also include tickets for the WCL All Star Game that will be held on Wednesday, July 15th and feature the top players in the league.  Prices for the package start at $40 for General Admission seats to $85 for field level Diamond Club Seats, and can be purchased ON-LINE, or by visiting the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, just around the corner from the stadium.

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There’s no better formula than finding hungry baseball players who are driven to prove they can battle with the best in the West Coast League.

The Nanaimo NightOwls have worked hard this off season to further connect with programs that have sent strong players to Serauxmen Stadium the last few years.

Case in point — Everett Community College, as the Trojans program has previously sent all-stars Adison Mattix and Talan Zenk to Nanaimo. Or Scottsdale CC, which sent Ryder Florence and Dalton Hanson.

Now, Everett is returning Zenk to Nanaimo but also has big bats in Davis Downer and Lukas Cheha headed north in late May, while Scottsdale CC is placing raw power arm Jackson Roybal with the NightOwls.

“Not only have their players been good for us on the field, they have fit with the coaching staff, the organization and in the community,” said GM Tina Cornett. “We know they will come here prepared and be up to the challenge of a very strong league like ours.”

Announced as signed today by Head Coach Cody Andreychuk:

IF/OF Lukas Cheha, Everett CC, R/R, 6-4/190, Seattle, WA
OF Davis Downer, Everett CC, R/R, 6-0/205, Mukilteo, WA
OF Preston Harrison, Dodge City CC, R/R, 6-1/190, Allen, TX
RHP Jackson Roybal, Scottsdale CC, 6-0/155, R/R, Rio Rancho, NM
C Damon Valdez, Long Beach State, R/R, 6-3/185, Long Beach, CA
C Kaleb Ceola, Central Missouri, R/R, 5-7/150, Springdale, AR

Roybal is a freshman righthander who is fairly new to pitching but is topping out at 94, with an opportunity to learn under veteran pitching coach Gorm Heimueller, who will be celebrating 50 years in the game this summer. Roybal is 2-3 this spring in 17 appearances.

Cheha has been a breakthrough freshman at Everett CC, teaming with Downer, a sophomore, to lead the Trojans offense and support Zenk. Cheha leads the team in hits (44) and average (.373), ahead of Downer (41 and .315), who sits second. Both are piling up the extra base hits as well.

Harrison is putting up big numbers for Dodge City CC, batting .336 with nine home runs and nine stolen bases, playing mainly right field.

In Valdez and Ceola, the catching position will be in strong hands. Valdez is getting good playing time at D1 Long Beach State because of his strong arm, starting 15 games as a freshman and recording six RBIs so far. Ceola is batting .435 with 40pct of his hits going for extra bases at Central Missouri, with just one strikeout this season.
Single Game, 10 game Flex Passes, and limited Season Tickets, available now.

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Six more D1 players, including five pitchers and Fresno State shortstop Brady Hewitt (above), ready to play in Victoria

April 15, 2026

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — The Victoria HarbourCats have had a lot of success working with Fresno State Bulldogs players, and Brady Hewitt could be the next key recruit from the D1 program.

Hewitt, the starter as a freshman, was all conference player of the year as a high school senior and is hitting .353 with 18 extra-base hits — 12 doubles, three triples and three home runs.

“We’ve had a lot of success with Fresno State guys putting on a HarbourCats uniform over the years,” said GM Christian Stewart, “and adding Brady and two promising pitchers keeps that tradition alive. Cayden Munster, Sky Collins, Tyler Patrick and Cam Schneider are recent Bulldogs who became fan favourites in Victoria.”

Added today to the HarbourCats 2026 roster are:

• IF Brady Hewitt, Fresno State, R/R, 6-2/200, Simi Valley, CA
• RHP Erik Rico, Fresno State, 6-0/195, Visalia, CA
• RHP Brandon Thomas, Fresno State, 6-4/235, Cypress, CA
• RHP Brandon Vasquez, St. Mary’s, 6-4/210, Round Rock, TX
• RHP Aiden Barrientes, Texas Christian University, 6-1/195, Katy, TX
• RHP Cade Nelson, Texas Christian University, 6-6/205, Katy, TX

Erik Rico, also a freshman, is working out of the bullpen after a strong high school career where he was also the quarterback of the football team. Thomas is an imposing figure on the mound with 12 appearances as a freshman so far, going 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 21 innings.

Brandon Thomas is a freshman who has appeared in 21 innings so far this spring for the Bulldogs, building a 4.29 ERA with 20 strikeouts. As a senior in high school, he owned a 6-5 record with a 0.79 ERA, and 81 strikeouts in 79.1 innings of work.

6-6 TCU pitcher Cade Nelson should be a dominating figure on the mound for the HarbourCats in 2026 (Photo courtesy TCU).

Brandon Vasquez is a redshirt junior who is 3-2 with a 5.05 ERA in 34 college outings, which includes 10 starts and a complete game this season.

Freshman Aiden Barrientes was at the 2025 MLB draft combine, and set his high school’s strikeout record with 129, also named the Sports Illustrated player of the week in May of 2025. He is working out of the pen for the Horned Frogs.

Cade Nelson is from the same Texas town and high school as Barrientes, has started four games as a freshman at TCU, fanning 19 hitters in 18.2 innings so far this season.

The HarbourCats begin their 2026 season on May 29th with a visit to Portland and then return to Victoria for the Home Opener against the Edmonton Riverhawks on Tuesday, June 2, 6:30 pm.

Season tickets, single-game tickets, 12 and 32-game flex packs and 2026 All-Star Game ticket packages are now on sale at harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 1814 Vancouver Street.

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