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Victoria HarbourCats – 2024 HarbourCats Year in Review

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August 15, 2024

VICTORIA, B.C — In the blink of an eye, another Victoria HarbourCats season has come and gone. The 2024 season was full of incredible moments from start to finish that will live long in the memory of all Cats fans. From walk-off wins to broken records and much more, the summer had a bit of everything.

This season’s story started on April 4 when the team announced the signings of Lucas Ramirez and Manny Ramirez Jr, sons of 12-time MLB All-Star and 2004 World Series MVP Manny Ramirez. The announcement started to excite the city for the return of HarbourCats baseball as the countdown to opening day had begun.

Todd Haney was back in charge for his fourth year as head coach and was joined by returning coaches Scott Anderson, Troy Birtwistle, Steve Sinclair, and Ethan Fox. Trovin Valdez, a personal coach for Ramirez Sr. during his career, joined the staff as a hitting coach.

The legacy of the team is so strong that our very own Helen Edwards wrote a book, “Victoria HarbourCats: Ten Years and Counting,” about the history of HarbourCats baseball. If you want to learn about the first 10 years of the organization, you can purchase the book on Amazon or at the Cats shop. All proceeds from sales are donated to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

After a 4-2 road trip to start the season, the HarbourCats returned to Victoria for the home opener on June 7 where they debuted their brand new Montreal Expos-inspired home uniform. This new look was in honour of Haney and Anderson’s time spent in the Expos organization during their careers. The opening weekend included a 9-6 win on the first fireworks night of the season in front of a packed Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.

One of the standout days on the calendar is always Mayfair Optometric’s annual School Spirit Day. Cam Schneider made this season’s game a memorable one hitting a walk-off single in extra innings to beat the Nanaimo NightOwls 2-1 in front of over 5000 fans.

After an up-and-down June, the Cats had a 13-12 record. Camden Sos and Garrett Teunissen both stood out from the first game and quickly established themselves as key players for Haney. Unfortunately, both players suffered injuries and had their summer in Victoria cut short. Sos had 18 hits and 10 RBIs in his 17 games while Teunissen had nine extra-base hits in 24 games including a franchise record five triples, which led the West Coast League.

Ny’Zaiah Thompson, who was with the team from start to finish, had a June to remember leading the team in games played, hits, doubles, RBIs, and stolen bases for the month. On top of all of that, he consistently got the fans out of their seats for his play in the outfield, making a handful of spectacular diving catches.

On Canada Day, the HarbourCats won the RE/MAX Generation Island Cup for the third straight year. It went down to the final day, a doubleheader in Nanaimo, but the Cats edged the season series winning five of nine contests against the NightOwls to clinch the trophy.

The HarbourCats scored a season-high 19 runs in a win at home on July 7 against the Kelowna Falcons. They carried that momentum into an important series win at home against the Edmonton Riverhawks the following weekend. That kept them within striking distance of the second-half lead after the Wenatchee AppleSox secured their spot in the playoffs by winning the first half.

In mid-July the WCL paused for their first All-Star Game since 2019. Tate Shimao and Carson Cormier were the two HarbourCats selected to the North Division team. The game was broadcast on the MLB network, giving these young stars a great opportunity to showcase themselves on a national stage. Shimao, who quickly became a fan favourite and nicknamed “ShamWow,” was an All-Star in every sense of the word. His season was cut short due to injury but in his 20 games for the Cats, he had a .350 batting average, five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 20 RBIs, and seven stolen bases.

Carson Cormier was as dominant as they come from his first appearance to his last. The right-hander from TCU had a 1.45 ERA in 24-2/3 innings of work in the regular season. He struck out 34 batters and walked just eight. Cormier spent most of the season pitching in relief but was relied upon to start games later in the campaign, with his best outing coming against the Riverhawks on July 30 when he pitched five no-hit innings while striking out seven.

July brought the MLB Draft and 2024’s class was full of current and former Harbourcats. From this year’s team Connor Dykstra and Jagger Beck both signed as undrafted free agents with the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros respectively, and Lucas Ramirez was drafted in the 17th round by the Los Angeles Angels. Former players Sean Heppner (12th round, Cleveland Guardians), Ryan Magdic (14th round, Oakland Athletics), and Hunter Omlid (20th round, Colorado Rockies) were also drafted. 2023 HarbourCat Jesse Brown signed with the Miami Marlins as an undrafted free agent making it seven HarbourCats starting the professional journey’s in 2024.

After the All-Star break the battle for playoff spots heated up. The Cats were swept in Ridgefield but that lit a fire in them to go on a nine-game win streak which included a sweep of the Port Angeles Lefties on the road before six straight wins at home against the Kamloops NorthPaws and the Riverhawks.

This stretch was led by first baseman Michelle Artzberger, who joined the team at the end of June and stayed until the end of July. In his 22 games played he had hits in all but three games. He recorded two or more hits in 14 games and finished his season with a batting average of .414, one home run, seven doubles, and 23 RBIs. He had a knack for clutch moments, including hitting a bases-clearing double in back-to-back games against the NorthPaws during the winning streak.

Those nine wins in a row put the HarbourCats in a favourable position to make the postseason and they clinched their spot with a couple of games remaining. The last home game was against the Corvallis Knights where they wrapped up the regular season in exciting fashion coming back from 6-0 down to win 11-8.

Michael Crossland, who returned for a second year in Victoria, was named team MVP after his outstanding season. The outfielder from UC San Diego hit .326 with four home runs, 11 doubles, and 21 RBIs. Cormier was named Pitcher-of-the-Year and Jai Berezowski won the Community Service Award.

Due to stadium renovations for a BC Lions game at Royal Athletic Park on August 31, the HarbourCats could not play their home playoff game in Victoria. Instead, the Cats and their fans travelled to Serauxmen Stadium in Nanaimo to open a three-game series against the Wenatchee AppleSox. Fans showed up in numbers and created a special atmosphere at the ballpark, where the two teams were tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Kerim Orucevic wrote his name into the HarbourCats history books hitting a two-run walk-off home run to win the game 4-2.

Unfortunately, the HarbourCats could not take that momentum into Wenatchee where they lost games two and three to the AppleSox.

The HarbourCats broke a franchise record in 2024 with an overall attendance of 80,453 fans. On the field, Todd Haney’s team set a WCL single-season record with 169 stolen bases, breaking their previously set record of 150 from 2023.

You can’t talk about the 2024 season without mentioning a few more key contributors on the field. Tyrus Hall returned for a second season and was a mainstay in the lineup from start to finish. The Victoria native played in 42 games, stole 26 bases, and had a team-high 12-game hitting streak during the business end of the campaign. On top of his play at the plate, he arguably made the catch of the year.

Sky Collins led the Cats with 45 games played and his team-high 27 stolen bases tied a franchise record. The outfielder from Fresno State finished the season with a .304 average and a team-high 49 hits. Gunner Antillon hit .294 in 34 games while playing many different positions. His impressive season included a 24-game on-base streak which was good for the second-longest across the WCL this season.

TEAM STATS

It was a revolving door of pitchers this season with 38 different arms making appearances. Ryne Palmer, Payton Hawkinson, Jake Finkelstein, and Jack Finn led the way pitching the most innings along with Cormier. After a mechanical adjustment to a side-arm delivery, Garrett Villa became one of the most dominant relievers in the league. In his final 14-2/3 innings pitched he gave up just one run while striking out nine and consistently inducing soft contact. He ended his time in Victoria with three straight saves, including back-to-back saves against the Riverhawks to extend the team’s win streak to nine.

Although 2024 didn’t end with a championship, there are countless highlights to remember and be proud of. The countdown to 2025 opening day is on and Haney’s team will be back more determined than ever to go all the way.

Thank you to the best fans in the league for your unwavering support all season long.

Victoria HarbourCats 2025 Season Tickets are now available! If you have been loving HarbourCats baseball, lock in your existing seats, or purchase new seats by our Early Bird Deadline of September 30th to secure seats at 2024 pricing. Stop in at the office or contact Christian by email at Chris@harbourcats.com for details.

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Summer Collegiate

The NightOwls Drop The Series With A 5-2 Loss Heading Into The All-Star Break

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NANAIMO, B.C. — It wasn’t our day as the Nanaimo NightOwls dropped the series finally 5-2 to the Wenatchee AppleSox on Sunday. Nanaimo took a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning, but the AppleSox were able to score two runs in the eighth and added two more in the ninth to take the series.

The NightOwls had two runs on 10 hits but committed three errors on the day, which didn’t help their pitchers. The Wenatchee AppleSox had five runs on nine hits with one error. That drops Nanaimo to 17-19 on the year and 3.5 games back of the playoff spot.

https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=621655

It was a great night for starting NightOwls pitcher, Teague Van Dyke, who went 5.1 innings. The 6’2 right-handed pitcher from Flagstaff, Arizona, gave up just one run on six hits and struck out four. It was a great performance as his family was in town for the weekend to watch him pitch.

Nanaimo NightOwls Vs Wenatchee AppleSox (Photo Credit: Chad Frostad)

Asher DeLeo came on in relief and pitched 1.2 innings of perfect ball with two strikeouts. Dalton Hanson was the losing pitcher of record for the Nanaimo NightOwls, and Aidan Gonzalez got the win for the AppleSox, going 3.1 innings and giving up just one run on four hits and striking out five Nanaimo batters.

https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

All-Star Talan Zenk was on base three times on the afternoon for the NightOwls. He went one for three with a double, two walks and a run scored. He will be joining fellow NightOwl Jacob Hayes down in Bellingham for the West Coast League All-Star Game.

Nanaimo NightOwls Vs Wenatchee AppleSox (Photo Credit: Chad Frostad)

Hayes had another hit on the day going one for five as he was given the day off from first base. Tyler Arnold was tasked with manning first base and he did an amazing job making a great diving snag in the field and also producing at the plate. Tyler went one for three with a sacrifice fly and single.

http://Nanaimonightowls.com/tickets

A break now for the Nanaimo NightOwls as Monday is an off day before getting back on the field Tuesday July 15th again the Nanaimo Selects in an exhibition game. Then we have the West Coast League All-Star Break on July 16th.

One more exhibition game on Thursday July 17th against the Nanaimo Selects before we get back into league action. Than it’s back on the road for a weekend series against the Wenatchee AppleSox Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 18th, 19th, and 20th. Make sure to follow the team on the live stream and use the hashtag #IlluminuteTheDark on social media so we can engage with you! Go Owls Go, Hoot Hoot!!!!!

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Victoria HarbourCats – Cats battle their way to another walk-off win

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Tanner Beltowski was the hero Sunday afternoon (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

July 13, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Kelowna Falcons made things interesting late, but the Victoria HarbourCats came out on top with another 10-9 walk-off win.

It was a huge six-run second inning that gave the HarbourCats a dream start to the afternoon. Falcons starter Charles Bower struggled with his control, hitting Cayden Munster (Fresno State) and walking Isaiah Afework (TAMU-CC) with the bases loaded to gift the Cats two runs. An RBI fielder’s choice made it 3-0 before Jack Johnson (Baylor) drove in a pair with a double, pushing the lead to 5-0. JC Allen (UC San Diego) drove in his 17th run of the season in as many games with an RBI single to cap off the inning, extending the lead to 6-0.

BOX SCORE

Logan Rumberg (George Mason) made his fifth start of the campaign and had his best stuff working. He struck out seven batters for the second outing in a row, with the only damage against him coming on a two-run home run surrendered to Zachary Wieder in the third inning.

Dillon Lopez drove in five runs this weekend (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

In the bottom half of the third inning, Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) continued his great weekend, hitting a solo home run to make it 7-2.

Braxton Thomas hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning off Cade Rusch (Bellarmine), to cut the HarbourCats’ lead down to 7-5. Thomas was a thorn in the side of Victoria pitchers all weekend, producing seven hits and three home runs in the three-game series.

WCL STANDINGS

The Falcons cut the deficit to one with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning, but the Cats restored their multi-run lead in the bottom half with a Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) home run and an Allen sacrifice fly.

That 9-6 lead held up until the top of the ninth inning, where the Falcons rallied, scoring three runs in the frame, including a two-out two-run single by Jace Nagler to tie it up at 9-9.

The Cats loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the ninth for Tanner Beltowski (Westmont College), who drew a walk to win the game.

WATCH GAMES HERE

Along with Rusch, Ben Hewitt (Ottawa) and Tyler Patrick (Fresno State) pitched out of the bullpen for Victoria.

It’s all smiles as the HarbourCats sit atop the North Division second half standings with a 10-2 record (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

The HarbourCats are back in action on this $12 Tuesday against the SIBL All-Stars! The WCL All-Star game is Wednesday, July 16. Five HarbourCats are on the North Division team. You can watch the game on MLB.com.

10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are on sale for all home games and “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.

For more updates, be sure to follow @HarbourCats on all social channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

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Two tough innings stop four-game flight for NightOwls

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After this series, the WCL gets into non-league games and the all-star break — the WCL all-star game goes Wednesday night in Bellingham, with the NightOwls facing the local Nanaimo Selects on Tuesday and Thursday nights, always exciting games of interest with all the former college players from the area getting to share the field with the top current collegiate guys on the NightOwls roster. The Tuesday and Thursday night games are both 6:35pm starts.

 

The NightOwls will be in Wenatchee next weekend, July 18-20, then return home to welcome the Corvallis Knights to Nanaimo for the first time, July 22-24 — all 6:35pm games, a Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday set.

 

The NightOwls have just seven regular season home games remaining, including the Sunday/tomorrow game with Wenatchee.

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