Summer Collegiate

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

Published

2 years ago

June 3, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

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

Victoria HarbourCats – Matt Westley is the Extra Innings Hero in Walk-Off Victory

Published

17 hours ago

June 14, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats battled all night to claim a walk-off win in extra innings!

Victoria pitcher Jeremiah Arnett (Rice) made his mark immediately in his Saturday night start. The big Texan struck out three batters in the top of the first inning, an early warning to the Drifters that they would need their A-game to take him down.

BOX SCORE

Springfield was not deterred, however, scoring on an error in the bottom of the second for the first run of the ballgame. Arnett kept the visiting bats quiet otherwise in the second inning, adding two more K’s to his total.

The Cats created a juicy RBI opportunity by way of a couple singles and stolen bags in the bottom of the third. The heart of the lineup took advantage, cashing in two runs to take a narrow lead by the end of the inning.

Jeremiah Arnett (Rice University) put together a solid start with eight strikeouts. (Photo by Raphael Oliveira)

The offensive production continued as Rohne Klein (San Jose State) battled with two outs and drove a base hit to right field to keep the fourth inning alive for the Cats. Inspired by his comrade’s effort, local catcher Jai Berezowski (Victoria Collegiate) blasted a triple to widen the home team’s lead to 3-1.

Springfield answered back with two runs in the top of the fifth to end Jeremiah Arnett’s night. Arnett went 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts, walking three batters and allowing two earned runs. Davis Lee (Calgary) came in to cover for the starter, securing a huge strikeout in a messy situation to preserve a tie game.

Lee kept a clean slate across his two innings of work, giving way to Hunter Daniels (Phoenix) in the top of the eighth. Daniels surrendered a solo homer to give the Drifters the lead.

The HarbourCats came up big in a crucial eighth inning, loading the bases and getting the game-tying run across. This paved the way for extra innings, in which reliever Pierce Stone (Regis) came up huge with two strikeouts in the top of the tenth to keep the score tied. In the bottom of the tenth inning, with the bases loaded, Matt Westley (George Mason) stepped up to the plate and mashed a line drive to centre field for a HarbourCats walk-off win!

WCL STANDINGS

Catch the Cats back on the field tomorrow at 1:05 pm for the rubber match of the series.

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.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Suffer Gruelling 18-9 Loss

Published

2 days ago

June 12, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Cats pitching struggled to keep runners off the bases on the way to a 18-9 loss. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats hosted the Springfield Drifters on Friday night, failing to keep the visiting team in check and dropping the first game of the series 18-9.

The Drifters’ lineup spelled trouble from the beginning for Schuyler Fairchild (Wenatchee Valley). The visitors filled up the bases and drove in two runs in the top of the first before the starter locked down a couple of K’s to vacate the mound.

BOX SCORE

Determined not to fall behind, the Cats fought back during their turn at the plate. A 94 mph screamer off the lumber of Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) brought home a run and set up another to score on a sacrifice fly in the next at bat. Even Steven after the initial frame.

Springfield ran up the opener’s pitch count in the first inning, making room for a relief appearance from Austin Lindsey (Hill College) to begin the second. The Drifters gave Lindsey some difficulty as well, ending the inning with three more runs across to make it 5-2.

Schuyler Fairchild saw a shortened outing, battling through a long first inning. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Outfielder Marcus Nolen (Fresno State) was sharp in the bottom of the third inning, drawing a walk, stealing a base, and coming around to score on a Kade Davis (UTSA) single.

The next arrival from the bullpen was Landon Marchetti (San Jose State), who threw two clean innings in the fourth and fifth to earn a much-needed respite for the Cats defence.

Things drew even once again in the bottom of the fifth thanks to Rohne Klein (San Jose State). The first baseman muscled a ball out to centre field to drive in a pair and tie the game at five runs each.

Rohne Klein (San Jose State) snapped his slump tonight with a clutch base hit. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) inherited the mound from Marchetti for the top of the seventh inning. Marchetti was lights out over three innings, allowing only a single hit and shredding through the Drifters’ lineup for five strikeouts. Warren found himself in a jam, loading the bases and letting four runs slip by to give the lead back to Springfield.

A grand slam for the Drifters in the top of the eighth broke the game wide open, bestowing a 14-5 lead upon the visitors. The Cats showed some life in the back half of inning the eighth, highlighted by a Logan Shepherd (Mercer) RBI triple, but the deficit proved insurmountable as Victoria eventually fell 18-9 in the series opener.

WCL STANDINGS

The Springfield series continues at 6:35 pm on Saturday night and concludes with a 1:05 pm Sunday matinee.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Lose Control of Game Three in Edmonton

Published

3 days ago

June 11, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria made four costly errors in this one to give Edmonton an advantage (Photo by JPM Photography)

Edmonton, AB – The HarbourCats were unable to complete the sweep, falling 9-5 to the Riverhawks on Thursday night.

Edmonton knocked Bryson Toner (Hawaii) around a little in the first three innings, but the right-hander stayed locked in and only let one run slip by on six hits.

BOX SCORE

The Cats returned fire in the top of the fourth, putting pressure on the Riverhawks defence to load the bases and score a run off the bat of Kade Davis (UTSA).

Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) entered the game with the score tied at one apiece, striking out two batters in the fourth inning to keep Victoria’s momentum going.

The Riverhawks made some noise in the fifth to take back control of the game, shaking down Reimers for four more runs and ending the inning with a 5-1 lead over the HarbourCats.

Tate Collins (Arkansas State) took the field for the Cats in the bottom of the sixth and wasted no time getting the job done, tossing a clean inning out of the pen.

The Cats were stricken with the error bug in inning number seven, coughing up a handful of runs as a result of some less-than-stellar defensive play.

Victoria loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the eighth and closed the distance with four more runs before inning’s end, but the comeback was unsuccessful en route to a 9-5 Edmonton victory.

With this series complete, the HarbourCats will be back in Victoria starting Friday night for a three-game series versus the Springfield Drifters.

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