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 – HarbourCats late rally comes up short in Bellingham

Published

6 hours ago

August 1, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Loss drops Victoria out of a playoff spot for now, with four games to go.

By Christian J. Stewart

August 1, 2026

Bellingham, WA – The Victoria HarbourCats erased a 7-2 sixth inning deficit with three runs in the eighth inning, but came up just short in a 7-5 loss to the Bellingham Bells in West Coast League action Saturday night at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham.

FULL BOX SCORE

The Bells got things going early in this one, as a Dominic Quiban two-RBI single off Cats starter Daniel Tovar, put the Bells on the board in the bottom of the first inning.

Tovar settled down for innings two and three, but another two-RBI single in the fourth, this time from Bellingham’s Bo Shinkle, gave the Bells a 4-0 lead.

Tovar gave way to Houston Tomlinson in the fifth and he found trouble right away, issuing a pair of leadoff walks, one of which came in to score on an RBI-single from the Bells’ Dillon Moss.

The ‘Cats would keep grinding though and in the top of the sixth a leadoff double by Logan Shepherd and a single from Jacob Silva set the table for Rhone Klein who drove in Shepherd for the ‘Cats first run of the game. Silva then scored on a ground out by Micael Rodda and the lead was cut to 5-2.

Bellingham got those runs right back in the bottom of the inning thanks to a two-RBI double from Nate Johnson, scoring Rashad Hayes (single) and Shinkle (walk) and restoring the five-run lead.

After a quiet seventh, Victoria made the game interesting in the eighth, scoring three runs thanks in part to RBI singles from Silva and Klein, his second RBI of the night. Another run would score on another Michael Rodda groundout but that would be as close as the ‘Cats would get, with Bellingham reliever Ben McKinnon throwing a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the win.

PLAYOFF WATCH
Things did not go well on the out of town scoreboard for the HarbourCats, as the Nanaimo NightOwls thumped the Port Angeles Lefties 16-1 to move into the third-fourth playoff seed position (tied with Edmonton at 27-23), a full game up on the HarbourCats. In addition, the Kelowna Falcons staged a late comeback to defeat Edmonton 7-4 and are now tied with the HarbourCats (both 26-24), but by virtue of Kelowna holding the tie break over Victoria, the HarbourCats are now effectively in sixth place.

With four games remaining and four teams vying for the final two playoff positions, anything can happen.

PLAYOFF TICKETS: Should the HarbourCats clinch a playoff spot, they would host Game 1 of the best of three Divisional Series on Friday August 7th at 6:35 PM. Tickets for that series will NOT go on sale until a playoff position is confirmed. Season Ticket holders will be e-mailed their tickets (if we clinch) on Thursday August 6th.

BC DAY FIREWORKS & FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT APPROACHING CAPACITY CROWD!
Just a note that all reserved seating is effectively sold out for Monday’s fireworks and Fan Appreciation night, the final home game of the regular season. Select single reserved seats, general admission and some VIP area tickets are still available at harbourcats.com/tickets. If you are holding general admission tickets for this game, gates open at 5:00 pm and you are advised to arrive early to get your best choice of seating.

VOUCHER HOLDERS
With all reserved seating sold out, ALL voucher holders wishing to attend Monday’s game will be issued general admission tickets. Vouchers must be used Monday and can not be used for playoffs, or carried over into next season.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Bells bust the ‘Cats in game one of crucial series

Published

20 hours ago

August 1, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Playoff position still in play despite the loss

Story by Christian J. Stewart

July 31, 2026

Bellingham, WA – The Bellingham Bells broke out for 11 hits en route to a 7-2 victory over the Victoria HarbourCats in West Coast League action Friday night at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham.

FULL BOX SCORE

Holding a 2-0 lead on Victoria starter Shea Lake, thanks in part by a solo home run from Jaden Jackson, the Bells broke things open in the fourth inning, scoring three runs on the strength of RBI singles from Nate Johnson and Rominic Quiban and a throwing error by ‘Cats shortstop Riley Kwak.

The Bells would add two more runs in the fifth, both off reliever Leif Friedrich and that was all they would need as Bells pitching, including starter Robby Zimmerman (5IP, 1R, 3H), would hold the ‘Cats to just six hits on the night.

Two of those hits came from Bryan Bradshaw, who also scored one of the HarbourCats runs to lead the Victoria offence.

Another bright spot for the HarbourCats was reliever Tobi Salzmann, who made his WCL debut, pitching the seventh and eighth innings and keeping the Bells off the board in those frames, allowing just one hit.

PLAYOFF WATCH
With the Edmonton Riverhawks defeating Kelowna 8-1, Wenatchee beating Kamloops 6-5 and Port Angeles defeating Nanaimo 8-2, were the playoffs to start tomorrow, Bellingham would hold the second seed in the North, the Riverhawks would hold the third seed and Nanaimo and Victoria would be tied for the fourth seed. However, with their 6-3 record over Nanaimo this year, the HarbourCats would prevail on the tie-breaker and then have a first round match-up with the #1 seed Wenatchee.

There are still five games remaining in the season and anything can happen! Strap in and enjoy the ride!

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Send Lefties Packing with Series Sweep

Published

2 days ago

July 31, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

David Krahn (UBC) has hit a franchise record nine home runs this season on the way to a well-deserved Player of the Year Award. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Victoria, B.C. – It was all HarbourCats in this Thursday night showdown between Victoria and Port Angeles, with the Cats putting on a pitching clinic for a 5-1 win and a series sweep.

Port Angeles drew first blood in this one, rallying with two outs and scoring on a bloop single to take an early lead in the top of the second. The Cats responded quickly, however, sparked by a leadoff double that Michael Rodda (Palomar) smashed over the head of the centre fielder. A walk and a bunt then loaded the bases, and a free pass taken by Aidan Rice (Portland) brought in the first run for Victoria. Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) put enough distance on a fly ball to drive in another from third, turning the tables and giving the HarbourCats a 2-1 lead after two innings.

BOX SCORE

The Lefties loaded the bases in the top of the third in an attempt to regain control, but Taylor Franklin (George Fox) escaped the jam to end his third inning of work without allowing another run. Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) took over for the fourth inning, keeping Port Angeles at bay with another scoreless frame.

Community Involvement Award winner Flynn Warren tossed four shutout innings in tonight’s win. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Victoria made some noise once again in the bottom of the sixth! With two outs and two runners on, Riley Kwak hammered a base knock through the infield to bring home one run, followed by another RBI single from Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) to widen the lead to 4-1.

Flynn Warren’s night was done after four stellar innings in which he allowed no runs and picked up six strikeouts. Taking his place was Carson Ackermann (Tacoma), who worked his way through a scoreless eighth inning. David Krahn ripped an RBI single into centre field for the cherry on top before Ackermann closed out a decisive 5-1 win to complete the series sweep.

Jeremiah Arnett holds a sparkling 1.74 ERA and 62 strikeouts and was crowned this year’s HarbourCats Pitcher of the Year. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

The Cats will now hit the road for a weekend series in Bellingham to continue the fight for a playoff spot.

WCL STANDINGS

There is only one home game left in the 2026 season! On August 3rd, we end the season with a bang with our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

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