VICTORIA, B.C. — It’s the old baseball adage — you can never have enough arms.
The Victoria HarbourCats have added three arms, two of them returning and one a local product, as part of four more players who have signed on for the 2023 West Coast League season. The fourth player on the roster comes from a dependable source of quality players — Cal Baptist.
Pitchers Jack Seward and Owen Luchies, both parts of the 2022 HarbourCats team that reached the WCL post-season, and Victoria Golden Tide ace Brady Wilson lead the latest signings, with versatile outfielder/second baseman Nick Dumesnil, a right-handed hitter from Huntington Beach, CA, a bat the team will look to for key offensive production. Dumesnil is 6-2/205 freshman and is known for a mix of speed and power that will be welcomed by Head Coach Todd Haney.
“We’ve spent even more time on pitching this year, it’s always a premium but it’s never easy to get that right mix for the staff — it’s the one area we are constantly looking to get better,” said Haney. “We’ve been known as a strong offensive team since even before I got here, and we know the best arms make all the difference.”
Vancouver product Jack Seward, now at Central Arizona, was 1-0 with three saves and a 1.15 ERA in 14 outings last summer, giving up earned runs in only two outings. He surrendered just 10 hits in 23 innings. Luchies, from Victoria, is a 6-2/195 pound freshman at Lower Columbia (NWAC) who started five games and threw 36 innings for the HarbourCats in 2022. He had 25 strikeouts, notched one save, was 2-2 with a 6.44 ERA and earned road wins in Port Angeles and Nanaimo.
Wilson, 6-1/175 from Calgary, was the workhorse for the Victoria collegiate Golden Tide in the spring of 2022, going a combined 3-4 with a 4.06 ERA in nine starts. He then spent the summer in the Western Canada Baseball League with the Fort McMurray Giants, where he was 5-5/4.94.
The HarbourCats celebrate their 10th Anniversary in 2023 and the season kicks off with the home opener against the Kamloops NorthPaws on Friday June 2, 2023. Single game tickets for that game and all 31 HarbourCats home games in 2023 are now on sale and can be purchased on-line through our one-and-only ticketing partner, Select Your Tickets, at harbourcats.com/tickets. They can also be purchased at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, or at the Select Your Tickets box office at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Fans can also call 778-265-0327 to order over the phone.
Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale. For details on all ticketing options, including our special $10.00 Tuesdays, Forces Fridays and Save-on-Food Vouchers, please visit harbourcats.com/ticketinfo
Kamloops B.C. – The HarbourCats brought the house down in a 12-run victory over the Kamloops Northpaws, putting up a dozen runs for the second time in a row and taking the series for themselves.
WCL All-Star Erik Rico (Fresno State) was back on the bump for another successful start on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The California native powered through a three-inning stalemate in which both sides were held scoreless, allowing just two hits and picking up six strikeouts.
Though held hitless in the first third of the ballgame, the HarbourCats found their stride in the top of the fourth inning. San Jose State slugger Rohne Klein delivered the first blow in the form of an RBI double, before he and teammate Logan Shepherd (Mercer) bounded home on a triple by the speedy Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s).
Victoria took advantage of the Northpaws’ lack of a counterattack with another swift strike in the fifth. Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) hit his second single of the game to drive in Cameron Chee-Aloy (Illinois), followed by RBI knocks from both Logan Shepherd and Jacob Silva (UTSA).
Bryan Bradshaw has been a strong all-around contributor for the Cats since arriving from UCSD, and notched three hits in today’s win. (Photo by JPM Photography)
Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) took up the torch from Rico in the fourth, holding off Kamloops until the lower half of inning six when a solo homer provided the first run for the Northpaws. Unfazed by this minor blemish in the face of a strong Victoria advantage, Kratt secured three groundouts in a row to end the inning.
The Cats, in retaliation to the home crew’s sting in the sixth, roared back with the power of teamwork. A few patient walks set the stage for a pair of singles from Michael Rodda (Palomar) and Cameron Chee-Aloy, who swiftly turned a 6-1 lead into a 9-1 lead with three frames left to be played.
When the Northpaws conceded another scoreless attempt at the plate, Victoria returned hungry for more. A plethora of baserunners confounded the Kamloops pitching staff, and another three runs crossed the plate before inning’s end. After all, why not make it an even dozen?
Tate Collins (Arkansas State) ran into some trouble in the bottom of the eighth when a walk and a single amplified the ensuing home run into a three-bagger. Nathan Mueller (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) was summoned to finish off the inning, and ended up holding on through the ninth to bring the game to a triumphant close.
With this series win under their belts, the HarbourCats will return to Vancouver Island to enjoy the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club. You should too!
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games 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.
GET YOUR ALL-STAR TICKETS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE! Tickets for the 2026 WCL All-Star Home Run Derby (featuring former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar) and the West Coast League All Star Game on July 14-15 are selling fast. Get yours today! Each event is now on sale separately, or grab the package deal for both and save a few bucks at http://harbourcats.com/tickets! Or call the office at 778-265-0327 to order by phone.
Victoria, B.C. – Victoria bounced back hard to stomp the Kamloops Northpaws 13-3 tonight, knotting the series up at 1-1.
The HarbourCats were off to the races early in this one! Victoria hitters patiently drew three walks in the top of the second, and singles from Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) and Jacob Silva (UTSA) drove in three runs for the Cats. A quick start, and a much-needed buffer for a visiting team looking to rebound from last night’s loss.
Kamloops swung back in the home half of the third with an RBI single, but the HarbourCats brought the hammer back down immediately. Riley Kwak made it to third on a double-steal, creating an opportunity to dash home on a groundout before Logan Shepherd (Mercer) bashed a homer to widen the lead.
Logan Shepherd’s homer in the fourth put the Cats well in front. (Photo by JPM Photography)
The visiting team’s onslaught would proceed throughout the middle innings. Riley Kwak and Logan Shepherd continued their dazzling individual performances with an RBI single each in the fifth frame, and Kwak came back for a monstrous three-run homer in the sixth. A trio of consecutive three-run innings gave the Cats a robust 11-run lead to work with after the first two thirds of the game.
The Northpaws strung some singles together to score twice in the bottom of the sixth, only to suffer through a long seventh frame where Logan Shepherd scored on a wild pitch. The scoring quieted down after that thirteenth run, and the HarbourCats sauntered off the diamond with a 13-3 win in game two of the series.
Riley Kwak (left) had a gem of a game tonight. The Abbotsford, B.C. product went 4/5 with five RBI and four runs scored. (Photo by JPM Photography)
As for the pitching side of things, returning arm Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) tossed a strong three-inning start in which he allowed one run on two hits. Trent Schlim (Concordia-Nebraska) toed the slab for two smooth scoreless innings and handed the ball off to Tate Collins (Arkansas State). Collins allowed two runs on four hits over the span of innings six, seven, and eight. Carter Germain (Allen CC) made his HarbourCats debut in the bottom of the ninth, nailing down a relatively easy inning to close out the win.
With the series now tied, the HarbourCats and Northpaws will battle for the win in the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games 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.
GET YOUR ALL-STAR TICKETS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE! Tickets for the 2026 WCL All-Star Home Run Derby (featuring former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar) and the West Coast League All Star Game on July 14-15 are selling fast. Get yours today! Each event is now on sale separately, or grab the package deal for both and save a few bucks at http://harbourcats.com/tickets! Or call the office at 778-265-0327 to order by phone.
Kamloops, B.C. – The series opener didn’t go how the HarbourCats hoped, with the Kamloops Northpaws taking a 4-2 win over the visiting Cats.
The Northpaws got a jolt to their offence early on, rocking a solo homer in the second inning to take the upper hand. Kamloops continued their production in the next frame, capitalizing on two consecutive walks from HarbourCats starting pitcher Landon Marchetti (San Jose State). A couple of stolen bases and a double, and a wild pitch later, and the visiting Cats suddenly find themselves in a four-run deficit.
Victoria made up some ground in the second half of the ballgame when infielder Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) legged out a leadoff triple. A single from the reliable Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) brought home Kwak for the HarbourCats’ first run.
Rohne Klein (San Jose State) made a rare start at third base tonight and picked up an RBI. (Photo by JPM Photography)
Merchetti’s night was done after the opening third of the game, over which he allowed four runs on three hits and struck out five Kamloops batters. Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) appeared from the bullpen and delivered the best outing you could really ask for from a reliever. His four innings featured just two hits, no walks, and a grand total of zero runs scored.
The HarbourCats mustered another run in the top of the eighth, a sacrifice fly by Rohne Klein (San Jose State). An important step, but still a ways to go if the visiting squad were to catch up. Leif Friedrich (Concordia-Nebraska) sliced through an efficient frame in the bottom of the eight inning, retiring the side on just eight pitches, but Victoria were held off by the Northpaws in a 4-2 loss.
The HarbourCats will look to rebound and tie the series in Kamloops tomorrow night, before coming back to Victoria for the long-awaited Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club!
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games 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.
GET YOUR ALL-STAR TICKETS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE! Tickets for the 2026 WCL All-Star Home Run Derby (featuring former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar) and the West Coast League All Star Game on July 14-15 are selling fast. Get yours today! Each event is now on sale separately, or grab the package deal for both and save a few bucks at http://harbourcats.com/tickets! Or call the office at 778-265-0327 to order by phone.
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