Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats | Easing of outdoor crowd restrictions too little, too late for HarbourCats and NightOwls

Published

4 years ago

June 29, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

Teams looking at possible exhibition series this summer, full speed ahead for 2022!

For Immediate Release

June 29, 2021

VICTORIA, BC — If only things were where we are now six months ago. Even two months ago.

The Province today announced that after July 1, outdoor gatherings in British Columbia can have up to 5,000 people in attendance, or up to 50% capacity, whichever is greater. While that is great news for many, and for all of us in British Columbia moving forward, unfortunately, it is too little, too late for sports teams like the Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls, who had to make critical business decisions two months ago regarding the 2021 West Coast League Baseball season.

At that time, with the border still closed – and it is still slated to be closed until July 21 – and with the vaccination levels then nowhere near what they are right now, with COVID cases still high, the HarbourCats had to make the tough decision to forego playing the 2021 season, the second-straight lost season due to the pandemic.

It also meant at the time, the HarbourCats had to release all the players they had signed, so that they could find somewhere else to play this year. So for fans hoping to see the HarbourCats rapidly put a team together and start playing games, it is not going to happen.

There may be an opportunity though for the HarbourCats to put together some sort of exhibition game or series with their sister team the Nanaimo NightOwls later this summer, and Managing Partner for both teams, Jim Swanson, is starting to explore that possibility.

“With our U.S. teams in the West Coast League already well into their 2021 WCL season, and with the border still closed, it will be impossible for us to ramp up any kind of regular season,” said Swanson. “But we are exploring some kind of exhibition series between our two teams, albeit altered from what we’ve been proud to put on the field for so many years. If something is able to be done, we will let everyone know any plans at a later date.”
On a longer term, the news today means that the HarbourCats and NightOwls can both proceed full speed ahead for a full season of West Coast League baseball season in 2022, the eighth for the HarbourCats and the inaugural first for the NightOwls, with fans in full attendance.

While the 2022 West Coast League schedule is not expected to be released until October, fans should be warned now that tickets for 2022 will be in high demand. With four new teams in the league – the NightOwls, the Kamloops NorthPaws, the Edmonton Riverhawks and the Springfield (Oregon), Drifters, and the fact that fans will be itching to get to a game after a two-year absence, it could be a record-setting attendance year at Wilson’s Group Stadium in Victoria, and close to a sell out for every game, in the smaller Serauxmen Stadium in Nanaimo.

“With many fans having vouchers to exchange from both 2020 and 2021 and the demand for tickets for people who will just want to see a game again, we are suggesting that if you have been sitting on the fence about getting HarbourCats season tickets, now is time to act,” said HarbourCats Assistant GM of Ticketing and Media Christian Stewart. “Season tickets are by far the best value for your money, and we have plenty of options available for Victoria in all seating areas, except our field level Diamond Club seats.”

Fans can also purchase 10-game flex pack vouchers now, but will have to renew them, along with all fans holding 2020 and 2021 vouchers, once the schedule is released in the fall. Flex-pack vouchers are also available as a “season ticket equivalent,” whereby for the same price as a season ticket, fans get 35 vouchers to use in any combination and for any regular season game that they wish.

“We can’t wait to entertain fans back at the ballpark again,” added Stewart. “Hopefully we can get something together for a game or two in July or August, but either way, 2022 is going to be amazing and we want as many fans as possible to be there with us when we celebrate the full return of HarbourCats baseball.”

For more information on tickets for both teams, please visit or contact:

Victoria HarbourCats
https://harbourcats.com/ticketinfo/
Contact: Christian Stewart chris@harbourcats.com
Phone: 778-265-0327

Nanaimo NightOwls
https://nanaimonightowls.com/tickets/
Contact: Raymond Kirk ray@nanaimonightowls.com
Phone: 250-709-2882

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Summer Collegiate

No quit in NightOwls, drop tight game in Kamloops

Published

5 hours ago

July 26, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Fresh off a huge 3-2 extra-innings win at home over the Corvallis Knights, the road-tested Nanaimo NightOwls refused to go easily in the start of a six-game road trip.

The NightOwls scored three times in the ninth and had the potential winning run at the plate in a 9-7 setback at the hands of the host Kamloops NorthPaws at Norbrock Stadium.

Some stats details are unavailable due to a league-wide scoring system issue, but the NightOwls scored in the first inning, and built a 4-1 lead into the latter stages when Kamloops stormed back with eight consecutive runs spread over three innings.

The NightOwls threatened, and scored, in the ninth, but fell just short — they will still look to win the series with games Saturday evening and Sunday at noon. The team will venture home on Sunday, then on Tuesday head to Edmonton to face the Riverhawks for games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

There are just three more regular season home games for the NightOwls in 2025, a weekend series against Kamloops that starts a week from Friday (August 1-2-3), with the Friday and Saturday games at 6:35pm and the Sunday capper at 1pm. The NightOwls complete their fourth WCL regular season with a road series in Bellingham, August 4-5-6.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Nahaku’s big night powers Cats to win

Published

6 hours ago

July 26, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

Garrett Brooks reached base three times tonight (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

July 25, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats returned to West Coast League action Friday night, beating the Wenatchee AppleSox 10-4.

Kamana Nahaku (Hawaii) got the home team on the board first with a sacrifice fly in the first inning to make it 1-0.

Adam Haight tied things up with a solo home run in the top of the third inning to level things at one.

Jack Johnson (Baylor) restored Victoria’s advantage in the bottom of the fourth with a great piece of situational hitting, driving in the run with a sacrifice fly to centre. Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-1 before Nahaku cleared the bases with a grand slam to left field to blow the game wide open, extending the lead to 7-1. It was the left fielder’s first long ball of the campaign after he hit four for the Cats last season.

Shea Lake has recorded the win in back-to-back starts (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) started for the HarbourCats and has been lights out in recent weeks, producing five shutout innings in back-to-back games. He came close to matching that tonight but was still dominant, going five innings, giving up just one run, and striking out three.

WCL STANDINGS

Ryne Palmer (Cal Baptist) pitched two innings of relief, with the only mark against him being a two-out RBI single by Theo Kim in the sixth inning.

Nahaku drove in his sixth run of the game with a double in the sixth, which gave his team an 8-2 lead.

Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) hit his second home run of the season in the seventh inning to push the lead to 10-2.

WATCH GAMES HERE

The Sox were able to score two runs late against Carson Burks (Hill College), who pitched the final two innings for the HarbourCats, but it was too little too late as the lefty closed it out for the 10-4 win.

Jack Johnson has reached base in all but one game this season (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

This win keeps the HarbourCats top of the North Division second-half standings and puts the AppleSox four games back in fourth place.

VOUCHER REMINDER: The Victoria HarbourCats only have 9 home games remaining this season so don’t forget to redeem your vouchers. You can do so at harbourcats.com/tickets, and if you have any questions or need help exchanging your vouchers, call the HarbourCats office at (778) 265 0327.

10 Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are on sale for all home games and “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

BUY TICKETS HERE

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).

Source

Summer Collegiate

NightOwls slide past Knights in extra inning thriller

Published

17 hours ago

July 25, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

NANAIMO, B.C. — Never better timing from Andrew Nykoluk.

The shortstop from Hawaii Pacific slapped a single into right centre with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday night gave the Nanaimo NightOwls a much-needed 3-2 victory over the visiting Corvallis Knights.

Nykoluk’s hit scored JJ Abner from second base, rescuing a win to cap the three-game series, the first-ever visit by the Knights to Nanaimo.

The result ends a Nanaimo losing streak as the team prepares for a road series this weekend against the Kamloops NorthPaws.

On Thursday, both teams scored twice in the seventh inning — nothing but zeroes on the board other than that until the NightOwls scored in the 10th.

Jacob Hayes (Azusa Pacific) was 1-1 with two walks for Nanaimo, Jayden Gabrillo (Hawaii Pacific) was clutch for Nanaimo in weathering a storm in the ninth and 10th innings, holding the score at 2-2. Aidan Boice gave up just two hits and no walks in six innings, striking out five in a stellar start that Nanaimo sorely needed after dropping the first two games of the series.

Nanaimo pitchers limited the Corvallis bats to just five hits.

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