Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Faith guides pitcher Hudson Lance as he returns for 2026

Published

3 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Pitcher Hudson Lance is a strong believer in faith, and it is that faith that will guide him in his return to the HarbourCats in 2026 (Photo: Christian J. Stewart).

By Norm LeBus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2026

Victoria, BC – As a devout Christian and a business student, athlete and leadership intern at Coastal Carolina University, Hudson Lance already walks the road less travelled.

And now his path is even more remote.

A middle-inning reliever last summer with the ‘Cats, Lance has walked away from Division One baseball this season to follow the Lord.

Returning to Coastal Carolina in fall of ’25, Lance was informed he was surplus as the Chanticleers’ roster swelled with talent after last season’s appearance in the College Baseball World Series.

Lance hit the transfer portal and relocated to D1 mid-major Winthrop, also in South Carolina. But two weeks before his arrival, Lance changed his mind. It was August 1.

“I shocked my entire world,” Lance says. “Everyone who knew me thought I was crazy. But I have not regretted it for a second.”

Photo: Christian J. Stewart

Lance went from D1 scholarship student athlete to Christian, club baseball player, business student and leadership intern at…Coastal Carolina. He never left the school that rejected him after initially recruiting Lance to play baseball.

“I just never had peace with the decision to go to Winthrop,” he says. “My faith is really a giant part of my life, and I really felt like the Lord was calling me to step away from baseball. I absolutely love Coastal Carolina – the friends I’ve made there, the community I have.”

At Carolina this year, Lance is running long distance to build stamina, bullpen training and pitching live at-bats with the schools’ club baseball team. But he’s just as excited about his internship with FCA, Fellowship for Christian Athletes – a major time commitment for the business major.

“It’s really just something the Lord has put on my heart and I’m really passionate about,” Lance says. “It is time consuming, but to me it doesn’t feel like work, or something that’s this great burden because it’s something that I love.”

But Lance is returning to the WCL without a season of Division One baseball – an anomaly in the Pacific Northwest circuit.

“When I get to Victoria, it won’t be like I haven’t faced a batter in several months,” he says of the pitching he will be doing at Coastal Carolina with its club team. “I will just have faced hundreds of batters training throughout the entire spring.”

Last season in Victoria, Lance was a middle reliever who had a solid rookie season – one bad outing ballooned his ERA, but the ‘Cats won five of the seven games he appeared in.

Photo: Christian J. Stewart

“He was a good, reliable middle inning guy for us, came in in situations and got batters out when we needed it, a reasonable number of strikeouts, ‘Cats GM Christian Stewart recalls. “More importantly, he only walked three guys – that’s a big plus in this league.”

In bullpen work with the club team this spring, Lance says he’s working on direction, speed and location in bullpen training. Then there’s the live at bats.

“My plan is to hit the ground running and be ready to roll when I hit Victoria,” he explains.

It’s far from the first time a player has arrived in Victoria in May without recent D1 experience.

“The fact that he’s a player without a home right now is kind of interesting – there’s no stats to look at and see how he’s doing, so whether that’s a plus or a minus, hard to say,” Stewart says. “Hopefully we can he’s working hard and ready to show somebody what he can do.”

That seems a safe bet.

—

Hudson Lance and the HarbourCats begin the 2026 West Coast League season on the road in Portland on Friday, May 29th and then return to Wilson’s Group Stadium for the Home Opener against the Edmonton Riverhawks on Tuesday, June 2 at 6:30 pm.

Tickets for that game and all 2026 HarbourCats games, as well as the 2026 All-Star Game and Home Run Derby July 14-15, Season Tickets and Flex-Packs are now on sale at harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street just around the corner from the stadium.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – School Spirit Games partners pleased with near-sellout status

Published

15 hours ago

March 6, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

March 5, 2026

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — The kids always bring the energy — and the noise, in sections teeming with students.

The Victoria HarbourCats are pleased to recognize the valuable partners who have helped the team close in (already, in March!) on sellouts for the two SCHOOL SPIRIT GAMES planned for the 2026 West Coast League baseball season — just a part of the big summer plans at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.

On Thursday, June 4 (11:05am), the MAYFAIR OPTOMETRIC CLINIC SCHOOL SPIRIT GAME has limited seating still available for the meeting with the visiting Edmonton Riverhawks.

Then, the KIDSPORT GREATER VICTORIA SCHOOL SPIRIT GAME on Thursday, June 18 (also 11:05am) vs. the Redmond Dudes, is essentially at capacity already as schools/teachers have already snapped up seats and sections. A wait list is being taken, but schools still wanting to attend a game are urged to book into the June 4th game instead.

“The popularity of these games is undeniable, and they are a perfect match for Mayfair Optometric Clinic and KidSport Greater Victoria to reach an excited audience,” said Christian Stewart, General Manager of the HarbourCats.

The games are such a hot commodity for school field trips that Stewart had teachers getting on the list right after last year’s games, and then inquiries as early as the opening of schools in September.

For any teachers or schools wanting to secure remaining seats for the June 4th game, contact Christian at chris@harbourcats.com or call 778-265-0327. Tickets are just A$9.00 each.

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 our Showpass site at harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought on-line or by stopping in to the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

SEE SCHEDULE HERE

Need to gear up with HarbourCats merchandise? Then be sure to stop into the office, or else visit The Cat Shop online at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/

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Summer Collegiate

Kentucky Influence Will Be Strong For NightOwls, Nine Players Signed

Published

2 days ago

March 4, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

March 4, 2026

Nanaimo NightOwls head coach Cody Andreychuk is from the Harbour City — but spends most of his time now as dugout boss at the University of Pikeville in Kentucky.

So, it’s no surprise the next nine players signed are playing college baseball in the Bluegrass State — talent from UPike, and Western Kentucky.

And two of them? From Nanaimo, of course, continuing the tradition of local flavour with the NightOwls.

Announced today by “Coach Chuk”:

LHP Bryson Vawter, Western Kentucky, L/L, 6-1/210, Topeka, Kansas

LHP Rodney Whaley, Western Kentucky, L/L, 6-2/195, Ashland, Nebraska

RHP Jacob O’Day, Western Kentucky, R/R, 6-3/185, Bloomington, Illinois

RHP Jack Schroeder, UPikeville, R/R, 6-1/205, Cody, Wyoming

RHP/IF Reed Sutton UPikeville, L/R, 6-2/215, Nanaimo

LHP Caleb Morrison, UPikeville, L/L, 5-10/170, Georgetown, KY

IF Easton Mould, UPikeville, R/R, 5-10/165, Nanaimo

SS Francis Subero, UPikeville, S/R, 5-11/185 San Jose De Ocoa, Dominican Republic

OF Ethan Reynolds, Western Kentucky, R/R, 5-11/210, Bowling Green, KY

“There is a hard-nosed way of playing the game in Kentucky that our fans at Serauxmen Stadium will like — these guys all work hard and grind,” said Andreychuk. “The pitching depth from this group will important, and I really like having Nanaimo guys in Mould and Sutton. I know these players very well, what they can do.”

This is an intriguing group of additions —- it includes returning local second baseman Mould, and fellow Pirates product Sutton, who got a short stint as a NightOwl in 2025. Mould played 37 games for the NightOwls in 2025 and is the double play partner this spring at UPike with Dominican shortstop Subero, who is batting .356 with 11 runs driven in over 13 games.

O’Day fanned 63 hitters in 58 innings for Heartland CC before transferring to WKU. Vawter had a 3.84 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 72 innings at Kansas City CC, while Whaley is another lefty and a product of power junior college program Iowa Western.

Schroeder and Morrison will be counted on for quality bullpen innings, and Reynolds is a versatile fielder with a bat that finds gaps.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Community-first approach for All Star Game committee, leading WCL showcase

Published

1 week ago

February 26, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

February 26, 2026

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — With an exciting announcement earlier this week (SEE HERE), and ticket packages available and selling fast, it’s time to publicly unveil the leadership stars of the 2026 West Coast League Baseball All-Star Game committee.

It’s a group that, combined, knows one word well — community.

Dave Cockle and Brenda MacFarlane are the co-chairs, working closely with Victoria HarbourCats leadership — President John Wilson, part owner and community advocate Helen Edwards, Managing Partner Jim Swanson, General Manager Christian Stewart, Marketing Director John Pollard, and Adrian Somers, VP of Operations/Business.

Cindy Kent and Dave Garton, who wear many hats for the HarbourCats including host family and gameday events, are involved in planning and execution.

Cockle is the retired former longtime Oak Bay fire chief who is active with many boards including Kiwanis (Board Chair of Oak Bay Kiwanis Pavillion) and their advocacy for seniors and affordable housing, a director with SVI Rangers, and the HarbourCats advisory committee, and was chair of the 2017 and 2018 Baseball Canada Men’s Championship.

MacFarlane is — well, what isn’t she involved with? With IG Wealth Management, she gives her time to the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society (Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada, 100 Year Stanley Cup “Century Celebration”) among other charity work and involvement literally too numerous to list here.

“What a group — seriously, we are so glad to have people who understand what it means to really captivate Victoria with memorable events, who get the vision and logistics mix that make things shine,” said Swanson.

The 2026 WCL All-Star Festival will take over Victoria, helping fill hotels and seats, on July 14 and 15, culminating with the game on Wednesday, July 15. The HarbourCats will also host the festival in 2027.

The leadership group involved goes WAY deeper than those named above.

Vince Greco, a well known local sports leader, is spearheading the youth camps component, some of which is still to be announced.
Stewart is overseeing ticketing, graphics, photography and media, and stadium planning — yes, the famous HarbourCats food trucks scene will be on full display for the home run derby and game.
Veteran pro baseball scouts Walt Burrows and Marti Wolever and coach Gorman Heimueller will direct the WCL player scouting combine, supported by HarbourCats and Collegiate Cats coaches.
Nanaimo NightOwls GM Tina Cornett is heavily involved with planning and administration.
Doug Sturgeon, known well in local ball circles, is coordinating the community wiffle ball game slated for the B.C. Legislature lawn on July 14.
Chris Jaycox of Chris Jaycox Productions is overseeing the broadcast, featuring the play-by-play of Warren Dean, that will allow people from around the world to see many of the events.
Samantha Newton will oversee transportation needs for players, team officials and VIPs, with the LA Limousine fleet as a featured addition.
Shawn Leckie, Stacey Gillespie, Raphael Oliveira, Kevin Schmidt and Garton will provide setup and logistics leadership both at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP, and for events away from the main venue.
Kelly and Rory Kurta will oversee some special projects that have yet to be finalized and able to be announced — stay tuned!

Major partners and sponsors will be recognized as this major event comes closer to reality in Victoria.

The All-Star Festival begins the morning of July 14, 2026 with a kids camp and wiffle ball scrub game on the lawn of the BC Legislature, followed by a Home Run Derby at Wilson’s Group Stadium that evening. The actual All-Star game takes place on Wednesday evening July 15th at 7:00 pm.

Ticket packages are now on sale for the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game and are available on-line HERE, or by stopping in at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street to order in person.

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