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Victoria HarbourCats – Five guys returning as Haney announces six more for 2025 season

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Five return and Cal Baptist pipeline provides another key player for 2025 (Above L to R: Josh Cunnigan, Connor Ross, Spencer Hatch, Cade Rusch, Garrett Villa, Connor Sims)

Dec. 17, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VICTORIA, B.C. — One thing is sure, collegiate baseball players love playing in Victoria.

The highly-competitive, pro-style environment fostered by the organization, and coaching staff led by veteran Todd Haney, has helped the Victoria HarbourCats bring back returning players year after year, creating a foundation for success. With today’s announcement of six players, the 2025 roster will have four more returning pitchers and a catcher who was with Victoria for much of the 2024 season.

“It helps with building the culture we have in Victoria, that starts at the top, and gives this team the best chance at being a contender every year,” said GM Christian Stewart. “Players want to play for Todd, and our coaching staff. Having guys who have been through the travel and pace of a West Coast League season helps in building the right atmosphere from the start of the season — and our seasons go by fast, it seems, so there’s no time to waste.”

Announced today by Head Coach Haney:

  • RHP Garrett Villa, Angelo State, 5-10/150, Laporte, Texas (returning pitcher)
  • RHP Cade Rusch, Indiana University Southeast, 6-4, 185, Prospect, Kentucky (returning pitcher)
  • LHP Spencer Hatch, Tarleton State, 6-0/198, Las Vegas (returning pitcher)
  • RHP Connor Sims, Indiana University Southeast, 6-2/190, Greenfield, Indiana (returning pitcher)
  • C Josh Cunnigan, Seattle U, 6-0/195, Corona, California (returning player)
  • 3B Connor Ross, Cal Baptist, 6-0/190, Fairfield, California

Villa was a workhorse who took on the end of game role for pitching coach Scott Anderson, pitching in 13 games and giving up just one run in his last 10 appearances, ending with four saves in 19.1 innings of work.

Hatch, a lefty from Vegas, made eight appearances and started four games, finishing 2-2 with 15 strikeouts. He went four innings twice in strong road starts in the middle of the season.

Rusch, the son of former Major League star pitcher Glendon Rusch, will be a workhorse at IUS this spring after working in five games for the HarbourCats last summer. Sims had a short but dominant stint in Victoria, striking out nine hitters and recording one save in 5.2 innings of work, giving up just two hits.

Before getting hurt, Cunnigan played in 12 games at hit .273 and struck out just twice while doing a good job behind the plate.

Ross is the lone non-returning player being announced today. He is a transfer to D-1 Cal Baptist from Solano JC, where he was conference player of the year as a sophomore, and freshman of the year the season prior to that. He can play third or short, and his spring numbers in 2024 are eye-popping — a .433 average, eight home runs, 58 driven in, in 40 games.

Season tickets and 10-Game Flex Packs are now on sale for the 2025 season at the HarbourCats office.  Christmas sales are on as well with a wide range of merchandise available!   And don’t miss our last minute sale special THIS SATURDAY, December 21st, from 10 am to 5 pm, with 50% off all regular priced merchandise at the store only.

Single game tickets and 10-Game Flex Pack exchanges are NOT YET AVAILABLE for the 2025 season as we are transitioning to a new ticketing system.  Both will be available in January of 2025.

Holiday Hours at The Cat Shop

This week Monday to Friday 10am t0 5pm
Saturday December 21, 10am to 5 pm (special 50% off sale!)
Sunday December 22,  12 noon to 4pm
Monday December 23, 10am to 5pm
Tuesday December 24, 10am to 2pm
CLOSED December 25 and 26th
Friday December 27, 10 am to 4pm (Boxing Day 20% off sale!)
CLOSED December 28 and 29th
Monday December 30 10 am to 4pm (Boxing Day 20% off sale!)
CLOSED December 31 to January 6
Office reopens January 7th 10am to 5pm

 

 

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Summer Collegiate

Plenty of weekend action in 2027 NightOwls schedule

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November 10, 2026

NANAIMO, B.C. — It’s hard to boil down the 2027 Nanaimo NightOwls schedule to a few highlights — it’s a strong schedule for fans and partners, and for the players and coaches.

The sixth season of NightOwls baseball at historic Serauxmen Stadium, in the impressive West Coast League, includes ample weekend dates in both June and July, with a game on Sunday, June 20 the perfect fit for Father’s Day celebrations.

It also includes the first-ever Nanaimo visit by the South Division’s Springfield Drifters, who have not faced the Serauxmen challenge prior to this 2027 schedule — and the Drifters are the OPENING SERIES foe for the NightOwls (June 4-5-6).

“We really like what this schedule will mean for our fans and our sponsors,” said GM Tina Cornett. “There are a lot of ways we can be creative with the dates, and the travel for our players and coaches is more than workable, with just one South Division trip (to Yakima).

“We can’t wait to get seats set up for everyone, and to start lining up all the group outings that are so popular at Serauxmen Stadium. There are no long homestands, one spot in late June where we have six games in seven days, and in August we have Edmonton and Kelowna in consecutive home series.”

Season tickets, packages and group bookings are available now (email tina@nanaimonightowls.com for more information), and single-game tickets will be on sale soon.

The NightOwls open with a three-game series in Victoria, June 1-2-3, and also end on the road Aug 9-10-11 in Kamloops.

The NightOwls are planning to add another fireworks date to the offering — the ultra-popular July 1/Canada Day date (vs. the island rival Victoria HarbourCats) remains in place, but a season-opening fireworks show in the second home game of the season, Saturday, June 5, is in the works.

The NightOwls host the home opener on Friday, June 4, vs. the Springfield Drifters, starting a three-game series that ends with a Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. at Serauxmen.

The NightOwls will face the Kelowna Falcons and Edmonton Riverhawks nine times this season. Nanaimo and Victoria will also meet nine times in the 54 games, six of those in the capital city. Victoria will host the West Coast League all-star game for the second year in a row, two days of activities there July 13-14 at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP.

HOME DATES, 2027
Nanaimo NightOwls, at Serauxmen Stadium
Mon-Sat games, 6:35 pm — Sunday games, 1pm

Friday-Saturday-Sunday, June 4-5-6 — vs. Springfield Drifters (including planned fireworks game, Saturday, June 5)
Friday-Saturday-Sunday, June 11-12-13 — vs. Kamloops Northpaws
Friday-Saturday-Sunday, June 18-19-20 — vs. Wenatchee AppleSox (including Father’s Day, June 20)
Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, June 22-23-24 — vs. Edmonton Riverhawks
Tuesday, June 29 — vs. Victoria HarbourCats
Thursday, July 1 — vs. Victoria HarbourCats (Canada Day fireworks)
Wednesday, July 7 — vs. Victoria HarbourCats
Friday-Saturday-Sunday, July 9-10-11 — vs. Bellingham Bells
Friday-Saturday-Sunday, July 16-17-18 — vs. Coquitlam Angels
Friday-Saturday-Sunday, July 23-24-25 — vs. Kamloops Northpaws
Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, August 3-4-5 — vs. Edmonton Riverhawks
Friday-Saturday-Sunday, August 6-7-8 — vs. Kelowna Falcons

ROAD DATES, 2027
Tues-Wed-Thurs, June 1-2-3 — at Victoria
Tues-Wed-Thurs, June 8-9-10 — at Bellingham
Tues-Wed-Thurs, June 15-16-17 — at Edmonton
Fri-Sat-Sun, June 25-26-27 — at Kelowna
Wednesday, June 30 — at Victoria
Fri-Sat-Sun, July 2-3-4 — at Wenatchee
Tuesday, July 6 — at Victoria
Thursday, July 8 — at Victoria
Tues-Wed-Thurs, July 20-21-22 — at Yakima Valley
Fri-Sat-Sun, July 30-31/Aug1 — at Kelowna
Mon-Tues-Wed, August 9-10-11 — at Kamloops

PLAYOFF DATES
Division semifinal — August 13-14-15
Division final — August 17
WCL final — August 19

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Victoria HarbourCats – Fall 2026 Indoor Training Clinics Now Open for Registration

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Sessions begin October 31. Register NOW!

The Victoria HarbourCats and the Edwards Family Training Centre (EFTC) are now taking individual bookings for our Fall 2026 indoor training sessions for baseball.

The “Offseason Academy“, presented by The EFTC, is designed to keep athletes sharp, confident, and improving long after the final game of summer. Built for youth players who want to stay ahead of the competition, our Academy focuses not only on technical skill development but also on the physical conditioning that keeps athletes strong and game-ready.

With a lineup of specialized camps in areas such as hitting, analytics, and general skills, athletes can train with experienced coaches, benefit from professional-level technology like HitTrax, and build the habits that matter most during the offseason.

All sessions take place in the same professional training facility used by the HarbourCats and Victoria Collegiate Cats, giving players access to a proven environment for growth and performance.

Running for eight weeks, athletes will receive 32 hours of training designed to keep their skills sharp through the winter.

2026 Fall Sessions Include:

Baseball, Foundations and Futures, $300, Saturdays, 9:00am- 12noon, October 31 thru December 19. Ages 8-11
Foundations & Futures” is a high-energy baseball camp for players aged 8–11. This camp delivers professional-grade instruction in a dynamic, fun environment. It’s time to Train With Your Claws Out and carry your skills into next season. REGISTER HERE

Baseball, High Performance Prep, $300, Saturdays, 12:30-3:30pm, October 31 thru December 19. Ages 12-16.
High Performance Prep is designed for players aged 12–16 who are ready to refine their skills and maintain peak form after summer. This camp delivers advanced instruction in a focused, competitive environment. It’s time to Train With Your Claws Out and prepare for the season ahead. REGISTER HERE

There are limited spaces in each camp so don’t delay. Register NOW!

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Victoria HarbourCats – Zach Swanson Returning as Pitching Coach for HarbourCats in 2027

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September 2, 2026

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – After a successful debut season in the West Coast League, Zach Swanson will be back as Pitching Coach for the Victoria HarbourCats.

Head Coach Todd Haney is pleased to be putting together the key pieces of his staff already for the 2027 season, and that includes Swanson, the Victoria product and former college pitcher, after setting notable records in 2026.  Swanson is a Lambrick Park graduate who played for the Victoria Eagles and Mariners, and pitched collegiately at San Diego Christian and Park University-Gilbert, earning an MBA in the process.

The records and notables of the 2026 HarbourCats:

  • Most team strikeouts (536) in team history in a season, two short of a WCL record (and notably, the HarbourCats would have played two more games, but they were cancelled due to smoky conditions in Washington State)
  • Highest K/9 rate in WCL history (10.48)
  • Second in batting average against (.235)
  • Fourth in league ERA (4.48)
  • Right-handers Jeremiah Arnett (66) and Erik Rico (64) now sit first and second in HarbourCats history in strikeouts in a season, and both were named all-stars – on top of it, Arnett was named the WCL Pitcher of the Year
  • HarbourCats reliever Nathan Mueller was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers and pitcher Will Zielinski was a 20th round pick of the Detroit Tigers

Swanson is the Pitching Coach at Hawaii Pacific University (NCAA Division 2) in Honolulu, entering his second year – in his first season, Swanson had three all-conference pitchers and the team ERA improved by more than a run per game.

“I’m incredibly excited to welcome Zach back as our pitching coach for the 2027 season.  He built tremendous trust with our pitchers and has a great understanding of what it takes to develop players,” said Haney, who earlier this week added former MLB infielder Jeff Frye to the coaching staff for 2027.

“Our pitching staff responded to Zach’s leadership every single day, and we saw real growth both on and off the mound.  Zach brings an exceptional work ethic, passion and competitive edge to our staff.  Our pitchers are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him now, as it’s only a matter of time before Zach is an MLB pitching coach.”

Swanson is excited to return to a team he knows well, holding many roles – batboy, to player, to play-by-play voice in 2022.  Swanson was Victoria’s starting pitcher for Game 1 of the WCL final in 2019 against the Corvallis Knights in a game played at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP.

“It’s a joy and a privilege to be returning to Victoria in 2027,” said Swanson, son of Managing Partner Jim Swanson.

“After a 2026 season full of development, my wife Madeline and I are looking forward to coming back to this great city.  I can’t wait to help write another chapter – both in the lives of these athletes and in the history books of this organization.”

 

The HarbourCats have started the recruiting process for 2027 already, and Season Ticket Memberships are now available for purchase or renewal.  New members may order their seats on-line if desired at harbourcats.com/tickets (click the Membership tab), or by calling the office at 778-265-0327.

Renew or purchase your seats by September 30th to be eligible to win a round trip airfare on Harbour Air to Vancouver.

The HarbourCats 2027 schedule is expected to be announced in late October 2026, with single-game tickets expected to be available by December 1, 2026.

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