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Summer Collegiate

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

The NightOwls Drop The Series With A 5-2 Loss Heading Into The All-Star Break

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NANAIMO, B.C. — It wasn’t our day as the Nanaimo NightOwls dropped the series finally 5-2 to the Wenatchee AppleSox on Sunday. Nanaimo took a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning, but the AppleSox were able to score two runs in the eighth and added two more in the ninth to take the series.

The NightOwls had two runs on 10 hits but committed three errors on the day, which didn’t help their pitchers. The Wenatchee AppleSox had five runs on nine hits with one error. That drops Nanaimo to 17-19 on the year and 3.5 games back of the playoff spot.

https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=621655

It was a great night for starting NightOwls pitcher, Teague Van Dyke, who went 5.1 innings. The 6’2 right-handed pitcher from Flagstaff, Arizona, gave up just one run on six hits and struck out four. It was a great performance as his family was in town for the weekend to watch him pitch.

Nanaimo NightOwls Vs Wenatchee AppleSox (Photo Credit: Chad Frostad)

Asher DeLeo came on in relief and pitched 1.2 innings of perfect ball with two strikeouts. Dalton Hanson was the losing pitcher of record for the Nanaimo NightOwls, and Aidan Gonzalez got the win for the AppleSox, going 3.1 innings and giving up just one run on four hits and striking out five Nanaimo batters.

https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

All-Star Talan Zenk was on base three times on the afternoon for the NightOwls. He went one for three with a double, two walks and a run scored. He will be joining fellow NightOwl Jacob Hayes down in Bellingham for the West Coast League All-Star Game.

Nanaimo NightOwls Vs Wenatchee AppleSox (Photo Credit: Chad Frostad)

Hayes had another hit on the day going one for five as he was given the day off from first base. Tyler Arnold was tasked with manning first base and he did an amazing job making a great diving snag in the field and also producing at the plate. Tyler went one for three with a sacrifice fly and single.

http://Nanaimonightowls.com/tickets

A break now for the Nanaimo NightOwls as Monday is an off day before getting back on the field Tuesday July 15th again the Nanaimo Selects in an exhibition game. Then we have the West Coast League All-Star Break on July 16th.

One more exhibition game on Thursday July 17th against the Nanaimo Selects before we get back into league action. Than it’s back on the road for a weekend series against the Wenatchee AppleSox Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 18th, 19th, and 20th. Make sure to follow the team on the live stream and use the hashtag #IlluminuteTheDark on social media so we can engage with you! Go Owls Go, Hoot Hoot!!!!!

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats battle their way to another walk-off win

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Tanner Beltowski was the hero Sunday afternoon (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

July 13, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Kelowna Falcons made things interesting late, but the Victoria HarbourCats came out on top with another 10-9 walk-off win.

It was a huge six-run second inning that gave the HarbourCats a dream start to the afternoon. Falcons starter Charles Bower struggled with his control, hitting Cayden Munster (Fresno State) and walking Isaiah Afework (TAMU-CC) with the bases loaded to gift the Cats two runs. An RBI fielder’s choice made it 3-0 before Jack Johnson (Baylor) drove in a pair with a double, pushing the lead to 5-0. JC Allen (UC San Diego) drove in his 17th run of the season in as many games with an RBI single to cap off the inning, extending the lead to 6-0.

BOX SCORE

Logan Rumberg (George Mason) made his fifth start of the campaign and had his best stuff working. He struck out seven batters for the second outing in a row, with the only damage against him coming on a two-run home run surrendered to Zachary Wieder in the third inning.

Dillon Lopez drove in five runs this weekend (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

In the bottom half of the third inning, Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) continued his great weekend, hitting a solo home run to make it 7-2.

Braxton Thomas hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning off Cade Rusch (Bellarmine), to cut the HarbourCats’ lead down to 7-5. Thomas was a thorn in the side of Victoria pitchers all weekend, producing seven hits and three home runs in the three-game series.

WCL STANDINGS

The Falcons cut the deficit to one with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning, but the Cats restored their multi-run lead in the bottom half with a Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) home run and an Allen sacrifice fly.

That 9-6 lead held up until the top of the ninth inning, where the Falcons rallied, scoring three runs in the frame, including a two-out two-run single by Jace Nagler to tie it up at 9-9.

The Cats loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the ninth for Tanner Beltowski (Westmont College), who drew a walk to win the game.

WATCH GAMES HERE

Along with Rusch, Ben Hewitt (Ottawa) and Tyler Patrick (Fresno State) pitched out of the bullpen for Victoria.

It’s all smiles as the HarbourCats sit atop the North Division second half standings with a 10-2 record (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

The HarbourCats are back in action on this $12 Tuesday against the SIBL All-Stars! The WCL All-Star game is Wednesday, July 16. Five HarbourCats are on the North Division team. You can watch the game on MLB.com.

10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are on sale for all home games and “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ new and one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

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).

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Two tough innings stop four-game flight for NightOwls

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After this series, the WCL gets into non-league games and the all-star break — the WCL all-star game goes Wednesday night in Bellingham, with the NightOwls facing the local Nanaimo Selects on Tuesday and Thursday nights, always exciting games of interest with all the former college players from the area getting to share the field with the top current collegiate guys on the NightOwls roster. The Tuesday and Thursday night games are both 6:35pm starts.

 

The NightOwls will be in Wenatchee next weekend, July 18-20, then return home to welcome the Corvallis Knights to Nanaimo for the first time, July 22-24 — all 6:35pm games, a Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday set.

 

The NightOwls have just seven regular season home games remaining, including the Sunday/tomorrow game with Wenatchee.

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