Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats | Golden Tide collegiate baseball team announces first signees

Published

5 years ago

May 17, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria’s Jacob Popadynec (above) is one of the first players to be announced for the new Victoria Golden Tide CCBC collegiate program that will debut this coming fall.

For Immediate Release

Monday, May 17, 2021

Victoria, BC – The Victoria Golden Tide, the most recent entry in the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Conference (CCBC) is preparing for their debut in the 2021-2022 CCBC season and today is announcing the initial list of players that have committed to Head Coach Curtis Pelletier’s program and will begin working out in early September

Even in a time with a pandemic, and restrictions on activity and usual recruiting efforts, Coach Pelletier has been able to secure tremendous student-athletes to give the Golden Tide a strong start in the CCBC, a league that has been around for nearly 20 years.

These are the first five to be announced, with more players to be fully confirmed over the coming weeks.

Included in the first five to be made public is National Junior Team infielder Brody Alexandre of Swift Current, SK, along with Island products Tristan Bolger, Jacob Popadynec and Nick Lee, and Ethan Keates from Calgary.

“There has been a lot of interest in the program, from when we announced it last fall and made the commitment to join the other great programs in the CCBC,” said Pelletier, also an assistant coach with the Victoria HarbourCats, and the Director of Player Development for the HarbourCats Players Club youth programs.

“I’m very excited about every player who has shown interest, and those we’re announcing today will be key parts for us. We’ll focus on development in a strong team culture, these are athletes who are committed to taking this step and improving. Quality players will always find ways to bind together and challenge each other.”

Swift Current’s Brody Alexandre, a former Canadian Junior National team player will be a corner infielder for the Tide (Photo: SOUTHWEST BOOSTER FILE PHOTO)

Alexandre, a 6’2″ 175lb. infielder who plays the corner positions, has a lefty bat that has drawn the attention of scouts. He was a member of the Canadian Junior National Program in 2020 and also played for the Langley Blaze in the BC Premier Baseball League (BCPBL).

Keates at 5’9″ 180lb. brings CCBC experience to the Tide, a catcher/infielder who is transferring to school in Victoria from TRU in Kamloops.

Lee is a hard-throwing 6’2″ 175lb. right-hander from Victoria who played for Okanagan College in the CCBC. Prior to that he was a member of the Victoria Mariners in the BCPBL, where in 2017 he had a 1.23 ERA in 11.1 innings pitched, striking out 11 and walking just three.

The 5’11” 160lb. Popadynec, a projectable lefty from the Victoria Eagles PBL club, will provide a nice left-handed option on the hill for the Tide. With the Jr. Eagles in 2019, Popydynec amassed a 10-1 record, with a 1.76 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 67.2 innings of work.

Bolger, at 6’1″ 170lb., is a versatile fielder out of the Victoria Mariners PBL program and is an example of the strong initial local talent that will be on the field for the Golden Tide in their first season.

The Canadian college baseball conference, is an eight-team domestic league for university students that in addition to Victoria, has teams in Nanaimo (Vancouver Island University), Kelowna (Okanagan College), Kamloops (Thompson Rivers University), Chilliwack/Abbotsford (University of the Fraser Valley), Calgary (University of Calgary), Lethbridge (Prairie Baseball Academy) and Edmonton (Edmonton Collegiate Baseball Club).

The league has suspended play for the 2020-2021 campaign due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but is anticipated to be back to a full season of play for 2021-2022 and the Golden Tide will be ready to compete for the CCBC title.

“We have worked tirelessly signing players from all over Canada,” added Golden Tide manager Curtis Pelletier. “Our first year will be primarily comprised of first year players (Freshmen) and although we are a young team, we are confident that this group of athletes will come in and compete right away.”

“We can’t wait to get into the park and begin this journey for a CCBC championship with our local supporters here in Victoria.”

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Take Home Series Win on School Spirit Day

Published

17 hours ago

June 5, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Local schools packed the park for game three of the homestand!

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats sent the School Spirit Day crowd home happy on Thursday afternoon, defeating the Edmonton Riverhawks 6-2 to clinch the series win.

The Cats got on the board early in this one thanks to a sizzling long ball off the bat of Matt Westley (George Mason) to lead off the second inning.

BOX SCORE

Right-hander Erik Rico (Fresno State) was utterly dominant through a four-inning start, allowing just one hit and racking up a septet of strikeouts over that span. Austin Lindsey (Hill College) took up the torch in the fifth inning, securing a quick three outs to preserve a 1-0 lead for Victoria.

The Cats put on a show in front of a crowd of 3,128 at Royal Athletic Park.

Victoria found another chance to score in the bottom of the sixth, with infielder Jax Heid (Southeast Oklahoma State) putting pressure on the Edmonton defence and bringing home a run to make it 2-0 for the HarbourCats. Dryden Fuoco (Hill College) wasted no time following up, rocking a line drive to left field and driving in two more.

The very next inning, Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) kicked the score and the energy up a couple notches. The Cats infielder utterly obliterated a baseball, ensuring same-day delivery to Pembroke Street on his second homer in as many days.

Hunter Daniels (Phoenix College) made a relief appearance in the eighth inning for the HarbourCats. The Arizona native allowed two runs, but a shutdown ninth inning from Asher Clark (Northern Colorado) cemented a 6-2 victory for the home team.

WCL STANDINGS

With a series win under their belts, the HarbourCats will take on the Kelowna Falcons for a weekend series, beginning Friday, June 5 at 6:35 pm.

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 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.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Comeback Bid Unsuccessful in Loss to Riverhawks

Published

2 days ago

June 4, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

The Cats were unable to claw their way back in game two of the homestand. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats hit the field for a skirmish with the Edmonton Riverhawks Wednesday evening, coming up short in a 13-11 loss.

HarbourCats starter Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) wrestled with command issues early on, hitting a batter and issuing two free passes to load the bases in the top of the first inning. Edmonton took advantage, driving a pair of doubles to take a 4-0 lead before Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State) entered the game from the bullpen to get the final out of the opening frame.

BOX SCORE

The Riverhawks stayed on the attack in the second inning, driving in two more runs on a screamer down the left field line to extend their lead to 6-0.

Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) showed up ready to slug. The shortstop notched two leadoff hits; a triple and a homer. (Photo by JPM Photography)

A second-inning leadoff triple from shortstop Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) sparked a Victoria comeback attempt. After Hewitt scored on an errant throw by the Riverhawks catcher, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rohne Klein (San Jose State) would bring in another run for the Cats, closing the gap to 6-2 in favour of Edmonton.

Edmonton answered right back in the top of the third, driving home a run that ended Houston Tomlinson’s outing. Tomlinson, an Arkansas State sophomore from Spring, Texas, pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Summoned from the pen was Landon Marchetti (San Jose State), who quickly secured two outs to head back to the dugout down 7-2.

Marchetti found himself in the midst of a tough spot in the top of the fourth, and a barely fair ball down the line in right field gave the Riverhawks a 9-2 lead.

Outfielder Kade Davis (UTSA) earned three walks in the loss. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The Cats struck back in the bottom of the fourth. Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) blasted a solo homer well beyond the left field wall, followed up by two more runs when the Edmonton infield decided to engage in a snowball fight. The inning came to an end with a sizeable dent in the Riverhawks’ lead, bringing the score to 9-5.

HarbourCats hurler Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) assumed control of the mound to begin the fifth inning, deftly tossing a much-needed zero on the board. Kratt returned for the sixth, surrendering a run to push the Hawks to double digits.

Victoria made things interesting two more runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth, but Edmonton’s three-run shot in the top of the eighth inning kept them in front for a 13-11 win.

WCL STANDINGS

The HarbourCats take the field at 11:05 am tomorrow for the first School Spirit Game of the season, and will host the Kelowna Falcons for a three-game series this weekend.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Home Opener Heroics Earn Cats 6-3 Win Over Riverhawks

Published

3 days ago

June 2, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

The Cats got hot in the middle innings to take a commanding lead. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats faced off against the visiting Edmonton Riverhawks tonight, claiming a decisive 6-3 victory in the first home game of the season.

The Riverhawks were the first to get on the board, scoring on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the second. Edmonton would strand three runners with a groundout to the shortstop shortly after, but not without claiming an early 1-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

The lead stood until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Marcus Nolen (Fresno State) brought in a pair of runs on a clutch two-out single to left field, pushing the home team in front by a score of 2-1.

David Krahn (UBC) was a mainstay on the bases tonight, going 3/5 with a pair of stolen bases and an RBI. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Cats starter Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) was relieved after four innings of work, in which he surrendered just one run on four hits. Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) took over from the bullpen and shut down the Riverhawks in a clean fifth inning.

Victoria added on to their lucrative fourth inning with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kade Davis (UTSA) drove in a run on a single, followed up by a 2-RBI knock from Dryden Fuoco (Hill College). The fun didn’t stop there, as Marcus Nolen stole two bases and came in to score on the third hit of the ballgame for David Krahn (UBC), giving the Cats a 6-1 lead.

Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) made an immediate impact in his first start of 2026, giving up just a single run. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Pierce Stone (Regis) opened up the seventh inning on the mound for the HarbourCats. The Austin, TX native gave up two runs before handing the ball over to Garen Geoghegan (Whitman), who left the bases loaded to escape the frame with a 6-3 lead. Geoghegan would return to start the eighth inning, swapping out for Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) from the bullpen. The Levin, New Zealand product tallied three quick outs in the eighth and powered through the ninth to nail down a 6-3 victory for the HarbourCats in the home opener.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats are back in action against the Riverhawks tomorrow at 6:35 pm and Thursday at 11:05 am, before hosting the Kelowna Falcons for a three-game series this weekend.

Source