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Victoria HarbourCats | Golden Tide collegiate baseball team announces first signees

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4 years ago

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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.”

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – KidSport celebrating notable anniversary with HarbourCats in 2025

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2 hours ago

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March 18, 2025

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March 18, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — Count ’em, 25 years of helping youth enjoy sports.

KidSport Greater Victoria is teaming up with the Victoria HarbourCats to celebrate an amazing 25 years of assisting kids in the pursuit of both participation and excellence in local sports, with planned events this summer at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.

And, not the least of which is the June 19 KidSport Greater Victoria School Spirit Game, a Thursday matchup starting at 11am featuring the HarbourCats and island rival Nanaimo NightOwls, with many schools all but emptying to take in the action and helping celebrate this tremendous achievement for KidSport Greater Victoria.

“We can’t think of a better community organization to have involved with this, the KidSport School Spirit game,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the HarbourCats.

“This will be a season-long theme of celebration, of reminding our fans of the great work they do and have done for so long in Victoria. Each and every game, people will have an opportunity to show their support for KidSport Greater Victoria, including a few special events outside this School Spirit Game.”

This will be the second Thursday game in a row in the HarbourCats home schedule in 2025 which will be dedicated to kids — on June 12, the Mayfair Optometric School Spirit Game will take place, also an 11am start featuring the HarbourCats and NightOwls. KidSport Greater Victoria and Mayfair Optometric Clinic are aligned with community values and supporting youth, making this an ideal match to welcome a combined total of more than 5,000 school kids to the park.

“We are so grateful for the past and ongoing support the HarbourCats have offered KidSport, and very excited about the various ways our organizations will work together this year,” said Jill Shaw, Executive Director of KidSport Greater Victoria. “Demand for our support is at an all-time high. We are seeing more families than ever coming to us in need of help so their children can access organized sport. The HarbourCats June 19th School Spirit Game is a great opportunity both to raise awareness about the work we do, and to offer local kids great access to another fun and rewarding local sport experience – we are very happy to be involved!”

KidSport Greater Victoria will also be front and centre on Harvey’s Birthday Game on July 11 at Wilson’s Group Stadium, and will be involved in other special games that are still to be announced.

Supporting KidSport will be a constant theme of the HarbourCats in this 2025 West Coast League season. The HarbourCats encourage all who can to contribute to this great cause, which you can action by clicking this link (https://www.kidsportvictoria25.ca/).

KidSport Greater Victoria has seen tremendous growth over the last 25 years, with demand for their support increasing very steeply starting in 2023 in particular. KidSport Greater Victoria exists to help ensure all kids have opportunity to play; annually they cover the registration fees for well over 1400 local kids living in financial need, enabling them to take part in seasons of sport of their choice – including baseball! As the largest KidSport chapter in the province, we know that on just about every sports team in the region, there are children playing who are able to take part thanks to KidSport and the supporters and donors who make their work possible.

To order tickets as a school group for the June 19 KidSport Greater Victoria School Spirit Game, or the June 12 Mayfair Optometric Clinic School Spirit Game, contact GM Christian Stewart, chris@harbourcats.com — some seats are left, but not many!

For fans looking for tickets for these exciting games, and any other HarbourCats game in 2025, visit the HarbourCats ticketing site HERE.

 

 

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Star Vegas catcher, Hawaii Pacific players added to summer roster

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6 days ago

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March 12, 2025

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Unveiled today for Coach Andreychuk’s roster in 2025:

C Anthony Marnell IV, S/R, College of Southern Nevada (and Oregon State), 6-2/200, Las Vegas

RHP Zach Horwith, R/R, 6-1/200, Bellarmine University, Castle Rock, CO

RHP Brennan Kettle, R/R, 6-0/155, Hawaii Pacific, Houston, TX

SS Andrew Nykoluk, R/R, 5-10/165, Hawaii Pacific, Simi Valley, CA

RHP Jayden Gabrillo, L/R, Hawaii Pacific, 5-8/165, Ewa Beach, HI

OF Owen Wessel, R/R, 5-8/165, Hawaii Pacific, Huntington Beach, CA

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Peninsula Co-op partners to bring community events to HarbourCats games

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2 weeks ago

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March 6, 2025

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For Immediate Release

March 6, 2025 

VICTORIA, B.C. –– There are few groups more community-minded on Vancouver Island than Peninsula Co-op — their involvement with the Victoria HarbourCats and specific events confirms that yet again.

Thanks to Peninsula Co-op, athletes from Special Olympics and Challenger Baseball will take to the field at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park this summer, in what has become a pair of annual events that warm the hearts of fans and bring big smiles to the faces of all the competitors.

“This is something we have worked together with Peninsula Co-op on for more than a decade and these are special nights that have heart-warming moments you can’t manufacture,” said Jim Swanson of the HarbourCats.

“I think the Special Olympics athletes look forward more to this game with our HarbourCats guys than they do to provincials or major tournaments they attend. And with Challenger Baseball, this game shows all the fans how fun it is to be on the field, getting around the bases or swinging at that pitch down the middle.”

“Peninsula Co-op is excited to continue our long-standing partnership with the HarbourCats and to bring these community-inclusive and engaging events to life,” said Lindsay Gaudette, Director of Member and Community Engagement with Peninsula Co-op.

“The dedication, joy, and spirit of these athletes remind us of the power of community, teamwork, and inclusion. We look forward to another summer of unforgettable moments on the field.”

The big dates:

*Challenger Baseball, Tuesday, July 15, 5:30pm (before the 6:35pm HarbourCats game)

*Special Olympics, Wednesday, July 23, 5:30pm (before the 6:35pm HarbourCats game)

Peninsula Co-op members also get $2.00 discounts for HarbourCats tickets (at the office in advance, or at box-office on game days), and Peninsula Co-op also makes it possible for kids to come free for an entire series, the July 25-26-27 three-game set with the Wenatchee AppleSox in Victoria to play the HarbourCats.

For more information, see the HarbourCats website at harbourcats.com — tickets, promotions, partners, merchandise, and more.

 

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