Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats add seven to 2023 roster, including five pitchers and three locals

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

A 2022 WCL Pitcher of the Week winner, returning HarbourCat Cooper Crompton (above) highlights the latest round of 2023 player announcements

February 28, 2023

For Immediate Release

VICTORIA, B.C. — Top arms from TCU, a pro prospect catcher from George Mason and three local players highlight the latest round of signings for the 2023 season of Victoria HarbourCats baseball.

“We always value securing local and Canadian players where they fit with their stage of development and the quality competition in the West Coast League,” said General Manager Christian Stewart. “Our fans also like seeing players return, and that’s the case in these latest signings with Cooper Crompton, Noah Takacs and Dawson Hurford. I know the coaching staff is excited to see Connor Dykstra and Tyrus Hall, and the TCU guys coming north for the summer are premium arms.”

Announced today are:

Tyrus Hall, IF, school undecided, 6-2/190, Victoria, B.C.
Connor Dykstra, C, George Mason University, 6-1/230, Chilliwack, B.C.
Cooper Crompton, RHP, Iowa Western (committed to Oregon), 6-5/180, Langley, B.C.
Kole Klecker, RHP, Texas Christian University (TCU), 6-2/205, Chandler, AZ
Louis Rodriguez, RHP, Texas Christian University (TCU), 6-1/205, Long Beach, CA
Noah Takacs, RHP, Sacramento State, 6-3/200, Victoria, B.C.
Dawson Hurford, RHP, Southern Arkansas, 6-3/210, Victoria, B.C.

Hall is a Canadian national junior team product who played for the Victoria Eagles, and is known for his defence and strong arm. He is taking a gap year after high school and going to showcase events while working through his recruitment process, and will decide on a college program soon. Has primarily played as a shortstop.

Former Victoria Eagle and Canadian JNP product Ty Hall will give the ‘Cats some great talent in the middle infield

Dykstra, a big man at 6-1/230, found his name on the list of the top 50 NCAA Division 1 catchers due to his strong work behind the plate and his lethal right-hand bat. In 2022, he hit .444 with six home runs and 33 RBIs while also swiping four bases in the Atlantic10 Conference. Dykstra also got hit by pitch 21 times in 51 games played. He jumped to George Mason from Galveston College.

Dykstra will be a solid presence behind the plate this season

Crompton, currently in his second year at Iowa Western, where he is already 2-0 on the season, made five starts for the HarbourCats in 2022, amassing 24.2 innings and giving up just 20 hits while walking only seven and earned a WCL Pitcher of the Week award for his efforts. He is committed to the Oregon Ducks in the fall.

Victorian Noah Takacs will return in 2023 to bolster the HarbourCats pitching staff (Photo: Christian J Stewart)

Rodriguez was a USA Baseball national team participant from the time he was 12, and was Orange County pitcher of the year as a senior in high school. He’s 1-0 with a 3.37 ERA as a TCU freshman. Kole Klecker — already makes the WCL’s all-name team — threw a complete game to help his high school win the Arizona state championship. Is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 11 strikeouts (and no walks) in 8.1 innings already as a freshman at TCU.

Louis Rodriguez has been a member of Team USA since the age of 12 and won in his debut this spring with TCU.

Takacs, a product of the Victoria Eagles, is a sophomore at Sacramento State, was 1-1 with a 5.01 ERA for the HarbourCats in six starts in 2022. He’s now thrown more than 80 innings for Sac State, and is 3-3 over 16 starts.

Hurford, a Victoria Mariners product, threw in six games as a HarbourCat in 2022, with a record of 0-1 and 6.46 ERA. He’s moved from Western Nebraska College to NCAA Division-2 University of Southern Arkansas, where he is used out of the bullpen.

Already 2-0 in his freshman year at TCU, Kole Klecker should be a key arm in the HarbourCats bullpen in 2023.

The HarbourCats celebrate their 10th Anniversary in 2023 and the season kicks off with the home opener against the Kamloops NorthPaws on Friday June 2, 2023. Single game tickets for that game and all 31 HarbourCats home games in 2023 are now on sale and can be purchased on-line through our one-and-only ticketing partner, Select Your Tickets, at harbourcats.com/tickets. They can also be purchased at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, or at the Select Your Tickets box office at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. Fans can also call 778-265-0327 to order over the phone.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale. For details on all ticketing options, including our special $10.00 Tuesdays, Forces Fridays and Save-on-Food Vouchers, please visit harbourcats.com/ticketinfo.

HOST FAMILIES! The HarbourCats are in need of host families for 2023! If you are interested, you can find more details HERE, or contact Cindy Kent, our Host Family Coordinator by e-mail at hostfamily@harbourcats.com.

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Summer Collegiate

No quit in NightOwls, drop tight game in Kamloops

Published

17 hours ago

July 26, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Fresh off a huge 3-2 extra-innings win at home over the Corvallis Knights, the road-tested Nanaimo NightOwls refused to go easily in the start of a six-game road trip.

The NightOwls scored three times in the ninth and had the potential winning run at the plate in a 9-7 setback at the hands of the host Kamloops NorthPaws at Norbrock Stadium.

Some stats details are unavailable due to a league-wide scoring system issue, but the NightOwls scored in the first inning, and built a 4-1 lead into the latter stages when Kamloops stormed back with eight consecutive runs spread over three innings.

The NightOwls threatened, and scored, in the ninth, but fell just short — they will still look to win the series with games Saturday evening and Sunday at noon. The team will venture home on Sunday, then on Tuesday head to Edmonton to face the Riverhawks for games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

There are just three more regular season home games for the NightOwls in 2025, a weekend series against Kamloops that starts a week from Friday (August 1-2-3), with the Friday and Saturday games at 6:35pm and the Sunday capper at 1pm. The NightOwls complete their fourth WCL regular season with a road series in Bellingham, August 4-5-6.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Nahaku’s big night powers Cats to win

Published

18 hours ago

July 26, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

Garrett Brooks reached base three times tonight (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

July 25, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats returned to West Coast League action Friday night, beating the Wenatchee AppleSox 10-4.

Kamana Nahaku (Hawaii) got the home team on the board first with a sacrifice fly in the first inning to make it 1-0.

Adam Haight tied things up with a solo home run in the top of the third inning to level things at one.

Jack Johnson (Baylor) restored Victoria’s advantage in the bottom of the fourth with a great piece of situational hitting, driving in the run with a sacrifice fly to centre. Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-1 before Nahaku cleared the bases with a grand slam to left field to blow the game wide open, extending the lead to 7-1. It was the left fielder’s first long ball of the campaign after he hit four for the Cats last season.

Shea Lake has recorded the win in back-to-back starts (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) started for the HarbourCats and has been lights out in recent weeks, producing five shutout innings in back-to-back games. He came close to matching that tonight but was still dominant, going five innings, giving up just one run, and striking out three.

WCL STANDINGS

Ryne Palmer (Cal Baptist) pitched two innings of relief, with the only mark against him being a two-out RBI single by Theo Kim in the sixth inning.

Nahaku drove in his sixth run of the game with a double in the sixth, which gave his team an 8-2 lead.

Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) hit his second home run of the season in the seventh inning to push the lead to 10-2.

WATCH GAMES HERE

The Sox were able to score two runs late against Carson Burks (Hill College), who pitched the final two innings for the HarbourCats, but it was too little too late as the lefty closed it out for the 10-4 win.

Jack Johnson has reached base in all but one game this season (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

This win keeps the HarbourCats top of the North Division second-half standings and puts the AppleSox four games back in fourth place.

VOUCHER REMINDER: The Victoria HarbourCats only have 9 home games remaining this season so don’t forget to redeem your vouchers. You can do so at harbourcats.com/tickets, and if you have any questions or need help exchanging your vouchers, call the HarbourCats office at (778) 265 0327.

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

BUY TICKETS HERE

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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Summer Collegiate

NightOwls slide past Knights in extra inning thriller

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

NANAIMO, B.C. — Never better timing from Andrew Nykoluk.

The shortstop from Hawaii Pacific slapped a single into right centre with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday night gave the Nanaimo NightOwls a much-needed 3-2 victory over the visiting Corvallis Knights.

Nykoluk’s hit scored JJ Abner from second base, rescuing a win to cap the three-game series, the first-ever visit by the Knights to Nanaimo.

The result ends a Nanaimo losing streak as the team prepares for a road series this weekend against the Kamloops NorthPaws.

On Thursday, both teams scored twice in the seventh inning — nothing but zeroes on the board other than that until the NightOwls scored in the 10th.

Jacob Hayes (Azusa Pacific) was 1-1 with two walks for Nanaimo, Jayden Gabrillo (Hawaii Pacific) was clutch for Nanaimo in weathering a storm in the ninth and 10th innings, holding the score at 2-2. Aidan Boice gave up just two hits and no walks in six innings, striking out five in a stellar start that Nanaimo sorely needed after dropping the first two games of the series.

Nanaimo pitchers limited the Corvallis bats to just five hits.

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