Connect with us

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats leading the way in mental wellness for players, coaches, staff

Published

on

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15th, 2023

VICTORIA, B.C. — Recognizing the importance of mental wellness in the workplace, at home, and in play, the Victoria HarbourCats have partnered with Coastality, a Victoria-based team of highly-trained mental wellness professionals, to assist everyone and anyone in their organization in all aspects of their own mental wellness, relationships, careers, education, and daily lives.

As part of their internal commitment to the health and wellbeing of the organization, their investment sees these services being provided confidentially and free-of-charge to the team.

“These types of initiatives are what make our club special, and we’re excited to double down on nurturing our greatest assets – our people – both on and off the field,” said Christian Stewart, General Manager of the HarbourCats. “In this day and age, particularly in sports, we need to take an active role in helping to maintain both the physical and mental wellness of our team”.

On the heels of the launch of MLB’s social responsibility platform ‘MLB Together’, a component of which is a mental health and wellness program aiming to create public awareness and reduce stigma around the conversation of mental health, the timing couldn’t be better.

“We applaud the HarbourCats for leaning in to this so enthusiastically and genuinely seeing the value, both short and long term, in offering these types of services as an extension of their own organization,” said Leanne Toews, Owner of Coastality and Registered Clinical Counsellor. “Having offered these types of programs in other industries, it is great to see it being taken on in the sports realm as well”.

In addition to the free counselling services for players, coaches and staff, the HarbourCats are also doing a special, “Coastality Check-In” ahead of each game, that will see three HarbourCats players making their way through the crowd and “Checking-In” with fans, and signing and giving away special “Coastality” branded. baseball-themed stress balls.  “It’s a way for our fans, in our short season, to get to know some of our players,” added Stewart,  “and for our players to make sure our fans are enjoying the game and that we are making our 10th Anniversary season a special one for all.”

Coastality is an integrated, multi-disciplinary team of mental wellness professionals offering virtual and in-person sessions for children, youth, adults, couples and families. Their accessible offices are located in Downtown Victoria and clinicians can offer service virtually across British Columbia.

For more information, visit the Coastality website at www.coastality.ca or the website or social media platforms of the HarbourCats.

The HarbourCats continue their 10th Anniversary season tomorrow, Friday, at 6:35pm as the Yakima Valley Pippins come to town for the start of  a three-game set.  Tickets for that series and the remainder of the 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 still available.  For details on all ticketing options, including our special $10.00 Tuesdays, Forces Fridays and Save-on-Food Vouchers, please visit harbourcats.com/ticketinfo.

Source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Lefties take game one in resounding fashion

Published

on

Logan Shepherd celebrates his first home run of the season (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

June 6, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Port Angeles Lefties won their second straight game, spoiling the party on the Victoria HarbourCats home opener, cruising to a 9-3 win.

The HarbourCats got off to a great start when Logan Shepherd (Tacoma CC) hit a 109 MPH laser over the left field wall for a two-run home run, giving his team an early 2-0 lead. The designated hitter went two for four tonight, adding a single in the eighth.

Jack Finn (Illinois State) started for the hosts and looked good through his first two innings of work. The Victoria native added velocity to his fastball, sitting high 80’s and touching 90 MPH tonight. That is up from last season, where he pitched 25 innings for the Cats, posting a 3.96 ERA. Finn struck out four, walked three, and gave up two earned runs on four hits in 2-2/3 innings of work.

BOX SCORE

Eric Valdiva tied the game in the third inning with a two-out, two-run double to deep left-centre field. He came home after a Jack Johnson throwing error allowed him to score, giving the Lefties a 3-2 lead.

Jake Cumming pitched four innings out of the bullpen for Port Angeles and was utterly dominant. He gave up zero runs on zero hits while striking out seven batters. His fastball sat mid-90s, which he paired with a wipeout slider that the HarbourCats hitters had no answer for.

Xander McAfee has four hits in his first four games (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

BUY TICKETS HERE

Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) ate up meaningful innings out of the bullpen and was efficient in doing so. He threw 4-1/3 innings in just 50 pitches, loading up the zone using his entire repertoire. The freshman gave up two runs on five hits.

Jalen Sami (Golden Tide) pitched the eighth inning, giving up two runs on two hits while striking out one. John Ondus (Niagara) pitched the ninth and didn’t fare much better, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three.

Jack Johnson (Baylor) continued his hot start to the season, crushing a hanging breaking ball over the left field fence for a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth.

WCL STANDINGS

Debutant Connor Ross (Cal Baptist) played third base and recorded his first HarbourCats hit, going one for four.

The two teams are back at it tomorrow at 6:35 PM for the first of four FIREWORKS nights! Gates open early at 5:00 PM. Get tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets

Missed the game? Catch HarbourCats in 30 airing at 10:30 PM after every home game all season long on CHEK TV.

Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and four “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.

Source

Continue Reading

Summer Collegiate

A wild first inning proves to be enough as the NorthPaws avoid the sweep in Bellingham

Published

on

The Kamloops NorthPaws avoided the sweep in Bellingham and defeated the Bells 6-2 on Thursday night. The NorthPaws scored all six of their runs in the first inning and held the fort down, shutting down the Bell’s offence and only giving up five hits.

Bellingham would turn to highly touted South Dakota right-handed pitcher Jackson Dial, who will be attending Washington State in the fall. The first NorthPaw he faced was center fielder Ethan Kodama, who saw three straight balls before getting hit by the next pitch. Dial would strikeout left fielder Cade Palkowski, walk third baseman Kieran Gaffney, strikeout right fielder Kalen Applefield and hit catcher Brendan Burke, loading the bases with two outs.

With first baseman Joe Gagnon at the plate, Dial would throw a wild pitch, allowing Kodama to score the first run of the game. Gagnon would later draw a walk, reloading the bases. Second baseman Joey Marino was next up, and Dial would plunk him, bringing in another run.

The nightmare wasn’t over yet for Dial as he issued his third walk of the inning to shortstop Anthony Setticassi. Designated hitter Dylan Dekker was making his debut at the plate and sent a line drive down the first base line, driving in two runs and making it 5-0.

Dial was pulled after only two-thirds of an inning. Kodama was back at bat with Dekker on first and Setticassi on third. Before Kodama saw a pitch, Dekker took off for second while Setticassi ran home. Dekker sacrificed himself, ending the inning but allowing the sixth run to score.

Kamloops sent out righty Owen Fernandes on the mound to make his second start of the season. The Bells would get a run back via a sacrifice fly at the bottom of the first. In the third, a leadoff triple set up the Bells to capitalize on yet another sacrifice fly to make it a four-run ballgame.

Fernandes would throw four strong innings, giving up only one earned run while striking out two batters. Righty Jayson Tamayo was the first call out of the bullpen and walked the first to hitters he faced. A flyout and an infield hit loaded the bases with one out as the Bells were all of a sudden within striking distance. Tamayo got a clutch strikeout and a groundout to leave the bases loaded and preserve the four-run lead.

“If they convert there, it’s a different game. He made big pitches when he had to, and that definitely helped us lock up the game,” said Pitching Coach Jack Slominski.

Rightys Daxton Vanderkooi, Lukas Dykstra and Cade Webber each came into the game and pitched clean innings giving up three combined hits all while not walking a single batter. Webber struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, securing the win.

In game two, the NorthPaws scored first, but mistakes on the mound cost them; tonight, the NorthPaws flipped the script on the Bells.

“The last two nights, we were behind the eight ball for most of the game, so it was nice to get a big lead early; I think it helped everyone settle down,” said Head Coach Reily Jepson.

The six-game road trip is over, and with the win, the NorthPaws head back to Kamloops with a 4-2 record.

“It’s been a tough stretch playing six games on the road in two separate trips, but it will be nice to get back home and play in front of our fans,” said Jepson.

Next up for the NorthPaws, a weekend home-and-home series against the Kelowna Falcons, with games at Norbrock Stadium on Friday night and Sunday afternoon.

 

Source

Continue Reading

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Riverhawks complete sweep of Cats with 7-1 win

Published

on

June 5, 2025

For immediate release

EDMONTON, A.B. – The Edmonton Riverhawks remain perfect on the season, winning their third straight and sweeping the HarbourCats with a 7-1 win Thursday night.

Robert Sanford (Paris JC) started for the Cats and was solid early until he ran into trouble in the third inning. A pair of two-out walks and a single loaded the bases, signalling the end of the sophomore’s night. Dustin Davidson (Brookhaven) was given the task of getting out of the jam but failed to do so, throwing a wild pitch allowing a run to score, then surrendering a three-run home run to Jason Green to give the hosts a 4-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

Oliver Mabee (Nebraska Omaha) made his Cats debut pitching the fifth, however, it was not a debut to remember as he gave up a towering two-run double to the returning Trent Lenihan to extend the Hawks’ advantage to 6-0.

The visitors had a chance to cut into the deficit in the seventh inning by loading the bases, however, they could only tack on one run through a Bobby Filler Jr. (Niagara) bases-loaded walk.

WCL STANDINGS

Dillon Dibrell (Central Oklahoma) pitched a scoreless sixth inning, striking out one batter, and Ethan McNish-Heider (Niagara) completed the final two innings, giving up one run on zero hits, walking four, and striking out three. 

Victoria was held to just three hits tonight and was outscored 29-5 in total over the three-game series. They will need to hit their stride quickly as they welcome the Port Angeles Lefties to Victoria for a three-game set.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Tomorrow is the HarbourCats’ home opener! First pitch is at 6:35 PM against the Port Angeles Lefties. Saturday, June 7th, is our first of four FIREWORKS nights of the season! Don’t miss out! Grab tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets.

WATCH HOME GAMES HERE

Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and four “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.

Source

Continue Reading

Trending