Summer Collegiate

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

Published

3 months ago

June 15, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

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.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Two key returnees among three Canadians signed for 2024

Published

5 days ago

September 20, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

Green (above), Hall and former Canadian junior team star Chee-Aloy join Cats

September 20, 2023

VICTORIA, B.C. — The reloading of the 2023 North Division champion Victoria HarbourCats has started — not surprisingly, given the team’s history of finding local and Canadian talent — with three players who have maple leaf passports.

Returning infielders Brandon Green of the Victoria Golden Tide and Tyrus Hall of Bossier Parrish JC are joined by prized Illinois recruit Cameron Chee-Aloy of Toronto as the HarbourCats, who have posted just one sub-.500 record since 2014 and have made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, get ready for the 2024 campaign.

Hall, primarily a shortstop, is a Victoria product who came through the Eagles program, while Green, who can play any infield position, is in his third year with the Golden Tide, hailing from Olds, Alberta. Both played with the HarbourCats in 2023, part of the team that set a WCL record with 25 home wins in 27 home regular season games — 27-2 counting playoffs.

HarbourCats infielder Ty Hall will return to the HarbourCats in 2024 (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

“Ty Hall has tremendous potential and a pro-level arm, with blazing speed — and we saw so much improvement with him under WCL coach of the year Todd Haney,” said Jim Swanson of the HarbourCats. “He will get better yet in college and being back with us next summer. And Brandon, he was one of the great stories of our season, unceremoniously dumped before the season by a summer team in another league in Alberta and given a chance to stay in Victoria at the WCL level, and all he did was earn the trust of Todd and the staff. He had the summer of his life, and he’s not done.”

Green became the first product of the third year Golden Tide program to have a notable impact on the WCL club, part of the mandate of the CCBC entry.

In 24 games, Green had two doubles, two home runs and drove in 10 runs, batting .222 and earning stretches of time at second base, with just one error. Hall got into 26 games, his speed of great value off the bench, and hit .250 with 13 stolen bases — caught just once. Hall was a featured part of a league record 150 stolen bases as a team.

Chee-Aloy (pictured right), a product of the Ontario Terriers, is best described as a plus-speed outfielder who plays the game hard, getting the most out of his 6-0/180 pound frame. The right-handed hitter with a right fielder’s arm had two stints with Team Canada, where he was teammates with Hall.

“We are exited to add Cameron to the 2024 team,” said Head Coach Todd Haney. “His speed will be an asset both offensively and defensively.”

The HarbourCats 2024 schedule in anticipated to be released in late October or early November 2023. Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for news on that once it becomes available.

Season tickets are now on sale and can now be renewed for the 2024 season of HarbourCats baseball! Lock in and renew your existing seats, or purchase new seats by October 31, 2023 to guarantee Early Bird Pricing at the 2023 rates:

General Admission – $375 ($385 after October 31)
Premium Reserved (Sections 6-9 and 11-12) – $475 ($495 after October 31)
Grandstand Reserved (Section 10 Rows E and up) – $525 ($550 after October 31)
Campbell Real Estate Club Seats (Section 10 Rows A-D) – $675 ($700 after October 31)
Diamond Club Field Level – $750 (WAIT LIST – CALL FOR AVAILABILITY) ($775 after October 31)

Season tickets offer the best per-game value per seat and come with the following benefits:

Includes all regular season WCL league home games, and all pre-season and exhibition games
Incudes FREE PLAYOFF TICKETS
Season ticket holders get first right of refusal to purchase tickets for other special events (eg. concerts)
Season-ticket holders do not pay additional Fireworks Game pricing
Service fees and all taxes included in above prices

Please call the office at 778-265-0327 or e-mail chris@harbourcats.com to renew, or to purchase new seats.

You can also stop into the office to take care of this at 101-1814 Vancouver Street. We are open in the off-season Tuesday – Friday from 10AM to 5PM.

Cats merchandise is also on sale now at the office at The Cat Shop, or online at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/

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Summer Collegiate

2023 Fan Experience Survey – Kamloops NorthPaws

Published

6 days ago

September 18, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

Photo by: Allen Douglas

The Kamloops NorthPaws wanted to thank our fans for another great season at Norbrock Stadium – THANK YOU ‘PAWS FANS!!!

The organization is looking to fans to share their experiences in order to make improvements for 2024. Fans who choose to include their email will be entered into a draw for a 2024 10-game flex plan, the winner will be contacted on October 6, 2023. All anonymous users will not be entered into the draw. The NorthPaws thank you for your reviews and support of our team, we look forward to improving our operations and welcoming you back to the ballpark in 2024!

You can complete the form below:

https://forms.gle/YBfFHvp6eDyRuoUR6

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Summer Collegiate

Top player in 2023 returns for third season as a NightOwl

Published

2 weeks ago

September 12, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

Marsh the first NightOwls’ signing for 2024 WCL season

An original NightOwl is coming back for a third season at historic Serauxmen Stadium.

Infielder Aaron Marsh of the UBC Thunderbirds, who shared the 2023 player of the year award with keystone partner Elijah Ickes, will be the key offensive piece that Head Coach Greg Frady will build his lineup around in the summer of 2024.

The Nanaimo product, a former Pirate, has been the picture of consistency for the NightOwls for the team’s first two seasons in the West Coast League. In 2022, Marsh batted .309 and was among team leaders with 38 hits and 20 runs driven in, and followed that up in 2023 with 39 more hits, 24 RBIs, and batting .287 while playing both second and third. He hit two home runs both seasons.

“Aaron is a tough out, gives the team gritty at-bats and is so reliable on defence,” said Jim Swanson, GM of the NightOwls. “He brings so many intangibles to UBC and to the NightOwls, is a leader and you can tell he loves to play the game, and loves to play in front of our great crowds in Nanaimo, in front of people who watched him grow up in our city. He’s the ideal player to have as our first signing for the 2024 season.”

A left-handed hitter with extra-base power, a valuable asset with the exciting fence configuration at Serauxmen Stadium, the 5-10/185 Marsh has played 73 games as a NightOwl, so will be looking to become the first player to play in 100 games for Nanaimo’s young WCL franchise.

“Recruiting is very much underway, between myself and the coaching staff, looking to build a team that can get us to the playoffs and be the first Canadian team to win the WCL title,” said Swanson. “Our 2023 team played everyone hard, one game below .500 — and known for being scrappy and playing the game the right way, with the right approach of effort and sportsmanship. We are building future pro players here, we are also building young men who will be successful in whatever they advance to in life. Aaron is definitely one of those people.”

Season tickets are now on sale for the 2024 campaign — renewals and new fans, the best seats at the park available for as low as $400 for the season (roughly $12.50 per seat per game). Included in season tickets are gratis playoff tickets, with the NightOwls in the hunt for a post-season spot until the final week in both of the team’s initial seasons.

“If you haven’t yet made it to a game — you’re missing out on a great spot and a special energy that only Serauxmen creates,” said Swanson.

For information on season tickets, email tina@nanaimonightowls.com

Team merchandise is also in hot demand, find the shop site at nanaimonightowls.com for a variety of offerings from hats to hoodies to shirts and miscellaneous items.

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