Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats | HarbourCats Optimistically Preparing for 2021 Season

Published

5 years ago

February 11, 2021

Dugout Wire Service

An open letter to our wonderful fans

from Jim Swanson, GM/Managing Partner

February 3, 2021

Dear Loyal Fans:

We will come out of this, folks. And when we do, the Victoria HarbourCats will be stronger than ever.

Bet your bippy every single person with the HarbourCats organization believes that, and is ready for it.

Covid (hate the c-word) has taken a strip off so many. It’s done it to us. It’s brought entire industries to their knees. Covid hates baseball, hates sports, apparently. But baseball, and your HarbourCats, are stronger than that.

Bank on this — when we’re told we can play, we’ll be READY. Our sister franchise in Nanaimo will be ready, too. Doesn’t matter if we find out on May 15, or May 30, we’ll be good to go. The work is being done, and we’re ready to lose these chains and get back to community, to entertainment, to baseball.

To that end, as you may have seen, we’ve hired another MLB-veteran for our coaching staff, we are starting to re-ticket customers who held 2020 tickets (stay tuned for more important news on this), we are ramping up contact with our sponsors and we are touching base with players and host families, all in the anticipation and hope of playing in June of 2021.

Time is on our side, like it sadly isn’t for other sports. Hard not to see a scenario where our other great local sports partners (hello, Royals and Grizzlies), who do so much in the community, have their winter wiped out — like our summer was in a dreadful 2020. We hope they come back, but it looks bleak.

We think the HarbourCats (and Shamrocks, too!) have a chance to lead the community’s cheering of a return to normal. Of enough people getting jabbed in the arm at (hopefully) round-the-clock drive-through vaccination sites that we can safely enjoy an outdoor sporting event. A concert. A gathering in the inner harbour.

Imagine how good that first hotdog will taste. That first HarbourCats Ballpark Blonde ale, that first sip.

What we promise is this — to all our partners, to all our fans, who have supported us through this, all your patience will never be forgotten. It’ll be revered, and will take up a chapter in the book someday. Tickets purchased, or sponsorships paid for and rolled ahead — we WILL ensure that value is still there — and then some. NO RISK and ALL REWARD to you, our faithful fans and sponsors.

Thank you — keep wearing those HarbourCats t-shirts and hoodies and caps as proudly as ever, so we can get back to the life we love on Vancouver Island.

The HarbourCats will be back. The Nanaimo NightOwls will get started. Baseball will return, and it’ll light up the city’s Stadium District again, with home runs, and kids smiling, and the familiar Coho horn sounding clearly from the harbour, like we just scored another run. The fireworks will be even that much better.

See you at the park soon!

Jim Swanson

+++++++++

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR HARBOURCATS

Season Tickets and 10-Game Flex Packs Now Available! (NOTE: Single game tickets will go on-sale in early 2021)

If you are able, or if you know friends and colleagues who are able, please consider any of the following:

2021 Season tickets — the best way to help, one that guarantees you seats to all our games (usually 35 per year or so) plus other season ticket holder perks. Contact chris@harbourcats.com for details. SEASON TICKET PROMOTION NOW ON! Get a free Prince of Whales whale watching pass (145.00 value) with every season ticket purchase! Plus other great perks! Details HERE!

10-Game Flex Packs / Vouchers — Don’t want to commit, or can’t commit to season tickets? Consider 10-game flex packs – anytime vouchers that can be used in any combination…10 tickets at one game, 1 ticket at 10 games or anything in between. Season ticket voucher equivalents (35 vouchers) are also available. Flex Packs can be purchased at the office and are also available on-line at: https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/products/10-game-flex-pack-general-admission

Corporate Partnerships – Want to put your company name or brand in front of our 100,000 fans every season? Or know someone who does? Consider joining us as a partner. From a simple program ad, to the most complex of game day sponsorship, complete with signage and tickets, we will customize any campaign to suit your needs and budget. And with our new HCATS.TV platform and our ownership group’s expansion of a new team in Nanaimo in 2021, the opportunities are now Island wide! Contact john@harbourcats.com for details.

Fundraising / 50-50 – Have an organization that needs to raise funds now? A $1000 investment buys you 100 anytime 2021 game vouchers for our Premium Reserved seats that you can then turn around and sell for $20 each, earning you your investment back, plus another $1000 in return. We will then hold a 50-50 date for you in 2021 and you can bring your group to the park to sell that game, taking home 50% of the proceeds. Contact chris@harbourcats.com for details.

Merchandise – Consider a HarbourCats merchandise purchase from our store at 1814 Vancouver Street, or from our on-line store, The Cat Shop, at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/ New items, including 2020 game caps and player’s gear are arriving weekly and we need to clear them out!

OFFICE HOURS

For January and February, we are officially open Tuesday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm. We are often in and out of office during off-season, so best to call 778-265-0327 before venturing over to make sure. Closed Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.

For up to date details on the HarbourCats and the 2021 West Coast League season, stay tuned to the HarbourCats web site at https://www.harbourcats.com and join the HarbourCats Facebook Fan Community Group page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/harbourcats

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Vancouver Island Brewing Named Official Craft Beer Partner of the Victoria HarbourCats

Published

1 week ago

March 18, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

New partnership brings classic Vancouver Island craft beer to Wilson’s Group Stadium Royal Athletic Park, celebrating the ultimate Islander summer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 18, 2026

VICTORIA, B.C. — Vancouver Island Brewing (VIB) and the Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Club today announced a new long-term partnership that will bring Vancouver Island Brewing to Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park starting at the Home Opener on June 2, 2026. As part of the agreement, Vancouver Island Brewing is now the Official Craft Beer Partner of the Victoria HarbourCats.

At the heart of the partnership is Islander Lager, VIB’s crisp, easy-drinking lager made for laid-back summer adventures, now set to become a game-day staple at Royal Athletic Park. Fans will also find selections from Vancouver Island Brewing’s core lineup on offer throughout the season, along with the new Islander Fan Zone space, creating even more ways to enjoy the best of the Island at the ballpark.

“Vancouver Island summers are all about community, sunshine, and something cold in your hand,” said Ana Wagner-Chazalon, Marketing Manager at Vancouver Island Brewing. “The HarbourCats are one of those classic summer experiences in Victoria, and we’re proud to partner with them to make local craft beer part of the game-day ritual.”

“We’re always looking for partners who share our love for this community and everything that makes Victoria summers so special,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the Victoria HarbourCats. “Vancouver Island Brewing is as Island as it gets, and having a local craft beer in the hands of our fans on a warm evening at the ballpark just feels right. We can’t wait for Opening Night.”

The Vancouver Island Brewing and HarbourCats partnership is designed to feel local in the best way: familiar, fun, and undeniably Island. The partnership will extend beyond the ballpark, with collaborative programming and storytelling planned throughout the 2026 season. Additional details, including about the new in-park Islander FanZone experience, will be shared closer to the Home Opener on June 2.

About Vancouver Island Brewing
Vancouver Island Brewing has been crafting beer on the Island since 1984, rooted in the community and landscapes that inspire every pour. Vancouver Island Brewing makes award-winning beers, from classic lagers to innovative ales, using quality ingredients and traditional brewing methods inspired by the island it calls home. Learn more at vibrewing.com.

About the Victoria HarbourCats
The Victoria HarbourCats are a member of the West Coast League, a summer collegiate baseball league featuring top NCAA talent from across North America. The HarbourCats play their home games at historic Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C. Learn more at www.harbourcats.com

Media Contacts:
Ana Wagner-Chazalon, Marketing Manager Vancouver Island Brewing ana@vibrewingcom | 250-216-0701
Jim Swanson, Managing Partner Victoria HarbourCats jim@harbourcats.com | 250-889-5204

Tickets for all 2026 HarbourCats games, as well as the 2026 All-Star Game and Home Run Derby July 14-15, Season Tickets and Flex-Packs are now on sale at harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street just around the corner from the stadium.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – New Era Canada, Rawlings, Adidas join with WCL All-Star Game

Published

1 week ago

March 18, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

March 17, 2026

VICTORIA, BC — The best caps, and the best gear, from the best baseball brands.

The organizing committee of the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game is proud to announce the involvement of strategic baseball-brand partners in producing a memorable event, with the WCL All-Star Game Festival slated for July 14-15 in Victoria.

The game itself will be played on Wednesday, July 15, at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park, home of the Victoria HarbourCats.

New Era Canada will be providing a special selection of WCL All-Star Game caps, and fan wear, while Rawlings will produce the official player/coach gear along with fan garments. Adidas is providing backpacks for all the coaches and the players who are selected to participate in this spectacular event, that will include community activations, kids camps, off-site socials, and a home run derby (on Tuesday, July 14).

“Everyone involved will love the items that will showcase the branding for this event, and we thank these partners for coming on board,” said Adrian Somers, VP of Business and Operations for the HarbourCats, and a member of the event steering committee. “These brands are synonymous with baseball, and the look and feel of these items will be at that all-star level.”

The All-Star Festival begins the morning of July 14, 2026 with a kids camp and wiffle ball scrub game on the lawn of the BC Legislature, followed by a Home Run Derby at Wilson’s Group Stadium that evening. The actual All-Star game takes place on Wednesday evening July 15th at 7:00 pm.

Ticket packages are now on sale for the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game and are available on-line HERE, or by stopping in at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street to order in person.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Choo Signs with NightOwls – Son of MLB All-Star!

Published

2 weeks ago

March 12, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Alan Choo has seen a lot of home runs in his life — hundreds from his father, and now a healthy number off his own bat in college.

The son of former MLB all-star outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, a Korean product who hit 218 long balls in his 16-season career, Alan himself has now established himself as a power hitter in the college ranks.

Choo, currently at Orange Coast College, is tied for third in home runs in the CCCAA with nine, including two in a game on Tuesday. He is a legitimate draft prospect for this coming July!!

“I’m so pumped to play for the NightOwls,” said Alan Choo, who turns 21 at the end of this week. “I’ve only heard great things about the organization and coaching staff and the players’ futures that go through the NightOwls. I’m super excited for the summer!”

Choo, a lefty hitter who plays first base and DH, is close friends with returning catcher Clark Springs, who is in D1 baseball at UT-Arlington. Choo, who was born in Phoenix Arizona, is a sophomore and checks in at 6’1” and 225 lbs.

“This is a big signing for us, adding a feared lefty power bat to hit in the middle of the order with returning all-stars Jacob Hayes and Talan Zenk,” said Head Coach Cody Andreychuk. “We will have big bats and depth on our roster, and we think Alan will be a leader for us so we can bring a championship to Nanaimo.”

Choo the senior was an outstanding Major League hitter, starting his big league time as a Seattle Mariner in 2005, then moving on to Cleveland, Cincinnati and Texas, where he played his final season in 2020. He received MVP votes in 2010 and 2013 and went to the all-star game in 2018, representing the Rangers. In seven of his seasons, he hit 20 or more home runs. He also stole 157 bases in his career, with three 20-20 seasons.

Shin-Soo Choo is still involved in the game after retirement, now as a scout.

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