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Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats to salute local legend Cliff Lequesne on July 17

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May 13, 2025

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VICTORIA, BC — His voice, is everywhere in Victoria, in terms of sports, the signature of his presence at games and events for more than 40 years.

The Victoria HarbourCats will salute local broadcasting legend Cliff Lequesne on July 17 — as he continues to go strong as the morning news and sports icon at The Q, while handling in-house “voice of God” duties for the Royals, Grizzlies and Shamrocks.

His legendary run started at CFAX in 1972, learning from the unforgettable Ken Dobson, and he moved to The Q in 1987. He’s handled sports duties with the Pan Am Games, Commonwealth Games, the historic fastball teams that once ruled RAP, and even the Victoria Cougars — no, not the ones that won the Stanley Cup in 1925 (how old was Cliff then?), but the WHL version including the legendary 1981 run to the Memorial Cup.

“Cliff really IS sports in Victoria in so many ways, a worthy inductee into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame this past fall,” said Jim Swanson, who oversees the HarbourCats and is also a member of the Hall of Fame board.

“He’s one of the most likeable guys in Victoria, and remembers details, maybe only Cleve Dheensaw of the Times Colonist is in his category for sports media in the city. A gentleman and we are proud to honour him.”

Cliff — and his famous Cliff’s Call — and battery mate Ed Bain can be heard mornings on The Q.

Lequesne will be on the mic for the Emery Electric Fastpitch Challenge on Saturday, May 31, helping recall events of the past and introduce some of the fastball legends of yesteryear before a doubleheader (4pm, 6pm) between the host Sooke Loggers and the Lacey A’s, the first return of fastball to Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP in decades. The games are possible because of Emery Electric and the support of the HarbourCats Foundation.

Tickets for the Emery Electric Fastpitch Challenge and the Cliff Lequesne Salute on July 17 are available at harbourcats.com/tickets.

The HarbourCats open their 2025 home schedule on Friday, June 6, with the Port Angeles Lefties visiting Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP. 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.

HOST FAMILIES NEEDED! The HarbourCats are in need to host families for the 2025 season! If you would love to host a collegiate level athlete for three months this summer and become an integral part of the HarbourCats family, please contact Host Family Coordinator Cindy Kent at hostfamily@harbourcats.com.  Compensation, grocery stipend and season tickets provided.  More details HERE

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – New coffee cart highlights impressive food truck lineup

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HarbourCats proud of summer food offerings, including new Aerobic Geisha Coffee (above)

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June 2, 2025

VICTORIA, B.C. — It’s the most impressive part of a Victoria HarbourCats game, and that’s saying something.

The way to the hearts of Victorians is through their stomachs and the expansive food truck offerings at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park has reached legendary status — with a fun new wrinkle in 2025.

Local coffee cart Aerobic Geisha Coffee will offer a specialty menu with iced drinks and lattes, and will have a HarbourCats-themed drink as a signature.

This will be another way, aside from an ice-cold Pepsi product – the stadium and HarbourCats new soft drink supplier – to accompany one of the many returning staples at HarbourCats games — successful pairings.

The offerings are fun, and they are affordable.

“We are proud of these partnerships, and for us it’s a model that has worked to perfection — we are loyal to our great food partners, and they are loyal to our fans,” said Christian Stewart, General Manager of the HarbourCats.

In addition to the ballpark staples like hot dogs and popcorn in the City of Victoria concession — the hot dogs are exceptional! — the HarbourCats return familiar brands this summer.

  • Greek On The Street
  • Cup-A-Roni
  • L’Authentique Burgers and Poutine
  • Dominoes Pizza
  • Beavertails
  • Sub Zero Ice Cream, with specials on newly-branded Ice Cream Sundays (day games)

Special appearances will be made by Lemon Heaven and Country Crepes, on School Spirit and other premium-attendance days.

The HarbourCats continue to offer great beer products, led by the Island-born craft beers of Red Arrow Brewing and their signature Ballpark Blonde/HarbourCats beer. Molson Canadian products – Coors Light, Canadian – and Vizzy seltzers are also a crowd favourite.

Fans sitting in our Elements Casino Diamond Club, Peterbilt Pacific Club or the Remax Grandstand, as well as those VIP groups on the Strathcona Third Base Party Deck, or Wilson’s Group Upper Deck Experience, can also use our Fan Food mobile ordering app to order from most of our food trucks and the city concession.

Fans can sample some of food vendors on Tuesday night, by attending the BCPBL game between the Victoria Eagles and Victoria Mariners – a 6:35 pm start – and the full slate of trucks will be available for the Home Opener on Friday June 6th, our first Fireworks night on June 7th and for all remaining HarbourCats games.

Tickets for Tuesday night’s game and our home opening weekend are available on-line with our one and only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at http://harbourcats.com/tickets.  Tickets are also available at the HarbourCats office by calling 778-265-0327 or dropping in at 101-1814 Vancouver Street and can be purchased at ALL games at the box office which opens one hour before gametime (1.5 hours on fireworks nights).

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Bend but dont break: NorthPaws hang on to win and sweep the Lefties

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The Kamloops NorthPaws won a thrilling game on Sunday afternoon 10-9 to secure a season-opening sweep of the Port Angeles Lefties. The NorthPaws scored six runs in the top of the eighth inning but had to fight off the Lefties, who scored eight of their nine runs in the final five innings. 

Once again, the Lefties got the game’s first run in the bottom of the first. After having runners on the corners with only one out, they cashed in on a chopper to first that Keegan Drinkle elected to take to the base himself for an out. 

Kamloops answered when shortstop Anthony Setticasi had the bases loaded with one out and legged out a potential double-play ball that scored Kalen Applefield. In the third, second baseman Joey Marino drove in a run and would later score a run because of an error by the Lefty’s second baseman. A fourth-inning Manny Recchi sacrifice fly would put the NorthPaws up 4-1.

It was the Lefty’s turn to respond in the fifth with a one-out single that cut the lead to two. In the sixth, the Levites got a two-out rally going, capitalizing on a pair of walks, a wild pitch, and a single that scored both runners on base to tie the game. Port Angeles would take the lead later in the inning with another single. In the seventh, they kept their foot on the gas, bringing two more home with, you guessed it… another single.

The NorthPaws offence was shut down by right-handed pitcher Cade Stuart, who went three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit. Going into the top of the eighth, Stuart made way for Liam Karlson. The NorthPaws saw their opportunity and pounced.

A single and a walk set up right fielder Jared Hall, who sent an RBI single to right field. Center fielder Ethan Kodama walked and set up third baseman Kieran Gaffney with the bases loaded and nobody out. Gaffney delivered with a single that brought home two more runs, tying the game at seven all. Anthony Setticassi sent a sharp ground ball to third, and the force play at the plate was thought to have been made with the bases loaded, but the Lefties catcher didn’t have his foot on home plate, allowing the run to score and everyone reach safely. Two wild pitches would bring home the fifth and sixth runs of the inning as Kamloops sent 10 men to bat and now lead 10-7.

“It was great to see the offence stick with their approach and breakthrough in the eighth,” said Head Coach Reily Jepson.

The Lefties would hang around and score in the eighth and mount yet another two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth. A two-out bloop hit and a walk allowed the Lefties to load the bases with two outs. Righty Cade Webber was on for the save and walked his second straight batter on a controversial call on a full-count pitch that was deemed just high by the home plate umpire. Either way, a run scored, and the winning run was all of a sudden 180 feet away. Facing yet another full count, Webber delivered a high fastball in a similar shop that was called for strike three, ending the game. 

“I was a little stressed, but the team seemed very composed; I trust those guys in the back end of the bullpen, and they got the job done; it was a great win,” said Jepson

For Cade Webber, it was his first appearance of the season, and it came at a crucial moment for the NorthPaws. The inning could’ve gotten away from him, but his coach had faith in his abilities.

“You can tell he loves the moment; I don’t think that phased him,” said Pitching coach Jack Slominski.

With the sweep, the NorthPaws have started 3-0 for the first time since 2022, a milestone that has the team and coaching staff excited. 

“It’s awesome. Hopefully, this brings more of our fans out to home games, but before we get there, we’re going to have a tough test this week in Bellingham,” said Jepson.

The team will be off on Monday before travelling to Bellingham for a three-game series against the Bells. The NorthPaws will play their first home game on June 6th against the Kelowna Falcons.

 

 

 

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Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats sweep Falcons to remain undefeated

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June 1, 2025

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KELOWNA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats went curling to start the season, breaking out the brooms on the Kelowna Falcons Sunday night, winning 8-3.

Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) started for the visitors and was in control early, retiring the first six batters he faced. However, he ran into trouble in the third inning, allowing four singles in quick succession, giving Kelowna a 3-0 lead.

The lead didn’t last long as the HarbourCats brought 10 batters to the plate in the top of the fourth, scoring five runs, including an RBI single from Victoria’s own Dominic Biello (Golden Tide). Patience was a virtue for the Cats tonight, drawing 12 walks on the evening, including two bases-loaded walks in the fourth to give themselves a 5-3 lead.

BOX SCORE

After Lance completed three innings in his HarbourCats debut, he turned it over to a bullpen that put on a show. Ethan McNish-Heider (Niagara), Marcus Janovsky (UBC), Dillon Dibrell (Central Oklahoma), Dustin Davidson (Brookhaven), Jacob Thompson (Minot State), and Robert Sanford (Paris JC) all pitched one inning and combined for nine strikeouts. two walks, one hit, and zero runs. It was about as dominant a team-wide pitching performance as you will see this season.

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On the other side of things, the HarbourCats’ approach at the plate continued to force mistakes, adding two more runs on wild pitches in the latter stages. Enrico Carrion, a commit to the University of Hawaii, drove in his first run in his debut with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Victoria played great defence behind the stellar pitching, committing just one error all series compared to Kelowna’s eight.

Jack Johnson (Baylor) and Bobby Filler Jr. (Niagara) had a pair of hits each, adding to their strong starts to the season.

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After a day off tomorrow, the HarbourCats are in action on Tuesday, June 3, opening a three-game series in Edmonton. They return for the home opener on Friday, June 6 at 6:35 PM, followed by the first of four fireworks nights on Saturday, June 7 at 6:35 PM.

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.

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