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Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats unveil 2023 season schedule

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For Immediate Release

November 15, 2022

VICTORIA, B.C. — Opening the season at home, and three July weekend home series highlight the 2023 schedule for the Victoria HarbourCats, as the West Coast League has revealed next summer’s dates.

“It’s always an exciting day to tell our fans when we get back on the field, and the sooner we can get this information out the better,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner/GM of the HarbourCats. “We’d like to see the schedule out even earlier to give us more time to plan out all the events we’re proud to host at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park, as we’re known for being much more than just a collection of baseball games and we take pride in getting those details in place.”

The HarbourCats will open the 2023 season at home against the second-year Kamloops NorthPaws on Friday, June 2, and highlights include the Father’s Day weekend against the Yakima Valley Pippins, a Canada day three-game set against the HarbourCats 2022 playoff opponents, the Bellingham Bells, and three full weekend (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) series in July.

The regular season concludes on the road in Edmonton Sunday, August 6, with playoffs slated to start on Tuesday, August 8.

Three, always popular fireworks nights are scheduled this season, on Saturday, June 3rd, Friday, June 30th and Saturday, July 29th, while School Spirit Day with Mayfair Optometric Clinic is slated for Wednesday, June 7 at 11:05 am.  Other special dates such as Harvey’s Birthday, Bark in the Park, and Jersey Off Our Backs with Odlum Brown will be confirmed and properly announced at a later date.  Four non-league games are also planned against the returning Redmond Dudes and Coquitlam Angels.

Single-game tickets ARE NOT YET ON SALE, but are expected to be available both on-line and in person at the HarbourCats office starting December 1, 2022.  At that time, 10-game flex pack vouchers will be eligible to be exchanged for games in the 2023 season. Season tickets and 10-game flex passes ARE currently on sale and can be purchased at the HarbourCats office. As above though, flex-pack vouchers can not be exchanged for 2023 games until single-game tickets go on sale.

2022 Season Ticket holders are asked to renew their season tickets if they have not already done so prior to single-game tickets going on sale in order to lock in their preferred seat selection for all 31 2023 games.  New season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale.

If you have any questions about the 2023 schedule or 2023 ticket sales, please contact the office at 778-265-0327 or e-mail chris@harbourcats.com.

HOME SCHEDULE (all games at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP)

Friday, June 2 — HOME OPENER vs. Kamloops NorthPaws, 6:35pm
Saturday, June 3 — vs. Kamloops NorthPaws, 6:35pm, OPENING WEEKEND FIREWORKS!
Sunday, June 4 — vs. Kamloops NorthPaws, 1pm
Monday, June 5 — vs. Walla Walla Sweets, 6:35pm
Tuesday, June 6 — vs. Walla Walla Sweets, 6:35pm
Wednesday, June 7 — SCHOOL SPIRIT GAME vs. Walla Walla Sweets, 11:05am
Friday, June 16 — vs. Yakima Valley Pippins, 6:35pm
Saturday, June 17 — vs. Yakima Valley Pippins, 6:35pm
Sunday, June 18 — FATHER’S DAY GAME vs. Yakima Valley Pippins, 1pm
Tuesday, June 20 — vs. Edmonton Riverhawks
Wednesday, June 21 — vs. Edmonton Riverhawks
Thursday, June 22 — vs. Edmonton Riverhawks
Friday, June 30 — CANADA DAY FIREWORKS vs. Bellingham Bells, 6:35pm
Saturday, July 1 — CANADA DAY CELEBRATION vs. Bellingham Bells, 1pm
Sunday, July 2 — vs. Bellingham Bells, 1pm
Tuesday, July 11 — vs. Port Angeles Lefties, 6:35pm
Wednesday, July 12 — vs. Port Angeles Lefties, 6:35pm
Thursday, July 13, vs. Port Angles Lefties, 6:35pm
Friday, July 14 — vs. Wenatchee AppleSox, 6:35pm
Saturday, July 15 — vs. Wenatchee AppleSox, 6:35pm
Sunday, July 16 — vs. Wenatchee AppleSox, 1pm
Friday, July 21 — vs. Coquitlam Angels, 6:35pm
Saturday, July 22 — vs. Coquitlam Angels, 6:35pm
Sunday, July 23 — vs. Coquitlam Angels, 1pm
Monday, July 24 — vs. Redmond Dudes, 6:35pm
Friday, July 28 — vs. Kelowna Falcons, 6:35pm
Saturday, July 29 — vs. Kelowna Falcons, 6:35pm, SUMMER FIREWORKS CELEBRATION!
Sunday, July 30 — vs. Kelowna Falcons, 1pm
Tuesday, August 1 — vs. Nanaimo NightOwls, 6:35pm
Wednesday, August 2 — vs. Nanaimo NightOwls, 6:35pm
Thursday, August 3 — vs. Nanaimo NightOwls, 6:35pm

ROAD SCHEDULE (game times TBD)
Friday, June 9 — at Wenatchee AppleSox
Saturday, June 10 — at Wenatchee AppleSox
Sunday, June 11 — at Wenatchee AppleSox
Monday, June 12 — at Port Angeles Lefties
Tuesday, June 13 — at Port Angeles Lefties
Wednesday, June 14 — at Port Angeles Lefties
Friday, June 23 — at Bellingham Bells
Saturday, June 24 — at Bellingham Bells
Sunday, June 25 — at Bellingham Bells
Monday, June 26 — at Kelowna Falcons
Tuesday, June 27 — at Kelowna Falcons
Wednesday, June 28 — at Kelowna Falcons
Tuesday, July 4 — at Walla Walla Sweets
Wednesday, July 5 — at Walla Walla Sweets
Thursday, July 6 — at Walla Walla Sweets
Friday, July 7 — at Yakima Valley Pippins
Saturday, July 8 — at Yakima Valley Pippins
Sunday, July 9 — at Yakima Valley Pippins
Tuesday, July 18 — at Nanaimo NightOwls, 6:35pm
Wednesday, July 19 — at Nanaimo NightOwls, 6:35pm
Thursday, July 20 — at Nanaimo NightOwls, 6:35pm
Tuesday, July 25 — at Kamloops NorthPaws
Wednesday, July 26 — at Kamloops NorthPaws
Thursday, July 27 — at Kamloops NorthPaws
Friday, August 4 — at Edmonton Riverhawks
Saturday, August 5 — at Edmonton Riverhawks
Sunday, August 6 — at Edmonton Riverhawks

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Victoria HarbourCats – ALL-STAR GAME PACKAGES ARE DAYS AWAY — BE READY!

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THIS IS A SPECIAL note for all HarbourCats season ticket holders to get their seats set up next week to be in line for the 2026 All-Star Game festival packages, July 14-15, 2025 – full details soon to be released.

Individual Season Ticket Members who have fully renewed or have initiated a payment plan for their 2026 seats, will have first dibs on securing their seats for the All-Star festivities via a special pre-sale window.

We will also offer this pre-sale window to anyone who has purchased a Season Ticket Equivalent Flex Pack (32-Game Flex Pack).

If you are a 2025 HOST FAMILY, please let us know as soon as possible if you intend to return as a host for 2026 and we will save your seats AND you will also be eligible for the pre-sale window for the All-Star activities.

If your season seats are part of a CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP deal, again please let us know as soon as possible that you will be renewing that sponsorship for 2026 (contact your sales rep) and we will save your seats AND you will also be eligible for the pre-sale window for the All-Star activities.

Once the pre-sale window has passed, any unclaimed Season Ticket seats  (for All-Star festivities only) will be released and we will open up sales to the general public.

**IF YOU ARE a traditional 10/12-pack holder, now is the time to trade up for Season Tickets or a 32-Pack Season Ticket Voucher Equivalent to get All-Star Game privileges!

Contact GM Christian Stewart at the HarbourCats office (778-265-0327 or chris@harbourcats.com) to make arrangements!

The excitement around baseball and the 2026 season has hit new heights!

Season ticket memberships and 12-game flex packs (new for 2026!) are now on sale for the HarbourCats 2026 season at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. BE SURE TO LOCK IN YOUR SEASON TICKETS TODAY to get first right of refusal on your seats for the 2026 WCL All-Star game that will be played here in Victoria.  These will be going on sale SOON!

Season tickets, 12-packs and team merchandise are also available at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, Tuesday thru Friday, 10am-4pm.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Haney, HarbourCats bring back former player to lead pitching staff

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October 28, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — A very familiar name and face is returning to Victoria to lead the pitching staff of the HarbourCats.

Zachary Swanson — who has served as batboy, pitcher and play-by-play voice of the team — has been hired as Pitching Coach for the 2026 season by Todd Haney, the Head Coach who is entering his sixth season as the Victoria skipper.

Swanson is in his first year as the pitching coach at Hawaii Pacific University (D2) in Honolulu, under Head Coach Dane Fujinaka, a former HarbourCats catcher who coached in the Toronto Blue Jays system.

“After coaching Zach a couple of seasons, I am thrilled for the opportunity to coach with him now,” said Haney, who started Swanson on the mound against the Corvallis Knights in Game 1 of the WCL championship series in 2019.

“Zach brings energy, experience and expertise to the HarbourCats coaching staff. Our pitchers will love working with him.”

Swanson, the son of Managing Partner Jim Swanson, is a Lambrick Park grad who spent time with both the Eagles and Mariners BCPBL programs. He spent two college years with the San Diego Christian (NAIA) Hawks, then moved to the Park-Gilbert (NAIA) Buccaneers in Arizona, under Head Coach Kelly Stinnett, a long-time MLB catcher, to complete his college playing career.

Swanson will work with Bullpen Coach Darius Opdam Bak, who filled the same role last summer under now-retired Scott Anderson, who held the pitching coach job for three seasons. Opdam Bak is a former HarbourCats and Victoria Golden Tide (CCBC) pitcher who is now Pitching Coach of the Golden Tide.

Swanson, who will be 26 by next season, earned his MBA and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Park-Gilbert business program. He served as pitching coach at Skyline High School (6A) in Mesa, AZ before accepting the HPU offer. He is married to Madeline, and they reside in Kailua, HI.

“This is an extremely special opportunity for me, to return home and coach in front of this amazing city is such a privilege,” said Swanson. “I’m excited to coach some great young men and bring a West Coast League championship home to Victoria.

“It is a tremendous honour to have the chance to coach alongside Coach Haney, someone I consider a mentor. His intensity and passion for player development combined with his true joy for the game are traits that I admire as a coach.”

Swanson was 7-3 in his collegiate career, including playoffs and non league, including five starts.

Opdam Bak was a HarbourCat for two seasons and spent four seasons with the Golden Tide, as a dependable starter. He made eight starts last spring for the Tide, going 3-1 — he made 17 CCBC starts overall.

Season ticket memberships and 12-game flex packs (new for 2026!) are now on sale for the HarbourCats 2026 season at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. BE SURE TO LOCK IN YOUR SEASON TICKETS TODAY to get first right of refusal on your seats for the 2026 WCL All-Star game that will be played here in Victoria.  These will be going on sale SOON!

Season tickets, 12-packs and team merchandise are also available at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, Tuesday thru Friday, 10am-4pm.

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Victoria HarbourCats – 2026 HarbourCats schedule features many highlights

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Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park will be abuzz with fans packing the seats for  at least 31 home games in 2026, as well as the West Coast League All-Star Game.

October 23, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, BC — Who is the next Nathan Lukes, to don the V-Cat logo and start a path to the World Series?

That will come into focus starting in May of 2026 when the Victoria HarbourCats — the first collegiate summer league team of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Lukes, a playoff star this fall — begin an eventful West Coast League campaign with a road series in Portland.

It won’t just be the games with the HarbourCats to look forward to, it will also be about the 2026 WCL All-Star Game being played at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park as part of a planned Festival of Baseball, July 14-15. The HarbourCats are hosting the event in both 2026 and 2027.

“No question, this is the most anticipated season yet for us — the All-Star Game, after a very strong schedule leading up to that, and playoffs to follow,” said Christian Stewart, the GM of the HarbourCats. “The variety of visiting teams, the rivalries with teams like Nanaimo, Wenatchee and Bellingham, facing the other tough Canadian teams — it’s a great mix for our fans and our corporate partners.”

The HarbourCats open on the road on Friday, May 29, against the Pickles, then are back on the island for the home opener on Tuesday, June 2, against the Edmonton Riverhawks.

Tentative plans for fireworks dates are Saturday, June 6 (vs. Kelowna Falcons, now managed by former Blue Jay Gregg Zaun), Tuesday, June 30 (vs. the Nanaimo NightOwls), and a special event on Monday, August 3 featuring local talent and a fireworks show to follow.

Further plans to announce popular features such as the Woofability Bark in the Park, the Mayfair Optometric School Spirit game (and maybe a second game!), something we are calling “Early Father’s Day,” and Harvey’s Birthday will be announced soon. Game times remain the popular 6:35pm, except for Sundays (1pm) and the School Spirit games (11am).

“Getting two teams from Oregon at our park this year will be fun — we have the first visit from the Springfield Drifters (June 12-13-14) and a rare appearance by the Bend Elks (July 7-8-9),” said Stewart, who is taking season ticket bookings and doling out 12-packs of tickets already.

“We plan to have the All-Star Game package on sale in short order, too — we love that we have so much time to plan out the WCL schedule and make it work for promotions and logistics. We are known for our creative ideas — this schedule will make things a lot of fun next summer.”

HOME GAMES 2026
June 2-3-4 (T-W-Th), vs. Edmonton Riverhawks
June 5-6-7 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Kelowna Falcons
June 12-13-14 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Springfield Drifters
June 16-17-18 (T-W-Th), vs. Redmond Dudes (non-league)
June 24 (Wed), vs. Nanaimo NightOwls
June 26-27-28 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Bellingham Bells
June 30 (Tues), July 2 (Thurs), vs. Nanaimo NightOwls
July 7-8-9 (T-W-Th), vs. Bend Elks
ALL-STAR GAME FESTIVITIES — Tuesday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 15
July 17-18-19 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Wenatchee AppleSox
July 24-25-26 (F-Sa-Su), vs. Kamloops NorthPaws
July 28-29-30 (T-W-Th), vs. Port Angeles Lefties
August 3 (Mon), vs. SIBL All-Stars (non-league)

ROAD GAMES 2026
The HarbourCats visit the following teams — Portland Pickles (May 29-30-31), Edmonton Riverhawks (June 9-10-11), Port Angeles Lefties (June 19-20-21), Nanaimo NightOwls (June 23, 25, July 1, and July 21-22-23), Kelowna Falcons (July 3-4-5), Kamloops NorthPaws (July 10-11-12), Bellingham Bells (July 31, August 1-2), Wenatchee AppleSox (Aug 3-4-5).

NOTE: SINGLE-GAME TICKETS, ALL-STAR GAME TICKETS and FLEX-PACK VOUCHER RENEWALS ARE NOT YET AVAILABLE. We are finalizing a few logistics and dates and building the 2026 ticketing system and anticipate all those to go on sale in the next few weeks.

Season tickets and 12-game flex packs are NOW on sale on line at harbourcats.com/tickets or by stopping into the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

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