Connect with us

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats win game one in thrilling fashion

Published

on

The historic Serauxmen Stadium was rocking tonight for the first game of the playoffs (Photo: Justin P. Morash) 

August 10, 2024

For immediate release

NANAIMO, B.C. – It was a special atmosphere at Serauxmen Stadium for game one of the first-round series where the Victoria HarbourCats sent their fans home happy with a 4-2 walk-off win against the Wenatchee AppleSox.

Todd Haney turned to his All-Star pitcher Carson Cormier (TCU) to start the opener and the big right-hander did not disappoint. Cormier, who was named HarbourCats Pitcher-of-the-Year on Wednesday, struck out the first six batters of the game. After four innings and 74 pitches his night was done, striking out eight AppleSox giving up zero runs and two hits.

Wenatchee starter Garrett Ahern matched Cormier’s excellence early, striking out four batters over two scoreless innings to begin the game. The first run of the ballgame came in the bottom of the third inning when Jake Vrlak (Miami-Ohio) scored on a Gunner Antillon (Bowling Green) RBI groundout, giving the Cats a 1-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

Carson Cormier’s eight strikeouts was a season-high (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

Flynn Ridley took over for Cormier in the fifth inning and the junior from Ottawa University continued his late-season dominance. Ridley pitched three scoreless innings of relief giving up three hits and striking out two. Ridley’s most important pitch came in the top of the sixth inducing a groundball for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play when the Sox were threatening with runners on the corners.

Michael Crossland (UC San Diego) led off the bottom of the sixth with a double but Ahern looked to be escaping the threat retiring the next two Cats. After fouling off four pitches, Kamana Nahaku (University of Hawaii) smashed a ball through a hole in the infield for a single scoring Crossland and doubling Victoria’s lead, making it 2-0.

Jack Finn (Illinois State) began the eighth on the mound for the Cats but walked one and hit another and was replaced by Haldon Craig (Doane University). Craig, making just his second HarbourCats appearance, was blowing his low-mid 90’s fastball by batters recording two strikeouts in the inning. He was one strike away from stranding the runners, but Jake Larson hit a single past the diving Cam Schneider (Fresno State), scoring two runs tying the game at 2-2 and silencing the home crowd.

The AppleSox loaded the bases against Craig in the ninth but the flamethrowing right-hander struck out Evan Cloyd to give his teammates the chance to walk it off in the bottom half.

Flynn Ridley has thrown 14-1/3 shutout innings in a row (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

WATCH GAMES HERE

After a walk and two strikeouts, the stage was set for Kerim Orucevic (UC San Diego) to be a hero. The lefty took the first pitch he saw and hit it over the fence in right field winning the game for the HarbourCats.

It’s not the first time this season Orucevic has come up with a clutch hit late with his only other long ball in 2024 being a two-out ninth- inning game-tying home run in Ridgefield back in July.

Over 1000 fans were in attendance with many making the drive up to Nanaimo to support their team, proving once again that Victoria has the best fans in the West Coast League.

The HarbourCats are one win away from advancing to the next round and that game is Sunday at 6:35 PM in Wenatchee.

Victoria HarbourCats 2025 Season Tickets are now available! If you have been loving HarbourCats baseball, lock in your existing seats, or purchase new seats by our Early Bird Deadline of September 30th to secure seats at 2024 pricing. Stop in at the office or contact Christian by email at Chris@harbourcats.com for details.

Source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Middle infield combo, power corner infielders added by HarbourCats

Published

on

Above:  Infielder Jake Butler from George Mason University should be a key cog in the middle infield for the HarbourCats in 2025. 

March 24, 2025

For Immediate Release

VICTORIA — It’s always a bonus to find a double-play combo from the same school, especially one as strong as George Mason University (GMU).

The Victoria HarbourCats are excited to add middle infielders Owen Clyne, who starts at short, and Jake Butler, his usual counterpart at second but also able to play third, from GMU — the school that provided star catcher Connor Dykstra, who signed in July with the Seattle Mariners.

“This group we are announcing today, we will be counting on them to lead key parts of our team this summer,” said HarbourCats GM Christian Stewart.

“Butler and Clyne are impressing everyone this spring, and JC Allen from UC San Diego is off to a strong start as well. Our offense just got even stronger with these four signings, and you know (head coach) Todd Haney will get the most out of them.”

Announced as signed today, by Coach Haney:

IF Owen Clyne, George Mason, L/R, 6-2/185, Wichita, KS
IF Jake Butler, George Mason, R/R, 5-11/185. Towson, MD
IF JC Allen, UC San Diego, R/R, 6-4/210, Irvine, CA
IF/OF Curtis McKay, Niagara, R/R, 6-3/205, Dorchester, ON

Clyne, batting .363, has 28 RBIs in 24 games so far this season, with three home runs, nine extra-base hits and more walks than strikeouts. Butler has 35 runs driven in and is batting .326 with a .457 on-base clip in 20 games.

UC SanDiego’s JC Allen is another player who should see plenty of playing time in the HarbourCats infield in 2025.

Allen is off to a huge start at the D1 level, after two years at Saddleback College, with six home runs and 24 RBIs in his first 22 games for UC SAN Diego. He hit 13 bombs in his second season at Saddleback. He can play either corner infield spot, or get his bat active in the DH role.

McKay, from Ontario, can play corner infield or outfield, is batting .303 with four home runs and an RBI per game (22 total) over 18 starts at Niagara.

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 three “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats new and one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

Tickets can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.

ATTENTION 2024 SEASON TICKET HOLDERS – FINAL NOTICE! If you have not already done so, please renew your seats for 2025 so that they can be locked into the new ticketing system. Season Tickets will be sent to all members electronically this season on April 1, 2025, perhaps sooner. Any seats not renewed by MONDAY, March 31 will be released and placed back into the system. Contact Christian at the office at 778-265-0327 to renew.

 

Source

Continue Reading

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – KidSport celebrating notable anniversary with HarbourCats in 2025

Published

on

March 18, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — Count ’em, 25 years of helping youth enjoy sports.

KidSport Greater Victoria is teaming up with the Victoria HarbourCats to celebrate an amazing 25 years of assisting kids in the pursuit of both participation and excellence in local sports, with planned events this summer at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.

And, not the least of which is the June 19 KidSport Greater Victoria School Spirit Game, a Thursday matchup starting at 11am featuring the HarbourCats and island rival Nanaimo NightOwls, with many schools all but emptying to take in the action and helping celebrate this tremendous achievement for KidSport Greater Victoria.

“We can’t think of a better community organization to have involved with this, the KidSport School Spirit game,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the HarbourCats.

“This will be a season-long theme of celebration, of reminding our fans of the great work they do and have done for so long in Victoria. Each and every game, people will have an opportunity to show their support for KidSport Greater Victoria, including a few special events outside this School Spirit Game.”

This will be the second Thursday game in a row in the HarbourCats home schedule in 2025 which will be dedicated to kids — on June 12, the Mayfair Optometric School Spirit Game will take place, also an 11am start featuring the HarbourCats and NightOwls. KidSport Greater Victoria and Mayfair Optometric Clinic are aligned with community values and supporting youth, making this an ideal match to welcome a combined total of more than 5,000 school kids to the park.

“We are so grateful for the past and ongoing support the HarbourCats have offered KidSport, and very excited about the various ways our organizations will work together this year,” said Jill Shaw, Executive Director of KidSport Greater Victoria. “Demand for our support is at an all-time high. We are seeing more families than ever coming to us in need of help so their children can access organized sport. The HarbourCats June 19th School Spirit Game is a great opportunity both to raise awareness about the work we do, and to offer local kids great access to another fun and rewarding local sport experience – we are very happy to be involved!”

KidSport Greater Victoria will also be front and centre on Harvey’s Birthday Game on July 11 at Wilson’s Group Stadium, and will be involved in other special games that are still to be announced.

Supporting KidSport will be a constant theme of the HarbourCats in this 2025 West Coast League season. The HarbourCats encourage all who can to contribute to this great cause, which you can action by clicking this link (https://www.kidsportvictoria25.ca/).

KidSport Greater Victoria has seen tremendous growth over the last 25 years, with demand for their support increasing very steeply starting in 2023 in particular. KidSport Greater Victoria exists to help ensure all kids have opportunity to play; annually they cover the registration fees for well over 1400 local kids living in financial need, enabling them to take part in seasons of sport of their choice – including baseball! As the largest KidSport chapter in the province, we know that on just about every sports team in the region, there are children playing who are able to take part thanks to KidSport and the supporters and donors who make their work possible.

To order tickets as a school group for the June 19 KidSport Greater Victoria School Spirit Game, or the June 12 Mayfair Optometric Clinic School Spirit Game, contact GM Christian Stewart, chris@harbourcats.com — some seats are left, but not many!

For fans looking for tickets for these exciting games, and any other HarbourCats game in 2025, visit the HarbourCats ticketing site HERE.

 

 

Source

Continue Reading

Summer Collegiate

Star Vegas catcher, Hawaii Pacific players added to summer roster

Published

on

Unveiled today for Coach Andreychuk’s roster in 2025:

C Anthony Marnell IV, S/R, College of Southern Nevada (and Oregon State), 6-2/200, Las Vegas

RHP Zach Horwith, R/R, 6-1/200, Bellarmine University, Castle Rock, CO

RHP Brennan Kettle, R/R, 6-0/155, Hawaii Pacific, Houston, TX

SS Andrew Nykoluk, R/R, 5-10/165, Hawaii Pacific, Simi Valley, CA

RHP Jayden Gabrillo, L/R, Hawaii Pacific, 5-8/165, Ewa Beach, HI

OF Owen Wessel, R/R, 5-8/165, Hawaii Pacific, Huntington Beach, CA

Source

Continue Reading

Trending