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Victoria HarbourCats – KidSport celebrating notable anniversary with HarbourCats in 2025

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March 18, 2025

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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.

 

 

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Offence Erupts Early in 15-5 Win

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David Krahn’s two-homer ballgame led the way for an offensive clinic. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Port Angeles, WA – The HarbourCats closed out the Port Angeles series in style on a sunny Sunday afternoon, racking up 17 hits in a 15-5 victory.

David Krahn (UBC) took it upon himself to spark the offence early in this one, blasting a leadoff rocket to make it 1-0 Cats in the top of the first.

BOX SCORE

The Lefties responded quickly, dropping a perfectly placed line drive into left field to bring in the tying run in the bottom of the first. Port Angeles threatened with more runners in scoring position, but an unassisted double play by David Krahn kept the game even at one.

Cats outfielder Max Bernal (Fresno Pacific) knocked a double into the gap in the next inning to push Dryden Fuoco (Hill College) up to third base. David Krahn came in clutch once again in his second trip to the plate, driving in Fuoco to snatch the lead back for Victoria. The second-inning offence wouldn’t end there for the Cats, as Matt Westley (George Mason) and Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) both singled to widen the lead to 5-1 by the end of the frame.

Matt Westley was 2/4 this afternoon with a double and 3 RBI. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria didn’t let up after gaining the lead, putting some ducks on the pond in the top of the third inning for, you guessed it, David Krahn. The Langley, B.C. product pulverized his second homer of the game to further extend the lead to 8-1. The hits just kept coming in the third frame, and suddenly Victoria was up 12-1.

A bruised Lefties lineup managed to throw a counter-punch in the bottom of the third, uncorking two leadoff home runs to dead centre. A valiant effort, but the home side had a lot of work to do if they were to erase a 12-3 deficit.

The Cats kept their foot on the gas, loading the bases in the top of the fifth and bringing home a pair of runs on hits by Matt Westley and Brady Hewitt. Austin Lindsey (Hill College) came in to pitch for the bottom of the fifth, relieving Jeremiah Arnett (Rice) who allowed three runs on four hits over four innings.

Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) took over on the heels of two spotless no-hit innings from Lindsey, before Anson Stuckly (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) closed it out in the ninth with two strikeouts.

Port Angeles managed to scrape together a comeback attempt in the later innings, but Victoria’s mountainous lead stayed intact for a 15-5 win.

WCL STANDINGS

With the road trip complete, the Cats will come back to Victoria to take on the Nanaimo NightOwls at 6:30 pm on Tuesday night.

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Lefties Take Game Two in Extra Innings

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Port Angeles, WA – The Port Angeles Lefties eked out a win in an extra innings nail-biter, walking it off for an 8-7 victory,

It didn’t take long for the HarbourCats to follow up on last night’s win. Jacob Silva (UTSA) stepped into the box and crushed an RBI double to take an early lead in the top of the first.

BOX SCORE

The Lefties responded in a big way in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of hard contact and a HarbourCats error to set the stage for a three-run homer. This ended a short start for Bryson Toner (Hawaii), giving way to Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) to finish the second inning down 5-1.

Lightning struck twice in the fourth inning for the HarbourCats. Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) crushed his team-leading third homer of the year, followed up by Renton, Washington’s Rohne Klein (San Jose State) sending one well over the fence as well. With two home runs in just one inning, the Cats were suddenly right back in this game.

Brady Hewitt let one fly tonight for his third homer of the season. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Momentum continued for the Cats in their next trip to the plate. David Krahn (UBC) found a gap and hustled his way to a leadoff double before returning home on a Matt Westley (George Mason) base hit later in the inning. Kade Davis (UTSA) would eventually be the man to take back the lead for Victoria, as he came through with a 2-RBI double down the right field line to push the score to 6-5 in favour of the HarbourCats.

The home team was determined not to let this outburst slide, solving Daniel Tovar for the first time and tying the game at six. Tovar exited the game after a strong outing on the bump, going 3.1 innings with two hits, one run, and three strikeouts.

Jack Clark (CSU San Marcos) was rock-solid in a four-inning relief appearance in which he gave up only one hit. The score remained deadlocked all the way until extra innings, when Rohne Klein earned a sacrifice fly to take a narrow 7-6 lead in the top of the tenth frame. The Lefties struck back once again in the bottom of the inning, laying a bunt down to move the runners over and walking it off to force a rubber match on Sunday.

WCL STANDINGS

The third and final match of the series takes place on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm, after which the Cats will return to Victoria to face the Nanaimo NightOwls at 6:30 pm on Tuesday night.

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

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Victoria HarbourCats – 5-1 Win Secured in Port Angeles

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Victoria threw strikes and claimed a decisive win to begin the series.

Port Angeles, WA – The HarbourCats opened up the road series in Port Angeles on Friday night, taking a 5-1 win on the back of some excellent pitching performances.

BOX SCORE

The first outburst of the ballgame belonged to the HarbourCats this evening, doing some serious damage in the third inning. The first of three runs came on an infield single by Tristan Buehring (Whitman) to drive in Dryden Fuoco (Hill College), followed by a 2-RBI double hammered by Logan Shepherd (Mercer).

Right-hander Erik Rico (Fresno State) was back on the bump to start the game for the Cats in his fourth appearance of a sensational season thus far. It was business as usual in this outing for the Fresno State flamethrower, piling up a tidy eight strikeouts over the course of four innings and still refusing to give up a run all season.

Victoria added to their lead in the top of the fifth. Designated hitter Logan Shepherd earned a walk, stole a bag, and blazed his way around third to score on a two-bagger down the line from third baseman Matt Westley (George Mason).

Another arm was required for the Cats in the wake of Rico, and from the bullpen emerged Easton Reimers (North Dakota State). The Missoula, Montana native gave up a two-out solo blast in his first inning of work, but Victoria answered with another run the very next frame. Rohne Klein (San Jose State) showed off some heads-up baserunning and ended up coming around to score on a groundout in the top of the sixth to push the score to 5-1.

Reimers buckled down for the bottom of inning number six, setting down the side in order with a pair of strikeouts and finding his groove to pitch through two innings without giving up another run. Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State) filled in for the eighth before giving way to Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina), who closed out the win for Victoria in the series opener.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats will play two more contests against the Lefties this weekend and then return home to take on the Nanaimo NightOwls at 6:30 pm on Tuesday evening.

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

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