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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 – Cats Send Lefties Packing with Series Sweep

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David Krahn (UBC) has hit a franchise record nine home runs this season on the way to a well-deserved Player of the Year Award. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Victoria, B.C. – It was all HarbourCats in this Thursday night showdown between Victoria and Port Angeles, with the Cats putting on a pitching clinic for a 5-1 win and a series sweep.

Port Angeles drew first blood in this one, rallying with two outs and scoring on a bloop single to take an early lead in the top of the second. The Cats responded quickly, however, sparked by a leadoff double that Michael Rodda (Palomar) smashed over the head of the centre fielder. A walk and a bunt then loaded the bases, and a free pass taken by Aidan Rice (Portland) brought in the first run for Victoria. Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) put enough distance on a fly ball to drive in another from third, turning the tables and giving the HarbourCats a 2-1 lead after two innings.

BOX SCORE

The Lefties loaded the bases in the top of the third in an attempt to regain control, but Taylor Franklin (George Fox) escaped the jam to end his third inning of work without allowing another run. Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) took over for the fourth inning, keeping Port Angeles at bay with another scoreless frame.

Community Involvement Award winner Flynn Warren tossed four shutout innings in tonight’s win. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Victoria made some noise once again in the bottom of the sixth! With two outs and two runners on, Riley Kwak hammered a base knock through the infield to bring home one run, followed by another RBI single from Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) to widen the lead to 4-1.

Flynn Warren’s night was done after four stellar innings in which he allowed no runs and picked up six strikeouts. Taking his place was Carson Ackermann (Tacoma), who worked his way through a scoreless eighth inning. David Krahn ripped an RBI single into centre field for the cherry on top before Ackermann closed out a decisive 5-1 win to complete the series sweep.

Jeremiah Arnett holds a sparkling 1.74 ERA and 62 strikeouts and was crowned this year’s HarbourCats Pitcher of the Year. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

The Cats will now hit the road for a weekend series in Bellingham to continue the fight for a playoff spot.

WCL STANDINGS

There is only one home game left in the 2026 season! On August 3rd, we end the season with a bang with our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Clinch Series Win Against Lefties

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Jacob Silva was all over the bases in this one, earning three walks and stealing three bases. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats and Lefties faced off for the second of three games this week, with Victoria nailing down a 3-2 win to clinch the series.

Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) got off to a good start in this one with a strikeout to begin the game. Unfortunately, that was all the action the right-hander would get, as a comebacker hit him up high which necessitated his removal from the game. Davis Lee (Calgary) was activated to step in for his fallen comrade and picked up where he left off, striking out two Lefties to finish the first inning.

BOX SCORE

The HarbourCats got it in gear in the bottom of the second beginning with a leadoff walk earned by Jacob Silva (UTSA). Michael Rodda (Palomar) singled with two outs and took an extra base to move up to second before Cameron Chee-Aloy (Illinois) blooped a ball into right field. Both infielders came around to score and the Cats took a 2-0 lead.

Davis Lee’s excursion came to an end after nearly four full frames of shutout baseball. Lee suffocated the Lefties with six strikeouts in 3.2 innings before bowing out for Tristin Thomas (West Texas A&M) in the top of the fifth. Thomas hit the ground running and picked up two K’s in a quick three-up three-down inning.

Victoria picked up their pitching staff by extending the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a run manufactured by Cameron Chee-Aloy. The speedy centre fielder walked, stole second, stole third base, and came all the way home when the throw went way over the head of the third baseman. Heads-up baserunning from Chee-Aloy, and a 3-0- lead for the home team.

Tristin Thomas struck out five batters in just two innings. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Port Angeles responded in the sixth with a pair of singles to begin the inning, and later drove in their first run on a laser out to left field. Nonetheless, Thomas was able to shrug it off and finish the inning off with three strikeouts. The New Mexico native came back for the seventh, but two walks in a row to start the inning spelled the end of his night. Nathan Mueller (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) took his place with no outs and a couple of runners on and deftly found his way out of the jam with a strikeout and two groundouts.

Mueller mounted another daring escape in the eighth. A plunked batter and a double put runners on second and third with no outs, but Mueller locked in and secured three consecutive strikeouts to put up another scoreless inning. The Lefties had another comeback attempt in the ninth, but Victoria buckled down and clinched the series with a 3-2 victory.

WCL STANDINGS

There are only two home games remaining in the 2026 regular season including the finale of our mid-week set against the Port Angeles Lefties on Thursday night! Then on August 3rd, we end the season with a bang! Our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Hold On in 6-5 Nail-Biter

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Jeremiah Arnett was integral to getting the win in this tight Tuesday night ballgame. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The Cats hosted the Port Angeles Lefties for the first of the three game set and held on by the skin of their teeth to take a 6-5 win.

Victoria took an early advantage in this one, scoring in the second inning. After Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) worked a walk out of a long at-bat to leadoff the frame, the catcher immediately stole second base and came home on a single by Aidan Rice (Portland) that bounced through the middle of the infield. Rice simply would not be contained, as he stole second and third back-to-back before coming in to score from third on a groundout.

BOX SCORE

Meanwhile, it was another episode of the Jeremiah Arnett show on the defensive side. The Rice University starter and WCL All-Star was unflappable in the first four innings, shutting down the Lefties lineup to keep the top half of the line score clean.

While Arnett was doing his thing, the Cats got back to work on offence in the bottom of the fourth. Rohne Klein (San Jose State) earned himself a leadoff walk and swiped second base, coming around to the plate on a single by Dillon Lopez. Cameron Chee-Aloy (Illinois) and Michael Rodda (Palomar) got in on the fun as well with an RBI single each, and the former crossed the plate on a groundout before the end of the frame to push the lead to six.

The defence held strong for eight scoreless innings behind Jeremiah Arnett’s start. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Jeremiah Arnett continued to rumble along through three more frames, finally taking a seat after seven gleaming innings. Arnett allowed five hits on his watch (all singles) and no runs while adding nine more tallies to his impressive strikeout total this summer. The right-hander handed the ball off to Leif Friedrich (Concordia-Nebraska) for the top of the eighth. Friedrich recovered smoothly from a leadoff single to make three quick outs and move on to the bottom of the inning.

Initial responsibility of the ninth was given to Hunter Daniels (Phoenix), but after he walked the bases loaded with nobody out, Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State) was called from the bullpen to try and finish this one off. Tomlinson would continue to waver, with walks galore bringing Port Angeles all the way back within one. A strikeout finally ended the inning and secured a close 6-5 win for the Cats.

WCL STANDINGS

There are only three home games remaining in the 2026 regular season including a mid-week set against the Port Angeles Lefties this week! Then on August 3rd, we end the season with a bang! Our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

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