Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Memories of Bate, Budget, etc
VICTORIA — The ghosts of the not-so-distant past will be returning to the hallowed grounds of Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park this spring, bringing back memories of small-diamond excellence of yesteryear.
The Victoria HarbourCats and the HarbourCats Foundation are proud to announce the Emery Electric Fastpitch Showcase will take place on May 31, featuring two teams with designs on making their way to major events — the Sooke Loggers to the Canadian championship, and the Lacey A’s to the ISC World Championship in Minnesota later this summer.
Famed teams like Bate Construction, Budget, Payless, Royals and Traveler’s Inn have not been forgotten in these parts, when world-class windmill-style softball was the talk of the town in summer and filled the seats of the stadium at the corner of Caledonia and Vancouver with regularity. Who can stifle a smile when the name Stuffy McInnis comes up?
“This is an exciting event for us to add, and to salute the history of fastpitch in Victoria — as a former fastball player myself, I’m excited to see these games,” said Jim Swanson, managing partner of the HarbourCats.
The Sooke Loggers and Lacey A’s will face off in the Emery Electric Fastpitch Showcase, on Saturday, May 31 — a doubleheader starting at 4pm and played on the field that the HarbourCats now call home, developing players who move on to the Major League Baseball level (seven in total since 2013, that number growing to as many as 10 with the MLB season a month away).
Many members of the Sooke Loggers are in the mix for ongoing Team Canada duty, including catcher Blake Hunter.
“Many of us grew up watching or hearing the stories about the games and the legends that competed at RAP but most of us were too young to have had the opportunity to play here,” said Hunter.
“To be given the opportunity to play here and add to the rich history of our game at RAP is something we will all embrace.”
Tickets for the event are already available HERE. The field will be adjusted for the pitching rubber and 60-ft basepaths.
Reggie Underwood
Many of the great fastpitch players of the past will be invited to the game to be introduced to the crowd prior to the first game. The HarbourCats were proud to sponsor the induction of late fastball star Dennis Eckert into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in October.
Following the Emery Electric Fastpitch Showcase, the Sooke Loggers and Lacey A’s will continue the weekend series on Sunday, June 1, with a doubleheader at Hyacinth Park, starting at 10am.
The HarbourCats will be opening their WCL baseball season on the road that weekend, returning for the home opener on Friday, June 6, against the Port Angeles Lefties, with tickets for that already available HERE.
April 21, 2026
VICTORIA, B.C. — Practical power, provided — thanks to Emery Electric.
The Victoria HarbourCats are proud to recognize local company Emery Electric, a proud local business founded in 1930 by Ernie Emery and now overseen by Derek Emery.
What is this recognition all about? Well, working with the HarbourCats and the City of Victoria, Emery Electric has provided a major power upgrade to what is known during the baseball season as Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park — one that brings significant environmental improvements.
Emery Electric will be a key part of the HarbourCats season, helping to highlight “Emery Electric electric plays” by the home team, and the WCL All-Star Game Festival’s home run derby, featuring former Blue Jays star outfielder Kevin Pillar, will be referred to as “Powered by Emery Electric.”
“What was completed by Emery Electric earlier this year is a significant piece of quality work and infrastructure improvement we are proud to have put in place — and it will bring enhanced service capacity to all who use the City-owned facility,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the HarbourCats. “There should be no more brown-outs in that area. Derek and his staff are so community-minded, it’s hard to describe.
“We can’t yell ‘THANK YOU’ loud enough. It’s a big addition for the City, no cost to taxpayers, and we are proud to help contribute.”
In short, the work will provide power for the equivalent of four food trucks along Caledonia Avenue — a cabinet housing 4x30amp, 120/208 volt, and 4x15amp, 120 volt was installed in the off-season. That means generators and various fuels, and the associated hum of the engines, can be removed from the park (gas and diesel prices these days, anyone?).
Cup-A-Roni is one of many food trucks operating during HarbourCats games that will benefit from the power upgrades installed during the off season.
Emery Electric is nearing 100 years of serving Victoria and indeed all of Vancouver Island in commercial, industrial and marine electrical contracting.
The HarbourCats have been the main user of Royal Athletic Park since 2013, the longest continuous single user group in the history of the facility, which opened in May of 1908. The HarbourCats have contributed many improvements including dressing room upgrades, the movable fence, and enhanced seating areas, all with no taxpayer burden.
The HarbourCats begin their 2026 season on May 29th with a visit to Portland and then return to Victoria for the Home Opener against the Edmonton Riverhawks on Tuesday, June 2, 6:30 pm.
Season tickets, single-game tickets, 12 and 32-game flex packs are now on sale at harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 1814 Vancouver Street.
Tickets for the All-Star Home Run Derby on July 14th are currently available in a package that also include tickets for the WCL All Star Game that will be held on Wednesday, July 15th and feature the top players in the league. Prices for the package start at $40 for General Admission seats to $85 for field level Diamond Club Seats, and can be purchased ON-LINE, or by visiting the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, just around the corner from the stadium.
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