Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – NightOwls take advantage of HarbourCats errors, win 7-4

Published

10 months ago

June 12, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

Manny and Juliana Ramirez threw out the ceremonial first pitch to their sons Manny Jr. and Lucas (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Nanaimo NightOwls win the first of nine games this season against the Victoria HarbourCats, coming from behind to win 7-4.

The HarbourCats jumped on NightOwls starter Nathan Buchan early, loading the bases in the second inning. It was a dropped third strike with two outs that brought the first run of the game home for the Cats.

After loading the bases again in the third inning, designated hitter Aric Anderson (Rice University) hit a rocket off the glove of the NightOwls first baseman to drive in two runs, making it 3-0.

BOX SCORE

HarbourCats pitcher Ryne Palmer joins the pregame challenger baseball action (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

HarbourCats right-hander Shea Lake (Hawaii Pacific) was in control early. He retired the first 10 batters to start the game before getting into trouble in the fourth. Four straight hits followed and it was a tie ballgame 3-3. It was a similar story for Lake in his first outing of the season in Kelowna, where he pitched three scoreless innings before giving up three runs in the fourth. The native of Temecula, California finished today’s contest giving up three runs in four innings, striking out four.

Second-year HarbourCat Jake Finkelstein (Montana State) pitched two scoreless innings in relief, striking out three and escaping a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.

Brooks Brewster (Panola College) gave up a home run to the first batter he faced in the seventh, centre fielder Deshon Thomas, to give the Owls their first lead. Brewster bounced back to get out of the inning, striking out two.

LEAGUE STANDINGS

The lead did not last long as Camden Sos (TCU) extended his hit streak to six games with an RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh, tying up the game 4-4.

The NightOwls took advantage of a costly Tyrus Hall (Bossier Parrish) error to break the game wide open in the eighth inning. With two outs, what should have been an inning-ending play, Hall threw wide of his first baseman and allowed a run to score. The next pitch was a two-run single and the score was 7-4 Owls just like that.

Shea Lake started his second game of the season (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

HarbourCats 2023 Pitcher-of-the-Year Logan MacNiel made his season debut, striking out one batter. Kade Douglas (CSU Pueblo) pitched a scoreless ninth inning, striking out two.

Ryan Inouye closed out the game for the NightOwls in the ninth to give his team the victory.

The series continues tomorrow night in Nanaimo before returning to Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park on Thursday, June 13. Thursday is Mayfair Optometric’s annual School Spirit Day which will see over 3000 students from over 20 local schools attend the game. The first pitch is at 11:00 AM. This game is sold out other than standing-room general admission tickets, which can still be purchased.

The Victoria HarbourCats are proud to announce direct links to a DOWNLOADABLE SCHEDULE that will work on your iPhone or tablet, your Google calendar, or your Android device. Click HERE to access the calendars! Contact zach@harbourcats.com if you have any problems downloading the calendar to your device.

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Summer Collegiate

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

Published

1 week ago

March 24, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

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.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – KidSport celebrating notable anniversary with HarbourCats in 2025

Published

2 weeks ago

March 18, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

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.

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