Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Team Black prevails in Game 1 of Golden Tide Intersquad World Series
Above: Team Black’s Zeke Holt celebrates scoring one of six runs in the second inning against Team Gold Wednesday.
Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart
October 28, 2021, Victoria, BC – Team Black jumped out to an early 6-0 lead but then had to hang on for an exciting 14-13 win over Team Gold in Game 1 of the Victoria Golden Tide Inter-squad Wold Series on Wednesday afternoon at Wilson’s Group Stadium in Victoria.
Team Black shortstop Brandon Green puts the tag on Team Gold baserunner Tyler Burton during this first inning rundown on Wednesday.
The World Series, the first for the inaugural year of Golden Tide baseball, pits Team Gold (coached by Ethan Fox) against Team Black (coached by Kyle Orr) in a best of three series. The winning team not only gets bragging rights, but will be awarded with a night in the Wilson’s Transportation Group suite at a Victoria Royals game.
Team Gold’s Brody Alexandre had two hits, a walk and two runs scored in the loss to Team Black Wednesday.
The Series is being played under some unique rules, designed to speed up game play and keep the games exciting, as due to other events scheduled in the evenings at the stadium, games have to be completed by 6:30pm.
As such, pitchers are required to pitch within 10 seconds and teams have to hustle on and off the field between innings. Any delays or infractions will warrant a warning from Head Coach Curtis Pelletier and if a team is notified a second time, a run is granted to their opponents.
Team Black left-handed slugger Ryan Deagle had two singles, a double a walk and two RBI to lead the Team Black offence Wednesday.
Batters are also not allowed to call time outs, or a strike will be called, catchers have pinch runners at all times and in all the even numbered innings, teams begin the inning with a runner on second base.
While there were a few warnings in Wednesday’s game, there were no penalty runs awarded under the rules, however the runner at second in the even innings had a dramatic impact on the game, with seven of those eight runners ultimately scoring.
Team Gold’s Daniel Sawchyn, here celebrating a score, would have three hits and two RBI to pace the Team Gold offence.
This aspect came into effect immediately Wednesday, as Team Black would jump on Gold starter Brady Wilson for six runs in the top of the second inning, thanks to five five consecutive base hits, one of which, by high schooler Ryan Deagle, scored Alex Mclauchlan, the special runner, with the first run of the game.
Team Black’s Brett Paterson would be credited with the win in relief on Wednesday.
Team Gold would get one of those runs back in the second, when special runner Brody Alexandre scored despite a 1-2-3 inning and then they would jump into a brief 7-6 lead in the third, when they finally got to Black starter Ethan Dean for six runs on the strength of six hits.
A three-run fourth inning, keyed by an RBI single from Jaxson Cordle, would put Team Black back in front 9-6 and they would extend that lead to 14-9 heading to the bottom of the eighth (the agreed upon final inning due to curfew).
Team Black’s Jaxson Cordle slides safely into second base ahead of the throw to Team Gold second baseman Myles Wall.
Team Gold would not go down without a fight however and after a pair of walks and singles from Parker Harris, Daniel Sawchyn and Alexandre, they had closed the gap to 14-13 with the tying run sitting on second base. Reliever Haldon Craig would not be fazed however and struck out Jordan Bond to end the game and preserve the crucial game one win.
Team Gold’s Will Podmoroff hustles to third base during action Wednesday against Team Black.
For Team Black at the plate, Parksville Royal product Deagle had a great night, slashing two singles, a double, two RBI and scoring twice. Zeke Holt also had a three hit night with two runs scored, while Cordle, Ryan Whelan and Witt Nevins all had RBI base hits.
On the hill, Dean was picked up with some solid middle-inning relief by Brett Paterson, who gets credit for the win, going three innings and surrendering two runs on one hit and two walks. Nate Major pitched the seventh and part of the eighth innings and Craig would get the save.
Team Gold’s Jayden Puri would provide four innings of solid relief in Wednesday’s game.
For Team Gold, Sawchyn would lead the offence with three hits, two RBI and a run scored, while Alexandre would chip in with two hits a walk and two runs scored. Tyler Burton was his usual instigator in the leadoff spot, with a single, walking three times and scoring twice, while Victoria Eagle product Ryder Green would single, walk and score three times in the losing effort.
Team Black’s Zeke Holt would make a valiant effort to catch this foul pop-up in Wednesday’s game.
On the mound, Wilson would pitch through the fourth, taking the loss. Jayden Puri would take over in relief, finishing the game and giving up five runs on five hits and three walks in his four innings of work.
Game two in the series was scheduled for 4:00 pm on Thursday afternoon, but has now been cancelled because of extreme rain and weather. It will now be played Friday at 4:00 pm. Game three then (if needed), would likely then be held Sunday afternoon, with a time to be determined.
Tam Gold’s Jordan Bond slides safely into second, ahead of the throw to Team Black second baseman Austin Gurney.
The Golden Tide will also be in action on Saturday for their last formal game of the fall season, when they take on the Ontario Giants at 3:00 pm at Wilson’s Group Stadium in a single nine-inning game. Tickets are available at the gate. That game will be preceded by a game at 12 noon between the HarbourCats Players Development Club and the Giants U16 club. That game is included with the ticket for the Tide game at 3:00pm.
Team Black catcher Andrew Baxter puts the tag on Team Gold’s Jordan Bond on this play at the plate Wednesday.
There’s no better formula than finding hungry baseball players who are driven to prove they can battle with the best in the West Coast League.
The Nanaimo NightOwls have worked hard this off season to further connect with programs that have sent strong players to Serauxmen Stadium the last few years.
Case in point — Everett Community College, as the Trojans program has previously sent all-stars Adison Mattix and Talan Zenk to Nanaimo. Or Scottsdale CC, which sent Ryder Florence and Dalton Hanson.
Now, Everett is returning Zenk to Nanaimo but also has big bats in Davis Downer and Lukas Cheha headed north in late May, while Scottsdale CC is placing raw power arm Jackson Roybal with the NightOwls.
“Not only have their players been good for us on the field, they have fit with the coaching staff, the organization and in the community,” said GM Tina Cornett. “We know they will come here prepared and be up to the challenge of a very strong league like ours.”
Announced as signed today by Head Coach Cody Andreychuk:
IF/OF Lukas Cheha, Everett CC, R/R, 6-4/190, Seattle, WA
OF Davis Downer, Everett CC, R/R, 6-0/205, Mukilteo, WA
OF Preston Harrison, Dodge City CC, R/R, 6-1/190, Allen, TX
RHP Jackson Roybal, Scottsdale CC, 6-0/155, R/R, Rio Rancho, NM
C Damon Valdez, Long Beach State, R/R, 6-3/185, Long Beach, CA
C Kaleb Ceola, Central Missouri, R/R, 5-7/150, Springdale, AR
Roybal is a freshman righthander who is fairly new to pitching but is topping out at 94, with an opportunity to learn under veteran pitching coach Gorm Heimueller, who will be celebrating 50 years in the game this summer. Roybal is 2-3 this spring in 17 appearances.
Cheha has been a breakthrough freshman at Everett CC, teaming with Downer, a sophomore, to lead the Trojans offense and support Zenk. Cheha leads the team in hits (44) and average (.373), ahead of Downer (41 and .315), who sits second. Both are piling up the extra base hits as well.
Harrison is putting up big numbers for Dodge City CC, batting .336 with nine home runs and nine stolen bases, playing mainly right field.
In Valdez and Ceola, the catching position will be in strong hands. Valdez is getting good playing time at D1 Long Beach State because of his strong arm, starting 15 games as a freshman and recording six RBIs so far. Ceola is batting .435 with 40pct of his hits going for extra bases at Central Missouri, with just one strikeout this season.
Single Game, 10 game Flex Passes, and limited Season Tickets, available now.
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Fresno State starting shortstop signs for summer with HarbourCats
Six more D1 players, including five pitchers and Fresno State shortstop Brady Hewitt (above), ready to play in Victoria
April 15, 2026
For immediate release
VICTORIA, B.C. — The Victoria HarbourCats have had a lot of success working with Fresno State Bulldogs players, and Brady Hewitt could be the next key recruit from the D1 program.
Hewitt, the starter as a freshman, was all conference player of the year as a high school senior and is hitting .353 with 18 extra-base hits — 12 doubles, three triples and three home runs.
“We’ve had a lot of success with Fresno State guys putting on a HarbourCats uniform over the years,” said GM Christian Stewart, “and adding Brady and two promising pitchers keeps that tradition alive. Cayden Munster, Sky Collins, Tyler Patrick and Cam Schneider are recent Bulldogs who became fan favourites in Victoria.”
Added today to the HarbourCats 2026 roster are:
- IF Brady Hewitt, Fresno State, R/R, 6-2/200, Simi Valley, CA
- RHP Erik Rico, Fresno State, 6-0/195, Visalia, CA
- RHP Brandon Thomas, Fresno State, 6-4/235, Cypress, CA
- RHP Brandon Vasquez, St. Mary’s, 6-4/210, Round Rock, TX
- RHP Aiden Barrientes, Texas Christian University, 6-1/195, Katy, TX
- RHP Cade Nelson, Texas Christian University, 6-6/205, Katy, TX
Erik Rico, also a freshman, is working out of the bullpen after a strong high school career where he was also the quarterback of the football team. Thomas is an imposing figure on the mound with 12 appearances as a freshman so far, going 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 21 innings.
Brandon Thomas is a freshman who has appeared in 21 innings so far this spring for the Bulldogs, building a 4.29 ERA with 20 strikeouts. As a senior in high school, he owned a 6-5 record with a 0.79 ERA, and 81 strikeouts in 79.1 innings of work.
6-6 TCU pitcher Cade Nelson should be a dominating figure on the mound for the HarbourCats in 2026 (Photo courtesy TCU).
Brandon Vasquez is a redshirt junior who is 3-2 with a 5.05 ERA in 34 college outings, which includes 10 starts and a complete game this season.
Freshman Aiden Barrientes was at the 2025 MLB draft combine, and set his high school’s strikeout record with 129, also named the Sports Illustrated player of the week in May of 2025. He is working out of the pen for the Horned Frogs.
Cade Nelson is from the same Texas town and high school as Barrientes, has started four games as a freshman at TCU, fanning 19 hitters in 18.2 innings so far this season.
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 and 2026 All-Star Game ticket packages are now on sale at harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 1814 Vancouver Street.
Dillon Lopez celebrates his walk-off base hit that gave Victoria a 10-9 win over the Kelowna Falcons last July 12 (Photo: Justin Morash)
April 7, 2026
Story by Norm LeBus
Photos by Justin Morash
At 11 years old, I was five foot seven and almost as wide, so catcher or right field was the best guess in Little League. A late growth spurt and affinity for Gram’s baking meant I didn’t move very quickly, but I did take up a lot of space.
Squatting with a cage on my head, I closed my eyes when I saw a club swing overhead. Then a ball hit me right in the chest protector.
“Maybe join the outfielders,” coach said.
That was 1970.
I’ve always had a respect for catchers. A crouched blend of courage and mule stubbornness, donning and shedding protective amour between innings. Kind of a point guard in the summer heat, bending to a kneel then standing dozens of times a game, guiding eight on-field players into place and counseling shaky pitchers.
So, it’s validating to hear catching feels exactly like it looks.
“When I started, I’d be sore for a couple days after catching games,” Dillon Lopez says.
“I guess over time you kind of get used to hurting all the time. You get used to your body feeling not one hundred percent and you kind of roll with it.”
Lopez, 21, is currently a junior at NCAA Div 1 program St Mary’s University in San Antonio, his hometown. Lopez joined the Cats late in 2025, arriving July 1 after the team’s starting catcher, Jacob Silva, injured his toe sliding into a base in Kelowna.
“If Dillon had arrived earlier, he no doubt would have been one of our all-star selections,” Harbourcats GM Christian Stewart contends. “He’s just a guy you can send up to the plate with confidence and put behind the dish with confidence to handle any of our pitchers.”
Lopez, 5-10 and about 200 pounds, is kind of built for the job.
Dillon Lopez salutes the crowd after his walk-off base hit gave the Cats a dramatic 10-9 win over the Kelowna Falcons last July 12th (Photo: Justin Morash).
In the WCL, you’re crouched behind home plate in about seven pounds of armour, in what amounts to the engine room. Two opposing forces are trying to collide: a hickory or birch bat whirls past your ear at almost 100 miles an hour as a ball’s incoming at close to the same velocity. When the two intersect, it’s game action: foul ball or in-play on the diamond.
But most of the game, the ball lands in the catcher’s mitt for balls and strikes.
“It doesn’t come too close to my head,” Lopez says of the bat. “But it does come pretty close to my glove. All I try to do is focus on catching the ball.”
Every inch of the catcher is protected, including their throat. It’s kind of a dangerous place. And catchers need to keep it calm in the eye of the storm.
“We’re more of a coach on the field,” Lopez says. “We see everything and we keep everybody in check and remind everybody what they have to do.”
My right field recollections were a lot of daydreaming punctuated by one or maybe two fly balls a game and less grounders.
Not so if you play catcher.
“I love catching because I’m always in the game and helps me stay locked in on what ‘s going on,” Lopez says. “If definitely takes a lot of focus and some homework, understanding batters’ swings and their tendencies.
Lopez is also an outstanding hitter. Arriving July 1 last season, he played 24 games and hit .350 with four doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI.
Currently back in San Antonio for his junior year at St Mary’s University, Lopez is hitting .362 with eight dingers and 43 RBI in 35 games this spring.
Lopez is also outstanding in the classroom as a three-time conference honour roll student in his field of sport science.
And he’s a student of the game, studying both his swing and his catching form on video most nights during the season, ensuring his fundamentals don’t stray.
“Your swing can change slightly during the season,” he explains. “There’s mental fatigue and body fatigue and you have to push through the fog, stay true to fundamentals and not chase little fixes that up end altering the foundation.”
The last year has been a huge challenge for Lopez outside the lines. Three months before he joined the Cats in 2025, Lopez lost a family member after a lengthy illness.
Dillon Lopez should be a steady influence behind the plate for the HarbourCats again in 2026 (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
His St Mary’s teammate, Garret Brooks, who also arrived in Victoria at the beginning of July, was instrumental at the start.
“He definitely helped me out with getting in there and getting situated,” Lopez recalls. “We hung out with a lot of the guys and kind of got to fit in a little bit, especially when it’s the middle of summer and everybody’s already used to each other.”
It didn’t hurt that both players made immediate impacts: Brooks hit .343 with six doubles and 13 RBI in 20 games; Lopez homered three times with 18 RBI, four doubles and hit .350 in 21 games.
Through 30 games in the current NCAA season that began in February, both players are rolling at St Mary’s: both are hitting well above .300 with a combined 12 homers and 63 RBI.
And when the calendar hits June, Lopez plans to be behind home plate for the first pitch.
“I feel like it should be much better transition wise,” Lopez says. “I get to experience opening day and get the fans to kind of know me a bit more than a new face.
“It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to winning a lot of games.”
Lopez and 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 and 2026 All-Star Game ticket packages are now on sale at harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 1814 Vancouver Street.
Booming bats and a promising right-hander sign with NightOwls
Victoria HarbourCats – Fresno State starting shortstop signs for summer with HarbourCats
Victoria HarbourCats – Fan-Favourite Lopez excited to return to Victoria
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Summer Collegiate1 week agoVictoria HarbourCats – Fan-Favourite Lopez excited to return to Victoria
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Summer Collegiate24 hours ago
Booming bats and a promising right-hander sign with NightOwls
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Victoria HarbourCats – Fresno State starting shortstop signs for summer with HarbourCats
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