Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – The host family tale of Helen and her boys

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

July 3, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA B.C. — It’s all about the cookies — and the boys.

Helen Edwards is known for many things, her trademark red HC hat perhaps foremost among them at Victoria HarbourCats games.

But for “her boys,” she’s known for her cookies — as a symbol of her hospitality.

Helen is the epitome of opening a home for HarbourCats baseball players, providing a host stay for a combined 14 players since the end of the pandemic. And each one of them has fallen in love with her baking — chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, the cookie jar may just be the busiest place in her Fairfield character home.

“We also had some with mini M&M’s, they love their cookies,” said Helen, a season ticket holder with the HarbourCats since 2014, and one of the foremost experts on Victoria sports. After all, she’s literally written the book on the history of professional hockey in the city, and has a book in publishing mode chronicling the first 10 years of her beloved HarbourCats.

“They’ll eat anything I make, they like my cooking — chili, chicken wings, lasagna, and you should’ve seen the mac and cheese that disappeared last night. That would have been enough for my family for a few days, and it was gone! It’s great that they love it, and it’s nice to have someone to cook for, and see it being eaten.”

Helen has written other books, on her father-in-law’s diary during WW1, and on heritage buildings in Victoria. She’s also part of the ownership group of the HarbourCats, joining the group in 2020 and being the significant contributor to the Edwards Family Training Centre on Cook Street, the indoor facility that serves the HarbourCats, the collegiate Golden Tide, and at least a dozen local baseball and softball groups, providing a sheltered place for training.

This season, Helen has pitchers Devin Holmes, Spencer Hatch, and Cade Rusch, son of former MLB pitcher Glendon Rusch. In 2023, she had a somewhat revolving door with stalwart Jesse Brown leading a Helen-homed group that included Ben Smedshammer, Kevin Shea, Rei Kimura and Zak Johnson. In the 2022 year coming out of covid, she took in Addison Sells, Jace Walker, Walker Bordovsky, Tyler Attal, Nick Taylor and Aidan McCann.

Edwards, a former shareholder of the Vancouver Canucks who also now provides charitable help to many causes as a philanthropist, truly enjoys her interactions with the players, spoiling them with dinners at team sponsor Moxie’s — and she’s a proud advocate of the HarbourCats program, standing up for the organization at all times, in all situations.

“I’m the age of their grandparents, but it doesn’t seem to matter — because we all love baseball and we talk baseball,” said Edwards.

“They are getting me into doing fantasy baseball even, that’s what we talked about. It’s all so cool. Being able to watch them is like watching my own kids play sports, there is a connection, and the people around me always ask which guys are my players. It’s fun to know that I’m helping them, too, and one of them may make it to the Majors one day, and even if they don’t — I’m proud of them.

“The other benefit is meeting the parents, with some there’s an instant connection, and it’s like you’ve known each other forever.”

Every organization needs ambassadors, and people who will go above and beyond — Helen is such an example for not just the HarbourCats, but the West Coast League.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Fall 4-1 to Falcons

Published

14 hours ago

June 6, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Missed opportunities with runners in scoring position led to a disappointing outcome for the Cats. (Photo by Victoria Spotlight Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats were defeated 4-1 by the Kelowna Falcons on Friday night in the first game of the series.

Both sides’ bats stayed quiet until the third inning this evening, when the Falcons drove a pair of base hits up the middle, jumping out in front to a 2-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) entered the game in the top of the fourth to relieve Cats starter Bryson Toner (Hawaii). Toner allowed two runs on five hits through his three innings on the bump this evening, throwing in a walk and a strikeout as well.

Reimers was excellent throughout his first two innings until a leadoff homer in the sixth broke his hitless streak. A second run scored on a passed ball before Reimers was able to get out of the inning and pass the baton to Jack Clark (CSU San Marcos).

The Cats offence woke up in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases and scoring a run on a ball that dropped just fair in left field from Rohne Klein (San Jose State). That was the only run they got on this crucial opportunity, as the Falcons picked up a big strikeout to escape the jam and maintain a 4-1 lead.

Tate Collins (Arkansas State) claimed control of the mound for the Cats in the top of the eighth inning. Despite a leadoff walk, the Little Rock, Arizona native tossed a zero on the board to bring about the bottom of the eighth for the Victoria offence.

The Cats were unable to pull off a comeback after loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth, leaving the runners stranded and losing the ballgame 4-1

WCL STANDINGS

Victoria and Kelowna will be back in action Saturday, June 6 at 6:35 pm for game two of the weekend series.

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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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Take Home Series Win on School Spirit Day

Published

2 days ago

June 5, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Local schools packed the park for game three of the homestand!

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats sent the School Spirit Day crowd home happy on Thursday afternoon, defeating the Edmonton Riverhawks 6-2 to clinch the series win.

The Cats got on the board early in this one thanks to a sizzling long ball off the bat of Matt Westley (George Mason) to lead off the second inning.

BOX SCORE

Right-hander Erik Rico (Fresno State) was utterly dominant through a four-inning start, allowing just one hit and racking up a septet of strikeouts over that span. Austin Lindsey (Hill College) took up the torch in the fifth inning, securing a quick three outs to preserve a 1-0 lead for Victoria.

The Cats put on a show in front of a crowd of 3,128 at Royal Athletic Park.

Victoria found another chance to score in the bottom of the sixth, with infielder Jax Heid (Southeast Oklahoma State) putting pressure on the Edmonton defence and bringing home a run to make it 2-0 for the HarbourCats. Dryden Fuoco (Hill College) wasted no time following up, rocking a line drive to left field and driving in two more.

The very next inning, Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) kicked the score and the energy up a couple notches. The Cats infielder utterly obliterated a baseball, ensuring same-day delivery to Pembroke Street on his second homer in as many days.

Hunter Daniels (Phoenix College) made a relief appearance in the eighth inning for the HarbourCats. The Arizona native allowed two runs, but a shutdown ninth inning from Asher Clark (Northern Colorado) cemented a 6-2 victory for the home team.

WCL STANDINGS

With a series win under their belts, the HarbourCats will take on the Kelowna Falcons for a weekend series, beginning Friday, June 5 at 6:35 pm.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Comeback Bid Unsuccessful in Loss to Riverhawks

Published

3 days ago

June 4, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

The Cats were unable to claw their way back in game two of the homestand. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats hit the field for a skirmish with the Edmonton Riverhawks Wednesday evening, coming up short in a 13-11 loss.

HarbourCats starter Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) wrestled with command issues early on, hitting a batter and issuing two free passes to load the bases in the top of the first inning. Edmonton took advantage, driving a pair of doubles to take a 4-0 lead before Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State) entered the game from the bullpen to get the final out of the opening frame.

BOX SCORE

The Riverhawks stayed on the attack in the second inning, driving in two more runs on a screamer down the left field line to extend their lead to 6-0.

Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) showed up ready to slug. The shortstop notched two leadoff hits; a triple and a homer. (Photo by JPM Photography)

A second-inning leadoff triple from shortstop Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) sparked a Victoria comeback attempt. After Hewitt scored on an errant throw by the Riverhawks catcher, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rohne Klein (San Jose State) would bring in another run for the Cats, closing the gap to 6-2 in favour of Edmonton.

Edmonton answered right back in the top of the third, driving home a run that ended Houston Tomlinson’s outing. Tomlinson, an Arkansas State sophomore from Spring, Texas, pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Summoned from the pen was Landon Marchetti (San Jose State), who quickly secured two outs to head back to the dugout down 7-2.

Marchetti found himself in the midst of a tough spot in the top of the fourth, and a barely fair ball down the line in right field gave the Riverhawks a 9-2 lead.

Outfielder Kade Davis (UTSA) earned three walks in the loss. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The Cats struck back in the bottom of the fourth. Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) blasted a solo homer well beyond the left field wall, followed up by two more runs when the Edmonton infield decided to engage in a snowball fight. The inning came to an end with a sizeable dent in the Riverhawks’ lead, bringing the score to 9-5.

HarbourCats hurler Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) assumed control of the mound to begin the fifth inning, deftly tossing a much-needed zero on the board. Kratt returned for the sixth, surrendering a run to push the Hawks to double digits.

Victoria made things interesting two more runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth, but Edmonton’s three-run shot in the top of the eighth inning kept them in front for a 13-11 win.

WCL STANDINGS

The HarbourCats take the field at 11:05 am tomorrow for the first School Spirit Game of the season, and will host the Kelowna Falcons for a three-game series this weekend.

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