Summer Collegiate

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

Published

3 days 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

NightOwls Drop Series Opener to Wenatchee

Published

2 hours ago

July 6, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

NANAIMO, B.C. — Not getting insurance runs earlier came back to haunt the Nanaimo NightOwls in a 5-4 home field loss to the Wenatchee AppleSox on Friday.

The AppleSox scored two runs in the ninth, on an awkward infield chopper, to go from trailing to leading at Serauxmen Stadium. This was the first game of a three-game series in Nanaimo between the two North Division teams.

Boxscore Link

The NightOwls came out looking very much like the team that hadn’t had to travel all day, as Wenatchee had. Nanaimo scored three times in the first inning, keyed by triples from Wylie Waters and Mitchell Middlemiss, then added another run in the fourth to hold a 4-2 lead.

Wenatchee got within one in the sixth, setting the stage for the come from behind ninth inning. The NightOwls had two runners on base when the final out was recorded.

Standings Link

The NightOwls outhit Wenatchee 11-9 thanks in part to Middlemiss going 3-5. Nanaimo made the only errors of the game, and two of those three were charged in the final inning.

nightowls.tv / WCL Pixellot

Jake Fleury was strong in his start on the mound, striking out four in four innings with no walks, but allowing three hits and two runs. Landon Welter followed him, with Armaan Drar coming in to make clutch pitches to escape a jam and go two scoreless innings. Hayden Cuthbertson took the loss.

The NightOwls are back on the island for a stretch now, completing this series with Wenatchee with games Saturday evening (6:35pm) and Sunday afternoon (1pm).

The Kelowna Falcons then arrive for a Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday set at Serauxmen.

Tickets are available online, at the gate, or get general admission vouchers at all Save On Foods locations in Nanaimo, Ladysmith and Parksville. The NightOwls are expecting more strong crowds for this weekend series after setting a franchise record on Monday with 3,127 in attendance for the Canada Day Classic doubleheader and fireworks show.

Next week, the games on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, ticketed fans will all get a chance to win highly valued concert tickets for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, arriving in Vancouver in December.

Tickets Link

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats bats go quiet, lose 2-0 to the Falcons

Published

2 hours ago

July 6, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

Michelle Artzberger is batting .357 with seven RBIs in his first seven HarbourCats games (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

July 5, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — The Kelowna Falcons edged the Victoria HarbourCats in what turned into a pitcher’s duel in the series opener, winning 2-0 on Pride Night.

Ryne Palmer (Cal Baptist) started his fifth game of the season for the HarbourCats. The right-hander struggled with control, walking four and hitting one batter, but pitched out of trouble on multiple occasions striking out four. Palmer gave up zero runs on just one hit over three innings.

Falcons starting pitcher Carson Kimbell pitched six shutout innings, giving up two hits while striking out five.

BOX SCORE

Ryne Palmer leads the HarbourCats with 19.1 innings pitched (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Brandon Bertsch (Texas) was impressive over a season-high four innings pitched. He gave up one run, a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, on one hit while striking out one batter.

Brett Harvey (Puget Sound) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to keep the HarbourCats within one.

LEAGUE STANDINGS

Flynn Ridley (Ottawa) walked the lead-off batter in the top of the ninth and that came back to haunt him as Nate Castellon’s RBI single gave the Falcons a crucial insurance run, making it 2-0.

Returning for a second straight season, Michael Crossland (UC San Diego) made his season debut going 1-4 with a ninth-inning double. That brought the tying run to the plate but Tyrus Hall (Bossier Parish) grounded out to end the game.

WATCH GAMES HERE

It was Pride Night at the ballpark, presented by The Oswego Hotel (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Carter Boone made his season debut for the Falcons, pitching the final three innings giving up one hit while striking out three.

The HarbourCats hope to find their offensive rhythm tomorrow for another 6:35 PM game against the Falcons. It’s Burpees for Charity Night with KidSport! Get tickets at http://harbourcats.com/tickets, by coming to the office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street in advance, or by calling 778-265-0327. You can also purchase general admission vouchers at all Save On Foods in the South Island.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a host family of the HarbourCats players? Read all about how rewarding the experience is through the eyes of our very own Helen Edwards HERE. If you are interested in becoming a host family, email Cindy at hostfamily@harbourcats.com.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats earn bragging rights over the NightOwls, win the 2024 Island Cup

Published

14 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

July 5, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — Walk-off wins, fireworks on and off the field, and tension down to the last day, the Victoria HarbourCats edged the Nanaimo NightOwls five games to four to win the 2024 RE/MAX Generation Island Cup! The HarbourCats have won the cup three years, since the inaugural Island Cup in 2022.

This season the NightOwls and the HarbourCats faced off nine times, which was an increase in games from last season and made for a great rivalry on the field. The HarbourCats won two of the first three games this season against the Owls, capped off by a walk-off win on School Spirit Day in front of 5000 fans.

Later in June, the HarbourCats opened a series in Nanaimo with back-to-back wins, increasing their lead in the Island Cup to four games to one. Victoria was one win away from clinching the cup, but Nanaimo did not go away quietly. The Owls comfortably won the next two games against Victoria, scoring 13 runs in each of those wins.

Due to a postponement caused by rain, the Island Cup came down to a doubleheader on Canada Day, with the Cats needing one more win. The HarbourCats won game one of the doubleheader holding on for a 4-3 victory. The NightOwls won game two 5-4 on a walk-off win of their own, meaning the hotly contested season series went to Victoria.

You can access the full box scores for all nine games below.

June 11: Nanaimo 7-4 Victoria

June 12: Victoria 8-4 Nanaimo

June 13: Nanaimo 1-2 Victoria

June 18: Victoria 8-3 Nanaimo

June 19: Victoria 4-2 Nanaimo

June 20: Victoria 5-13 Nanaimo

June 30: Nanaimo 13-4 Victoria

July 1 Game one: Victoria 4-3 Nanaimo

July 1 Game two: Victoria 4-5 Nanaimo

Thank you to Alex Burns and RE/MAX Generation for their incredible support.

The HarbourCats are back at home TONIGHT for a weekend series against the Kelowna Falcons. Tonight’s 6:35 PM first pitch is Pride Night presented by The Oswego Hotel! Saturday is the Burpees for Charity game with Kidsport, also at 6:35 PM. Sunday’s 1:05 start is Harvey the HarbourCat’s Birthday! You won’t want to miss the celebration! Get tickets at http://harbourcats.com/tickets, by coming to the office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street in advance, or by calling 778-265-0327.

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