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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – THE TIDE IS IN! College baseball arrives in Victoria

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College team makes debut in Victoria, Home Opener on September 17th.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 8, 2021

Victoria, BC – College baseball has arrived in Victoria!

The Victoria Golden Tide will make their debut this Thursday at the Zack Downey Memorial Tournament at Layritz Park and will then have their home opener at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park on Friday September 17th at 6:00 pm against Thompson Rivers University.

Catcher Parker Harris (58) sets up to throw to second during infield drills Tuesday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

The Golden Tide are the newest entry in the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC), an eight-team domestic league that in addition to Victoria, has teams in Nanaimo (Vancouver Island University), Kelowna (Okanagan College), Kamloops (Thompson Rivers University), Chilliwack/Abbotsford (University of the Fraser Valley), Calgary (University of Calgary), Lethbridge (Prairie Baseball Academy) and Edmonton (Edmonton Collegiate Baseball Club).

48 players will be vying for playing time on the Golden Tide this fall (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

The Tide will be Victoria’s first formal organized college baseball team. There was an attempt a number of years ago to get a college team off the ground, but it never really materialized.

Infielder Austin Wall (4) puts the tag on baserunner Ben Natingor (26) (Photos: Christian J. Stewart)

The Golden Tide roster, currently at 48 players, is comprised of student athletes from the University of Victoria and Camosun College, all of whom have played elite level baseball at the high school level, or who have previous university and college level experience. Those 48 players have already been working out at Wilson’s Group Stadium in preparation for this weekend’s tournament.

With any luck, Golden Tide Head Coach Curtis Pelletier will have his team #1 in the CCBC both in the fall and spring of 2022 (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

The Golden Tide will play an approximate 35-game exhibition season in the fall of 2021 with at least 16 of those games at Wilson’s Group Stadium (see schedule at end of note). They will also participate in the CCBC Fall Championship in Kelowna October 8-11 and will hold their own Intersquad World Series at the end of October.

The official 32-game CCBC League season begins April 1-3 weekend in 2022 and runs until mid-May. Many of the game dates, both fall and spring, will consist of daytime double headers.

Infielder Myles Wall (2) gets set to put the tag on a baserunner during base stealing drills on Tuesday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

The Tide are backed by the Victoria HarbourCats of the West Coast League. Games will be played at Wilson’s Group Stadium and the players will utilize the HarbourCats Indoor Training facility on Cook Street for indoor and winter work.

Tide infielder Brandon Green (5) turns two during infield practice Tuesday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Players on the Golden Tide will be eligible to play for the HarbourCats and in fact, most likely some will, especially during the start of the West Coast League season when the HarbourCats are waiting for players to arrive from U.S. schools. Others may play for the full season, should it be warranted.

Infielder Parker Swinton (39) snags an errant throw during a base stealing drill on Tuesday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

The Tide will be managed by Curtis Pelletier who is well known to HarbourCats fans as the Hitting Coach for the ‘Cats and the Director of the youth Players Development Club. Pelletier will be joined on the Golden Tide coaching staff by Pitching Coach Ethan Fox, Hitting Coach Kyle Orr, Assistant Coaches Shawn Loglisci, Aaron Witzke, Mike Musselwhite and Ryan Haines and Strength and Conditioning Coach Jeremy Cordle.

Golden Tide Head Coach Curtis Pelletier observes a portion of Tuesday’s team workout from up high in the stands (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Tickets for all Golden Tide home games are available for just $5, or $10 for seats in the Grandstand (Sec. 10)(open seating). Booster Club memberships are also available for $200, and include admission to all fall /spring games, priority seating in Diamond Club / Campbell Club sections, and a free hat and t-shirt.

Tickets are available at gate, or in advance at the HarbourCats office, 101-1814 Vancouver Street, or by calling 778-265-0327.

Infielder Myles Wall (2) leaps to catch a throw as Austin Wall (4) slides beneath him during a base stealing drill Tuesday (Photos: Christian J. Stewart)

ZACK DOWNEY TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE, LAYRITZ PARK, SAANICH

Thu Sep 9 2:30pm vs Victoria Mariners
Fri Sep 10 2:30 pm vs Saskatchewan Prep
Sat Sep 11 9:30am vs Victoria Eagles
Remaining games depend on placement but likely either 10AM or 12:30 Sunday for semis and then 3PM for Final.

Pitcher Cameron Dunn (44) gets his work in on the mound Tuesday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

GOLDEN TIDE FALL HOME SCHEDULE

SEP. 17, 6PM – TRU WOLFPACK
SEP. 19, 1PM – VAN.ISLE UNIV. (DH*)
SEP. 25, 1PM – FRASER VALLEY (DH)
SEP. 26, 3PM – MID-ISLE PIRATES (DH)
OCT. 2, 6PM – VICTORIA MARINERS
OCT. 16, 1PM – VAN. ISLE PREP (DH)
OCT. 17, 1PM – UBC (DH)
OCT. 23, 1PM – TBA (DH)
OCT. 24, 1PM – PARKSVILLE ROYALS (DH)
OCT. 26-31 INTERSQUAD WORLD SERIES
*DH = Double Header

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Win Series with 14-7 Victory

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The Cats played hard with the lead all afternoon to come away with a 14-7 win. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The Redmond Dudes took on the HarbourCats for the rubber match of the series, eventually being ousted from town in a 14-7 Cats win.

Collegiate Cats pitcher Nate Major was simply lights-out through his three-inning start today. The right-hander only allowed two hits, striking out two and keeping the Dudes off the board.

BOX SCORE

The HarbourCats the first move offensively in the bottom of the third inning, as designated hitter Logan Shepherd (Mercer) singled to right field to drive in Hayden Woodson (USC) and take a 1-0 lead.

Major was relieved in the top of the fourth by Travis Hartfield, another Collegiate Cats pitcher, who made quick work of Redmond’s lineup for three more clean innings! Hartfield’s afternoon came to an end following the sixth inning, allowing no runs on just one hit.

Kade Davis went 1/2 with two runs scored in the Thursday matinee. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria made a splash in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Redmond walked in a run before allowing two more to cross the plate on a wild pitch and a throwing error, breaking the game open and extending the Cats’ lead to 4-0. Carter Eberhard (Cal Baptist) came to the plate ready to swing in the next inning, driving in run number five on a single right back up the middle.

The HarbourCats went to the bullpen in the seventh for another Collegiate Cats arm, this time retrieving Peter Cunningham. The righty walked the bases loaded, surrendering four runs on a sacrifice fly, a single, and a double to tighten the score to 5-4 in favour of Victoria.

Hayden Woodson found his way home on an error in the next inning to bolster the Cats’ fragile lead, but the Dudes swung right back. Three more runs scored in the top of the eighth, giving Redmond the upper hand in a 7-6 ballgame. The away team then threw the lead away, loading the bases with no outs and allowing two runs on a pair of wild pitches. The Cats’ bats took advantage of the opportunity, widening the lead to 10-7 courtesy of a Hayden Woodson base hit.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats kept adding on and Redmond just couldn’t keep up, eventually resulting in a 14-7 victory for Victoria.

The HarbourCats will now hit the road for a weekend series in Port Angeles against the Lefties!

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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Victoria HarbourCats – Dudes Claim Game Two 9-5

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Victoria, B.C. – The Cats and Dudes faced off again on Wednesday evening, with Redmond taking a 9-5 victory this time.

It was the Dudes’ turn to strike first tonight. Victoria starting pitcher Carson Ackermann (Tacoma) got two outs in the top of the first before watching a ball sail over the left field fence for the first run of the ballgame. The top of the Cats lineup was quick to answer with a leadoff double by Hayden Woodson (USC), a stolen base, and a Logan Shepherd (Mercer) sacrifice fly to bring home the tying run in the bottom of the first inning.

BOX SCORE

Redmond came close to taking back the lead in the top of the second, but the go-ahead run was gunned down at the plate on a laser beam from Rohne Klein (San Jose State) in left field. Although the Dudes were kept scoreless, Ackermann’s command noticeably wavered in his second inning of work, inspiring a pitching change for the Cats.

Pierce Stone (Regis) appeared on the mound in the top of the third. After a couple of Cats errors led to a go-ahead run for the Dudes, Stone held strong and left the rubber with the Cats down 2-1. The sidewinder returned for the fourth and let another run slip by, but a bizarre Redmond baserunning gaffe somehow resulted in a double-rundown to end the frame.

Photo by JPM Photography

Proven clutch performer Matt Westley (George Mason) drew the score back to even in the bottom of the fourth. Following a couple of stolen bases to create an RISP opportunity, the third baseman sizzled a ball through the infield to tie the game at three.

Hunter Daniels (Phoenix) took control of the mound to kick off the fifth inning, and was immediately greeted by a solo homer to put Redmond back in the lead. The freshman had a shaky inning, walking two batters in a row, but managed to end the frame without surrendering another run. Daniels ran into more trouble in the form of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, walking in three runs to widen the Dudes’ lead to 7-3.

Finn Vlahovic (Collegiate Cats) made his HarbourCats debut in the top of the seventh, working quickly to complete a clean inning. That solid frame paved the way for a Jax Heid (Southeast Oklahoma State) solo blast in the bottom of the seventh to chip away at the lead.

The Cats looked dangerous in the bottom of the eighth, finding themselves with runners on second and third with no outs. Victoria’s offence only scraped together one run on the opportunity though, scoring on a groundout to second base.

Local catcher Jai Berezowski (Victoria Collegiate) made his pitching debut in the top of the ninth inning for the Cats. The backstop-turned-bullpen arm stunned with two straight strikeouts to shut down the Dudes.

Victoria tried and failed to get a rally going in the bottom of the ninth, sealing a 9-5 win for Redmond.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats finish off the exhibition series on Thursday morning for an 11:05 School Spirit Game!

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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Victoria HarbourCats – Offence Prevails in 17-7 Victory Over Redmond

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Hayden Woodson (USC) and many others crossed the plate for the Cats tonight. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The home team put on a show tonight in a decisive 17-7 defeat of the Redmond Dudes.

The HarbourCats were thankful for the invention of the batting helmet in the first inning. After loading the bases with one out in the opening frame, Redmond pitching walked two batters and plunked three in a row, inviting a parade of runners across the plate. The Cats were more than happy to trade ice packs for runs, taking an early 5-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

Cats starter Asher Clark (Northern Colorado) looked much more controlled, but a line drive to right field drove in Redmond’s first run in the top of the second inning.

It was a full team effort tonight to take away the win. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The onslaught continued for the HarbourCats in their second wave at the plate. A couple of bases loaded walks and singles from Carter Eberhard (Cal Baptist) and Logan Shepherd (Mercer) vaulted the score to 11-1 by the time the dust settled on the second inning.

Redmond fought back once again in the very next inning on the watch of Tate Collins (Arkansas State). The Dudes wrangled two more runs by way of a double off the wall to right field, but still found themselves on the wrong end of an 11-3 ballgame.

The Dudes continued to chip away throughout the middle innings, but were fended off by Collins and Marcus Janovsky (UBC) for the most part. Janovsky in particular put on a reliable performance this evening, striking out three Dudes and giving up one hit in just under two innings of work.

Marcus Janovsky had one of his best outings of the season, tallying three strikeouts. (Photo by JPM Photography)

A seemingly routine single by Logan Shepherd turned into trouble for the Dudes when aggressive baserunning and an errant throw combined. Jax Heid blazed his way around to third base and managed to dash home, scoring lucky number 13 for the Cats.

Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) was tapped in to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, conceding a couple of runs before handing the ball off to Anson Stuckly (Texas A&M Corpus Christi). Stuckly closed it out with a smooth ninth inning and the HarbourCats vacated the field with a 17-7 win.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats and Dudes do battle twice more this week, once on Wednesday night at 6:35 pm and again on Thursday at 11:05 am for School Spirit Day!

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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