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West Coast League revises 2021 schedule to eliminate International travel

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The West Coast League has announced the adoption of a revised 2021 schedule that eliminates all regular-season international travel.

The new schedule will consist of the league’s U.S.-based members playing each other, and the league’s Canada-based members doing the same. This revised structure leaves open the possibility of a full league playoff format.

“After the adversities we all faced last year,” West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer said, “we’re looking forward to a new season devoted to our communities and our student-athletes. At the same time, we’re grateful for the guidance and assistance of local, state, and provincial health officials while prioritizing the health and safety of our players, staffs, fans, and host families.”

The revised schedule for U.S.-based teams was announced Tuesday and includes 48 WCL games per team, with the regular-season slate beginning on Friday, June 4, and ending on Thursday, August 12.

All 10 U.S. teams will be in action for Opening Night, with the Bellingham Bells hosting the Port Angeles Lefties, the Ridgefield Raptors hosting the Bend Elks, the Yakima Valley Pippins hosting the Corvallis Knights, the Cowlitz Black Bears hosting the Walla Walla Sweets, and the Portland Pickles hosting the Wenatchee AppleSox.

Of course, all West Coast League teams will continue to follow local and state guidelines regarding health and safety.

Click here to view the full U.S. only schedule.

“I’m confident,” Neyer said, “that this new schedule serves as a tremendous framework for what’s looking like an exciting return to WCL baseball in 2021. Of course we’re disappointed that our U.S. teams won’t be visiting our Canadian teams, and vice versa. But we remain optimistic about a restorative 2021 season north of the border as well, especially with three new teams in wonderful markets.”

The League and four Canadian teams—the Victoria HarbourCats, along with the expansion Edmonton Riverhawks, Kamloops NorthPaws, and Nanaimo NightOwls—continue to work toward a Canadian-only schedule, while closely monitoring the pandemic responses by border officials and provincial health officers.

The Kelowna Falcons announced last week their withdrawal from the 2021 schedule. “Although a tough decision,” Falcons general manager Mark Nonis said, “I feel that it’s the right one at this time, for both my players and my community. So now we’re turning our focus in Kelowna toward a great West Coast League season in 2022.”

With 15 teams spread across two U.S. states and two Canadian provinces—including our new teams in British Columbia and Alberta—the WCL’s growing geographic diversity remains one of our great strengths, as we continue providing tremendous opportunities for outstanding collegiate players to compete in the West’s premier collegiate summer baseball league.

For team-specific information, including game times and non-league exhibition games, please consult the teams’ individual websites.

About the West Coast League: The West Coast League is the West’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Encompassing Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and now Alberta, the WCL showcases pro prospects from major conferences around the nation. Every summer, the league features unparalleled fan and player experiences, with North America’s best baseball weather. The 2019 MLB amateur draft began with former Corvallis Knight Adley Rutschman selected with the overall No. 1 pick by the Baltimore Orioles. Also in 2019, 317 WCL alums were active in affiliated professional baseball, including 45 in the major leagues, while overall attendance in the West Coast League increased to nearly half a million fans.

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Clinch Series Win Against Lefties

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Jacob Silva was all over the bases in this one, earning three walks and stealing three bases. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats and Lefties faced off for the second of three games this week, with Victoria nailing down a 3-2 win to clinch the series.

Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) got off to a good start in this one with a strikeout to begin the game. Unfortunately, that was all the action the right-hander would get, as a comebacker hit him up high which necessitated his removal from the game. Davis Lee (Calgary) was activated to step in for his fallen comrade and picked up where he left off, striking out two Lefties to finish the first inning.

BOX SCORE

The HarbourCats got it in gear in the bottom of the second beginning with a leadoff walk earned by Jacob Silva (UTSA). Michael Rodda (Palomar) singled with two outs and took an extra base to move up to second before Cameron Chee-Aloy (Illinois) blooped a ball into right field. Both infielders came around to score and the Cats took a 2-0 lead.

Davis Lee’s excursion came to an end after nearly four full frames of shutout baseball. Lee suffocated the Lefties with six strikeouts in 3.2 innings before bowing out for Tristin Thomas (West Texas A&M) in the top of the fifth. Thomas hit the ground running and picked up two K’s in a quick three-up three-down inning.

Victoria picked up their pitching staff by extending the lead in the bottom of the fifth with a run manufactured by Cameron Chee-Aloy. The speedy centre fielder walked, stole second, stole third base, and came all the way home when the throw went way over the head of the third baseman. Heads-up baserunning from Chee-Aloy, and a 3-0- lead for the home team.

Tristin Thomas struck out five batters in just two innings. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Port Angeles responded in the sixth with a pair of singles to begin the inning, and later drove in their first run on a laser out to left field. Nonetheless, Thomas was able to shrug it off and finish the inning off with three strikeouts. The New Mexico native came back for the seventh, but two walks in a row to start the inning spelled the end of his night. Nathan Mueller (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) took his place with no outs and a couple of runners on and deftly found his way out of the jam with a strikeout and two groundouts.

Mueller mounted another daring escape in the eighth. A plunked batter and a double put runners on second and third with no outs, but Mueller locked in and secured three consecutive strikeouts to put up another scoreless inning. The Lefties had another comeback attempt in the ninth, but Victoria buckled down and clinched the series with a 3-2 victory.

WCL STANDINGS

There are only two home games remaining in the 2026 regular season including the finale of our mid-week set against the Port Angeles Lefties on Thursday night! Then on August 3rd, we end the season with a bang! Our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Hold On in 6-5 Nail-Biter

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Jeremiah Arnett was integral to getting the win in this tight Tuesday night ballgame. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The Cats hosted the Port Angeles Lefties for the first of the three game set and held on by the skin of their teeth to take a 6-5 win.

Victoria took an early advantage in this one, scoring in the second inning. After Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) worked a walk out of a long at-bat to leadoff the frame, the catcher immediately stole second base and came home on a single by Aidan Rice (Portland) that bounced through the middle of the infield. Rice simply would not be contained, as he stole second and third back-to-back before coming in to score from third on a groundout.

BOX SCORE

Meanwhile, it was another episode of the Jeremiah Arnett show on the defensive side. The Rice University starter and WCL All-Star was unflappable in the first four innings, shutting down the Lefties lineup to keep the top half of the line score clean.

While Arnett was doing his thing, the Cats got back to work on offence in the bottom of the fourth. Rohne Klein (San Jose State) earned himself a leadoff walk and swiped second base, coming around to the plate on a single by Dillon Lopez. Cameron Chee-Aloy (Illinois) and Michael Rodda (Palomar) got in on the fun as well with an RBI single each, and the former crossed the plate on a groundout before the end of the frame to push the lead to six.

The defence held strong for eight scoreless innings behind Jeremiah Arnett’s start. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Jeremiah Arnett continued to rumble along through three more frames, finally taking a seat after seven gleaming innings. Arnett allowed five hits on his watch (all singles) and no runs while adding nine more tallies to his impressive strikeout total this summer. The right-hander handed the ball off to Leif Friedrich (Concordia-Nebraska) for the top of the eighth. Friedrich recovered smoothly from a leadoff single to make three quick outs and move on to the bottom of the inning.

Initial responsibility of the ninth was given to Hunter Daniels (Phoenix), but after he walked the bases loaded with nobody out, Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State) was called from the bullpen to try and finish this one off. Tomlinson would continue to waver, with walks galore bringing Port Angeles all the way back within one. A strikeout finally ended the inning and secured a close 6-5 win for the Cats.

WCL STANDINGS

There are only three home games remaining in the 2026 regular season including a mid-week set against the Port Angeles Lefties this week! Then on August 3rd, we end the season with a bang! Our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

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Victoria HarbourCats – Paws Bounce Cats in Game Three

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The HarbourCats were inches away from scoring in the third inning on a close play at the plate. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Victoria, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats and Kamloops NorthPaws faced off in the decider of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon, with Kamloops battling their way to a 7-3 win.

It was somewhat of a rocky start in the early going for Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) on this rainy Sunday afternoon, hitting the first batter he faced and allowing a run in the opening inning to give Kamloops an early lead. Lake found his footing for a moment in the third inning with an efficient three-up three-down frame.

BOX SCORE

Victoria came close to evening the score in the bottom of the third with Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) on second base. Rohne Klein (San Jose State) hit a line-drive single into centre field, but Bradshaw was cut down at the plate to end the inning. The NorthPaws responded by hammering a three-run homer in their next turn on offence, growing their lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning.

The top of the fifth required the services of Northern Kentucky reliever Daniel Tovar, who let up a pair of singles but held Kamloops scoreless in his first inning of work. The going got tougher in the sixth, when the NorthPaws led off the inning with a bomb to left field, and add on another solo shot before the end of the frame.

Shea Lake exited the mound after a four inning start, in which he allowed four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

The HarbourCats’ first run came at long last in the bottom of the sixth by way of a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rohne Klein. The home team was able to keep the line moving in inning number six, netting another run when Jacob Silva (UTSA) scored from third on a wild pitch.

Tristin Thomas (West Texas A&M) took over from Tovar for the top of the seventh. Thomas worked quickly, putting a zero on the board and getting the Cats back on the offensive. The bottom of the eighth saw another blow dealt by the Victoria offence, as Declan Brown (Ottawa University) laced a single into centre field to drive in a run and chip away at the lead.

The Cats gave it their all but ultimately came up short, coughing up the series to the NorthPaws with a 7-3 loss.

WCL STANDINGS

With the weekend series complete, the HarbourCats will return to action for a three-game set against Port Angeles this week, starting on Tuesday night at 6:35 pm.

There are only four home games remaining in the 2026 regular season including a mid-week set against the Port Angeles Lefties this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday! Then on August 3rd, we end the season with a bang! Our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

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