Three 2020 signees and Canadian Junior National Team member and former Langley Blaze Russell Young (above) highlight recent additions

For Immediate Release

October 2, 2020

VICTORIA, B.C. — The COVID-19 pandemic not only cancelled the 2020 HarbourCats season, it also stalled the debut of a number of quality players in HarbourCats blue and white.

The HarbourCats are happy to announce that three of those players will get their chance to make that debut in 2021, as Cole Posey (New Mexico), Willie Lajoie (Chico State) and Mason Eng (UC Santa Barbara) have re-upped to join the HarbourCats next summer.

Also signed was Langley, BC native Russell Young (Gonzaga), who spent time on the Canadian Junior National Team last spring prior to heading off to college.

Posey is a 5-10, 185 lb. middle-infielder from Georgetown, Texas, who is entering his freshman year at New Mexico after initially signing with Boise State for 2020. He played 11 games there last spring before that program was shut down permanently, in part due to the COVID-19 crisis. A multi-sport star in high school, Posey ranks in top five all-time in Texas high school baseball history with 109 stolen bases. He played briefly for the Ridgefield Raptors in 2019.

Lajoie, a 5-11, 190 lb. infielder is the great nephew of baseball Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie, who played in the classic era — spending 1896-1916 for the Philadelphia Phillies/Athletics and the Cleveland Bronchos/Naps. Lajoie, from Irvine, California was a standout junior college hitter at Saddleback College, batting .321 in his two seasons with the Gauchos, collecting 27 extra-base hits and 87 RBI. In 21 games for Chico State in 2020, Lajoie hit .410 with three home runs and 18 RBI.

Eng, a 5-7, 165 lb. catcher from San Jose, California, is in his Freshman year at UCSB, and was an impressive 6 for 15 (.400) for the Gauchos in the abbreviated 2020 season. At Bellarmine College Prep, Eng caught for three years, earning second team all-league in his senior year, hitting .296 in 2017 and in 2018 hit .316 with 2 HR, 7 runners picked off, and 15 caught stealing.

HarbourCats fans hope to see a lot of this type of celebration from Lajoie in 2021 (Photo Chico State Baseball)

Young, a 5-11, 185 lb. catcher from Langley, British Columbia, is in his freshman season with Gonzaga and is a product of the Langley Blaze program in the BC Premier Baseball League, where he led the team in 2019 with a .398 average. He joined the Canadian Junior National team in the spring of 2020, participating in games in Florida in March, prior to the COVID-19 shutdown.

“We are excited to announce these players,” said HarbourCats Hitting Coach and Director of Player Development Curtis Pelletier. “Eng and Young give us strength behind the dish and at the plate, Posey provides defensive strength up the middle and Lajoie is a hard-hitting first baseman who we know will love the hitting friendly dimensions of Wilson’s Group Stadium.”

The four players announced today add to previously announced local players Noah Takacs (Sacramento State), Josh Walker (Sacramento State) and Eric Luchies (Lower Columbia), as the HarbourCats continue to build their roster for the 2021 season.

How to Support the HarbourCats in 2020/2021:

If you are able, or if you know friends and colleagues who are able, please consider any of the following:

2021 Season tickets — the best way to help, one that guarantees you seats to all our games (usually 35 per year or so) plus other season ticket holder perks. Contact chris@harbourcats.com for details.

10-Game Flex Packs / Vouchers — Don’t want to commit, or can’t commit to season tickets? Consider 10-game flex packs – anytime vouchers that can be used in any combination…10 tickets at one game, 1 ticket at 10 games or anything in between. Season ticket voucher equivalents are also available.  Flex Packs can be purchased at the office and are also available on-line at:  https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/products/10-game-flex-pack-general-admission

Corporate Partnerships – Want to put your company name or brand in front of our 100,000 fans every season?  Or know someone who does?  Consider joining us as a partner.  From a simple program ad, to the most complex of game day sponsorship, complete with signage and tickets, we will customize any campaign to suit your needs and budget.  And with our new HCATS.TV platform and our ownership group’s expansion of a new team in Nanaimo in 2021, the opportunities are now Island wide! Contact john@harbourcats.com for details.

Fundraising / 50-50 – Have an organization that needs to raise funds now?  A $1000 investment buys you 100 anytime 2021 game vouchers for our Premium Reserved seats that you can then turn around and sell for $20 each, earning you your investment back, plus another $1000 in return. We will then hold a 50-50 date for you in 2021 and you can bring your group to the park to sell that game, taking home 50% of the proceeds. Contact chris@harbourcats.com for details.

Merchandise – Consider a HarbourCats merchandise purchase from our store at 1814 Vancouver Street, or from our on-line store, The Cat Shop, at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/ New items, including 2020 game caps and player’s gear are arriving weekly and we need to clear them out!

OFFICE HOURS 

For August and September, we are officially open Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm.  We are often in and out of office during off-season, so best to call 778-265-0327 before venturing over to make sure. Closed Saturdays and Sundays.