Mid-Island tour sponsored by Baseball BC, helping to grow the game

March 28, 2018, VICTORIA, B.C. — Ordinarily, the masses come to the home field of the Victoria HarbourCats to see the players put on a show. This summer, thanks to a partnership with Baseball B.C., the HarbourCats will be meeting kids and coaches in other Vancouver Island communities.

The HarbourCats, who play their games out of Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park (RAP), and Baseball B.C. have combined to set up a day where – on a Wilson’s Transportation bus – the West Coast League team will make stops in Duncan, Chemainus, Ladysmith and Lake Cowichan, holding player skills sessions, taking batting practice, and allowing youth coaches to talk to the on-field leaders of the HarbourCats — including former MLB players Brian McRae and Todd Haney.

Monday, June 11, 2018 the HarbourCats will spend the day visiting those four communities, teaching the lessons of baseball — skills, athleticism, training, respect, and opportunity.

“We have played non-league games in Duncan and Nanaimo in the past, and those were great events, but we felt this was a tremendous way to really have face-to-face time with the schools and baseball communities that would bring lasting memories,” said Brad Norris-Jones, General Manager of the HarbourCats. “Letting the coaches and teachers in Duncan, Chemainus, Ladysmith and Lake Cowichan spend time with our coaches, learn how the systems work, get tips on coaching — it will be an invaluable opportunity. And our players and coaches will have a lot of fun seeing other areas of this great place we call home.”

The involvement of Baseball B.C., the provincial body under Baseball Canada, will drive home the fun that comes with development in the sport.

“It will be quite the day seeing the young players in Lake Cowichan, Ladysmith, Chemainus and Duncan learning skills from top collegiate players, and we’re proud to be a part of this,” said David Laing, Executive Director of Baseball B.C. “The HarbourCats have developed a following that will help bring more awareness to the sport, and that’s more exciting in this region with the B.C. Summer Games and baseball in the Cowichan Valley this summer.”

The HarbourCats will be at the following places on June 11, at the following times:

• Duncan (Evans Park) — 9am to 10:15am
• Chemainus — 10:45am to Noon
• Ladysmith — 1pm to 2:30pm
• Lake Cowichan — 3:15pm to 4:15pm

The HarbourCats will host a kids session, take batting practice, and have coach-question sessions in all four locations.

Thank you to the local minor baseball associations in all four locations for making this tour possible.

About The Victoria HarbourCats
The HarbourCats are Victoria’s entry in the West Coast League (WCL), a summer, collegiate, wood bat baseball league, featuring the top college-age players from across North America and the world. One of the elite teams in the league, the HarbourCats won a record 40 games in 2016 and followed that up in 2017 as the WCL’s North Division Playoff Champions, coming one game short of their first ever WCL Championship. In 2018, their sixth season, the team will play a 54-game regular season schedule, with 27 of those games and eight additional non-league games, being played at historic Royal Athletic Park in Victoria. Opening night is June 1, 2018 with games scheduled through mid-August. See www.harbourcats.com for more details.

2018 Tickets Now on Sale: Season Tickets, Multi-Game Packs, 10-Game Flex-Packs and Single Game tickets are now on sale for the 2018 season. Visit the office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or call 778-265-0327 to order. Single game tickets can also be purchased on-line at http://harbourcats.ticketrocket.co

Office Hours: March office hours: MONDAY-FRIDAY – 10am-5pm (usually open until 6pm weekdays); SATURDAY-SUNDAY – Closed (Except by appointment).