Conant dominates Klamath Falls

The HarbourCats continued their Jekyll and Hyde routine over the last two nights, but their good side appears to be winning out over the evil one in Southern Oregon. On Sunday evening, Bryan Conant notched the best pitching performance in the team’s inaugural season, a 6-0 complete-game shutout over the Gems. Conant was in control from beginning to end, giving up only four hits and three walks in his nine innings. He also struck out eight befuddled Klamath Falls batters. The outing was even more impressive considering that the Gems are the best-hitting team in the entire West Coast League.

Conant The Barbarian’s shutout just might catapult him into a spot on the West Coast League All-Star team. Conant would be a worthy pick -- he is currently 9th in the league with a 2.64 ERA and he has a sparkling 1.08 WHIP. He has also held opponents to an anemic .207 batting average.

The HarbourCats also set a franchise record on Sunday for most hits in a game with 17 in spite of the fact that they were facing one of the best pitchers in the league, Nick Sabo. Dylan LaVelle went 4-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead the attack, while Jordan Ellis and Alex Real had three hits apiece. It was the second consecutive multi-hit game for Ellis, who has raised his average to .326 on the season after plummeting to the .200 mark on July 3rd. Ellis has also put together a nifty seven-game hitting streak.

Jordan Ellis is on fire

The win clinched the series victory in Klamath Falls, since Victoria won the first game of the road trip on Saturday night by a score of 5-3. The ‘Cats go for the series sweep on Monday night when Ty Provencher (3-1, 2.84 ERA) takes to the hill against Skye Adams (2-1, 2.57 ERA) in what should be an interesting pitcher’s duel. The HarbourCats then travel to Medford to play three against the Rogues before returning to Royal Athletic Park on Friday night to face the Wenatchee AppleSox in a three-game series with playoff implications.

HarbourCatNip

• The WCL will announce its All-Star team on Monday. We’re expecting four HarbourCats to be named: MVP candidate Alex Real along with Alex DeGoti, Ty Provencher and Bryan Conant. The All-Star game will be played on July 23rd at Royal Athletic Park. Tickets are selling fast, so get yours soon if you haven't done so already.
• Alex Real’s three hits on Sunday night raised his average to a stellar .396 mark, good enough for second in the batting race. He trails only Kyle Knigge of the Cowlitz Black Bears, who is hitting an even .400.
• Friday’s bus ride from Victoria to Klamath Falls, including the ferry ride, was a whopping 18 ½ hours.

HarbourCats are Walla-Walloped again

Now this is getting silly... Losers of 9 of their last 12 now, the Cats have fallen from first place in the North to .500, 4 games back of the Sweets. Thank goodness for Kelowna!

What can be said about a 16-5 loss? Pitching was terrible - it was like a clearing house out there, as Victoria threw no less than seven different pitchers at the Sweets this night. With a couple of days off, coach Rogers took a few more walks than usual to the mound to get some work in for a few stagnant arms that have sat on the bench for a while, giving each of them a chance to stem the bleeding. After Tanner Kiest blew up in the first, giving up a single, walking two, plonking one, then serving up a grand slam, Joe Navilhon came in and actually pitched two shutout innings. Record, Lombana, Russell, and Keller were then all equally ineffective as the Sweets piled on another 11 runs over the next 4 innings, including a 7 run sixth that send many a cold Victoria baseball fan heading for home.

A surprisingly large Wednesday crowd of over 1500 took in "Winning Wednesday", where all beverages were only $5. It started as "Windy Wednesday", and ended up more along the lines of "Whipped Wednesday". The only highlight for the Cats was a wind-assisted 2-run home run by DH Dave Schuknecht in the sixth.

Doesn't get much worse than this folks. Lets hope with a couple days off, the Cats can find themselves as a team once again. Either that, or it's going to be a loooong second half...

Not sweet at all...

What started as a beautiful summer night at RAP full of hope and potential, quickly turned sour, cold, and tough to watch. The game was barely 5 minutes old when Sweets 3B John Skrbec launched a long fly ball over the left field fence to give Walla Walla a lead they would never come close to relinquishing the rest of the night.

Harbourcats starter Will Ballowe faced another 9 batters over two innings, leaving with bases loaded and nobody out in the third. On came versatile starter / reliever Scott Kuzminsky, who threw a little gas on the fire, allowing Walla Walla to plate 4 in the 3rd, and another 2 in the 4th before settling down to pitch four scoreless innings. Kuzminsky gave up 3 more in the top of 9 to round out the scoring for the Sweets.

Nosovic powers one onto Pembroke Street

Unlike Monday night, the Cats never threatened on Tuesday, and were unable to get to starting pitcher Matt Hall until mid-way through the 6th inning when Robie Nesovic pounded a ball just over left-center for his second home run of the year. The Cats then put together a walk and a couple of singles to score another run to chase Hall from the game, only to have reliever Josh Wagner shut the door for good.

Attendance was good to start the game at just shy of 1200 fans, but as the night went on, the score went up, and the wind chill found it's way down Pembroke St, the stands emptied. A long-ish game by Cats standards, clocking in at 2:46.

It's obvious from the first two games of this series, these are two teams heading in very different directions. The Sweets, powered by excellent starting pitching and timely hitting, are now atop the North Division, while Victoria continues to plummet downward, now 3 full games behind the Sweets. The squad looks tired, quiet, and little down on recent events. Perhaps a win in game three will turn the squad around prior to the all-star break...

The Cats conclude their three-game series against the Sweets Wednesday night at RAP.

Victoria can't handle the onion

Alex Real scoops another one out of the dirt

On a beautiful night for baseball, the HarbourCats made it easy on the visiting Walla Walla Sweets, making four errors and several other notable gaffes in a 6-1 loss. Full credit to the Sweets though, as they hammered out 12 hits and look to be a pretty solid baseball team. Starting Sweets pitcher Sean Silva gave up only one earned run in six and two thirds innings, striking out four and walking three while lights out closer Sean-Luke Brija kept his streak of no earned runs this year in collecting the save.

But the story was really the four errors on the scoreboard - two throwing, one tossing and one catching - and the miscues that did not show up there. Two Victoria runners were picked off by the crafty left-handed Walla Walla hurlers, and on a dropped skyball in the infield, Chris Lewis made like little league and just kept on running, only to be thrown out at second. Add to that a perfect bullet throw from the outfield that gunned down Lewis at the plate to negate what would have been Victoria's first run and you have your story.

On the 'Cats side of the hill, starter Ty Provencher pitched pretty well - again, solely from the stretch - in only giving up six hits while striking out seven and walking one in eight innings of work. Only problem was that two of those hits were home runs - one a monster shot in the fourth by John Skrbec - and accounted for his three earned runs. Relievers Joe Record and Logan Lombana, not so much. Their combined inning of work looked like this - six hits, three runs and no strikeouts or walks.

On the positive side, Victoria did not give up any runs in the first inning this time and they also had nine hits against a very good set of pitchers. I also thought Alex Real had a great defensive game at first base, making an outstanding diving catch, scooping balls out of the dirt and knocking down several other hard hit balls, but just not having any luck in turning them into outs. And again, starting pitching was pretty solid and gave the team a chance to win so there is definitely room for optimism heading into the next two games against Walla Walla.

Still, Walla Walla strikes me as a pretty tight unit and it will be tough for the 'Cats to get a game from  these guys. The 'Cats will need to keep up the good starting pitching, get solid relief and cut down on the errors/gaffes.

Everybody's favourite onion

As an aside, I love the Walla Walla uniforms - duds with a sense of humour. The front of the jersey has the word Walla on it with a "2" just above it. And to top it off, they have a picture of everybody's favourite onion, Sweet Lou, on the front of their red caps. Nice touch!

With amazing weather predicted for the next two games, it is an excellent opportunity to come down and support the lads. There were over 1,400 fans there today which helped keep Victoria in the league lead for attendance, but a few more wouldn't hurt.

Walla Walla Sweets - mascot, er series preview

Sweet Loooooou

The San Diego Chicken. The Phillie Phanatic, Mr. Met. The Mariner Moose. All would agree – these are pretty good baseball mascots. But none compare to Walla Walla’s onion with an attitude, Sweet Lou.

Best. Mascot. Ever.

Sweet Lou is all at once a lovable children’s entertainer, a symbol for the community, and with his one eye clenched tightly and his bat held firm, a warning to visiting teams everywhere that he don’t take no crap from the likes of you! Like a bearded and leather clad biker, he’s just as likely to help your mom across the street as he is to mess you up with a bat, as he defies the laws of depth perception with surgical strikes to your head. Don’t talk to him about his woman’s fastball-style visor, he just doesn’t want to ruin his ‘do - those floppy green locks that are yet another show of his defiance to fathers with daughters everywhere.

Yeah, Sweet Lou is the real thing. You wanna hang with him, but you know he’s gonna make you cry at some point.

Of course we could talk about the Sweets coming to town. How this is the team that Victoria will likely battle with for a playoff spot to the end of the season. How these three games may prove pivotal in that quest to make the post season, and how the 'Cats need to go into this series thinking bigger picture than just another three game set.

We could talk about how Victoria, coming off offensive brilliance over the last 2.1 games needs to continue that torrid pace if they have any chance of besting a Walla Walla team that has won 3 of their last 4 in impressive fashion, holding their opponents to just over 2 runs a game.

We could talk about Sweets catcher Renae Martinez who is batting a Gehrig-like .400 over the first 11 games of the season, or outfielder Kramer Lindell who has driven in 15 runs with power numbers, just 3 shy of Alex the Real Deal’s league leading 18 RBI.

On the mound, we could talk of pitcher Bret Helton’s 0.81 ERA in 22 innings of work so far, or closer Sean-Luke Brija who in 11 appearances this season hasn’t allowed a single earned run, striking out 16 while recording 7 saves in the process. In fact Victoria will see the heart of Walla Walla’s pitching rotation this week with Sean Silva, Matt Hall, and Helton all getting starts. Combined, the three are 6-1 this season with an ERA of just over 2. Victoria counters with ace Ty Provencher, Scott Kuzminsky, and newcomer Tanner Kiest who sport a combined 5-1 record with an ERA just over 2.50. Should lead to some low-scoring pitching duels.

But let’s be serious folks, it’s all about Sweet Lou this week. Why mascots don’t make roadtrips I’ll never know…

HarbourCats start to roll

Alex Real digs in

In a sun soaked matinee, Victoria's momentum train started to roll just a little bit faster after coming up with a somewhat dramatic 9-5 win over the Kelowna Falcons in the series finale. As was the case in eight of the past nine games, HarbourCats starters gave up at least one run in the first inning and then tried to catch up. This "generous" habit is one that the 'Cats need to take care of as the team starts to get into the heart of the season.

Victoria starter Bryan Conant "the Barbarian" ended up giving up four earned runs in five innings of work - all off the long ball, while striking out three and walking two. Not wanting to be outdone, his Cal State Fullerton teammate, Joe Navilhon, gave up a solo shot of his own in the seventh inning that knotted the game at five apiece, robbing Conant of the victory. Other than that, Navilhon pitched well in his three innings of work as he struck out five and walked only one.

After falling behind 4-1 early, the 'Cats chipped away to pull ahead in the sixth until the Anthony Young dinger in the eighth. Timmy Richards went three for five hitting in the number two spot and raised his average to very nice .324. But it was Alex Real who provided the clutch hit in the bottom of the eighth after Richards hit one to second with the bases full. Real came up with two out and, apparently unhappy that he was not the first HarbourCat to do this, bashed a grand slam off loser Darren Kolk, to essentially put the game away at 9-5. Ryan Keller made sure there was no doubt as he pitched a solid last inning, giving up a lead-off double but then striking out two of the final three hitters.

It was great to see a timely hit by the 'Cats once again and even though they stranded nine runners,

they hit the big one when it mattered. In fact, the top three in the order went a combined seven for fourteen (.500) with eight RBI's and five runs scored, striking out only once - exactly what the top of your order should do. Besides Richards and Real, Mike Darr contributed as well, hitting in the leadoff spot. The raucous crowd of 1,402 seemed to be having a great time and took the "Darrrrrrrrrrrrr" chant a step further, bringing back fond memories of that RAP pirate from days gone by, Josh Arrrrrrrrrharrrrrrrrt. Nice job Victoria!

It was also nice to see the coaching staff pull the starter before he got too tired and gave up those seventh/eighth inning runs. Another joy of a league like the WCL is that it takes some experimentation with your staff to see what they can do and where they run out of gas. Here's to hoping this continues because if they eliminate their early runs and get the starter out of there before trouble brews, the strong staff of relievers will make it awfully tough to generate any late inning heroics.

Next up for the 'Cats are the Walla Walla Sweets, who are in town tomorrow for a three game set that will cap off the 12 consecutive games for our local lads.

HarbourCats back in the win column

Austin Russell had the most important hit on Saturday

The HarbourCats snapped their four-game losing streak on Saturday night with a decisive 11-3 thumping of the Kelowna Falcons at Royal Athletic Park.

Although Victoria has fallen behind early in many games this season, the 'Cats reversed the trend by actually scoring a pair of runs in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. The key hit in the initial frame was an RBI double by Austin Russell with two outs and a 1-2 count that plated Brandon Smith with the first run of the game. The team has been getting plenty of men on base during their recent slump, but they have had difficulty getting hits when they really count. After that key blast by Russell, the entire HarbourCat team seemed much more relaxed than they had been during their mini-slump.

Robby Nesovic has been struggling at the plate of late, but he sure didn't struggle on the mound on Saturday. Nesovic pitched seven solid innings, giving up three earned runs on 9 hits while striking out eight and only walking one batter. His numbers were even better until very late in this outing, as Nesovic may have been left in a little too long and threw 106 pitches on the night. He picked up the win to even his record at 1-1 on the season.

Ryan Keller was solid in relief of Nesovic, giving up only two hits and a walk in two innings of scoreless ball. John Schuknecht slammed the first grand slam in HarbourCats history in the bottom of the eight to seal the victory.

The only area of concern for the team was their continued defensive miscues. Alex DeGoti, an offensive catalyst for the HarbourCats, made his team-leading eighth error of the summer. Dylan LaVelle, who came into the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning, made his sixth error of the year as well. After making one of the nicest plays we have seen all year to retire Darren Kolk in the top of the ninth, LaVelle dropped a popup in foul territory for the second consecutive game. Let's hope that LaVelle's problem catching popups is a temporary thing and that he hasn't developed the yips like Steve Sax did attempting to throw to first base. Hopefully a few extra practice sessions catching fungoes will do the trick.

With a renewed sense of confidence for the HarbourCats, a depleted Kelowna bullpen and a wild hurler on the hill for the Falcons on Sunday, things are suddenly looking up for the Victoria squad. Bryan Conant (2-1, 2.70 ERA) gets the ball on Sunday afternoon for the 'Cats, so look for the hometown team to cruise to victory in the rubber match of the series.

Home ain't so sweet

Tanner Kiest letting it rip

What started off as a bad night got even worse when I actually arrived at the ballpark. After fighting like Tyson for a parking spot because of the KISS concert, I arrived to a slow-moving and slightly sloppy game (until the end!) that had the last place Falcons edge out the HarbourCats 8-7.

While that may sound close, it really was not. Kelowna starter Preston Gray went seven and two thirds before leaving the game in the hands of his shaky relief staff. Gray was cruising until the eighth, very much enjoying an 8-1 lead which eventually slipped to 8-3. Enter Austin Rice who did get the final out of the eighth, but ended up surrendering three consecutive hits in the ninth (after an HBP) and four total runs in just one third of an inning. After going two for four and scoring two runs at the plate, local (well...Duncan!) lad Darren Kolk came in to get the final three outs, the last one coming with the potential tying run - Alex real - standing on second.

For Victoria, newly acquired (and LA Dodger draft pick) Tanner Kiest had a bit of a rough start but settled down to pitch a pretty nice six and two thirds innings, giving up four hits, four walks and striking out three. Unfortunately for him, his stat line looks a bit worse than that as Cameron Cuneo spilled a little gasoline on the fire, serving up two hits and a walk without recording an out in what turned out to be a five run seventh inning. At the dish, Alex Real was a solid two for five, while David Schuknecht, Brandon Smith and Timmy Richards were all two for four, the latter atoning for hitting into an earlier double play by coming through with a very clutch hit in the ninth.

OK, so I guess it did end up being close, but the HarbourCats played just well enough to lose. The Falcons did everything they could to try and give it away but still managed to stumble out of RAP with a win, hopefully their last one of the series. And I'm telling you, I never saw so many flares land in for hits tonight. It looked like my old buddy Spike slicing his classic loopers into right field at the slo-pitch diamond.

The key points though are this - hitting was dead until it didn't really matter, and the 'Cats committed another three errors. There were a few bobbles as well and it could have been a lot worse as Alex Real fought the sun all night at first but did not drop one of the solar balls fired his way. The GOOD news is that they got some nice clutch hitting at the end of the game. Not enough to win, but enough to give me that most dangerous of things for the sports fan..."hope".

I'm thinking Dennis Rogers needs to go all Bull Durham on the boys, so these lolly-gaggers get it in gear before it is too late. The losing streak stands at four games now but I fully expect it to be broken tomorrow with the versatile Robby Nesovic on the hill.

Come on Victoria, the lads need us to fire them up, so get on out to RAP and let's turn this ship around.

'Cats swept by Sox - head home for some Falcon stew

In the series finale tonight against the surging Wenatchee AppleSox, the HarbourCats felt the sweep for the very first time as the Sox triumphed 3-2 in a close one at Paul Thomas Field. Logan Lombana pitched a very nice five innings, giving up only two hits, two runs, with - you guessed it - two strikeouts and two walks. Joe Navilhon pitched a nice sixth before walking a couple and giving up a couple of hits and one run in the seventh. Navilhon took the loss in throwing 28 pitches, only 12 of which were strikes. All in all the 'Cats threw four different pitchers at Wenatchee but on this night, it was not enough. Again tonight, Victoria outhit their opponent - this time five to four - but could not notch the win. Alex DeGoti had a nice night at the plate, going two for three and scoring one of the HarbourCat runs. The loss brings Victoria's losing streak to a season worse four games. Time to panic? No, not yet, but deep concern is allowed.

In running multiple stats over this six game road trip, here are some observations:

• Errors are atrocious with Victoria committing 14 and opponents committing only six
• Victoria was outscored 35-14 while only being outhit 55-46 and leaving a staggering 55 runners on base. Clutch hits are in as much demand as an A-Rod hit right now!
• The 'Cats have struck out 52 times - almost once an inning, compared to opponents 36
• Victoria pitchers have given up 23 bases on balls while the batsmen have taken 31 free passes
• In tracking pitches and strikes, it is fairly even and I have learned that on average (at least over this span) pitching strikes 62% of the time is about average (tonight that number was 57%)

 =========================

The HarbourCats next opponent, the Kelowna Falcons, are also coming off six straight games on the road with both teams not exactly "soaring" into RAP on Friday. They share identical 1-5 records over that span and are in desperate need of a pick-me-up. This is the third series between these two clubs and Victoria has won five of the first six meetings, suffering only one loss - Kelowna's first win of the season - which came in K-town. The 'Cats have been stumbling as of late and a dose of Falcon might be just what the doctor ordered to get them back on track, ahead of a key series coming up with Walla Walla. The fact that it is home cooking also bodes well for the 'Cats, as they are 7-2 in the friendly confines of RAP this year while the Falcons are a dismal 2-10 on the road.

The Falcons limp into town having given up a total of 48 runs in the past six games. On the flip side, the 'Cats have surrendered 35. Victoria's anemic offense has only generated 14 in this same span while Kelowna's "Jeckll and Hyde" bats have manufactured 34, with 26 of those coming in two games. I guess this means they are capable of hitting, but only when conditions are ideal. All that said, this is a tough one to predict.

Tale of the Tape

Victoria HarbourCats: 11-9 (3rd place in North), .238 team batting average (second last...only by 1 percentage point), 4.02 team ERA (6th)

Kelowna Falcons: 6-18 (securely in last place in North), .261 team batting average (4th), 5.13 team ERA (last in the league by far)

HarbourCats – Who’s Hot

• Alex Real continues to bat well, with a .349 average, good enough for fifth in the league
• Chris Lewis is silently putting up very nice numbers and continues to be among league leaders in RBI
• David Schucknecht is hitting the ball well right now and sits at a lofty .912 OPS
• Despite a bit of a rocky start, Bryan Conant has been pitched well since joining the team collecting two wins and brandishing a 1.13 WHIP. Look for him to have a good outing in this homestand.

Alex Degoti fouls one off in more friendly surroundings

HarbourCats Player to Watch

Alex Degoti continues to swing a hot bat and feasted on Kelowna pitching in the first two series, going eight for 20 (.400). He has been the model of consistency at the plate, staying within 20 points of .300 since June 15 and now sits at .308 with a .969 OPS. Expect this hitting machine to crank out a couple of multiple hit games at the RAP this weekend as he climbs higher into the .300's.

Falcons – Who’s Hot

• Nanaimo boy Cody Andreychuk has hit safely in 11 of his past 14 games and was riding a six game hitting streak heading into today's contest. Note to 'Cats pitchers, he has only walked once this year!!
• Catcher Nolan Johnson leads the team with a .899 OPS and holds a .394 average. While he is not exactly "hot" right now, there are not many other Falcon hitters to call out here
• Relief pitcher Tyler Dunnington sported a very impressive .075 ERA and 1.08 WHIP (prior to today's game) appearing in eight games and is one of the few Falcons pitchers not to be lit up in the last little while. He did get in a jam today, facing just three batters, all who got on base and eventually scored, thanks to the "help" behind him in the bullpen

Falcons Player to Watch

Outfielder Grayson Porter has struggled at the plate the last few games but is still hitting a very respectable .317. Look for him to start contributing again once back on Canadian soil.

Key to the Series

First and foremost, Victoria has to stop the bleeding in the field and cut down on errors. When and if the coaching staff settles on "permanent" infield positions, this should help. As well, they need to get some more clutch hits which will generate these things called "runs". During this road funk, they have only been outhit 55-46 and have left about he same number of men on base as their opponents, but they just can't seem to get the big hit when they need it.

On the Kelowna side, they will need better pitching because the 'Cats are very capable of generating hits and will feast on sub-standard pitching. Consistency at the plate is also important as the Falcons cannot afford to go to sleep there every few games or they will exit this series with a broom on their butts.

Prediction

Sifting through all the stats, who knows exactly what will happen - Victoria needs runs and the Falcons need to give up less of them. My take is that Victoria will slowly start to gain its stride with this series but will slip up at least once, possibly because they are looking too hard at Kelowna's record. I predict 'Cats drop one game and win the series 2-1. Still, the boyz are back in town, the weather is amazing and there is NOTHING like the crack of a wooden bat...'cept maybe the Indy 500 (hidden and cleaned up movie quote here).

There's no place like home. There's no place like home.

Will the real Victoria HarbourCats please stand up?

Through their first 14 games, the Victoria HarbourCats looked like a team destined for the playoffs in their inaugural season, but it may be time to reassess their prospects after the last five road games. The ‘Cats lost their fourth game on the current road swing, this time dropping an 8-1 decision to the red-hot Wenatchee AppleSox on Wednesday night. Connor Russell got the start and he did his best to limit the damage, but the big AppleSox bats still got to him for seven earned runs in his six innings of work. Will Ballowe mopped up for Victoria by pitching two scoreless innings, keeping his season ERA at 0.00 in his seven innings over four appearances.

David Schuknecht hit a solo shot on Wednesday

On the plus side, the HarbourCats only committed one error on the evening, but they have still made 16 errors in their last six games. That number has to come down if this team is going stay in the playoff hunt over the next five weeks. Coming into tonight’s game, the HarbourCats were 10th in the league in fielding percentage (.953), ahead of only the last-place Kelowna Falcons. The HarbourCats are a skilled but inexperienced team compared to most squads in the West Coast League, so a certain amount of growing pains has to be expected in the first half of the season. Unfortunately, the defensive lineup has been juggled on a nearly nightly basis, so it has been difficult for the young players to settle into a routine in the field.

Victoria, with its 11-8 record, currently sits in a three-way tie for first place in the North Division with Wenatchee and Walla Walla. If you had told me that fact at the beginning of the season, I would have been ecstatic. However, there are some troubling numbers in addition to the fielding statistics. The HarbourCats are 10th in the league with an anemic .242 batting average, but are still 5th in the league with a solid .349 on-base percentage. With below average team speed, the HarbourCats aren’t a team that can win a lot of games by manufacturing runs -- walks and timely hitting seems to be their recipe for success. On the pitching side, the ‘Cats are 7th in the WCL with a 4.05 ERA and 5th in the league with a 1.31 WHIP. Unfortunately, none of these numbers will strike fear into the hearts of opponents.

Put it all together and it’s possible that this young team might be headed for a .500 season and a third or fourth place finish instead of a run at the league championship. Unless of course their recent struggles are just a temporary funk that the team rolls out of when they return to Royal Athletic Park on Friday. In either case, come on out to the ballpark to see how this all plays out. It’s probably going to be a wild ride to the finish.

HarbourCatNip

• Logon Lombana (0-0, 8.10 ERA) gets the start for the HarbourCats on Thursday night in the series finale in Wenatchee.
• David Schuknecht hit his second homer of the year on Wednesday night and chipped in with a bunt single to raise his average to .325.
• Alex Real had a pair of hits in Wednesday’s game and he now sits second in the league batting race with a .373 mark.
• Chris Lewis had three singles on Wednesday night. Look for a big second half from Mr. Lewis.
• Victoria now has a 4-6 record on the road to go with a 7-2 record at Royal Athletic Park.

'Cats can't stand the heat in Wenatchee

As we sit here in Victoria and remark about temperatures in the mid twenties, folks down in Washington State scoff at that kind of cold weather. If you have ever traveled to the Wenatchee Valley in the summer, you can expect a few things... one of the most beautiful settings you will find south of the border,  an amazing selection of fresh fruit that bursts from every tree and roadside stand, and heat. Plenty of heat.

Tuesday night the Harbourcats landed in Wenatchee for the first time this season, and took the field in stifling 38c heat (or as they like to call it down there, 101f).

The heat didn't much agree with starting pitcher Scott Kuzminsky, who struggled through 5 1/3 innings giving up 7 runs (5 earned) on 12 hits. Ryan Keller pitched 2 2/3's scoreless innings in relief in his second appearance of the road trip.

Hot weather leads to sweaty hands it seems, as the Cats continued their torid pace of fielding errors, committing another 4 in giving up the extra 2 unearned runs.

Alex Real was the lone bright light at the dish, going 2 for 4 to raise his already impressive batting average to .364 on the season.

The HarbourCats have now dropped 6 of their last 10 games, and have fallen into a first place tie with Walla Walla.

HarbourCats bounce back in a big way

A pair of clutch hits by Austin Russell and Alex Real led the HarbourCats to a thrilling 6-4 victory over the Cowlitz Black Bears in 13 innings on Monday night. Victoria went into the eighth inning trailing 4-1, but they rallied for three runs against closer Henry Omana to tie the game. The rally culminated with a two-out RBI double by Austin Russell on a 1-2 count that plated Alex DeGoti with the equalizer.

Alex Real knocked in the winning run in the 13th inning

Starter Ty Provencher had another gutsy outing on the hill. He pitched nine solid innings and gave up four earned runs on eight hits and a walk. Joe Navilhon came into the game in the 10th inning and pitched four innings of shutout ball to pick up the win. Navilhon, who struggled in his three other outings this season, quickly settled in and only gave up three hits and two walks. The win should be a huge boost for Navilhon’s confidence and hopefully will be a springboard for more great outings this summer.

Another hero on Monday night was Alex Real, who came into the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. With the score still tied 4-4 in the top of the 13th, Real slugged the first triple in team history to bring home Timmy Richards and Chris Lewis with the decisive runs.

The win salvages the final game in the three-game set against the Black Bears and retains Victoria’s claim to sole possession of first place in the North Division standings. The HarbourCats now travel to Wenatchee to start a three-game set against the AppleSox on Tuesday night before returning home to face Kelowna at Royal Athletic Park on Friday night. The ‘Cats currently hold a one-game lead over the Walla Sweets and a 2 ½ game lead over fourth-place Wenatchee.

HarbourCatNip

• The HarbourCats have signed outfielder Mike Darr, a recent graduate from Santiago High School in Corona, California. Darr will play for Dennis Rogers next year at Riverside City College. Darr’s father, Mike Darr, played three seasons with the San Diego Padres before he was killed tragically in a car accident during Spring Training in 2002. His grandfather, also named Mike Darr, pitched in one career big-league game, a start for the Toronto Blue Jays in their inaugural season (1977). 
• Victoria has also released infielder Jack Graham and outfielder Chase Cuckovich.
• Alex DeGoti extended his hitting streak to ten games with a pair of hits on Monday night. He has also reached base safely in his last 16 games.

Road trip starts with a loss

After a long five day lay-off, the boys were back at it again today in the first of what will be a string of twelve consecutive games without a break. Playing in Longview WA, your 10-4 Harbourcats took on the 7-8 Cowlitz Black Bears at Story Field and were edged out in a 4-3 game which looked to be a pretty good one. Starter Robby Nesovic gave up two runs in the first on a couple of hits and a couple of errors, but got things settled down after that to keep the 'Cats within striking distance. Victoria closed the gap to one in the third, when Brandon Smith scored on a pass ball and the game stayed 2-1 until the teams traded homers in the seventh. Nesovic was replaced by Will Ballowe in the eighth but before that, he pinch hit to drive in the tying run, only to see it nullified by a Cowlitz run in the bottom half. Rumour has it that Robby also sold popcorn between innings, while delivering a set of twins.

All in all, a good ballgame but a tough loss on a warm night in the Evergreen state. The pitching and batting stats for both teams were almost dead even, and this was reflected in the tight scoreline. Alex Real and Brandon Smith both hammered out two hits a piece while Chris Lewis extended his hitting streak to eleven games.

The teams go at it again tomorrow as Bryan Conant puts his 2-0 record in the line against the prowling Bears. It's a key game in the sense that this next two weeks is a tough grind and the 'Cats need to get some positive momentum heading into this stretch of the season. Six games on the road could get ugly if they go down 0-2 to start. My prediction is that "The Barbarian" will baffle the Bears hitters and Victoria bats will come alive so by the time we talk again, the series will be knotted at a game apiece. The 'Cats should be able to get two out of three from the Bears before heading to Wenatchee to take on the AppleSox.

HarbourCats ready to pounce

After taking two of three from the hard-hitting Bend Elks on the weekend, the HarbourCats have been kicking back and enjoying a rare five-day layoff. The extended time off is made possible by the fact that the West Coast League is operating once again with an odd number of teams, but there are few such days off for Victoria once they get back into action on Saturday night with a tilt against the Cowlitz Black Bears in Longview, Washington.

Brett Urabe (44) joins the dog pile after UCLA wins the CWS

The 'Cats have been practicing at Royal Athletic Park for the last three days in preparation for the next leg of their journey to the post-season -- a 12-games-in-12-days odyssey that will be yet another litmus test for the team. Up until this point in the season, the HarbourCats have been blessed with a significant number of off days, which has allowed them to limp by with (largely) an eight-man pitching staff. Ryan Keller from the University of San Diego and Cameron Cuneo from UC Santa Barbara have recently joined the team, so they'll head out on the road with at least 10 pitchers in tow. The 'Cats are currently sixth in ERA in the West Coast League with a 3.63 mark, but I would expect that number to come down a bit as the season progresses and the hurlers settle into their new roles.

Victoria still has the best record in the league with a 10-4 mark, but they remain only 1/2 game ahead of the second-place Bellingham Bells in the North Division standings. As if that wasn't enough of an accomplishment for an expansion team, this week the HarbourCats came in at #11 in Perfect Game's rankings of the top summer collegiate teams. It looks like the "new guy in town" has made quite a statement to everyone else in the West Coast League, including perennial powerhouses like Wenatchee and Corvallis.

The 'Cats will send "Mr. Utility", Robby Nesovic (0-1, 6.42 ERA), to the mound on Saturday in the first game of the Cowlitz series. He'll be followed by Bryan Conant (2-0, 1.54 ERA) and Ty Provencher (3-0, 2.14 ERA) on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Victoria then moves on to Wenatchee to play the AppleSauce (oops, I mean AppleSox) in a three-game set that starts on Tuesday night. The HarbourCats then return home for a six-game home stand against Kelowna and Walla Walla that begins on Friday July 5th.

HarbourCatNip

Brett Urabe (bottom left) has a chance to win two championships in one year

• The UCLA Bruins won their first-ever College World Series on Tuesday night by upsetting Mississippi State in two straight games. Brett Urabe of the HarbourCats is a freshman utility player on the Bruins, and he'll hopefully be in uniform at RAP during Victoria's next home stand.
• Scott Kuzminsky leads the league with a 0.00 ERA in 15 2/3 innings pitched. He also has an incredible 13:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
• Bryan Conant (1.54) and Connor Russell (1.61) are sixth and seventh in the league in ERA. Russell also ranks fifth with 21 strikeouts in spite of the fact that he has only had three starts.
• Alex Real is second in the batting race with a .366 average.
• Chris Lewis is fourth in the league with 14 RBI and he has quietly compiled a 10-game hitting streak. 

Comments are welcome

As some of you may know, the founders of this blog are the same people who were behind the old Victoria Seals Baseball Blog (VSBB). One of the fun aspects of doing a blog is interacting with readers, and we certainly had some lively and fascinating exchanges back when the Seals were around.

Hack's favourite team

Now that the Victoria HarbourCats are well underway in their inaugural season, I'd like to invite you to leave a comment on this blog whenever something of interest crosses your mind. It could be a comment directly related to one of our blog posts, a remark about something you noticed during a game at Royal Athletic Park, or even praise and/or constructive criticism of a general nature.

While we have received a fair number of comments on our blog posts since we started up the Victoria HarbourCats Baseball Blog, we're not (yet) where we want to be in terms of reader interaction. The number of readers has been growing steadily over the last few months, so that's a very good sign.

This past weekend we even recognized some of our loyal VSBB readers at Royal Athletic Park -- the highlight was our brief glimpse of "Hack", who looked resplendent in his usual St. Louis Cardinals attire. We're still on the lookout for the pair of fans who are known to get decked out in an old Victoria Bees uniform, however. We know that our other frequent commenters such as Annie, Tyler and Little Jackie Showers are lurking out there somewhere and that our new readers have plenty of interesting things to say. Next time you think of something, leave a comment on one of our blog posts. If possible, avoid commenting as "Anonymous" and use a consistent nickname / handle so we can get a better idea of who is commenting. Now let's hear it, people!!

Matinee mistakes-a-plenty leads to Cats win

WCL ERA leader Scott Kuzminsky

In the HarbourCats first matinee game of the season, mistakes were more the stars of the game than the plays themselves. The scoring line had some oddities you don't usually see - like Bend being up 1-0 after three without an earned run, or Victoria tying it up in the 4th, chasing the starting pitcher from the game, yet still without a hit in the game. Bend's run in the third looked like a softball play... a liner to the right field fence, bobbled and gunned back to the infield, then thrown wild trying to get the runner at third, the ball careening out of play while the runner trotted home. Error on the bobble, error on the throw, unearned run.

Errors helped the Cats as well - an error by Bend CF Chase Fields scored Jordan Ellis in the fourth, and a wild pitch in the sixth helped the Cats go ahead 3-2, scoring DH David Schuknecht.

All these errors lend to an excellent pitching line - Cats starter Scott Kuzminsky went five, and Bryan Conant went four in the win, scattering seven hits and two walks with no earned runs. Bend pitching was actually better, eight innings of three-hit ball in the loss.

Errors aside, in all it was an excellent weekend of ball in Victoria. The full roster makes a huge difference defensively, and the pitching is top notch - Kuzminsky leads the WCL in pitching totals, still sporting an ERA of 0.00 over 15.1 innings with 13 strikeouts. Connor Russell is fourth in the league with 21 strikeouts, and Ty Provencher is tied for the league lead in both appearances and complete games - a combo you don't see every day.

The Cats now have what seems like a crazy schedule break. In a two and a half month season, it's hard to imagine a five-day layoff, but that's what they have. Next weekend sees them travel to Cowlitz and Wenatchee, before returning home two weekends from now to start sets against Kelowna and Walla Walla.

So for the next week and a half, keep dreaming of those Saturday fireworks, and the boys will be back in no time.

Fireworks over RAP

My family and I were lucky enough to be part of something special tonight. Part of an evening that we will all remember for years to come. True, this was the eighth time the HarbourCats have taken the field at RAP, but tonight this team truly became the Home Team. The recipe for the evening could not be any more extraordinary: Take the best baseball night of the year - clear skies, bright sun, and not a breath of wind - add a fantastic game - the Cats go ahead early and stay there for a decisive win - and add an after-party complete with a Cat-hosted base run for the kids, and a fabulous fireworks show to close off the evening.

Ty-Pro in the 1st Inning

The game was a masterpiece, pitched to near perfection by Ty Provencher - an early season reliever who pitched the entire night from the stretch striking out 3, while inducing 3 double plays. Dominating would be an understatement. Bend hitters had nothing going on against the mighty Ty-Pro, who chucked all nine innings mowing down Elks pitch after pitch. Not overpowering stuff, but he had Bend hitters hitting weak ground balls all night. The game also saw one of the most spectacular catches you will ever see at any level. Bend's Cullen ODwyer hit what seemed like a sure double to the gap in right center, only to have Cat center fielder Justin Burba run it down, laying flat out and flying through the air to snag it just before it hit turf. The crowd erupted as Burba did a somersault and raised his glove showing all the mighty catch had been made.

The Cats scored early on a 1st inning 3-run home run by Robby Nesovic. Um yeah, he was yesterday's starter, today's DH. He hit a ball hard off the scoreboard in center field, farther than most BP home runs. It was nice to see the Cats on the board early, and they cruised to a 6-1 victory.

As great as the game was though, what followed was even better. Quick games are becoming a trademark of this team, and with Ty-Pro wasting no time disposing of Bend hitters, the game clocked in at a speedy 2:06. Great for most nights, but not so on Firework night - which requires a significantly darker sky that what was available at 10 minutes after 9.

Get DOWN!

So queue the post-game entertainment. Onto the field came every size and shape of child under 10 for a customary run around the bases. Dozens of them lined up and started to run. Most of the 1640 announced crowd remained and waited for the fireworks to begin and watched the first few kids stroll around with tepid interest - but then it got good. 5 or 6 HarbourCat players strolled over to the third base line and began high-fiving the runners as they passed. Then as more players stowed their gear and came out of the dugout, they also joined the line. Then more and more came, until both sides of the third base line was surrounded by the entire team. Kids ran through the gauntlet of players high-fiving on each side.

And then someone on the Cats yelled "SLIDE!". The first young man hit the dirt, slid head-first into home plate, and a roar erupted from the stands. The next kid was encouraged by 2 or three Cats, and by the time the 5th or 6th kid went through, the entire team was yelling "SLIDE!!!" at the top of their lungs. Kids came from everywhere sliding into home, destroying pants and shoes in the process, but nobody cared. Each and every Cat stood with smiles on their faces, and the fans applauded and cheered on kid after kid. There will be clay rolling around washing machines all over the CRD tomorrow.

Ooooooooooh!

Finally the lights went off, the sky was dark enough, and a fabulous firework show - lit by hand by two energetic pyrotechnic masters - rained down on center field. Fans ooooh'ed and ahhhh'ed for about 20 minutes, along with the players - many of whom sprawled out on the grass in front of the dugout like kids at a summer BBQ.

It was as the fireworks were coming to an end that it suddenly seemed like this was more than a night at the park, more than just another game. As fans poured out of the park after the show had ended, there was nothing but positive comments, smiles and laughter, and a sense that this is now Victoria's team. This is where you need to be on a Saturday night in Victoria in the summer of 2013. Those were our guys out there tonight.

It seems the HarbourCats are home at last...

Elks trample 'Cats

Greg Fettes guns out Elks slugger Derek Dixon

A combination of good pitching and solid hitting did in the 'Cats tonight, as they dropped the series opener 5-1 to the South Division leading Bend Elk. Victoria never really looked dangerous, save for a two out rally in the fifth that was snuffed by aggressive base running that had Victoria runner, Justin Burba, thrown out at third for the third out on an Alex DeGoti base hit to the outfield. To make things worse, Brandon Smith - who was headed home - did not cross the plate until after the out was made at third - no run. Instead of it being 4-2 with two out and runners on first and second, it was 4-1 with the Elk coming up to bat. Normally I'd kick and scream about this, but I like the aggressive base running. I'm not sure if it was a coach decision or the runner went on his own, but in any case, it stifled the rally. That said, I don't believe it would have made a difference as Bend were the better ball club by far on this night. They were loose, hit the ball hard and were backed by a solid pitching performance, with the trio of Hunter Raley, Eric Melbostad and dominant closer Nick Highberger scattering five hits while striking out thirteen (to the 'Cats one K). At the plate, Derek "no socks under my stirrups" Dixon was two for three, bumping his now lead leading average up to a lofty .411.

On the Victoria side, Robby Nesovic got the start but was roughed up right away, giving up three runs in the first and eventually surrendering five runs while allowing eleven hits, three walks and collecting Victoria's lone strikeout. At the plate, the 'Cats only knocked out five hits and made a couple of base running gaffs (including Alex Real falling for the old ball-went-over-my-head trick on a stolen base), never really seeming to get any traction. The silver lining was catcher Greg Fettes, as he threw out Dixon trying to steal second and also picked off pinch runner Cory Mack who got a little too cocky with his lead on first.

In an baseball oddity, after being yanked from the mound, pitcher Robby Nesovic pinch hit in the ninth inning, grounding out to first but still showing he is one versatile player.

I also enjoyed the "elk" cheer after Bend lead-off hitter Seth Spivey hammered a double. The bench - who were vocal all night - put their thumbs to their ears and wiggled their "antlers" to cheer the hit.

So tonight, the HarbourCats lost to a good team, but take away the first inning and we would have had a heck of a ballgame. Now that the regulars are starting to show up, the pitching staff is like a magic pool of arms. At first, there were only eight arms to choose from but now you reach to the pool and...oooo, I got a a Conant...look now, I got a Moore...hey, how did this LaVelle get in here?? And tonight that arm was a Robby Nesovic.  While a towering presence on the mound, don't be surprised if you see Mr. Nesovic also in the lineup as a regular batter. He is very capable of a .300+ average, hitting .326 for UC Santa Barbara last year as a pretty regular designated hitter.

Any yes folks, tonight was "Ladies Night" at the old ball park. Members of the homogametic sex were given the opportunity for ticket discounts and enjoyed preferential treatment all night long with special giveaways. I am sure I saw Leon Phelps wandering around to take advantage of the higher than usual female quota. As the final out was made, I do remember seeing a flash of velour and  hearing "Yeah, that thounds pretty gooooooooooood"...but you can never be sure. Maybe we'll see Katy Perry tomorrow at the "Fireworks"...OK, OK...I'm leaving.

I thupport the HarbourCats, yeahhhh

Bend Elks - series preview

Heading into the season, many observers were hoping that the HarbourCats would just tread water in the first couple of weeks until most of their regular players reported. To the surprise of many, the team broke quickly out of the gates and Victoria is currently sitting in first place with a stellar 8-3 record. Although some of the credit for the team’s early success should go to the local players like Ty Russell who were signed to short-term contracts and performed admirably, the regulars who arrived by Opening Day such as Alex DeGoti, Chris Lewis, Connor Russell and Ty Provencher have been outstanding. It’s also worth mentioning that the coaching staff has done an exceptional job of managing what has at times been an eight-man pitching staff.

All but three of the regular HarbourCats have now reported, so we’re finally going to get an idea of just how good our team is. Victoria will take on the Bend Elks in a three-game set at Royal Athletic Park this weekend, and the series will feature the teams with the two best records in the league. Here’s our series preview to get you ready for the titanic struggle.

Tale of the Tape

Victoria HarbourCats: 8-3 (1st place in North), .260 team batting average (3rd), 4.08 team ERA (8th)

Bend Elks: 11-4 (1st place in South), .303 team batting average (2nd), 3.21 team ERA (2nd)

HarbourCats – Who’s Hot

• Alex Real is leading the league in hitting with a .412 mark. He has the potential to win the batting championship and be a candidate for league MVP.
• Although he is only hitting .245 on the season, Chris Lewis has an eight-game hitting streak and has eight RBI in that span. His 12 RBI on the year is second-best in the WCL – that’s amazing considering how many hard-luck outs he has hit into this season. Look for Lewis to hit over .300 and post monster RBI numbers this season.
• Alex DeGoti has reached base safely in each of his 10 games played this season. He’s hitting .300 with a .511 on-base percentage.
• Scott Kuzminsky hasn’t given up an earned run (or a walk!) in 10 2/3 innings pitched. He has also picked up a pair of victories.
• Ty Russell leads the team with a slow-pitch style .636 on-base percentage.

Tim Richards

HarbourCats Players to Watch

Slick-fielding shortstop Tim Richards made his first appearance in a HarbourCats uniform on Wednesday, just days after being selected by the Miami Marlins in the 40th round of the MLB draft. All indications are that Richards will not sign with the Marlins and he’ll spend the summer in Victoria before joining Bryan Conant at Cal State Fullerton this Fall. You’ll want to keep an eye on Richards this weekend – he’s an electrifying player.

Speaking of electrifying, keep your eyes peeled for pitcher / DH Robby Nesovic this weekend. Not only was the freshman given a significant amount of time on the hill for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos this past season, but he also spent most of the year batting in the middle of the lineup as the team’s regular DH. In 187 at-bats, Nesovic hit .326 with four homers and 33 RBI. I have even heard rumblings that Nesovic might see some playing time as a middle infielder this summer. Is there anything this guy can’t do?!?!?

Elks – Who’s Hot

• Clean-up hitter Derek Dixon leads the league with 20 RBI in only 15 games. Oh, and the first baseman is also hitting .396, good enough for a tie for second place in the batting race with teammate Seth Spivey.
• Second baseman and leadoff hitter Seth Spivey is hitting .396 with 17 runs scored.
• Pitcher / outfielder Adam Grantham has a 1.42 ERA and has struck out 10 batters in 6 1/3 innings pitched. He’s also a threat with the bat – he’s hitting .400 with a home run in 15 at-bats.
• Pitcher / second baseman Tanner Ring is hitting .483 with a homer and five RBI in 29 at-bats. He’s had less success on the mound, but has still struck out an impressive 12 batters in 7 2/3 innings.
• Closer Nick Highberger has three saves and has limited opponents to a .136 batting average.

Elks Player to Watch

Shortstop Keach Ballard is coming off a huge year for Murray State and he’ll be a teammate of HarbourCat Justin Burba at the University of Oklahoma this Fall. Ballard hit .352 with a .564 slugging percentage this past season, so don’t be surprised if he breaks out in a big way this weekend. 

Key to the Series

The Elks lead the league in homers (8), RBI (83), walks (63), slugging percentage (.412) and OPS (.812). The big question is: Can the HarbourCats pitching staff contain the big boppers in the Bend lineup? Victoria’s pitching has been up and down and they’ll be facing their toughest test of the young season in the Bend Elks. If the ‘Cats hurlers can minimize the extra-base hits then all will be good. If not, then it could be a long weekend for the hometown team. 

Prediction

The Elks are a formidable foe, but their numbers have been helped by the fact that everyone on the team except Oregon State’s Tyler Painton reported over a week ago and their schedule has been relatively easy. I’m giving a slight edge to the HarbourCats, who will likely be pumped up to be playing in front of the home crowd at Royal Athletic Park. The HarbourCats will take two out of three.

HarbourCatNip

• You can expect to see some excellent defense played this weekend – much better than what was on display in the first home stand against Kelowna and Medford. The Elks have given up the fewest unearned runs in the league (six in 15 games) and the newly-bolstered HarbourCats lineup should be much improved in the field.
• The Pitching Coach of the Elks is Alan Embree, the man who recorded the final out for the Red Sox against the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS.
• The Elks feature one of the smallest players in the league, Jordan Aboites of Arizona State. He’s listed (probably generously) at 5-6 and 135 lbs. Let's hope he doesn't go into an Eddie Gaedel like crouch at the plate.
• The Bend catcher, Tyler Servais, was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 36th round of the 2011 MLB draft. He’s the son of former big-league catcher Scott Servais. 
• The right fielder for the Elks, Cullen O'Dwyer, was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 39th round of the 2012 MLB draft.
• Seven members of the HarbourCats have been selected in previous MLB drafts: Greg Fettes, Alex Real, David Schuknecht, Jack Graham, Dylan LaVelle, Tim Richards and Brandon Smith.

Newcomers contribute in 'Cats win

Conant the Barbarian (pitcher)

Conan the Barbarian (batter)

Just a quick one tonight to give some props to the newcomers who all shook off jet-lag and had a positive impact tonight in leading the HarbourCats to a 4-2 win over the Bellingham Bells. Jordan Ellis, Justin Burba, John Schucknecht all collected a hit with recent high school graduate Timmy Richards trading in his robes to collect a couple himself.

On the mound, Bryan Conant "The Barbarian" pitched a very solid seven and two thirds, giving up two runs and striking out four while walking only one. The towering lefthander looks to be a good addition to an already tough (and huge...these guys are giants) pitching staff. Hopefully this is just the start of good things to come.

The win puts Victoria in first place in the North, one game above the Bells with the rubber match tomorrow evening.

See you Friday boys!

'Cats drop opener in Bellingham

The cavalry arrived - well a lot of them anyway - but it did not seem to help on this night as the HarboutCats lost what looked to be a good ballgame, 3-1 to the Bellingham Bells. The Bellingham pitching staff strutted their stuff, keeping the Victoria bats quiet for most of the night. Bells starter Jason Hager gave up only three hits in five innings, with great support from Aaron Sandefur who pitched two scoreless innings while racking up another four K's.

'Cats starter Joe Navilhon struggled a bit early but then found his groove, closing out six innings of work and giving up seven hits, three runs and striking out five, for a decent outing. The net tonight though, was the sleepy HarbourBats. There were a few new faces in the lineup, including that "other" Schucknecht (2B John), and while they didn't make a huge impact tonight (although Will Ballowe did pitch two hitless innings in relief), look for things to get better and better as they find their legs and start to gel with the team. This season will be built in defined steps so like a good meal, let's let the new ingredients simmer a bit before we get too excited. This is an important series and a nice step up the ladder of competition to see where we really stand, and with two more games still to play, I see the 'Cats winning at least one of them.

I liken the Victoria team to a potentially strong comic book hero, say Iron Man, when his resources have been tapped out and he is running on auxiliary power, but is still somehow managing to keep the bad guys away. Or if you are a trekkie, shields are up, but only operating at 20% power. While Iron Man saves lives and the Enterprise defends against Klingons, the 'Cats chalk up wins, standing at a very respectable 7-3 and they have been running in this "scramble" mode since the season began; especially the pitching staff. Some nice deep inning runs by the starters, a couple of long relief stints, players playing admirably out of their preferred position and a host of successful ten-day signings have the 'Cats in a good position as power is returned in the form of the regular 'Cats showing up in Bellingham. While there are still a few more to arrive, this next stretch of games is where we see if the 'Cats are a true contender for the WCL playoffs or just an expansion franchise that had a good start.

This series with the Bells is a good early test as they are now even with the HC's for bragging rights in the North, while the next series brings the current leaders in the land of Dixie (the South...of the NorthWest anyway!) to town in the Bend Elks. This string of games will not define their season/fate or anything like that, but will still be a good indication of what is to come as full power is restored. Will they be the studs of the North or just a pretty good team fighting for a playoff berth? Will they take a bit of a dive, and need to regroup in making a charge leading up to the All Star break? Whatever the case, it will be fun watching the drama unfold, so tune in tomorrow...same 'Cat time, same 'Cat channel!

Holy bats man, we need a win!

Victoria drops series finale

The brooms were out, but after a disastrous fourth inning, they were sheepishly put away as the Kelowna Falcons prevented the sweep and collected their first win of the season courtesy of the Victoria HarbourCats. In the series finale tonight, the 'Cats opened the scoring with a power surge in the top of the dreaded fourth inning when the Alex's - DeGoti and Real - combined for back to back round trippers. On the mound for Victoria, another "ten day tender" who was signed on Saturday, Danny Moore, was cruising until his half of the fourth where he ran into more trouble than Mel Gibson at open mic night, combining with Logan Lombana and two 'Cats errors to allow eight runs to cross the plate.

There were to be no late inning heroics on this Monday night, with the 'Cats whimpering to a 13-6 loss, unable to recover from the damage of that woeful inning. It was interesting to note that catcher Greg Fettes moved to first, presumably so that they could keep his bat in the lineup while slotting the white hot Alex Real behind the plate. To make room for Fettes, Chris Lewis shifted over to second with Jack Graham, who is only batting .100, the odd man out. Zach Storm - hitless entering the game until a dribbling infield hit in the eighth - filled in at DH, most likely in an attempt to get his bat going.

After three series against teams with a losing record, the HarbourCats now enter their first real challenge of the season in taking on the 6-3 Bellingham Bells in a three game road set against a team that is fresh off a series sweep of Wenatchee. Like Victoria, the Bells took two out of three against Medford but also managed to get a game off the South-leading Klamath Falls Gems. Statistically the two teams are pretty similar, but I would give the batting edge to Victoria as - heading into tonight's game - they lead in average by 20 points, as well as having a slight edge in slugging and OPS. As a team, Bellingham only has one home run and 14 extra base hits so far in nine games and 291 at bats, compared to Victoria which had three HR's (plus 2 more tonight!) and 15 extra base hits, but in only 218 at bats. I'd tip the Bells (but not by much) on the mound as they hold the opposition to a league leading .205 batting average. The two team WHIP's and ERA's are very close, with Victoria having only a slight edge so it should be very even there. All in all, it looks to be a very competitive and evenly matched series. The loss tonight to Kelowna may be a wake-up and just what the doctor ordered heading into a more meaningful and competitive series. But the good thing about baseball, is that it still only counts as one loss and tomorrow is a fresh sheet of paper - new day, new city, new game.

A couple of players to watch for on the Bells are new additions (in the Wenatchee series) Alex Calbick and Johnny Sewald (great baseball name!) who are both hitting over .400. Beware of RHP Aaron Sandefur who will most likely come on in long relief, but has 14 strikeouts in only nine innings of work, allowing three hits and seven walks in that time. As for starters, Luke Morrill comes in with a 1.00 WHIP and 2.45 ERA, while collecting seven strikeouts and giving up only four free passes.

Tune in tomorrow after the long bus ride from Kelowna has our lads waiting to stand up the Bell(e)s of the ball.

HarbourCats "Russell" up another win

Alex DeGoti had his first multi-hit game of the year on Sunday

Victoria defeated the Kelowna Falcons 9-1 on Sunday night to raise their record to 7-1 on the season and all three Russells on the HarbourCats roster played a big part in the victory. Connor Russell picked up his first win of the season by limiting the Falcons to one earned run over 7 2/3 innings, but the outing was anything but smooth for the big right-hander. He gave up eight hits and five walks to go along with seven strikeouts and he also benefitted from some solid defense behind him.

The Russell brothers were a big part of offensive attack, as Austin went three-for-four with an RBI and Ty went one-for-three with a walk and two runs scored. Austin's batting average now sits at a impressive .375 on the season, good for second best on the team behind Alex Real's .429 mark. Alex DeGoti also chipped in with a pair of hits, two RBI and two runs scored on Sunday night.

The win gives the team the best record in the West Coast League and a 1 ½ game lead over the Bellingham Bells in the North Division standings. Victoria will attempt to go six-for-six against the Falcons this year when the two teams square off in the final game of the series on Monday night at 6:35 PM. Victoria then travels to Bellingham to take on the Bells in a big three-game showdown that begins on Tuesday night.

HarbourCatNip

• Victoria has signed left-handed pitcher Cameron Cuneo from UC Santa Barbara. Cuneo went 1-1 with a 4.50 in 12 innings pitched with the Gauchos this season. He is the third southpaw on the pitching staff, along with Bryan Conant and Will Ballowe.
• The HarbourCats have now scored 39 runs in their last four games. Murderers' Row, indeed!

'Cats take down Falcons again

Austin Russell photo by Brian Hayes

The HarbourCats continued their winning ways with a 7-2 victory over the hapless Kelowna Falcons on Saturday night, raising their record to 6-1 on the season. The win preserves Victoria’s one-game lead over the second-place Bellingham Bells in the North Division standings. Perhaps more importantly, since the top two teams in each division make the playoffs, the HarbourCats maintain a three-game lead over the third-place Walla Wall Sweets.

Scott Kuzminsky was the hero for Victoria in their first-ever road game, as he picked up the win by pitching seven scoreless innings. It was Kuzminsky's first start in over two years. The offense was led once again by Alex (“The Big Cat”) Real, who saw his average “drop” to a league-leading .563 after going two-for-five with three RBI. Austin Russell had a pair of hits and RBI to raise his average to .321, and every ‘Cat in the lineup with the exception of Jack Graham registered a hit.

Connor Russell (0-1, 1.88) takes to the mound this evening against Kelowna’s Caleb Olson (0-1, 4.76). First pitch is at 6:05 PM with the pre-game show on the internet broadcast starting at 5:45.

HarbourCatNip

• Six more of Victoria's regulars will join the team on Tuesday in Bellingham.
• The two HarbourCats from the UCSB Gauchos, Connor Baits and Robby Nesovic, will join the team on Wednesday. Both will be impact players for Victoria.
• The HarbourCats released the following players on Saturday: Clark McKitrick, Ryan Adkins, Jackson McCuaig, Brendon Magee, Erik Phillips, Daniel Bednarski and Daryl Blaskovich. All with the exception of McKitrick were 10-day players.
• Ty Russell and Chase Cuckovich were the only original 10-day players to remain with the team for the Kelowna trip. This humble blogger is hoping that Ty Russell remains with the team for the duration of the season -- he's currently second on the team with an incredible .588 on-base percentage. He'd be a valuable contributor off the bench, especially in late-inning situations when the HarbourCats are in a desperate need for base runners.
• Pitchers Jornh Kaluzniak (Vancouver Island Baseball Institute) and Danny Moore (Thompson Rivers University) were signed to 10-day contracts yesterday.