Falcons hoping for flock of fans tonight

The Kelowna Falcons hope tonight to re-ignite the kind of playoff excitement that surrounded the team on its last trip to the post-season.

General manager Mark Nonis hopes Elks Stadium, which can hold up to 2,000 fans including standing room, is filled for Game 2 of the West Coast League divisional series against the Victoria HarbourCats.

“The last time we made the playoffs, in 2015, we had a line-up of people buying tickets that stretched about two blocks,” Nonis said before Game 1 in the best-ofthree series last night in Victoria.

“We're hoping for a sell-out at Elks,” Nonis said. “Playoff atmosphere is great, and it's an affordable and fun night out for the whole family.”

While the Falcons have made the playoffs in two of the last three years, it's only the second time the HarbourCats have seen post-season action.

It's also something of a rarity that two Canadian teams face each other in the playoffs, as nine of the WCL's teams are based in the U.S.

“Only four teams make the playoffs, so the chance of two of them being Canadian and meeting each other in the first round is pretty small,” Nonis said. “We're excited, and we want to go on and bring a championship to Kelowna.”

Teams in the West Coast League, which began operations in 2005, are made up of college-eligible student athletes.

This year, 83 of its players were drafted by Major League Baseball teams, up from about 50 a few years ago, which Nonis says attests to the increasing quality of play in the WCL.

“The West Coast League has a demanding schedule, travel, and wood bats that tests prospects, preparing them for the pros,” the league website says. “Our member teams recruit players nationwide and are committed to developing aspiring pros.”

The Falcons made the playoffs for finishing first in the WCL's Northern Division through the first half of the season. Game time tonight is 6:35 p.m. with Game 3 if necessary on Thursday evening.