HarbourCats add three more arms
Pitchers among five players signed from U.S. community colleges
The Victoria HarbourCats believe good U.S. collegiate baseball players can be found beyond the big and flashy conferences such as the Pac-12. The West Coast League team signed five players Monday from the Northwest Athletic Conference to bring to 23 players inked for the 2015 WCL season, which begins June 5 at Royal Athletic Park against the Kelowna Falcons.
“There are a lot of different things that motivate college and university players to come to play summer ball in the WCL,” said HarbourCats GM Jim Swanson.
He said NCAA Division 1 players want to improve aspects of their game, while players from lower college ranks have something else to prove.
“[Community college players] might be Division 1 calibre and been passed over for any number of reasons, and they want to prove they can be as successful and be right up there with the Division 1 guys,” added Swanson.
He noted that two of the HarbourCats’ best players last season, 2015 returning pitchers Alex FaGalde and Alex Rogers, came from the junior college ranks and more than held their own throwing at Division 1 bats.
The HarbourCats announced the signings of outfelder/first baseman John Naff, six-foot-seven right-handed pitcher Curtis Bafus and left-handed hurler Kyle Francis, all from Everett College, infielder Jamie Umbinetti from Edmonds Community College and left-handed pitcher Matt Fish out of Pierce Community College.
Swanson noted the HarbourCats had a veneer of NCAA Division 1 talent in 2014 but suffered when it came to roster depth.
“Our top-end guys were really good. We were not as good in the middle and bottom ends of the roster,” said Swanson.
“Two areas contributed to those losing streaks that kept us from playing past Game 54 and into the postseason. The areas were roster depth and our pitching. We believe we can take those further steps with greater focus on pitching instruction, led by [new] head coach Graig Merritt and [new] pitching coach Alec Adame, and by finding players who are hungry to prove they can compete with the Division 1 stars throughout our league. We can put these players in positions to succeed.”