HarbourCats sign nine players from Island
Indicating the emerging prowess of local baseball, the Victoria HarbourCats have enough talent to field an allIsland starting lineup in 2022.
The West Coast League club announced the signings of nine Island players, led by two NCAA Div. 1 Sacramento State Hornets. Noah Takacs is a sixfoot-three, 200-pound pitcher from the Victoria Eagles and Josh Walker a six-foot-one outfielder from the Victoria Mariners.
The others announced are pitching brothers Eric and Owen Luchies out of the Eagles and now with Lower Columbia College, and pitcher Dawson Hurford from Western Nebraska College. Pitchers Haldon Craig and Jacob Popadynec, infielder Jordan Bond and outfielder Daniel Sawchyn are out of the affiliate Victoria Golden Tide team in the B.C. Collegiate League and will give HarbourCats head coach and former MLB player Todd Haney plenty of options.
“Developing local talent from the ground up has been my goal since I came on board with the HarbourCats in 2018,” said GM Curtis Pelletier, who has also been assistant coach and recruiting co-ordinator with the club. “The kids in the stands all hope to wear the HarbourCats jersey one day and we’re making that a reality now. We have put together a phenomenal group of coaches to train the Golden Tide with the goal of signing them to the HarbourCats. Get used to seeing local players on the field here in the summer as there is some serious talent coming through our programs.”
Who knows where it could lead? The WCL produced 59 alumni who appeared in MLB games in 2021 and 305 in affiliated pro ball.
The HarbourCats are banking on a 2022 WCL season after two dark years at Royal Athletic Park due to the pandemic. The pandemic also delayed the debut of the expansion Nanaimo NightOwls following the cancellation of the franchise’s scheduled start in 2021 at Serauxmen Stadium, the Harbour City facility opened in 1976 by Mickey Mantle.
Joining the HarbourCats and NightOwls among five Canadian franchises in the 16-team WCL are the Kelowna Falcons and expansion Kamloops NorthPaws and Edmonton Riverhawks. There are 11 teams in Oregon and Washington state. The 2022 regular season runs May 31 to Aug. 7.