The Victoria HarbourCats added seven more players to the roster for the 2015 West Coast League season on Tuesday, bringing the total to 36 players.
Six of the seven are from NCAA Division-1 schools and five of them more than know how to handle a bat, said HarbourCats’ general manager Jim Swanson.
The University of San Diego will provide three players in right-handed pitcher Seve Romo and outfielders Kacy Smith and Kevin Collard, who will attend USD next fall. Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo supplies three others in right-handed pitcher Austin Dondanville, catcher Nick Meyer and outfielder Ben Polshuk.
The seventh is outfielder Mareno (Reno) Rankin of L.A. Mission junior college. All seven are Americans.
“Anytime you can work with great programs like the University of San Diego and Cal Poly-SLO, you know you’re going to get great players,” said Swanson. “One of our top players, Hunter Mercado-Hood, came from USD and he’ll play in the Cape Cod League this summer.”
Swanson said the HarbourCats have had strong players from Cal Poly in the past, including Jake Lesinski, Jordan Ellis and John Schuknecht. “We know with this latest group, and with speedster Reno Rankin, that we have added guys who can be front-line assets for [head coach Graig Merritt] and his staff, or valuable depth to make this a well-rounded squad.
“Mostly, we know these are players who are going to develop with our program and be better for their time here.”
EXTRA INNINGS: The HarbourCats, who begin their season on June 5, also announced that UC-Irvine outfielder Evan Cassolato will not be joining the team in Victoria this season due to another commitment.
