CLEVE DHEENSAW
Times Colonist
It was a “perfect day to open this facility” said Victoria HarbourCats assistant coach Curtis Pelletier, referring to the rainy weather Wednesday outside the team’s new indoor baseball training facility.
It was part of the HarbourCats’ double play on the day with the added announcement the West Coast League franchise will also sponsor a new team, Victoria Golden Tide, in the Canadian College Baseball Conference. The Golden Tide, under head coach Pelletier, will begin play in 2021 at Royal Athletic Park in the September to May league. The now eight-team CCBC also features Vancouver Island University, University of the Fraser Valley, UBC-Okanagan, Thompson Rivers University, University of Calgary, Edmonton Collegiate Baseball Club and Prairie Baseball Academy of Lethbridge.
Players must be registered full-time at a post-secondary institution, such as UVic or Camosun, in order to play for the Golden Tide.
“This grows the game and gives players more opportunities to play college baseball, without having to cross the border, and get a great Canadian education,” said Jim Swanson, GM and managing-partner of the HarbourCats.
The Golden Tide is not affiliated with UVic or Camosun and will operate on a club basis such as the CCBC teams in Edmonton and Lethbridge.
“There are a lot of players who have not had the opportunity to take baseball beyond the high school years, and this is an option for them to stay here and go to great schools,” said Pelletier.
Even Victoria’s mayor agrees.
“We are really excited to have this new program based out of Victoria and providing big opportunities to regional student athletes,” said Lisa Helps, in a statement.
Meanwhile, the 5,000-square-foot indoor HarbourCats Players Club Training Center officially opened Wednesday in the former Cook Street Squash Club. Cost of the project was not divulged by the club. While not as ambitious as CPL pro soccer club Pacific FC’s $5.5-million, 55,000-square-foot indoor field house and training centre in Langford, the HarbourCats’ indoor facility is expected to also enhance local sports, specifically baseball and softball.
“We have a great relationship with both the Mariners and Eagles [Victoria teams in the junior-level B.C. Premier Baseball League]. We’re going to have all kinds of kids come in here,” said Pelletier, a former Canadian junior national team player and pro.
“The end goal for some of them is college baseball and pro ball for others. We are here to provide guidance and training for them, whatever their end goals.”
Outfielder Kai Gray of the Eagles was among the players on opening day batting in one of three cages while a pitching machine spat out balls. There are also four pitching tunnels and strength and conditioning areas.
“With all the rain that comes down between October and April, it’s going to be awesome to be able to get in extra time by training inside,” said Gray.
“I want to make it somewhere, hopefully the MLB.”
The goal is to transition Golden Tide players onto the HarbourCats WCL roster. Five WCL alumni were selected in June’s pandemic-abbreviated five-round MLB draft. Former WCL players have been drafted in the first round in each of the past four years. Ninety alumni or then-current WCL players were selected in the 2019 MLB draft and 73 in 2018. Not to mention that the B.C. Premier League, which which Gray currently plays, has produced current or former MLB players Nick Pivetta from the Eagles, Rich Harden and Michael Saunders from the Mariners, James Paxton, Tyler O’Neill, Larry Walker, Ryan Dempster, Jeff Francis, Brett Lawrie, Adam Loewen and Justin Morneau.
Being able to practice indoors year-round won’t hurt local players in their diamond quest.
“This is great for baseball and great for our community,” said mayor Helps.
DIAMOND DUST: The expansion Nanaimo NightOwls of the WCL have signed the first four players in franchise history. Infielders Aidan Huggins and Nick Gile, outfielder Dayton Peters and pitcher Chase Florendine are all from NCAA Div. 1 Illinois State. Huggins, Peters and Florendine are Canadians, which will come in handy if the Canada-U.S. border remains closed in 2021 and the five Canadian WCL franchises are forced into a Canada-only schedule.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com