CLEVE DHEENSAW
Times 91原创
It was a 鈥減erfect day to open this facility鈥� said Victoria HarbourCats assistant coach Curtis Pelletier, referring to the rainy weather Wednesday outside the team鈥檚 new indoor baseball training facility.
It was part of the HarbourCats鈥� 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 91原创 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 91原创 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.
鈥淭his grows the game and gives players more opportunities to play college baseball, without having to cross the border, and get a great 91原创 education,鈥� 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.
鈥淭here 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,鈥� said Pelletier.
Even Victoria鈥檚 mayor agrees.
鈥淲e are really excited to have this new program based out of Victoria and providing big opportunities to regional student athletes,鈥� 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 91原创 FC鈥檚 $5.5-million, 55,000-square-foot indoor field house and training centre in Langford, the HarbourCats鈥� indoor facility is expected to also enhance local sports, specifically baseball and softball.
鈥淲e have a great relationship with both the Mariners and Eagles [Victoria teams in the junior-level B.C. Premier Baseball League]. We鈥檙e going to have all kinds of kids come in here,鈥� said Pelletier, a former 91原创 junior national team player and pro.
鈥淭he 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.鈥�
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.
鈥淲ith all the rain that comes down between October and April, it鈥檚 going to be awesome to be able to get in extra time by training inside,鈥� said Gray.
鈥淚 want to make it somewhere, hopefully the MLB.鈥�
The goal is to transition Golden Tide players onto the HarbourCats WCL roster. Five WCL alumni were selected in June鈥檚 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鈥橬eill, Larry Walker, Ryan Dempster, Jeff Francis, Brett Lawrie, Adam Loewen and Justin Morneau.
Being able to practice indoors year-round won鈥檛 hurt local players in their diamond quest.
鈥淭his is great for baseball and great for our community,鈥� 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 91原创s, which will come in handy if the Canada-U.S. border remains closed in 2021 and the five 91原创 WCL franchises are forced into a Canada-only schedule.