VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats are pleased to announce the latest signings for the 2017 West Coast League season which include a pair of Canadian Junior National Team alums and B.C. natives.

Right-handed pitcher Carter Loewen of Abbotsford B.C. has signed along with University of Hawaii teammates, catcher Kekai Rios and outfielder Ethan Lopez, as well as fellow Canada Junior National Team alum, catcher Tanner Rempel.

RHP CARTER LOEWEN, University of Hawaii, (Freshman), Abbotsford, B.C., 6-4/205

C KEKAI RIOS, University of Hawaii, (Sophomore), Kahalu’u, HI, 5-11/190

INF ETHAN LOPEZ, University of Hawaii, (Sophomore), Whittier, CA, 6/175

C TANNER REMPEL, Colorado Mesa University, (Sophomore), Abbotsford, B.C., 6-1/205

Carter Loewen is a very highly regarded freshman pitcher for Hawaii head coach Mike Trapasso.  Loewen, who attended Yale Secondary in Abbotsford, B.C. and played in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League (BCPBL) for the Abbotsford Cardinals, was selected in the 40th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, but elected to go to university.

Carter was a member of Canada’s Junior National Team in 2016 and in 2015 played in the Canada Cup for Team BC and competed in Tournament 12 hosted by the Toronto Blue Jays.  

Kekai Rios is a Hawaii native who made an immediate impact as a freshman for the Rainbow Warriors.

Rios earned the starting catcher role as a freshman playing 49 games, starting 48 and posting a .331 average with eight doubles, a home run and 18 RBIs. Behind the plate, he threw out 19 attempted base-stealers, ranking sixth-best in the Big West Conference.

Ethan Lopez is a versatile player with the capability to play the outfield and infield, as well as being a switch-hitter with a potent bat from both sides of the plate. As a freshman at Hawaii in 2016, Lopez batted .302 in 28 games, swatting six doubles, two triples, and two home runs while driving in 15 runs.

The trio of Loewen, Rios and Lopez completes a full complement of four players committed to the HarbourCats from the University of Hawaii. They join returning HarbourCat right-handed pitcher Colin Ashworth who signed shortly after the conclusion of the HarbourCats 2016 season.

Tanner Rempel is a sophomore catcher at Colorado Mesa University, a national power at the NCAA Division 2 level.  Rempel played for the Abbotsford Cardinals in the BCBPL while attending Yale Secondary.  Rempel was a member of Canada’s Junior National Team in 2015 and won the Canada Cup National Championship as part of Team BC in 2014.

During his freshman year in 2016, Rempel batted .280 with a home run and six RBIs in 13 games.