By: Jonathan Hodgson

Canadian Baseball Network

It has been an impressive start to the season for the Victoria HarbourCats leading to national recognition for the West Coast League club.

Now in their fourth season as Canada’s second entrance into the 11-team summer collegiate circuit, the HarbourCats have been slowly gaining momentum every season, and have begun 2016 with a bang.

After an 0-3 start, a convincing 11-1 victory in front of 4,544 fans at Victoria’s Royal Athletic Park began the HarbourCats current string of 11 consecutive victories, a new franchise record winning streak.

The eyes of the baseball world are watching as the club was ranked number 25 in all of college summer baseball for their 11-3 start, in weekly top-35 rankings compiled by Collegiatesummerbaseball.com.  The only other Canadian team in the top-35 in the season’s first list were the Medicine Hat Mavericks of the Western Major Baseball League.

Right in the middle of the HarbourCats early season success is infielder Griffin Andreychuk (Nanaimo, BC).  The junior from Seattle University began the season 11-for-17 and to date, leads the team with his .458 average to go along with three doubles and a home run. Andreychuk is a third year player for the HarbourCats and was the 2015 team MVP, batting .385 with five home runs and 25 RBIs in 30 games.

The HarbourCats have increased their win totals every season since their inception in 2013, from winning 22 games in their inaugural season to 29 in 2015.  Last season began slowly with a mark of 8-16 after 24 games, but head coach Graig Merritt’s squad put together a 21-8 run to finish the season and missed the playoffs by just two games.

Victoria has had growing success on and off the field in their first three-plus seasons. They led the WCL in attendance each of the last two seasons, and along with the increased win totals, the team already boasts an impressive list of 32 players drafted in the MLB draft. That number includes a team-high eight drafted players in the recently completed 2016 draft, including three members of the current club and five alumni. 

All that is missing is a playoff berth, and with the WCL operating under a new split-season format this season, the playoffs are already in sight.

The WCL’s 54-game regular season schedule is divided into two 27-game halves this year, with the winner of each division, north and south, in each half qualifying for the playoffs. The team with the best overall record over the full 54-game season receives home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

With 13 games remaining in the first half, the HarbourCats lead the WCL North Division by three games. 

These are exciting times for the HarbourCats and their fans. Victoria has a rich history of supporting baseball, and this season the HarbourCats are looking to bring them post season celebrations. 

One of summer collegiate baseball’s top teams resides in Victoria this summer. Graig Merritt (Maple Ridge, BC), Kelly Norris-Jones (Victoria, BC) and the rest of the HarbourCats coaching staff are focused on getting better each day so that this group can reach the high hopes surrounding them.