HarbourCats sign Diaz, Skuija returns
Victoria signs Iowa Western commit, UBC’s Skuija returns to team

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats have added to their pitching depth heading into the stretch drive of the West Coast League season by signing imposing right-hander Indigo Diaz and are bringing back righty Ethan Skuija.

RHP Indigo Diaz, Iowa Western CC, (Freshman commit), North Vancouver, BC, 6-4/245

RHP Ethan Skuija, UBC, (Freshman), Victoria, BC, 6-3/200

Diaz is an exciting pitching prospect with a commitment to junior college powerhouse Iowa Western CC for this coming fall. Diaz is a product of the Coquitlam Reds of the BC Premier Baseball League where he went 8-1 in his senior year of high school this spring and posted a 1.35 ERA in 10 starts with 91 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched against only 34 hits.

Skuija is a native of Victoria and alum of the Victoria Eagles who this spring played his freshman year at the University of British Columbia. In 10 appearances as a freshman for the Thunderbirds, Skuija pitched to a 5.02 ERA over 14.1 innings with 14 strikeouts.  He began the summer on a 10-day contract with the HarbourCats, making two appearances, allowing a run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings of work.

Both of these players will bring the HarbourCats valuable added depth in the pitching staff, with the regular season now into its final 20 games.

The HarbourCats, who secured their playoff berth by winning the WCL North Division first half title, enter play on July 17 with a 4-4 second half record, third place in the north division, half a game back of the Kelowna Falcons and Walla Walla Sweets (6-5). 

Victoria’s 27-8 overall record leads the WCL by 5.5 games better than the Yakima Valley Pippins (23-15). On Friday, July 15, the HarbourCats were ranked for the third week in a row as the fifth-best team among all summer-collegiate baseball teams in North America.

PLAYOFFs: HarbourCats playoff tickets are now on sale to the general public and are being sold as a two-game package,
 
Single-game tickets for the games, expected to be August 10 and 11 (the second game, if needed), will go on sale around July 26, but that will depend on sales volumes with the two-game packages.
  
HOMESTAND: The HarbourCats return home to Royal Athletic Park in Victoria on Wednesday, July 20 when they begin a three-game series against the division rival Bellingham Bells.