Local infielder Jason Willow returning to Victoria HarbourCats

Victoria Mariners and Junior National Team alum Jason Willow (Victoria, B.C.) has returned to play for the Victoria HarbourCats this summer. Photo: Christian Stewart

June 13, 2019

Official Victoria HarbourCats Press Release

VICTORIA, B.C. -- There will be a return engagement for Jason Willow with the Victoria HarbourCats.

The local infielder, 20, is coming off a successful sophomore season at UC-Santa Barbara, where he hit .267 with one home run and 20 RBIs for the Gauchos in 43 games played, also stealing five bases. Willow, 6-2/180, was a 24th round draft choice of the Baltimore Orioles in 2017.

Willow had a short stint with the HarbourCats in 2018 before suffering a finger injury that knocked him out for the season.

"We're very glad to have Jason back, he's a local player who is definitely capable of having an impact at the West Coast League level, which brings together some of the top NCAA players on the continent," said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner/GM of the HarbourCats. "Jason can play just about anywhere on the field, and he'll be a major addition to the options Todd Haney will have when he makes his lineups. Jason wanted to come back here and develop in our program, in our pro-like atmosphere at Wilson's Group Stadium at RAP.

"With where Jason's career is heading, this may likely be the last time people here will get to see him play in Victoria, so it gives yet another reason to come to the park."

A graduate of the Victoria Mariners and the BC Premier Baseball League, prior to UCSB, Willow was a standout on the Canadian Junior National team, where he was arguably the best player on the team that participated in the 2017 U18 World Cup in Thunder Bay, Ontario, hitting safely all nine of the team's games and leading Canada to a fourth place finish.