HarbourCats to play Eagles and Mariners on June 5th

It looks like HarbourCats baseball will arrive in Victoria five days earlier than expected, as the team announced today that they will play an exhibition game against players from both the Victoria Mariners and Victoria Eagles of the PBL. The game will be played on the evening of Thursday June 5th at Royal Athletic Park, one day before the HarbourCats are scheduled to open the season in Kelowna against the Falcons.

Many fans will remember the game played between the Eagles and Mariners at RAP approximately one week prior to the HarbourCats’ 2013 Home Opener. The game served to raise funds for former Victoria Mariner Zack Downey and his ongoing battle with cancer. To the surprise of some, a solid crowd of 862 baseball fans braved a chilly night to witness the event.

Personally, I love the idea of having the HarbourCats face off against the Eagles and Mariners. It reminds me of the tradition that many MLB clubs have of playing their first spring training game against a college team. Not only will it help the new HarbourCats get used to playing at RAP, but it will also give coaches Dennis Rogers and Bob Miller a chance to take a look at some youngsters who might just end up suiting up for the HarbourCats in a year or two. I also like the idea of giving the PBL players a chance to measure themselves against college players, and for local fans to get a sense of the talent difference between a WCL and PBL squad.

There are now only 146 days until first pitch at Royal Athletic Park!!