Parker Bramlett鈥檚 first trip to sa国际传媒 has come with some good trips to the plate.
The six-foot infielder from Angelo State University was named West Coast League player of the week for going 8-for-18 with seven walks and seven runs scored for the Victoria HarbourCats.
鈥淚鈥檓 from Texas and this is my first time in sa国际传媒, and it鈥檚 so different,鈥� Bramlett said over the weekend, as the HarbourCats swept three games from the Kelowna Falcons.
For one thing, his favourite MLB team is the Texas Rangers, and he is seeing a lot more Toronto Blue Jays caps than he is used to. And it鈥檚 comfortably cooler for games than it is back home.
鈥淚鈥檓 loving the experience,鈥� he said.
As well he might, considering his play of late, which has been noticed by the league with the weekly honour.
鈥淭he people are so welcoming, Bramlett added,
It is the second consecutive week that a HarbourCat has been named WCL player of the week, as Bramlett follows Chase Wehsener being cited by the league the previous week.
Wehsener, although from San Diego, plays in the NCAA for the Baylor University Bears located in Waco, Texas.
HarbourCats head coach and five-season MLB infielder Todd Haney was born in Galveston, played for the University of Texas Longhorns, and still lives in Texas when not in Victoria. If you鈥檙e starting to notice a Lone Star theme to the HarbourCats season, you鈥檙e not alone.
Whatever it is, it鈥檚 working.
Victoria鈥檚 offence has been banging the ball all over the park. Bramlett is hitting .347 and is among a flotilla of HarbourCats batting above .300. Frankie Niemann, from NCAA Tulane, leads the WCL with an other-worldly .471, with fellow-HarbourCats Wehsener at .425, hometown Victoria product and 2017 Baltimore Orioles draft pick Jason Willow at .392, Tyson Hayes at .391, Kyle Harper at .385, Tyler Pettit of Round Rock, Texas at .367, Bramlett at .347, Griffin Paxton from Texas-San Antonio at .338, Emilio Nogales from Fresno State at .333 and Nate Pecota at .311.
It鈥檚 like a WCL version of Murderer鈥檚 Row, although there鈥檚 more to this offence than just the long ball.
鈥淭he biggest thing about our team and its hitting is its consistency,鈥� said Bramlett.
The HarbourCats have won seven consecutive games and will meet the Bellingham Bells in a three-game set starting Friday at Wilson鈥檚 Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park that will likely decide the WCL North Division first-half championship and playoff berth that goes with it. The HarbourCats were a game and a half ahead of Bellingham heading into the Bells鈥� late-finishing game Tuesday night in Yakima Valley against the Pippins to begin a three-game set.
The HarbourCats will prepare for the key upcoming weekend Bellingham series by playing a Seattle senior team in an exhibition game today at 6:35 p.m. at Royal Athletic Park.
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