It didn’t look that way a week ago, but the Victoria HarbourCats are suddenly in a good position to make a late push for a West Coast League playoff spot.
After a three-game sweep at the hands of the South Division-leading Raptors in Ridgefield last weekend, the HarbourCats bounced back this week and swept a three-game set against the Lefties in Port Angeles. The sudden hot streak, combined with a rare loss by the North Division-leading Wenatchee AppleSox (10-5 in the second half) on Wednesday night, has moved the HarbourCats (7-8 in the second half) to within three games of the AppleSox in the chase for the North’s second-half title and the playoff spot that goes with it.
If the HarbourCats have any thoughts of a third-straight WCL post-season berth, the wins will have to continue this weekend when the Kamloops NorthPaws visit Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park for a three-game set beginning tonight.
“The Port Angeles series put us in a good position to make a push and the guys are hungry to continue to make that happen,” said HarbourCats head coach Todd Haney, who’ll start Spencer Hatch (2-1) on the hill in tonight’s series opener.
“We’ve got a good group of players who are really pushing each other now to perform their best because they really want to be a playoff team.”
The schedule down the stretch seems to be in the HarbourCats favour as nine of Victoria’s remaining 12 games are at the friendly confines of Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park, including three more homes games next week against the Edmonton Riverhawks (7-8).
“We’re definitely playing with more confidence now that we’ve given ourselves a shot at the playoffs and this is the time of year you need to be at your best every game,” Haney said. “And collectively we’re playing really well and that’s what you like to see at this time of year.”
Working against the HarbourCats is the fact the race for the North Division’s second-half title is a crowded one. Only 4 1/2 games separate first-place Wenatchee and last-place Kelowna (6-10). Meaning Bellingham (8-6), Nanaimo (8-7), Edmonton, Port Angeles (7-8), Kamloops (6-10) and Kelowna all remain in contention. Edmonton won the first-half title so already has a playoff spot secured.
“It’s cliche, but now is the time we worry about ourselves and focus on what we have to do to win games and just take them one game at a time,” Haney added. “Can’t worry too much about what everyone else is doing.”
EXTRA BASES: Heading into the final two weeks of the season the HarbourCats are third in the league in attendance. Victoria is averaging 2,595 fans per game, behind only Edmonton’s 4,427 and Portland’s 3,474. The NightOwls are sixth in the league, averaging 1,391 fans per game at Serauxmen Stadium.
