The Victoria HarbourCats will play their final West Coast League game ever in Kitsap tonight. Their second-to-last game in the Washington state community was a 7-0 victory on Tuesday night over the BlueJackets.
Citing attendance and revenue issues, according to the Kitsap Sun newspaper, the franchise is moving next season to Port Angeles.
Unperturbed by the problems in Kitsap are the HarbourCats, who kept rolling merrily along. Victoria, which has clinched the overall WCL regular-season title, moved to 37-13 while the BlueJackets are playing out the string at 15-38. The HarbourCats have clinched a playoff berth with the first-half North Division title, so it all comes down to the second-half championship and the playoff spot that goes with it.
The HarbourCats have more than a passing interest in that race because they will play the second-half champion in the best-of-three divisional playoff next week. It looks like it will be the Bellingham Bells. Both the Bells and HarbourCats are 14-9 in the second half. The Kelowna Falcons (11-12) and Walla Walla Sweets (11-11) are falling off the pace. If Victoria also wins the second half of the North Division, the team placing second will get the second divisional playoff spot.
Austin Guibor from Fresno State hit a two-RBI triple and scored a run to lead Victoria on Tuesday in Kitsap. P.J. Floyd from Sacramento State had two hits, including a double, with two RBIs and a run scored. 鈥機ats starter Will McAffer (6-2 and 1.98 ERA) took the shutout win by going six complete innings with five hits and three strikeouts.
The HarbourCats conclude the regular season with a three-game home set starting Friday at Royal Athletic Park against the Yakima Valley Pippins.
