The Beatles sang about getting by with a little help from your friends. By that token, the Victoria HarbourCats aren鈥檛 just friends with the Yakima Valley Pippins this week, they鈥檙e best buddies.
The only team that can deny the HarbourCats (17-7) the first-half North Division title in the West Coast League, and playoff berth that goes with it, is the Bellingham Bells (14-10). But the Bells were knocked back in their spikes with losses Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in their series in Yakima Valley. That left the Bells three games behind the HarbourCats heading into tonight鈥檚 contest.
The HarbourCats and Bells meet in a three-game set at Wilson鈥檚 Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park to close out the first half of the season.
Scoreboard watching isn鈥檛 his thing, said Haney, about what was going on in Yakima Valley.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just focused on what we need to do,鈥� said the five-season former major-leaguer.
And that focus has been like a laser through Victoria鈥檚 seven-game winning streak.
鈥淥nce momentum builds, good things start happening,鈥� said Haney.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been grinding out our at-bats.鈥�
Indeed, Victoria鈥檚 offence is as deep as it is talented at the summer collegiate level. Frankie Niemann, from the NCAA Tulane Green Wave, leads the WCL with a torrid .471 batting average. His fellow HarbourCats aren鈥檛 too shabby, either, at the plate with Chase Wehsener from Baylor University hitting .425, hometown Victoria product and 2017 Baltimore Orioles draft pick Jason Willow .392, Tyson Hayes .391, Kyle Harper .385, Tyler Pettit .367, Parker Bramlett. 347, Griffin Paxton from the University of Texas-San Antonio .338, Emilio Nogales from Fresno State .333 and Nate Pecota .311.
The pitching has been just as good with the Georgia State Panthers tandem of Ryan Watson 4-1 and Joseph Brandon 3-0, with Jack Hyde from La Mesa, California, 2-0.
鈥淲e made a point of going out and getting high-quality pitchers,鈥� said Haney.
It shows.
鈥淥ur pitching coach, Ian Sanderson, is an excellent teacher and communicator and our pitchers have bought in,鈥� said Haney.
The HarbourCats prepared for the Bellingham series by recording a 6-3 victory Wednesday night at Royal Athletic Park over the Seattle City Showcase U-18 team in an exhibition game. Thirteen of the Showcase players have committed to NCAA teams such as the University of Washington Huskies, University of Portland Pilots and UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos.
Rookie Zach Swanson, who attends San Diego Christian College, started on the mound for the HarbourCats and delivered five innings with three hits allowed, one of which was a two-run homer.
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