David Olmeda-Bererra, a 40th-round pick of the Oakland A鈥檚 in 2012 and one of seven MLB-drafted players on the Victoria HarbourCats鈥� roster, and Timmy Richards play for ninth-ranked Cal State-Fullerton, which is expected to make a deep run into the NCAA tournament.
Then it鈥檚 onto Victoria for the West Coast League season with the HarbourCats, who open their inaugural season three weeks from today on June 5 at Royal Athletic Park.
The WCL features U.S. collegiate NCAA players in wood bat summer ball.
鈥淚t allows these players to continue their body of work,鈥� said HarbourCats owner John McLean on Tuesday, as he detailed the club鈥檚 preparations for opener.
鈥淚f they are drafted, they can work at going back in [to the next year鈥檚 draft] to go higher. For the summer in the WCL they can experience what it will be like for them in minor-pro to ride the bus and play every day. Plus they get to use wood bats [as in the pros]. That doesn鈥檛 happen in college [aluminum bats are used in the NCAA].鈥�
Since the College World Series goes to June 26, those few players who go deepest into the tournament can鈥檛 join their WCL teams until later. Others may sign minor-pro contracts and leave mid-season. But that is the common kind of roster flux to be expected in baseball, noted McLean.
McLean said improvements and changes to Royal Athletic Park have been on-going this spring with a new, portable fence-on-wheels installed and also improvements made to the dugouts, bullpen and dressing-rooms. Home plate has been moved 15 feet closer to the back grandstand to make for a more intimate setting.
The HarbourCats will play a 54-game 2013 regular season in the WCL, with 27 home dates from June 5 to Aug. 11.
