From midnight to morning, any time is baseball time for Grady Morgan. He played in the famous Midnight Sun Game last year in summer ball with the Alaska Goldpanners in Fairbanks and described it as a “memory I will never forget.”
It will be a different experience Thursday for the Victoria HarbourCats’ slugger with hundreds of screaming students as the HarbourCats host their annual school field-trip game at 11 a.m. at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park against the Port Angeles Lefties.
It’s part of Morgan’s esoteric baseball journey. It’s a trip north for most American players on the HarbourCats. But Morgan has come south for this summer season after playing in Fairbanks last year.
The six-foot-two, 215-pound fielder from the Chico State Wildcats of the NCAA had a hit as Victoria fell 9-6 to the Lefties in West Coast League action Wednesday night. That followed Morgan’s three hits, a walk and two runs scored in Tuesday night’s season-opening 6-2 victory against the Lefties.
The WCL is a circuit featuring college and university players extending their seasons into summer after their NCAA or NAIA seasons or playoffs have concluded. Fans might glimpse a rising star or two at Athletic Park this summer. A total of 59 WCL alumni appeared in MLB games in 2021 and 305 in affiliated pro ball. MLB opening-day rosters this year featured 33 former WCL players, including former HarbourCats Nick Pivetta with the Red Sox and Andrew Vaughan with the White Sox.
Only a few players will get there, of course, but these players all harbour the dream and summer ball is a big part of that.
“Summer ball is definitely important. It’s not just fun reps. What I do depends on this summer. I want to showcase my skills in Victoria for the MLB draft in July,” said Morgan.
“If not, I will go back to school to play [at Chico State, where he majors in kinesiology].”
The other early-season revelation for Victoria has been shortstop Luke Chen from the NCAA Div. 1 Illinois State Redbirds, who had a hit and stole three bases in the opener Tuesday and was spectacular in infield defence. Chen followed up with two hits and a run Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, the Nanaimo NightOwls lost their first WCL game in franchise history 5-1 Tuesday night in Portland against the Pickles, but were on their way to their first win in franchise history on Wednesday night, leading the Pickles 9-2 in the ninth inning. The Nanaimo home opener is Friday night at Serauxmen Stadium against the Edmonton Riverhawks.
