VICTORIA 6
NORTH SOUND 5
The last time the Victoria HarbourCats dipped into the player pool at Sacramento State, they came up with Nathan Lukes. All he did was hit .343 for Victoria in the 2014 West Coast League season and springboard from that to break the Sacramento State Hornets record for career hits with 244 while batting .353 this season to set himself up nicely for the upcoming 2015 MLB draft.
鈥淣athan Lukes has pro potential,鈥� said HarbourCats GM Jim Swanson.
鈥淗e had a great time here and really developed in Victoria.鈥�
So Swanson went back to well, recruiting infielder P.J. Floyd and catcher Dane Fujinaka from Sacramento State. The pair made their debuts Wednesday night at Royal Athletic Park as the HarbourCats defeated the North Sound Emeralds 6-5 to conclude the preseason 2-1.
鈥淸Lukes] loved it here, and said the fans and park were great,鈥� said Fujinaka.
Both are proud of their star Hornets teammate.
鈥淣athan will get drafted,鈥� said Floyd.
So it wasn鈥檛 a hard sell when the HarbourCats came calling.
鈥淭he WCL allows us to get at-bats and reps throughout the summer against top [NCAA] Div. 1 players from top conferences such as the Pac-12,鈥� noted Fujinaka.
Neither considers this a far-flung WCL outpost because both grew up in non-contiguous states. Fujinaka, also a surfer, is from the town of Aiea on Oahu in Hawaii.
鈥淚 can hang,鈥� he said, with a smile, about his prowess among the waves.
But it鈥檚 on the diamond where he hopes to excel the most in sports. His uncle Grant Sugai also played NCAA Div. 1 baseball, for the University of Hawaii Rainbows.
鈥淢y uncle mentored me. I love being a catcher and being in on every pitch,鈥� said Fujinaka.
His strength is defence behind the plate and he started all 59 games for the Hornets. Fujinaka hit .218 with 24 runs, 17 RBIs and two stolen bases. He is transferring next season to Menlo College, leaving on good terms from Sac State.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e always thinking pro,鈥� he said, about his diamond ambitions.
Floyd鈥檚 mentor was his father, Patrick Floyd, who also played NCAA Div. 1 for Pacific before performing for the Anchorage Bucks during the 11 years the family spent in Alaska.
鈥淚 always wanted to follow in my dad鈥檚 footsteps,鈥� said the six-foot-two Floyd, who hit .202 this season with 13 runs, eight RBIs and five stolen bases in 38 games as a true freshman.
鈥淢y dream is to play pro and to keep this [baseball] going.鈥�
If Lukes鈥� progress is any indication, both Floyd and Fujinaka may be in the right place for it this summer.
Fujinaka played third base Wednesday for the HarbourCats and went one-for-four with a run scored, while Floyd played shortstop and was 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly for an RBI against the Emeralds, an independent semi-pro team from Edmonds, Washington, affiliated with the Northwest Collegiate League.
The HarbourCats open the 2015 WCL regular season Friday at Royal Athletic against the Kelowna Falcons.
Taking over the park tonight will be the Victoria Mariners and Victoria Eagles for a sa国际传媒 Premier League game at 6:35.
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