If the Victoria HarbourCats need any inspiration for their slow start to the second half of the season, they only need look to their latest player addition.
Hunter Vansau is actually a re-addition this week after starring for the HarbourCats last season. He returned to the club Wednesday after playing for Mississippi State in the recent 2018 NCAA College World Series tournament in Omaha, Nebraska.
It鈥檚 how the Bulldogs got there that he most wants to impress on his HarbourCats teammates.
鈥淲e were 2-7 to start the season and then recorded two key sweeps over the Arkansas Razorbacks [who went on to play in the College World Series final against champion Oregon State] and Florida Gators, who were No. 1 at the time,鈥� said Vansau.
鈥淭hat turned our season around. Our bats came alive, and our pitching locked in, at just the right time. I also remember last year in Victoria we got off to a slow start before making the playoffs. Baseball is a crazy game. Anything can happen.鈥�
In other words, baseball is a sport of swings 鈥� both at the plate and in the standings.
The second half of the West Coast League baseball season began for Victoria at 0-3 after being swept by the defending鈥揷hampion Knights in Corvallis, Oregon, in a reprise of the 2017 WCL final.
But Vansau helped change Victoria鈥檚 luck on Wednesday as he belted the first pitch he saw over the wall at Wilson鈥檚 Group Stadium to give Victoria a 2-0 first-inning lead and the 鈥機ats went on to a 6-3 victory over the Bend Elks to move to 2-3 in the second half. Vansau finished his debut going 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Mason Shaw picked up the win on the hill for Victoria, going five innings of shutout ball.
The Bellingham Bells won the WCL North Division first-half championship and playoff berth that goes with it. The Bells will face the second-half champion in the best-of-three North Division playoff final next month.
The HarbourCats-Elks set, which began with Victoria鈥檚 dramatic 5-4 walk-off victory in the bottom of the 10th inning on Monday, concludes tonight on Caledonia.
Also joining the HarbourCats is Vansau鈥檚 Mississippi State infield teammate Rowdey Jordan, who batted a team second-best .321 this season for the Bulldogs.
Outfielder Vansau only hit .191 and is looking for a strong summer with the HarbourCats to propel himself into his senior year at MSU in Starkville.
The six-foot-three Vansau showed what is capable of during a stellar 2017 campaign for the HarbourCats in which he batted .359 with eight home runs and 17 extra-base hits for 34 RBIs in 33 games to be named to the WCL鈥檚 second all-star team at season鈥檚 end.
The HarbourCats will be looking for that same kind of production from him again this summer in the second half of the season. On defence, Vansau used his height and agility to track down balls for some memorable catches last year in the Royal Athletic Park outfield.
The better news for the HarbourCats is that Vansau can stay through the playoffs this year, if they make it. Because of school commitments last year, he had to miss the WCL playoff final against Corvallis after Victoria beat Kelowna in the North Division final.
His aim is clear.
鈥淚 am going into my last year in the NCAA and I want to play pro ball after that,鈥� said Vansau, who grew up in Crawford, Texas, where his family is neighbours of former U.S. president George W. Bush.
鈥淭here鈥檚 an old saying in baseball: You play as long as they let you.鈥�
Vansau hopes that is for a long time yet. But if that doesn鈥檛 work out, he is well prepared for his backup plan: 鈥淚 already have my degree in finance and am working in the master鈥檚 program if the dream of pro ball doesn鈥檛 work out.鈥�
Good plan.
It鈥檚 not lost on any WCL players that there were 72 alumni or current WCL players selected in last month鈥檚 2018 MLB draft, including 12 former HarbourCats. Several WCL players have gone on to make the majors, including former HarbourCats pitcher and now Philadelphia Phillies hurler Nick Pivetta. The visiting Bend team boasts former Elks star and 2015 WCL first-team all-star Nick Madrigal, selected fourth overall in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox, not to mention former Elks centre-fielder Jacoby Ellsbury of the New York Yankees. So it can happen. But only for the rare few, of course. You could say the same for any development league in any sport.
WCL players such as Vansau are collegians, so they have something to fall back on.
