Victoria HarbourCats won’t be able to play playoff games at Royal Athletic Park

The Victoria HarbourCats baseball team has announced a significant change to their operations for the upcoming season, affecting their potential home playoff games.

This development comes as a result of the City of Victoria and the Canadian Football League (CFL) scheduling a regular season football game at Royal Athletic Park (RAP) on August 31st, featuring the BC Lions.

The HarbourCats, who have made the playoffs in six of the past seven West Coast League (WCL) seasons, will be unable to host any playoff games at their home field, Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP, due to preparations required for the CFL game.

The necessary modifications for the football game, such as installing additional bleachers and covering the baseball infield with grass, will begin after the HarbourCats’ final regular season game on August 7th.

The WCL playoffs can run until August 16th, necessitating a relocation of any home playoff games.

Despite this challenge, the HarbourCats have expressed their support for hosting the CFL game in Victoria, recognizing the benefits it brings to the local sports community. However, the timing of the event has led to disappointment and logistical complications for the baseball team.

According to the Harbourcats, discussions with the City of Victoria indicate that this is a one-time occurrence and should not affect future seasons.

The HarbourCats sent out an email Wednesday reassuring fans that all regular season games will proceed as planned, with the home opener set for June 7th.

Should the team advance to the playoffs, any “home games” scheduled between August 10-16th will need to be played at an alternate facility that meets WCL standards.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of suitable secondary venues in Victoria, these games cannot be held locally.

The organization has conveyed the significant impact of this situation to the City of Victoria and the CFL, emphasizing the importance of finding a resolution.

They are actively researching alternative venues to host the potentially affected playoff games, which could number up to four.