Former resident Jim Swanson, who still has ties to the World Baseball Challenge that happens every second year in Prince George, is on the verge of becoming a part owner of the Victoria HarbourCats.
The HarbourCats are a baseball team that competes in the West Coast League, considered one of the best collegiate summer leagues in North America.
Swanson is part of a group that includes his brother, Ken, Rich Harder and John Wilson. In a deal that must still be approved by the league's board of governors, ownership of the HarbourCats will be transferred from Bhootan LLC, which has been operating the franchise since last fall.
The pending transaction was announced on Tuesday. Approval is considered a formality.
Swanson, former sports editor at The Citizen, joined the HarbourCats as vice-president and general manager in December of 2013. He will retain the general manager title but will now be vice-president of baseball operations.
Wilson, the team's vice-president of business, said his group is excited about the days ahead.
"Rich, Ken and Jim are quality people," Wilson said in a media release. "We are all committed to this and see the opportunity to grow the HarbourCats. This team is important to the Victoria market in that it provides profile to this region and adds to our identity through B.C., Washington, Oregon and the baseball world."
Wilson, a Victoria businessman, also has investments in junior hockey. He's a part owner of the B.C. Hockey League's Victoria Grizzlies and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League's Peninsula Panthers.
Last season, the HarbourCats led the 12-team West Coast League in attendance, with an average of 1,576 fans per game. On the field, they played to a 25-29 record, good for second place in the West Division behind the Bellingham Bulls (37-17) and ahead of the Cowlitz Black Bears (24-30) and Kitsap BlueJackets (23-30).
"We look forward to some things that will show a new day in HarbourCats baseball," Swanson said in the release. "I'm proud to be walking beside the rest of the partners - this is a great group, and the right group for Victoria's baseball future."
The WCL regular season starts in June.
As for the World Baseball Challenge, the next edition is scheduled for Aug. 14-23 at Citizen Field. Swanson, co-chairman of WBC events in 2009, 2011 and 2013, is now serving as a liaison between tournament organizers and the teams. Clubs that have already confirmed their participation for this year are Canada, the United States, Cuba, Japan and the Bahamas. Chinese Taipei is also a likely participant.
