Frankie Niemann (above at the 2019 All-Star game) headlines a list of 11 players from the HarbourCats record setting 2019 West Coast League season who were named to post-season All-Star lists Monday.

The Victoria HarbourCats are pleased to announce that 11 players have been named to the post season “All WCL” lists following their record setting season in 2019 that saw the team shatter and set a number of new offensive records and come one game short of bringing a championship title to the Island.

Headlining the list was Tulane catcher and 2019 All-Star Frankie Niemann who earned First Team All WCL honours after leading the league in batting for the majority of the season and finishing with a .393 batting average.  Niemann would have easily won the WCL batting title over Corvallis’s Jake Holcroft (.368), but fell short of the required number of at bats needed to qualify as a result of needing to leave the team prior to the end of the season.

Earning Second Team All WCL honours were Cal Baptist teammates Nick Plaia and Harrison Spohn, as well as University of San Diego pitcher Jack Hyde and Hawaii pitcher Calvin Turchin.

Nick Plaia earned Second Team All WCL honours in 2019 and helped guide the ‘Cats to the 2019 WCL Championships (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)
Plaia and Spohn, team leaders for the past two seasons here in Victoria, were instrumental in taking the HarbourCats to the WCL Championship finals in 2019, while Hyde (2-1, 2.10 ERA) and Turchin (4-2, 2.67) were lights out on the mound and key contributors to the ‘Cats overall 39-15 record on the season.

Also receiving Honorable Mention were infielders Parker Bramlett (Angelo State), Tanner Haney (Texas), Chase Meidroth (San Diego) and Griffin Paxton (Texas-San Antonio), pitcher Aaron Celestino (Incarnate Word) and catcher Tyson Hays (Illinois State).

A defensive standout in 2019, Harrison Spohn shows here why he was selected as a Second Team All WCL All-Star in 2019 (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)