Fox on mound for HarbourCats in another opener
The newly added Pivetta’s Pen overlooks the Victoria HarbourCats’ bullpen at Royal Athletic Park in honour of the first starter in franchise history. Victoria product Nick Pivetta, now in the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies, was soon on his way after that historic HarbourCats start in 2013.
That is just the point of the West Coast League. So, in a league with such high turnover of collegiate players, a repeat season home-opening pitcher in the WCL is as rare as someone in B.C. without a pipeline opinion.
Ethan Fox of Campbell River will become that rarity when he takes to the mound for the 2018 WCL season opener Friday night against the Wenatchee AppleSox at Royal Athletic Park. Fox also started the 2017 season home opener, a 9-4 loss, to the AppleSox. In that game, Fox allowed five runs — four earned — on six hits over four innings.
But that didn’t tell the complete Fox story on the season. The versatile graduate of the Parksville Royals of the B.C. Premier League came into another game after the HarbourCats opened the season on the road, leading Victoria to a victory over the Pippins in the Yakima Valley by hitting three RBIs as DH while also taking the win in relief.
At the time, he was a 10-day tryout player, who was sent to the Okotoks Dawgs of the Western Major Baseball League, and not recalled by the HarbourCats until late in the WCL season. Fox took advantage of the opportunity and turned in clutch playoff performances as Victoria dispatched Kelowna in the first round before taking the eventual champion Corvallis Knights to the limit in the league final.
“It was a crazy run, to go from a 10-day trial guy, away to Okotoks, and then come back for the playoffs,” said Fox, a graduate of Timberline Secondary, who played hockey in Campbell River up to Triple-A Midget before deciding on baseball as his primary sporting option.
He was a regular player, with a good bat and a strong throw from the outfield, before coaches decided to put that arm to use on the mound at Douglas College.
“At first, I was not used to Div. 1 [NCAA] hitting here in the WCL, but I think I later showed I have the right stuff to be in this league,” Fox said.
The Islander, who red-shirted this past collegiate season at Avila University in Kansas City, has the same goal as just about everyone else in the WCL: “I want to get drafted.”
Fox has the potential tools, said HarbourCats head coach Brian McRae.
“Ethan hit for us early last season. Then we brought him back late in the season, and he pitched well for us,” said 10-season former major-leaguer McRae.
“We wouldn’t have won the opening-round playoff series against Kelowna without him.”
So, a fresh season, and a fresh opening start on Friday for Fox.
DIAMOND DUST: The HarbourCats played a WCL preseason game Wednesday night at RAP against the cross-strait rival Port Angeles Lefties. The game was still underway at press time. The Lefties and HarbourCats meet in another exhibition game tonight in Port Angeles.