News: IBL All-Star Liam Wilson Returns for 2023

KITCHENER – The Kitchener Panthers are excited to announce the re-signing of back to back IBL 1st Team All-Star First Baseman, Liam Wilson (Ayr, Ontario).

The 6’2, 220-pound local is entering his fourth season with the Panthers and will look to continue his high level of production across his first three seasons. After batting .436 with an on-base percentage of .500 in 2019, Wilson’s 2021 season saw him pace the Panthers and finish among the league leaders with a .410 average, 7 home runs, 33 RBI, a .759 slugging percentage, and a 1.224 OPS across 23 games.

In 2022, he posted his third season in a row with a batting average above .400, setting career highs with a .440 average, 7  home runs, 36 RBI, and 13 doubles in 91 at-bats, appearing in 26 games. Wilson’s slugging percentage was a sizzling .813 and his On Base Percentage rang in at a dominant .522 for an OPS of 1.335. He narrowly missed the cutoff for plate appearances to be considered in several league leader categories but would have been the league leader in Batting Average, On Base Percentage, Slugging Percentage and OPS had he qualified. Striking out only 5 times on the season, Wilson had a league low At Bats per Strikeout ratio and also led the league with a 2.6 Base on Balls to Strikeouts ratio. He has been equally as impressive on the defensive side of the ball, sporting a perfect fielding percentage for the second season in a row and placing himself amongst the top fielders in the league.

A Cambridge Minor Baseball and Ontario Terriers Alumnus, Wilson played one season at NJCAA D1 Northeastern Junior College (Sterling, Colorado) recording a .410 average and a 1.089 OPS on way to a 1st team All-Conference selection. He then transferred to NCAA Division 1 Canisius College (Buffalo, New York) where he was a staple in the heart of the order for the Golden Griffins across three seasons recording a career average of .337, 120 RBI, 219 hits, 133 runs, 41 hit by pitches and a 57 game on base streak split between the 2017 (16) and 2018 season (41).

Following a 1st team All-Conference selection in his Junior season (2017), Wilson was Selected as an All-American and 1st Team All-Northeast Region First Baseman in 2018 after batting .353 with 9 home runs. His 27 doubles ranked 3rd in the nation and set a new single season conference doubles record. Wilson also set the All-Time Canisius record for most career doubles (59) and finished in the top 10 of several other career offensive categories in only three seasons played. He was also the recipient of a Collegiate National Player of the week award while playing for the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game League in 2017.

Panthers GM Mike Boehmer comments; “We are very pleased to welcome back 2021 and 2022 IBL 1st Team All-Star First Baseman, Liam Wilson, for his 4th Season with the Panthers. Liam is one of the top players in the IBL, both at the plate and in field; as well as being a team leader. He is a hard worker who prepares well, a strong competitor on the field, and his experience will be relied upon.”

Don’t want to miss your chance to see our local All-Star put on a show all summer long? Seasons tickets can be purchased online under the  tickets  tab on kitchenerpanthers.com.

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