Connect with us

Intercounty Basbeall League (ON)

Province’s Roadmap to Reopening Good News for the IBL

Published

on

The province’s Roadmap to Reopening announced last week states outdoor leagues can begin play at the start of Phase Two. If everything goes as planned that means Ontario’s Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) will be playing baseball on July 5, albeit with restrictions.

That is good news indeed as for the first time since 2019, there is some light at the end of the long and dark pandemic tunnel. The news from the province put a number of things in motion for the IBL. First and foremost, the IBL is preparing a Return to Play plan to submit to the province – The IBL cannot resume without an approved plan.

The league has retained Dr. Tim Rindlisbacher to assist in the preparation of a league plan as well as a Return to Play plans for our eight teams. Dr. Rindlisbacher has also worked with the Ontario Hockey Federation and the NHLPA on return-to-play plans.

The IBL plan will include a myriad of scenarios around fan capacity and distancing, masks, the use of clubhouses and buses, concessions, and many other items. Additional good news is that Phase Three, if all goes well, could start 21 days later, on July 26, with eased restrictions.

Everything it seems is in pencil these days, but the IBL is working towards a start date of around July 5 with regular-season games into early September followed by a shortened playoff season.

Historically, the IBL has allowed each team to have four imports. That rule is still in place, but border restrictions and logistics may have an impact on teams being able to bring in players from other countries.

The IBL is also encouraging players, team staff, umpires, volunteers and even fans to get vaccinated. The response has been fantastic and it’s our way out of the pandemic and a path to get back on the field. Plus, besides being the right thing to do, vaccination thresholds are an element of the province’s Roadmap to Reopening.

In the weeks coming, the Intercounty Baseball League will keep our fans, players, and stakeholders updated with our return to play plan and the league looks forward to returning to the field!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: John Kastner, IBL Commissioner (519) 301-3227

The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is the top-level baseball league in Canada, boasting ex-major league professional and elite NCAA college baseball players. The 2021 season will mark the IBL’s 102nd in operation. The IBL is one of the longest continuously operated baseball leagues in the world and serves as a valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff. More than 40 IBL players have advanced to Major League Baseball or returned to the IBL following their MLB careers.   The league is comprised of teams from Barrie, Brantford, Kitchener, London, Toronto, Guelph, Welland and Hamilton. For more information, visit www.theibl.ca.

Intercounty Basbeall League (ON)

News: IBL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Jackfish wins first IBL championship

BARRIE – The Intercounty Baseball League’s top regular season team was also the IBL’s best in the playoffs, as the Welland Jackfish blew out Barrie 17-1 on Saturday to clinch its first Dominico Cup title. Welland, after dropping the series’ first two games, won the next four in the best-of-seven series. Welland starting pitcher and playoff MVP…

Published

on

BARRIE – The Intercounty Baseball League’s top regular season team was also the IBL’s best in the playoffs, as the Welland Jackfish blew out Barrie 17-1 on Saturday to clinch its first Dominico Cup title. 

Welland, after dropping the series’ first two games, won the next four in the best-of-seven series. 

Welland starting pitcher and playoff MVP James Bradwell allowed an unearned run over 7.2 innings in Game 6. He scattered six hits, walked two and struck out six. Over three playoff rounds, Bradwell went 5-0 with a 1.03 earned-run average. 

Offensively, Matteo Porcellato homered twice and drove in five, while Gianfranco Morello went 3-for-6 with a home run, two RBI and three runs. Sam Cawker was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs, Carlos Martinez doubled and drove in two, Hogan Brown had  a pair of RBI and scored twice, and James Smibert drove in a run and scored twice.

For Barrie, the playoff’s third seed, Ryan Rijo drove in Canice Ejoh in the eighth inning. Carson Burns singled twice. 

Evan Soules took the loss, allowing six runs on five hits over 2.1 innings. He walked two and didn’t record a strikeout. 

Source

Continue Reading

Intercounty Basbeall League (ON)

News: IBL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Jackfish one win from IBL title

WELLAND – More late game magic has Welland one win from an IBL championship. The Jackfish, after scoring twice in the ninth inning to win Game 4 Wednesday, broke a 2-2 tie in Game 5 Thursday with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, which was the difference in a 4-2 victory over…

Published

on

WELLAND – More late game magic has Welland one win from an IBL championship. 

The Jackfish, after scoring twice in the ninth inning to win Game 4 Wednesday, broke a 2-2 tie in Game 5 Thursday with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, which was the difference in a 4-2 victory over Barrie. 

Welland leads the best-of-seven Dominico Cup final 3-2. Game 6 is Saturday in Barrie. 

Gianfranco Morello had the big blow, a one-out solo home run in the seventh to give Welland the lead. Steven Moretto scored on a fielder’s choice three batters later. James Smibert and Sam Cawker each had a pair of hits in the win. 

Deivy Mendez earned the win in relief, allowing a run on two hits over three innings. He walked one and fanned four. Alberto Guerrero started and gave up a run on two hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out five. 

Royce Ando had an RBI double for the Baycats, who have lost three straight. Hayden Jaco scored on a fielder’s choice in the seventh, which briefly pulled Barrie even. Starlin Rodriguez singled and doubled.

Juan Benitez took the loss, giving up three runs (two earned) on eight hits in 6.1 innings. He struck out three and walked one. 

Source

Continue Reading

Intercounty Basbeall League (ON)

News: IBL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP: Jackfish shocks Baycats to even series

BARRIE – Down to their last strike in Game 4 of the Dominico Cup final, the Welland Jackfish scored twice in the top of the ninth to shock Barrie and win 3-2 to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece. After getting a flyout and groundout to open the ninth, Baycats’ closer Brad Grieveson hit…

Published

on

BARRIE – Down to their last strike in Game 4 of the Dominico Cup final, the Welland Jackfish scored twice in the top of the ninth to shock Barrie and win 3-2 to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece. 

After getting a flyout and groundout to open the ninth, Baycats’ closer Brad Grieveson hit Matteo Porcellato with the first pitch of the next at bat. Grieveson had Jackfish batter Carlos Martinez in a 1-2 hole before Martinez belted a curveball over the left-field fence at Vintage Throne Stadium to give Welland its first lead of the game. 

Welland’s Deivy Mendez struck out Canice Ejoh to finish the comeback. 

Brandon Underhill earned the win in one inning of relief. He took over from Welland starter Jake Harford, who allowed two runs on eight hits over seven innings with a pair of walks and eight strikeouts. 

Royce Ando went 4-for-4 with an RBI for Barrie, which scored in the second and seventh innings and looked headed for a third win. Carson Burns had two hits and drove in a run, and Adam Odd went 2-for-4 and scored once. 

Baycats’ starter Frank Garces struck out 10 over eight innings. He gave up a run on four hits with two walks. 

Source

Continue Reading

Trending