BARRIE, Ont. - After a flurry of fan voting and additional input from media members, the Intercounty Baseball League announced the rosters for the 2024 IBL All-Star Showdown in Welland. Seven of the selections are from the Barrie Baycats, including three in the starting lineup.
Baycats catcher Hayden Jaco, outfielder Canice Ejoh, and pitcher Cesar Rosado will all be starters for the North Team. They'll be joined by outfielder Noel McGarry-Doyle and pitchers Frank Garcés and Juan Benítez who were selected as reserves.
SELECTIONS
After a slow start due to injury in his first year as a Baycat in 2023, Hayden Jaco has been one of the IBL's best hitters over the first two months of the 2024 season. Through 16 games he's hitting .362 and has topped the IBL's batting average leaderboard periodically throughout the end of June and early July.
Canice Ejoh is on pace for a career-best year in the IBL, despite breaking the franchise's single-season stolen base record in 2023. He's started all 21 games for Barrie in 2024 while leading the league in both doubles (9) and triples (2).
In his first IBL season, Cesar Rosado emerged as one of the league's best arms. In nine appearances, he boasts a 4-1 record with the league's sixth-best ERA (2.47) and the third-highest strikeout total (51). He'll start the game versus London's Travis Keys.
Frank Garcés and Juan Benítez join the squad as reserves. Garcés reputation as one of the league's best pitchers were a big part in his selection. Meanwhile, Benítez has proven extremely valuable for Barrie in multiple roles. His 3-0 record in 2024 is accompanied by two saves and the league's fifth-best ERA (2.32).
Finally, Noel McGarry-Doyle has been unstoppable offensively since returning to the IBL from Mid-America Christian University. His 11-game hit streak with ten RBI and eight steals make him a can't-miss choice.
In addition to the selected players, there will be one more opportunity to influence the rosters with a final player vote. Each team will nominate one player with those nominees being voted on by fans via an online poll. More details are yet to be announced.
This is the first time the league will have all-star festivities since 2016 when the IBL All-Stars beat the Canadian junior national team 6-1 at Coates Stadium in Midhurst. Two players from that Canadian team are now IBL all-stars in 2024: Hamilton's Tyler Duncan and Welland's Steven Moretto.
Along with the game which starts at 6:05 pm on July 20th, Welland Stadium will also host a home run derby that will kick off the day's events at 2:00 pm. It'll feature eight players in a three-round single elimination format.
