Barrie Baycats looking for strong season with home opener one week away
The Barrie Baycats held their annual media night on Thurs. May 9, 2024 (Catalina Gillies/CTV News Barrie).
The Barrie Baycats anticipate a strong showing this season, with one week until their home opener.
On Thursday, the team held its annual media night. Players got comfortable on the grounds of Vintage Throne Stadium once again while also introducing themselves to the fans.
"Last week, we came back from the Dominican Republic from our spring training," said the team's president, Josh Matlow. "We're now outside; it's a little chilly, but we're almost there. We can feel it, nice sunny days, we're a week away from opener and the boys are just excited to be out at the ballpark."
The team, despite a championship loss last year, is fueled by the experience, using it as a stepping stone for an even stronger performance this season.
"I think it's just like being resilient; I think we did that well last year," said Canice Ejoh. "Obviously, we didn't do that at the end, but I think it's a good learning opportunity to just grow on that and learn the mistakes we made last year and make those adjustments."
While many familiar faces are returning, there have been eight new additions, coming from places including Toronto, Saskatchewan and the Dominican Republic.
Returning player Ryan Rijo calls this year's roster the 'Avengers' of local baseball.
"We got a bunch of new faces, and we filled in spots that we really needed the help with, including the pitching."
The Barrie Baycats' home opener is Thursday, May 16, at 7:35 p.m. at Vintage Throne Stadium against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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