Baycats Host Royals in Crucial Battle for Playoff Positioning
Barrie, ON - The race for a top-three seed in the Canadian Baseball League is heating up as the Barrie Baycats welcome the Guelph Royals to Athletic Kulture Stadium tonight.
Barrie (24-17) enters the night tied for fourth with Guelph (25-18), with both clubs sitting just one game back of the third-place Hamilton Cardinals (25-16). The Baycats have seven games remaining in the regular season, beginning with three straight at home over the next three nights.
Tonight is Fan Appreciation Night presented by The Lockerroom Barrie and Red Wing Shoes Barrie RED OUT. Fans are encouraged to wear red and bring the energy, with games, prizes and 25% off all merchandise in-stadium throughout the game along with a special pregame fundraiser starting at 7:15 pm.
PLAYOFF RACE
Under the CBL's new playoff format, only five teams qualify for the postseason. The fourth and fifth seeds meet in a one-game, all-or-nothing play-in game, hosted by the fourth seed, while the top three teams advance directly to a best-of-seven semifinal series.
That makes the battle between Barrie, Hamilton and Guelph especially important down the stretch. Barrie's win in Hamilton on Tuesday pulled the Baycats within one game of third place, making tonight's head-to-head matchup with Guelph another crucial game in the playoff race. Hamilton and Guelph will then meet on Friday.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Guelph: Kyle Thomas (1-0) — 1.83 ERA
Barrie: Frank Garces (5-4) — 4.36 ERA