CANADA DAY GAME PREVIEW - BAYCATS AT JACKFISH (JULY 1ST, 2023)

by Sam Aucoin

WELLAND – Happy Canada Day! The Barrie Baycats are in the Rose City tonight for the second Saturday in a row as they face the Welland Jackfish. With a blowout win in Toronto on Wednesday, Barrie moved within two games of Welland for the number one spot. Since then, Welland has lost a couple, bringing the two teams a game apart.

With that said, this will once again not be an easy matchup. But if the Baycats win it, they will be tied for first place and will have a chance to stand alone at the top in front of the home crowd tomorrow. Also, what better way to celebrate Canada Day than with a victory?

Lineup and Starting Pitcher 

Major shake-ups throughout the lineup today. Noel McGarry-Doyle is out giving Kyle Maves his first look at the leadoff spot. Ryan Rijo also gets the day off so Hayden Jaco will be the cleanup man. As a result of his recent hot streak, Victor Plaz slides up to fifth. James Anderson and Owen Jansen will get into the order with Jansen being the designated hitter and Anderson in left field.  

Frank Garcés (2-0) will get his third start against Welland this season. Frank has started all three of Barrie’s games against the Fish this year. His last nod was great as he threw six innings giving up two earned runs on seven hits while striking out six batters. Check out our special Canada Day lineup!

Players To Look Out For

Kyle Maves: Taking the leadoff spot today in replace of McGarry-Doyle, Kyle Maves will have the spotlight for the Baycats. Maves has the speed for the job and had a good performance against Toronto on Wednesday with two hits and two runs scored. 

Hayden Jaco: With Hayden Jaco taking the clean-up spot today, one that has been owned by Ryan Rijo, he will have big shoes to fill. Jaco hasn’t played in game action since June 22 against the Maple Leafs but in that game, he smacked a grand slam to go along with a double. 

Victor Plaz: Out of all the emerging talent in this lineup, Victor Plaz has been the one to watch in the past two games. Batting .636 with three home runs and seven RBI to go along with six runs scored and a stolen base. Two of those home runs came in Welland last Saturday. 

Game Information

Make sure you are at your TV or another device by 7:00 pm to catch some Canada Day baseball. The first pitch is at 7:05 from Welland Stadium. The game can be streamed on the Jackfish YouTube Channel. For tickets, click here. Enjoy the game!