Baycats 20/20 Vision: The Past, Present, and Future: Top 20 Baycats of All-Time
BARRIE - In part one of "Baycats 20/20 Vision: The Past, Present, and Future," the Barrie Baycats Baseball Club is excited to unveil our Top 20 Baycats of All-Time List.
The list -- put together by team announcer Mike Clark and team statistician Tim Clark -- is being unveiled in alphabetical order.
- Kevin Atkinson
Joining the franchise in 2012, Atkinson played for the Baycats from 2012 to 2019 and his accomplishments were plenty.
A six-time Intercounty Baseball League [IBL] champion, Atkinson played in 241 games for the franchise, batting .328 with a .419 on-base percentage, .570 slugging percentage, and a .988 on-base plus slugging percentage.
His 53 home runs place him second all-time on the Baycats' home run list, behind just Jordan Castaldo, whom he batted one spot behind in the batting order for the better part of the last seven seasons.
The native of British Columbia was a five-time IBL All-Star and placed second in the IBL's MVP voting in 2018.
- Brad Bissell
Joining the franchise in 2002, Bissell pitched for the Baycats from 2002 to 2019.
A seven-time IBL champion, Bissell pitched in 161 games for the franchise, starting in 108 games and throwing 748.1 innings while winning a franchise-record 62 games.
The four-time IBL All-Star is the franchise leader in strikeouts and was named as one of the top 100 players in IBL history in 2018.
- Jordan Castaldo
Joining the franchise in 2013 apart of the greatest trade in franchise history, Castaldo played for the Baycats from 2013 to 2019.
A six-time IBL champion, Castaldo played in 229 games for the franchise, batting .376 with a .494 on-base percentage, .655 slugging percentage, and a 1.149 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The two-time regular season MVP and the one-time playoff MVP is the franchise leader in home runs with 58.
The Toronto, Ontario native also won the Triple Crown in 2019.
- Jeff Cowan
Cowan has played 13 seasons and counting for the Baycats and his accomplishments are only growing.
A six-time IBL champion, Cowan has played in 331 games for the franchise -- the second most of all Baycats in the top 20 list -- batting .317 with a .407 on-base percentage, .400 slugging percentage, and a .807 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The Baycats summer baseball camp director is a two-time IBL All-Star.
- Ryan Davis
Davis played seven seasons for the Baycats and his accomplishments have him as just one of five Baycats who have been officially honoured by the team.
Apart of the Baycats' first championship win in 2005, Davis played in 172 games for the franchise, batting .247 with a .333 on-base percentage, .295 slugging percentage, and a .628 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The former first basemen was apart of the Baycats' inaugural team in 2001.
- Kyle DeGrace
DeGrace played eight seasons with the Baycats and he accomplished all there was to accomplish.
A seven-time IBL champion -- with six coming in a Baycats jersey -- DeGrace made it to the Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup in all eight seasons with the Baycats.
Having played in 271 games for the franchise, DeGrace batted .311 with a .388 on-base percentage, .458 slugging percentage, and a .846 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Having made three All-Star teams with the Baycats, DeGrace was named the 2017 postseason MVP after batting .417 in eight playoff games.
- Chris England
A three-time IBL champion, England played eleven seasons with the Baycats.
Appearing in 112 games and starting in 31 of them, England won 20 games with the Baycats and saved six of them while recording a lifetime ERA of 4.86.
The former pitcher is one of just five Baycats who have been officially honoured by the team and is most known for his relief appearance in the 2009 championship series against the Brantford Red Sox when he pitched ten innings in relief.
The game -- that went 20 innings -- is the longest game in Baycats history.
- Emilis Guerrero
A four-time IBL champion, Guerrero has played just four seasons and counting with the Baycats, yet he has already cemented himself as one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history.
Appearing in 39 games and starting in 36 of them, Guerrero has won 27 games with the Baycats and has recorded one save while recording a career ERA of 2.73.
The two-time IBL All-Star was the playoff MVP in 2016 -- his first season with the Baycats -- where he went 4-1 with a 2.02 ERA in six starts.
- Adam Hawes
A six-time IBL champion, Hawes has played 11 seasons with the Baycats and has been responsible for some of the greatest moments in franchise history.
Appearing in 96 games and starting in 17 of them, Hawes has won 20 games with the Baycats and has recorded two saves while recording a career ERA of 3.38.
With more career saves in the 2014 playoffs than his entire regular season career combined, Hawes was on the mound in 2014 and 2018 when the Baycats won their second and sixth championships in franchise history.
- Branfy Infante
Infante has played six seasons and counting with the Baycats and has thus won a championship in each season with the team.
Joining the franchise in 2014, Infante has batted .277 with a .377 on-base percentage, .456 slugging percentage, and a .833 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The two-time IBL All-Star was the first player from the Dominican Republic to play for the Baycats and thus began the surge of Dominicans who would end up suiting up for the Baycats
- Glenn Jackson
Jackson played 11 seasons with the Baycats, winning five championships along the way.
A three-time IBL All-Star, Jackson batted .303 with a .378 on-base percentage, .395 slugging percentage, and a .773 on-base plus slugging percentage.
The speedy outfielder sits second all-time in steals among Baycats with 149, behind just Ryan Spataro, who he manned the Baycats outfield with for the better part of a decade.
The man known as 'Legend' was the postseason MVP in 2018 after batting .432 with a home run in 13 games
- David Latour
Latour played 10 seasons with the Baycats and was apart of the Baycats' first championship team in 2005.
A three-time IBL All-Star, Latour batted .308 with a .401 on-base percentage [OBP], .407 slugging percentage, and 808 on-base plus slugging percentage in 279 career games with the Baycats.
The infielder led all Baycats starters in OBP during the 2005 playoffs and is one of just five Baycats who have been officially honoured by the team.
- Steve Lewis
Lewis played eight seasons with the Baycats and was apart of the Baycats' last six championship teams.
An All-Star in 2014 when he challenged former teammate Jordan Castaldo for the batting title all season long, Lewis batted a career .285 with a .407 on-base percentage, .395 slugging percentage, and 802 on-base plus slugging percentage in 173 career games with the Baycats.
A holder of nine championship rings going back to his playing days with the Red Sox, Lewis owns a record-tying nine championship rings for an individual player in the 101-year history of the IBL.
- Jordan Lundberg
Lundberg played eight seasons with the Baycats and was a member of the 2005 championship team, where he was named the 2005 playoff MVP after batting .254 with a team-high three home runs in 16 playoff games.
A four-time IBL All-Star, the Barrie, Ontario native batted a career .291 with a .349 on-base percentage, .473 slugging percentage, and 822 on-base plus slugging percentage in 234 career games with the Baycats.
The former catcher was a first-team All-Star twice and followed up his 2005 playoff MVP performance by winning the regular-season MVP award in 2006.
- Jared McCord
McCord played 11 seasons with the Baycats and was a member of the 2005 championship team.
A two-time IBL All-Star, the Baycat lifer batted a career .285 with a .343 on-base percentage, .376 slugging percentage, and .719 on-base plus slugging percentage in 205 career games with the Baycats.
The former second basemen is one of just five Baycats who have been officially honoured by the team.
- Chris Nagorski
A five-time IBL champion, Nagorski pitched six seasons in a Baycats jersey and was the closing pitcher in 2015 when the Baycats won their third championship in franchise history.
Appearing in 80 games for the Baycats, Nagorski had an ERA of 2.98 and saved a franchise-record 21 games, a record he set back in 2018.
The man responsible for the best walk-out song in franchise history, Nagorski had a two-year stretch of absolute dominance in 2014 and 2015 when he pitched a combined 41.2 innings of shut down baseball.
- Adam Rowe
A four-time IBL champion, Rowe pitched five seasons in a Baycats jersey and was the Baycats' postseason MVP in 2014 when they ended their nine-year championship drought.
Appearing in 27 games for the Baycats, Rowe had a career ERA of 3.91 to go along with his 13-4 record.
The bearded southpaw was the Baycats' starting pitcher on the night they ended the Brantford Red Sox championship streak in game seven of the 2014 semifinals and just weeks later was the Baycats' starting pitcher when the Baycats defeated the Majors in game four of the 2014 finals to win their first championship since 2005.
The man known as 'dragon' owns a 16-2 record in the playoffs.
- Angus Roy
A seven-time IBL champion -- one as a player and six as a manager -- Roy is the most decorated Baycat in franchise history.
Joining the franchise in 2002, the three-time All-Star pitcher pitched in a Baycats jersey for seven seasons, pitching in 60 games -- and starting in 49 of them -- while going 28-15 with an ERA of 2.86.
On the mound for the final out when the Baycats won their first championship in 2005, Roy became the Baycats manager in 2007 and in his thirteen seasons as manager, the Baycats made it to the league championship series 10 times.
He became the team's general manager in 2014 and won the championship in all six seasons while at the helm.
He won the Executive of the Year once (2014), Manager of the Year twice (2014 and 2017) and Pitcher of the Year twice (2005 and 2006).
- Ryan Spataro
Spataro has played 15 seasons with the Baycats and has been a member of all seven championship teams in franchise history.
A 13-time IBL All-Star, the Barrie, Ontario native has batted a career .369 with a .439 on-base percentage, .508 slugging percentage, and .947 on-base plus slugging percentage in 429 career games with the Baycats.
One of the greatest players in IBL history, Spataro is the Baycats' all-time leader in seasons played, games played, at-bats (1,806), batting average, hits (667), doubles (106), triples (20), base on balls (225), total bases (920), and stolen bases (211).
His 211 stolen bases is an IBL record.
The man known as "Stallion" is a two-time league MVP (2005 and 2010) and is a one-time playoff MVP (2019).
Spataro is also a one-time batting champion, having won the title in 2005.
- Matt Van Gene
Van Gene played five seasons with the Baycats and was the first player in franchise history to sign with the team.
Apart of the Baycats' first championship in 2005, Van Gene batted .207 with a .275 on-base percentage, .222 slugging percentage, and .497 on-base plus slugging percentage in 102 career games with the Baycats.
Our Honourable Mentions List...
- SP Santos Arias
- OF Jonathan Baksh
- OF Alex Borgo
- SP Chris Kemlo
- SS Jason Coker
- OF Brandon Dhue
- SP Brett Lawson
- 1B Matt Logan
- SP Derek McDaid
- RP Jordan Neufled
- SP Cam Newitt
- RP Kyle Payne
- SP Matthew St. Kitts
- RP Jaspreet Shergil
- RP Josh Soffer
- SP Paul Spoljaric
- INF Corey Turchan
Up next week in our "Baycats 20/20 Vision: The Past, Present, and Future," we will take a look at Gary Calvert, a member of the Baycats ownership group who has played an integral part of bringing players to Barrie over the last 20 years.
For more information, follow the Baycats on Facebook and Twitter at @iblbaycats and on Instagram at @barriebaycats.
Photo: Brian Backland/Brian Backland Photography