First up for top seeded (32-10) Welland is the eighth ranked (13-27) Kitchener Panthers, where the best of five series began Thursday night at home. Photo Credit: Welland Jackfish/X.
It was a record-breaking regular season for the Welland Jackfish, and now they want to carry that into another championship playoff run.
Sellouts became the norm at Welland Stadium in 2024 as 42,384 fans entered The Pond, for an average attendance of 2,018 over the course of 21 home games. That’s an increase of almost 500 fans per game from last season when the Jackfish were crowned Intercounty Baseball League Dominico Cup Champions.
And that success at the gate carried onto the field as the Jackfish recorded a franchise record 32-win regular season.
Now the playoffs begin.
First up for top seeded (32-10) Welland is the eighth ranked (13-27) Kitchener Panthers, where the best of five series began Thursday night at home.
Welland Manager Brian Essery is quick to praise his players, and fans in the Rose City.
“It was a great regular season; the credit goes to the players,” said Essery. “We have a great clubhouse, and they all care for each other and want to succeed as a group. I am so proud of them.”
“The fans also definitely deserve a lot of credit for this, we have such an advantage at home with all the support.”
The Jackfish enter the postseason on a six-game win streak, but Essery knows they can’t take the Panthers lightly.
“Kitchener is a good team, we’re definitely not looking past them or their record,” Essery said. “They were the second-place team behind us in last year’s regular season and have many of the same players. They have good starting pitching and some dangerous hitters in their lineup. This is going to be a tough series.”
Infielder Raul Gonzalez finished tied for tops in the IBL regular season with 42 runs batted in and was third in home runs with 10.
Catcher Nick Parsons was tied for third with 32 RBI.
From a pitching perspective, Yadian Martinez struck out 91 batters, which was good for second in the league.
A Welland player made the top five in every offensive and pitching category: Jake Sanford first in batting average: .393; Steven Moretto fourth in home runs with nine; Matteo Porcellato fifth in home runs with eight; Robert Mullen tied for tops in RBI with 42; and Steven Moretto tied for third in RBI with 32.
Ben Abram tops in wins with 10, fourth in strikeouts with 84 and fourth in Earned Run Average at 2.42.
Enrique Saldana and Brandon Underhill tied for third in wins with seven apiece.
“We have to continue to play with intensity and commitment to winning,” added Essery. “We have a battle tested group that knows how to win. We have a number of players who have been deep into playoff baseball the past three seasons. We’ve proved we can finish games and series.”
“Pitching and defence is our key to winning. We take all of that and our lineup will score enough to win.”
Abram was the scheduled starter for Game 1, with newly acquired Teodoro Ortega set to start Game 2 and Saldana Game 3.
The Jackfish have home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
Tickets are on sale now at wellandjackfish.com or by calling the box office at 905-735-9834.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
