Panthers Look Ahead to Four Game Week

After splitting a pair of games with the London Majors and having another pair of games rained out last week, the Panthers look ahead to a four game week.

The Panthers (4-5) will begin the week with a home and away series versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (7-5). Game 1 will be on the road for a Wednesday evening match followed by a Thursday evening home game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 pm at Jack Couch Park. The Panthers will look to even the season series as the Leafs took the teams’ first meeting of the year by a score of 12-9.

Friday night will see the Panthers travel to Hamilton for a 7:35 game at Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium. This will be the first time the Panthers and the Cardinals (2-6) will meet this season.

After having the day off on Saturday, The Panthers will hit the road once again as they travel to Welland for a 1:05 PM showdown with the Jackfish (8-2).

By The Numbers

As a team, the Panthers have gotten off to a strong offensive start as they are tied for first in the league with a .312 team batting average. They are also sitting at second in the league with a team OPS of .860.

2021 2nd Team IBL All-Star, Andy Leader, has paced the Panthers offence so far, batting .394 with 2 Home Runs and 8 RBI in 8 games played while Keegan Marsden leads the team with 10 RBI to compliment his 4 Doubles and .306 average.

Rookie Catcher, Simon Grinberg holds an impressive .538 average, picking up 7 hits, including a Double, in his first 13 IBL at bats. Second year players Danny Mahoney and Drey Sloat have both stepped up in a big way for the Panthers, recording .462 and .455 averages through their first handful of games in their second IBL seasons.

Offseason catching addition, Robbie Gauthier, has come as advertised,  batting .353 with 3 Doubles, 3 RBI and 8 Base on Balls, leading to a .560 On Base Percentage.

The Panthers other 2021 IBL All-Stars, Blake Jacklin (2nd Team) and Liam Wilson (1st Team) have also gotten off to productive starts. Jacklin is batting .281 with 2 Doubles, 1 Triple, 1 Home Run and 6 RBI through 8 games. Wilson holds a .356 average with 2 Doubles, 4 RBI, 5 Base on Balls and a .545 On Base Percentage.

On the mound, the Panthers have been led by starters Jacob Douglas and Christian Hauck who both have 2 wins on the campaign. Douglas has made 2 starts and has yet to allow an earned run over 10 innings pitched. Hauck has made 3 starts and has struck out 23 batters in 17 innings of work.

Out of the Bullpen, David Bruinsma has been effective, making 6 appearances and holding a 1.12 ERA. Matt Stoddart has made 3 appearances, throwing 3.1 innings without a run allowed. Rookie Grant Shantz holds a 1.92 ERA through his first 3 appearances in the IBL.

Home Games This Week

The Panthers only play 1 game at home this week, hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday the 16th at 7:30 PM at Jack Couch Park. Fans can purchase their tickets on kitchenerpanthers.com under the tickets tab .