The 2025 International Baseball League (IBL) season is still months away, but the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers are already making moves.
The team announced on social media that three players are returning to the Barnstormers this summer.
That includes right-handed pitcher Aden Ryan. He pitched 38.1 innings for Chatham-Kent last season, striking out 27, and finished with a 4.32 ERA. He was also named to the IBL All-Star game in Welland.
Also returning is outfielder Braxton Haggith. The lefty finished the 2024 season with a .309 batting average with nine doubles, five home runs, and 32 RBI's.
And right-handed pitcher Brock Whitson is back. He pitched 69 innings last year and picked up five wins. Whitson also won the Harry Muir Award for the Barnstormers Pitcher of the year.
Chatham-Kent will open the 2025 IBL season at home on Saturday, May 17 against the Kitchener Panthers.
The Barnstormers finished their inaugural season with a record of 20-22, landing in fifth place in the regular season standings. Chatham-Kent was then knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Guelph Royals, who made it all the way to the finals before losing to Barrie.