The Barrie Baycats are set to play the Guelph Royals on Tuesday evening, in a game that decides the future of their 2026 season. A win on Tuesday means a berth in the Canadian Baseball League’s (CBL) playoff. A loss means elimination from contention. Of their six games against each other this season, the Baycats have lost four. For the Baycats, this is their first full season as a professional team under the CBL. Last year, as a team under the semi-professional Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), the Baycats lost in the finals to the Welland Jackfish. Under the IBL’s rules, at least eight teams qualified for the playoffs, which began playoffs in a quarterfinals format. Under the newly rebranded league’s rules, the wildcard game takes place between teams ranked fourth and fifth to earn a chance to play in the CBL’s playoffs, which begin in a semi-finals format. The Baycats currently rank fifth. Tuesday’s winning team will advance to fourth place and play CBL’s first place team, who will also be decided Tuesday night in a game between the London Majors and the Hamilton Cardinals. The next series will be a best of seven, the winner of which will go on to compete in the finals.
