Five IBL alum on MAAC 40th anniversary team
Mike McRae, shown here as head coach of the Canisius Golden Griffins, was a member of the 1988 Niagara Falls Mariners when he broke into the IBL. Over his six seasons in the league, McRae would record a 20-28 record with 178 strikeouts and 164 walks. Photo: Canisius Athletics
August 5, 2020
Official Intercounty Baseball League Release
CAMBRIDGE - The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is pleased once again to announce that three more former IBL players have been named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) 40th Anniversary baseball team.
Joining already announced former players Connor Panas and Jason Rausch are IBL Top 100 Members Josh McCurdy, Barry Petrachenko, and honoured under the Coaches category, Mike McRae.
McCurdy, a Top 100 IBL member, joined the league in 1999 with the Hamilton Cardinals. Over his 12 IBL seasons, Josh would enjoy great success including six championship rings as part of the dynasty Brantford Red Sox, and many All-Star nods.
Before turning pro and reaching as high as triple-A with the Baltimore Orioles, McCurdy was a three-year starter at Niagara University. In 142 games played with the Purple Eagles, Josh amassed 46 doubles, 6 triples, 20 home runs, and 95 RBI. He was eventually selected by the Baltimore Orioles in Round #24 (#704 overall) of the 2003 Amateur Entry Draft.
Barry Petrachenko, another Top 100 member, joined the league in 1985 with the Stratford Hillers. In his eleven-year career, he recorded 44 doubles, 17 triples, 12 home runs, and 125 RBI.
As a freshman, Petrachenko played second base for the La Salle NCAA East Regional Finalist squad in 1985. He helped the team to a school-record 31 wins and was the team leader in stolen bases (38) that season. Finished his career as an Explorer first in career hits (272), stolen bases (118) and runs scored (213), second in batting average (.409), and third in triples (12).
Mike McRae was a member of the 1988 Niagara Falls Mariners when he broke into the IBL. Over his six seasons in the league, McRae would record a 20-28 record with 178 strikeouts and 164 walks.
Mike is the only baseball coach to be named the MAAC Coach of the Year at two different schools, spent 16 seasons as a head baseball coach in the conference, with 13 of those campaigns being spent as the skipper for the Canisius baseball team. McRae was honored as the 2003 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year whole at Niagara, where he led the Purple Eagles to back-to-back MAAC playoff appearances. He compiled a 65-86 overall record (.430 winning percentage) and a 41-36 (.532) MAAC mark with the Purple Eagles.
In 2005, McRae started a total rebuilding project of the Golden Griffins, taking over a team that won just four games in 2004 to winning the program's first two MAAC Championships and making the program's first appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2013. McRae posted a record of 405-336 in his time at Canisius, including a 298-200 (.598) record in the final eight seasons that includes three MAAC regular-season crowns.
The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), in its 102nd year of operation, is the best baseball league in Canada, boasting ex-major league professional and elite NCAA college baseball players. The IBL is the fifth-longest continually operated baseball league in the world and serves as a valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff. More than 40 IBL players have advanced to Major League Baseball or returned to the IBL following their MLB careers. The league is comprised of teams from Barrie, Brantford, Kitchener, London, Toronto, Guelph, Welland, and Hamilton. For more information, visit www.theibl.ca.