Four core players returning to IBL's Hamilton Cardinals

Intercounty Baseball League all-star Chris Lazar (Mississauga, Ont.) will return to the Hamilton Cardinals this season. Photo: Twitter

June 7, 2021

Official Hamilton Cardinals News Release

Hamilton, Ontario - The Hamilton Cardinals have re-signed four veteran core players for the upcoming Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) season.

Two key members of the Cardinals’ offence and two top left-handed pitchers are set to return for the 2021 season.

Outfielder Connor Bowie (Ancaster, Ont.) returns for his fifth season with the Cardinals. After graduating from Mount Aloysius College, he has hit .262 ( 88-for-336) with 20 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, driven in 47, and stole 17 bases in his IBL career.

Infielder Laine Renaud (Hamilton, Ont.) returns for his fourth season with the Cardinals. After graduating from East Stroudsbourg University, he has hit .240 (70-for-292) with seven doubles, nine home runs and 40 RBIs in his IBL career.

Left-handed pitcher Ben Braun (Georgetown, Ont.) returns for his second season in a Cardinals uniform after spending two seasons with Burlington. He has pitched in 34 games and has posted a 2-7 record with 88 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched. Last season, he was 2-3 with an ERA of 3.56 and had an ERA of 0.00 in 14 innings pitched in the playoffs.

Left-handed All-Star pitcher Chris Lazar (Mississauga, Ont.) returns for this fifth season with the Cardinals. He is a two-time First Team IBL All-Star (2019 and 2017) and a Second Team All-Star in 2018. In 2019, he was 7-3 with a 2.21 ERA and added 32 strikeouts in 57 innings. In his IBL career he has pitched in 47 games, 218 2/3 innings with a 14-15 record and has recorded 117 strikeouts.

“I am so excited to have these four great team guys back for another season. What makes the Cardinals such a special team is the team unity and team-first concept that these guys help foster. With the help of other core veterans Justin Gideon, Jake Chiaravalle, Jamie Richmond, and Stefan Strecker (not signed as of yet) I truly believe we are going to see some great baseball,” said Cardinals GM Jeff Lounsbury. “We have added some great young players as well that will really push for playing time and that we are counting on contributing right away, but with these IBL veterans around the young guys will learn a lot and will grow to help with building this strong nucleus of players.”

The Hamilton Cardinals are a member of Canada’s top baseball league, the Intercounty Baseball League. The 100-year old summer league is one of the oldest baseball leagues in the world, with the league established in 1919, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind.