IBL's Kitchener Panthers re-sign Wilson
The Intercounty Baseball League’s Kitchener Panthers have re-signed Liam Wilson (Ayr, Ont.). Photo: Kitchener Panthers
January 27, 2023
Official Kitchener Panthers News Release
The Kitchener Panthers have re-signed back-to-back Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) 1st Team All-Star First Baseman, Liam Wilson (Ayr, Ontario).
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound local is entering his fourth season with the Panthers and will look to continue his high level of production from his first three seasons. After batting .436 with an on-base percentage (OBP) of .500 in 2019, Wilson’s 2021 season saw him pace the Panthers and finish among the league leaders with a .410 batting average, seven home runs, 33 RBIs, a .759 slugging percentage, and a 1.224 OPS in 23 games.
In 2022, he posted his third season in a row with a batting average above .400, setting career-highs with a .440 average, seven home runs, 36 RBIs and 13 doubles in 91 at-bats in 26 games. Wilson’s slugging percentage was a sizzling .813 and his OBP was .522 for an OPS of 1.335. He narrowly missed the cutoff for plate appearances to be considered in several league leader categories but would have been the league leader in batting average, OBP, slugging percentage and OPS. Striking out only five times on the season, Wilson had a league low At Bats per Strikeout ratio and also led the league with a 2.6 Walks to Strikeouts ratio. He has been equally as impressive defensively, sporting a perfect fielding percentage for the second season in a row and placing himself amongst the top fielders in the league.
A Cambridge Minor Baseball and Ontario Terriers alum, Wilson played one season at NJCAA D1 Northeastern Junior College (Sterling, Colorado) and recorded a .410 batting average and a 1.089 OPS on way to a 1st team All-Conference selection. He then transferred to NCAA Division 1 Canisius College (Buffalo, New York) where he was a staple in the heart of the order for the Golden Griffins for three seasons, recording a career batting average of .337, 120 RBIs, 219 hits, 133 runs, 41 hit by pitches and a 57-game on base streak between the 2017 (16) and 2018 seasons (41).
Following a 1st team All-Conference selection in his Junior season (2017), Wilson was selected as an All-American and 1st Team All-Northeast Region First Baseman in 2018 after batting .353 with nine home runs. His 27 doubles ranked third in the nation and set a new single-season conference doubles record. Wilson also set the all-time Canisius record for most career doubles (59) and finished in the top 10 of several other career offensive categories. He was also the recipient of a Collegiate National Player of the Week award while playing for the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game League in 2017.
“We are very pleased to welcome back 2021 and 2022 IBL 1st Team All-Star First Baseman, Liam Wilson, for his fourth season with the Panthers,” said Panthers GM Mike Boehmer. “Liam is one of the top players in the IBL, both at the plate and in the field, as well as being a team leader. He is a hard worker who prepares well, a strong competitor on the field, and his experience will be relied upon.”