HRD Players of the Week - June 2nd - 8th 2025

Presented by HRD Bat Co.

A wild weekend across the IBL wrapped up Week 4 of the regular season, bringing fans a bit of everything: a perfect game bid into the 8th inning, three grand slams in one game Friday night in Toronto, and the arrival of several rising stars—alongside some seasoned veterans proving they’ve still got it.

Without further delay, here are this week’s HRD Bat Co. Batter and Pitchers of the Week:

Batter of the Week

Marcus Knecht – Toronto Maple Leafs

Knecht powered the Leafs offense all week long, going 6-for-13 at the plate with 4 home runs and 9 RBIs, solidifying himself as one of the league’s most dangerous bats.

Honourable Mentions:

Yosuke Fujie – Kitchener Panthers

7-for-13, 2 HR, 4 RBI

Evan Morrison – Chatham-Kent Barnstormers

8-for-15, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Photo By Mark Malone

Pitchers of the Week (Co-Winners)

This week, two standout performances on the mound earned equal recognition:

Frank Garces – Barrie Baycats

Garces flirted with perfection Friday night against London, carrying a perfect game into the 8th inning. He finished with 8 innings, 2 hits allowed, and 10 strikeouts in a dominant outing.

Garret Day – Chatham-Kent Barnstormers

The Barnstormers' closer was lights out in three relief appearances, notching 3 saves in 3 innings. He allowed just 1 run, 3 hits, walked one, and hit a batter—locking down three of Chatham-Kent’s four wins during the week.

Previous Winners

Week 1: Kaiden Cardoso (London Majors) & Pedro De Los Santos (Brantford Red Sox)
Week 2: Toby Simmons (London Majors) & Mizuki Akatsuka (Chatham-Kent Barnstormers)
Week 3: Robert Muillen (Welland Jackfish) & Owen Boon (Hamilton Cardinals)