Welland's Ryan Harrison Named IBL Executive of the Year
Cambridge - The Intercounty Baseball League is pleased to announce its 2019 Executive of the Year, Ryan Harrison, President and Majority Owner of the Welland Jackfish.
Moving from Burlington to Welland, the first year Jackfish welcomed over 15,000 fans to Welland Stadium in 2019, second in average attendance among the eight member clubs.
Developing a fans first, fun always approach, the Jackfish held many unique theme nights including Tropical Night and Major League Night. Beyond providing their fans with affordable family fun on a weekly basis, the Jackfish organization is also committed to giving back to the Niagara community. The organization does this through a number of different initiatives that impact many different organizations in their area. Through their charitable initiatives, the Jackfish raised over $11,000 for the community.
Of this award, Harrison said, "I am grateful to be surrounded by a top-notch group of people from everyone in the front office to the team on the field. It's a testament to all of their hard work during our record-breaking inaugural season. Most of all I want to thank the fans for embracing the Jackfish as their community team and I'm looking forward to what this organization can accomplish next season."
The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is the top level baseball league in Ontario, boasting ex-major league professional and elite NCAA college baseball players. The 2019 season will mark the IBL’s 101st in operation. 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.