Panthers looking to ‘rustle up’ country day win vs. Barnstormers
Posted Jun 7, 2026 06:34:19 AM.
Last Updated Jun 7, 2026 06:37:34 AM.
The Kitchener Panthers will need to take advantage of their June 7 home contest vs. the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers if they want to put themselves back on the sharp end of the Canadian Baseball League standings.
Kitchener have played a gauntlet of the league’s hottest teams since the end of May, with the Hamilton Cardinals winning both ends of their home-and-home series, before the Panthers dropped a road contest to the 7-2 London Majors. The three-game slide has relegated the Panthers to 5th place in the CBL, still a game clear of the C-K Barnstormers.
After an ugly 9-0 loss to London on June 2, the Barnstormers offense has put the offense into overdrive. They brought home a healthy helping of runners in an 11-10 loss to Barrie on June 4, before blowing out the Brantford Red Sox 16-7 at their home ballpark on June 6. Their offense has been spurred on thanks to Greyson Barrett’s league leading 20 RBIs and 5 home runs, with Julien Monks consistently productive .462 batting average helping lead the way.
But the Panthers are no strangers to offensive production in their own right. Kitchener remains the only team through the first month of the season to score 4 runs in every game so far this season. Malik WIlliams remains in the hunt for the league’s best qualified batting average at .440, while Petey Kiefer’s red-hot month of May puts him fourth-best in the league with 12 RBIs.
Both sides pitching staffs will be asked to complete a tall-task of slowing the opposing offense down at a hitter-friendly park like that of Jack Couch Park. Chatham-Kent’s pitcher in the best form is Yuri Yokoyama, who will will not face the Panthers Sunday due to starting vs. Brantford on Saturday. On the Panthers side, they have most of their top arms on at least five days rest.
The fans in attendance at Jack Couch Park can look forward to “Country Night”, including the first 500 attendees receiving free Kitchener Panthers cowboy hats. First pitch from Kitchener will fly shortly after 2:00 p.m.
Tickets for the ‘rootin-tootin’ country day action vs. the Barnstormers can be found at the Panthers’ website.
