In 1999, the Intercounty Baseball League awarded the city of Barrie and Gary Calvert with a franchise with the intent that they would start operations in the 2001 Season.[1] In 2000, the city of Barrie would purchase a plot of land the town of Midhurst to build the new stadium for the team, with it being completed just before May 2001. The Baycats name would be adopted after the team board put out an ad in a local newspaper to get suggestions for the team's name. Just before the team was set to begin the 2001 season, the at the time team owner went bankrupt, causing the then-team president David Mills to find a new owner, Gary Inskeep.[2]
Early Years (2001-2008)
Barrie Baycats 2005 Championship Picture
The Barrie Baycats baseball club was born on May 12, 2001, when they played their first ever game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Baycats first win in team history would come on June 2, 2001, against the Kitchener Panthers with a 9–3 victory. The Baycats would make their first playoff appearance in the 2002 season, after finishing 4th place with a 19–17 record. In 2005 the Baycats would win their first IBL Championship, beating Toronto in 6 games. The next season Barrie would take first place in the IBL with a 26-10 Record, they would lose in the semifinals in the playoffs that year.
