A Chatham-Kent Barnstormer is taking home one of the Intercounty Baseball League's (IBL) top annual awards.
Infielder Evan Morrison has won the Brian Kerr Memorial Trophy, which is given to the league's top rookie. He's the second award winner for the Barnstormers after Seth Strong was named league MVP in 2024.
Morrison's .422 batting average was tops in the IBL. Morrison added four home runs, 23 runs batted in (RBIs), and 12 stolen bases.
He told CK News Today he was surprised when he found out he had won.
"Personally, I thought Tristan Clarke from the Barrie Baycats was going to win the award. We had very similar seasons, but he had more home runs," he said.
Despite not thinking he would win the award, Morrison was still happy with his season. He was specifically proud of how he ended the regular season.
"Once I got going, I didn't really stop, and I was really happy with that, especially coming down the stretch when the games really mattered for us," he added.
Overall, Morrison enjoyed his time in Chatham-Kent. He explained that his parents recently moved to the Wheatley area, making every home game extra special.
"This was the first summer that I really lived at home, and it was awesome. There's definitely a possibility that I play another summer in Chatham," said Morrison.
Harry Muir, Barnstormers' General Manager and Field Manager, said Morrison was well deserving of the award.
"You never know how these things are going to be. He had an amazing year and I'm really proud of him for making it happen," he added.
