Cardinals, Jackfish open CBL Finals Friday at Bernie Arbour

HAMILTON – The Hamilton Cardinals and Welland Jackfish finished the inaugural Canadian Baseball League season with identical 31-17 records. The separation came elsewhere. Hamilton took the head-to-head series four games to two, outscored the Jackfish 37-29, and used a six-game winning streak in August to lock up the first pennant in franchise history. Now the Cardinals and Jackfish settle it the only way that actually matters – the CBL Finals, starting Friday night at Bernie Arbour Stadium. First pitch for Game 1 is 7:35 p.m. How Hamilton got here The Cardinals came into the inaugural CBL season knowing what had to change, and they changed most of it in a hurry. Hamilton broke the franchise record for wins in August, then slammed the door on a historic regular season with six straight victories – including back-to-back wins at Welland on Aug. 25 (11-1) and Aug. 27 (5-2) – to lock up the first pennant in 68 seasons of Hamilton baseball. The numbers from the 48-game slate are staggering. Hamilton slugged 67 home runs as a team, allowed just 223 runs against (best in the CBL), and posted a league-leading 3.88 ERA. The rotation is the obvious headline: Hector Yan, Owen Boon and Luis Ramirez went one-two-three in the CBL in ERA (2.60, 2.86, 3.21) and WHIP. Yan was 7-1. Run differential finished at plus-148, tops in the league. At home, the Cardinals went 18-6 – the best home mark in the CBL. The offence is every bit as deep. Carlos Dominguez hit .342 with 12 home runs, 49 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. Darlin German finished at .350 with a team-best 54 driven in. Brandon Nicoll and Tyler Duncan both cleared a .400 on-base mark, and Jaden Brown (.313, 6 HR, 26 RBI) and Dario Borrero (.324) gave the bottom half of the order real teeth. Hamilton went .308/.372/.478 as a team with an .850 OPS. Then came the Barrie Baycats, who had been to three straight finals and won the whole thing in 2024. The semi-final was a war. Hamilton took Game 1 at home 7-5 and Game 2 in Barrie 4-1 before dropping a pair, 13-6 and 10-6 at Bernie Arbour. A 7-2 win in Game 5 on the road gave the Cardinals a chance to close it out in Barrie, and they did – a 5-4 walk-off thriller in 11 innings in Game 6 that booked Hamilton's first Finals berth since 2002. How Welland got here The Jackfish are the reigning league champions and they played like it all summer. Welland's 31-17 matched Hamilton's mark – and their offensive depth is the best in the CBL. The Jackfish led the league in hitting (.313 team average), posted a league-best .877 OPS, drove in 395 runs, and stole 152 bases – nearly double their closest competition. They scored 430 runs in 48 games, just shy of nine per night. Ethan Mann is the engine. The Welland centre-piece hit .392 with a .438 on-base mark, 15 home runs, 71 RBIs and 19 stolen bases – the best individual offensive season in the CBL. Daiki Abe (.397, 40 stolen bases) sets the table at the top. Jonah Weisner (54 RBIs), Brendan Luther (.342, 16 steals), James Smibert (.323, 31 RBIs) and Greyson Barrett (9 HR, 49 RBIs) make the order nine deep with nowhere to hide. Welland's pitching numbers aren't quite as gaudy – a 4.30 team ERA with a 1.37 WHIP – but the Jackfish pitch to a defence that was the CBL's best (.974 fielding percentage) and they win close. Four of their six extra-inning games went their way, tops in the league. The Jackfish took the scenic route in the semi-final. They dropped Game 1 at home to London 5-4, then ripped off four straight – 6-5 in London, 13-1 and 15-6 back at home, and 5-2 to clinch it in Game 5. The 13-1 and 15-6 outbursts were a reminder of what happens when that lineup gets rolling. The season series tells you what Hamilton is capable of Hamilton took four of six from Welland and outscored the Jackfish 37-29 across the set. Welland took the opener in June 5-4 at Bernie Arbour, then ran away with the July meeting in Welland 12-6. But after that, the Cardinals won four straight – twice at home (4-3 in July, a 7-6 come-from-behind win in August) and then twice on the Jackfish's own turf by a combined 16-3 in late August. The late-August sweep in Welland is the most recent data point, but both teams have been through the post-season grind since – new arms, new roles, new heroes every night. The season series tells you Hamilton knows how to beat this team. It doesn't tell you they will on a Friday night in September with a Cup on the line. What to watch for Bernie Arbour is going to be loud. Hamilton has the best home mark in the CBL (18-6) and home field in this series, with four of the potential seven games set to be played on their own mound. Yan is the heavy favourite to start Game 1 after leading the CBL in ERA. Welland's Ben Abram (6-1, 3.38 ERA) is the likely answer for the Jackfish. The battle to watch: Welland's speed against Hamilton's pitching. The Jackfish stole 152 bases. The Cardinals allowed 60. If Yan, Boon and Ramirez can keep Mann and Abe off the bases, Hamilton controls the series. If the Jackfish set even one runner loose early, the whole park will tighten. Hamilton hasn't been to a Finals series since 2002. The Cardinals have spent the past three seasons building toward this exact week. The Jackfish are the last test between the Cardinals and something the franchise hasn't held since 1978. First pitch is Friday night. CBL Finals Schedule (Hamilton Cardinals vs. Welland Jackfish — best-of-seven) Game 1: Friday, Sept. 18 — 7:35 p.m. at Bernie Arbour Stadium, Hamilton Game 2: Saturday, Sept. 19 — 7:05 p.m. at Welland Stadium, Welland Game 3: Sunday, Sept. 20 — 4:05 p.m. at Bernie Arbour Stadium, Hamilton Game 4: Wednesday, Sept. 23 — 7:05 p.m. at Welland Stadium, Welland Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, Sept. 25 — 7:35 p.m. at Bernie Arbour Stadium, Hamilton Game 6 (if necessary): Saturday, Sept. 26 — 7:05 p.m. at Welland Stadium, Welland Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, Sept. 27 — 4:05 p.m. at Bernie Arbour Stadium, Hamilton 🎟 Get your CBL Finals tickets here Can't make it to the park? Catch all the CBL Finals action live on Cable 14 and streaming at Cable14.com .