IBL All-Star Andy Leader Returns for 6th Season

KITCHENER - The Kitchener Panthers are proud to welcome back 2021 and 2022 IBL All-Star, Andy Leader (Kitchener, ON).

The 25-year-old is a fan favourite and an integral piece of the Panthers’ core players. Leader, a product of Kitchener Minor Baseball, will patrol Centre Field for his 6th season with the Panthers and look to build upon back-to-back All-Star selections in which he has proven to be one of the league’s top players at the plate and in the field.

Following a breakout 2021 campaign, Leader set career highs in almost all offensive categories in 2022, batting .362 with 6 home runs, 35 RBI, and 51 hits in 141 at-bats. His slugging percentage came in at .525 and on-base percentage at .416 for an OPS of .941 and his .362 average ranked 7th in the league. His defensive season was equally as impressive as he made only 1 error while making several brilliant catches throughout the season in Centre Field.

Leader, no stranger to success, is a former collegiate standout with NJCAA D1 Colby Community College (Colby, Kansas) where he amassed a .348 average, 14 home runs, and 90 RBI across two seasons. He then transferred to NCAA D1 Canisius College (Buffalo, NY) where he led the 2020 Golden Griffins in batting average, hits, and total bases in his senior season.

Entering into the 2023 season, Leader will continue to be relied upon as an impact player on the field and as a source of leadership and positivity amongst the team.

Panthers GM, Mike Boehmer, comments; “We are very pleased to have Andy Leader back with us for the 2022 Season. Andy came up through the Kitchener Minor Baseball Association and has quickly developed into one of the IBL’s top outfielders. Andy is a 5 tool player, and brings excitement to the ballpark, whether he’s in the field, at the plate, or on the bases.”

Don’t want to miss your chance to see Andy Leader put on a show all summer long? Seasons tickets can be purchased online under the tickets tab on kitchenerpanthers.com.