Chatham-Kent’s amateur baseball team is going pro.
Officials with Ontario’s now-former Intercounty Baseball League announced this morning it is transitioning to a fully professional league, the Canadian Baseball League.
The CBL’s regular season will increase from 42 to 48 games, starting the second week of May 2026. To raise the competitive stakes, only five teams will qualify for the playoffs.
More than 40 IBL players have advanced to Major League Baseball or returned to the CBL following their MLB careers. Last season, 64 players with either MLB or Minor League Baseball experience suited up to play.
The league currently includes nine teams from Chatham-Kent to Toronto. The Chatham-Kent Barnstormers joined the league in 2024, and finished the 2025 regular season in fourth place before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Barnstormers’ CEO and co-owner Dom Dinelle says there will be some changes, including a salary cap implemented by the league and limits on college eligibility.
“Current NCAA players are not allowed to play in the CBL as it is professional baseball although OUA or OCAA players can participate,” Dinelle said in an email to CKXS News. “We now have access to up to eight import players, which will increase the level of play on the field.”
Dinelle says shifting to a professional league puts the Barnstormers on a bigger stage, brings more competition, and helps grow the sport.
Chatham-Kent ticket prices are expected to hold steady for the 2026 season, although Dinelle says season tickets will be pro-rated to account for three additional home games.
The change also means an expanded audience for the league’s online viewers. All CBL games will continue to be streamed live on YouTube, but will now also be available, along with other League content, via Roku, FireTV, Apple TV, iOS and Android apps.
For more information, visit www.cbl.ca or @cbl1919 on Instagram and Twitter.