OTTAWA TITANS GEAR UP FOR THE 2024 SEASON

After an entertaining inaugural season, the Ottawa Titans returned the fun in front of record crowds during a successful second campaign.

Despite finishing 48-48, and seven games back of a postseason spot. Finishing sixth in the East Division sounds much worse than it actually was.

The margins were fine, to say the least.

In the first month of the season, the Titans went 6-11, and on June 9th, they were a lowly 8-16. They put themselves behind the eight ball early on, largely thanks to a series of twists and turns that derailed their expected pitching staff.

Newcomer Jamey Smart made his presence felt in the capital and around the league, setting multiple career highs in his return to professional baseball. Smart slugged a team-best .334, ranking fifth in the Frontier League in the process. The San Ramon, California product registered 37 multi-hit performances, clubbed a personal high of eight homers, and brought home a franchise record 83 RBI.

Following a trade in early June, Sicnarf Loopstok helped the Titans get back in the playoff hunt belting a walk-off grand slam in his debut on June 2 against the club's fierce rivals in the Quebec Capitales. Loopstok went on to post a .298 average on the season with eight homers and 41 RBI, suiting up in North America for the first time since 2019.

The Titans entered the all-star break five games back of a playoff spot by posting a 25-26 record, in large part by winning five of their final eight games to end the first half of the season. Sicnarf Loopstok, Jason Dicochea, and Grant Larson all had the honour of representing the Titans at the mid-summer classic in Windy City.

After being one of the more feared arms out of the bullpen in 2022, Larson made the jump to the rotation following several key losses, going 8-8 in 18 starts, and posting a 4.29 ERA in 121.2 innings.

As for Dicochea, the utility player posted a team-best 16 home runs and drove in 63 over 92 contests. The Redondo Beach, California native had himself an all-star game to remember belting a home run and recording a three RBI.

Damon Casetta-Stubbs blossomed into one of the top starters in the league, posting a career-high 109 strikeouts, ranking third in that department. The 24-year-old tossed to an ERA of just over 2.90 in his final 14 starts of the year.

Returning slightly over half of the 2023 roster in what is expected to be a big season for the third-year franchise, the club sees the returns of the likes of Jamey Smart, Jason Dicochea, Grant Larson, Jake Sanford, Erasmo Pinales, and AJ Wright. The club went big-game hunting and brought back 2022 Titan Tyler Jandron, who tossed a complete-game shutout in the team's first home playoff game.

Also joining the fold include a pair of veteran infielders, who are slated to tag team the left side of the infield in Canada's capital. Laz Rivera is the club's new shortstop and comes to the capital after six professional campaigns in the Chicago White Sox organization, reaching as high as triple-A. Per MLB Pipeline, Rivera was ranked the 33rd best prospect in 2018 and the 17th best in 2019 within the White Sox organization.

Then comes third baseman Christian Ibarra, who previously played under Bobby Brown with the Amarillo Thunderheads and Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association from 2015 to 2019, posting some of the best numbers of his professional career.

Over a 340-game stretch for the now Titans skipper, Ibarra hit .274 with 55 doubles, 56 homers, and 179 RBI – walking 214 times in the process. In 2018, he posted a career year, hitting .299 with 20 homers and 64 RBI, and a .932 OPS. Ibarra had a career-best 13-game hitting streak and his 20 homers were 3rd-most in the American Association.

For the Saltdogs franchise, Ibarra ranks third in games played (282), second in runs scored (195), fourth in hits (288), second in home runs (48), fourth in RBI (157), and in the top five in walks (184).

Post-pandemic, the veteran has spent three seasons in the Mexican League, with two different clubs, hitting a collective .252 with 26 doubles, 17 home runs, and 83 RBI across 171 games.

The Ottawa Titans open the 2024 season on Friday, May 10th against the New England Knockouts. The Titans' home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 21st versus the Tri-City ValleyCats at Ottawa Stadium.

For information on season tickets, group outings, and nine-game mini packs, visit the Titans' official website at www.ottawatitans.com.

Photo Credit: Tim Austen/Ottawa Titans