Baseball Victoria, Author at Baseball Victoria

Baseball Victoria continues to closely monitor the complicated, shifting COVID-19 pandemic as we follow all state and federal restrictions to protect the health and safety of the community.

Baseball Victoria confirms that at this stage, the current shutdown of all baseball activity will be extended through Sunday, 31 May 2020.

This includes all forms of baseball training, club activities and team meetings, as well as events, tournaments and competitions.

Decisions that are being made continue to evolve, and we are unable to say with any certainty across a range of contributing factors how the next months will progress to allow us to return to playing baseball. As the landscape shifts, we will continue to monitor these changes and apply them as necessary.

The winter competitions for Bendigo, Dandenong, Geelong, Latrobe Valley and North Eastern Baseball Associations and Melbourne Winter Baseball League and Sunraysia Baseball League will not commence until after Monday, 1 June 2020. We are currently anticipating the opening day for those seasons to fall on Saturday, 13 June 2020.

“In these unprecedented times delaying the start of the winter baseball season, while understandably disappointing to the Victorian baseball community, is the only course of action available to the Baseball Victoria Board to ensure compliance with government measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to provide clarity for Winter Associations and Winter Clubs planning purposes,” Baseball Victoria President Myles Foreman said.

“This decision has been taken in consultation with the Winter Associations and Summer Clubs participating in the VSBL. I would like to take this opportunity to thank these Boards and Committees for the collaborative spirit in which we have worked together to navigate the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19.”

“Thank you also to Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton and the Baseball Victoria Office team who have continued to provide leadership and support to the Victorian Baseball Community during the same challenging times we are all facing in our personal, professional sporting worlds.”

“The constantly changing situation will continue to be monitored and Baseball Victoria will continue to work with the Winter Associations and Clubs in preparation of resuming baseball in Victoria. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy in these unsettling and unprecedented times,” Foreman added.

Baseball Victoria and the Winter Associations are working together on the format of those seasons and how these competitions will impact the commencement of the 2020/21 Victorian Summer Baseball League season.

The Baseball Victoria state capitation fees will be reduced by 10%, and members who have already paid will be refunded via Sports TG. These refunds will be processed in the next 48 hours.

The Sports TG portal for registering for the winter season will be closed until Friday, 1 May 2020.

Baseball Victoria and the Winter Associations have also concluded the 2020 State Winter Championships should be abandoned, allowing the Winter Associations to conduct the longest possible winter season.

The State Winter Championships have been rescheduled to the same dates and locations for 2021:

12-14 June 2021 Senior Geelong

26-27 June 2021 U14 Bendigo

03-04 July 2021 U18 Mildura

17-18 July 2021 U16 Morwell/Traralgon

24-25 July 2021 U12 Werribee

“Our organisation is conscious of the long-term effects this pandemic will place across our economy, sporting bodies, associations and clubs,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “We have prepared a page with information as it is applicable to share with you to assist in navigating this space.” Please click HERE for COVID-19 resources.

We would also like to make our members aware that Major League Baseball (MLB) has issued a mandate for scouts to cease operations in their entirety during the shutdown of professional baseball.

Click HERE to read the full notice from Baseball Australia on what clubs and players should know about the current scouting shutdown.

If you have any questions please contact Baseball Victoria by clicking HERE for full contact details.

You can find information on how to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy HERE from the Victoria Department of Health.

LATEST UPDATE - 10:00 AM 23/3/2020

Further to the updates provided on Sunday, 22 March 2020 at 8:00 PM, as anticipated Baseball Australia has now postponed all Little League national events:

Australian Junior League Championship, Adelaide previously scheduled for 5-9 May 2020
Australian Senior League Championship, Lismore previously scheduled for 17-21 May 2020
Australian Intermediate League Championship, Mildura previously scheduled for 26-30 May 2020
Australian Little League Championship, Lismore previously scheduled for 4-8 June 2020.

Click HERE for the full Baseball Australia Update.

Baseball Victoria reiterates our previous message in relation to all baseball activity and confirms that the current complete shutdown of all baseball activity in Victoria has now been extended to Tuesday, 14 April 2020.

All forms of baseball training, club activities and team meetings, as well as events, tournaments and competitions should have ceased last week, and at this stage the shutdown will remain in place until 14 April 2020.

Baseball Victoria continues to work with the Winter Associations regarding the upcoming winter season, scheduled to commence on 18 April 2020. Contingencies will be considered, taking into account the fast-paced ongoing nature of further restrictions, long-term restrictions that have already been foreshadowed and suitable timelines for training before the commencement of the season.

We urge the baseball community to adhere to the restrictions in place and review all health information available.

You can find information on how to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy HERE from the Victoria Department of Health.

Upon the updated requirements of the Victorian and Federal Governments, Baseball Victoria confirms that the current complete shutdown of all baseball activity in Victoria will now be extended to Tuesday, 14 April 2020.

The Victorian Government, along with any additional Federal Government restrictions put in place, will be making further statements tomorrow Monday, 23 March 2020, at which time Baseball Victoria will also provide additional information.

Non-essential travel restrictions look certain to affect the National Little League events scheduled in the coming months and Baseball Victoria is working with Baseball Australia and our state and territory colleagues.

Updated 23 March 2020 - HERE is the information provided by Baseball Australia postponing all National Little League events.

We urge the baseball community to adhere to the restrictions in place and review all health information available. You can find information on how to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy HERE from the Victoria Department of Health.

LATEST UPDATE - 12:30 PM 17/3/2020

Baseball Victoria, in this unprecedented and unique situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, is taking a lead from international and national sporting codes to postpone all Victorian Baseball activity from Tuesday, 17 March 2020 until Tuesday, 7 April 2020.

Decisions in relation to the health and safety of our baseball community have been given careful consideration. Following consultations with the federal and state government, Sport Australia and Baseball Australia and our state and territory baseball counterparts, as well as following in line with restrictions on Major League Baseball in the United States, we are postponing our non-essential static gatherings as a precautionary action to assist in stopping the spread of this virus to the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Baseball Victoria and all our member clubs and associations incorporating all remaining summer baseball activities, all winter association and club activity across Victoria and all Baseball Victoria activities will cease for 21 days. This includes all training, club activities and team meetings, as well as events, tournaments and competitions.

In addition to our regular baseball, this will affect the postponement of the following major events:

2020 Australian Women’s Championships - scheduled for 10-17 April 2020, this has been postponed until further notice
2020 Charter Player Development Program including the Super Series – scheduled for Saturday, 21 March has been postponed until further notice
2020 Charter Little League State Championships
- 2020 Senior, Junior and Intermediate League State Championships – scheduled for 28-30 March, this has been postponed until further notice
- 2020 Little League State Championships – scheduled for 3-5 April, this has been postponed until further notice
2020 Baseball Victoria Awards Night – scheduled for Thursday, 26 March, this has been postponed until September 2020

Participants for the 2020 Australian Women’s Championships and 2020 Charter State Championships that are being postponed will receive a full refund. Please note that any payment made via Team App will be processed back via Team App and any payment made directly to Baseball Victoria will be refunded directly. Click HERE for details on refunds.

“The current situation is unprecedented in our lifetimes with the direct or indirect consequences of COVID-19 progressively impacting every aspect of Victorian, Australian and Global Communities. The impact on the ability for the Sport of Baseball to proceed at this time is just one of many COVID-19 impacts the Victorian Baseball Community is now experiencing. This decision was taken after extensive internal and external consultation and is based on the health and welfare of the Victorian Baseball Community and is consistent with a number of broader measures being implemented by government, business and sport to try and reduce the spread of COVID-19. These are very challenging and uncertain times and the measures announced today provide clarity on the next 21 days with updates to follow as the situation continues to evolve,” Baseball Victoria President Myles Foreman said.

This is a quickly evolving situation that changes every day, and that means a decision made today may be updated tomorrow. By clearly postponing events in our immediate future, we have the opportunity to make strong plans for the future that will ensure we can recommence baseball activities as soon as it is appropriate to do so.

The 2020 Australian Women’s Championships will be rescheduled in consultation with Baseball Australia (read Baseball Australia’s full statement HERE). Prior to the recommencement of that program players will be consulted on their availability and we may need to make changes to the teams in order to replace any players whom are not available.

The 2020 Charter Player Development Program, which was to be finished with the Super Series, will recommence immediately prior to the rescheduled 2020 Charter State Championships. This ensures that when we are able to return to play, participants will have the opportunity to train prior.

The 2020 Charter Little League State Championships lead to the National Little League Championships and subsequently the International Little League Championships. At this stage, we will continue to review how the state championships can be restructured and rescheduled later in April and May to allow participation in the national and then international event(s).

All of these championship arrangements are fluid and further decisions will be made on the reschedule of state events based on the timelines provided by Baseball Australia regarding their national championships. Baseball Australia’s timelines for review of its national events are contained HERE in their full statement.

Baseball Australia is in an ongoing dialogue with Little League International with respect to eligibility, and the rules for timelines around participation in events, which all parties have conceded will need to be flexible as event timing continues to shift.

Currently the 2020 winter season with our member Winter Associations is scheduled to commence after Easter, and at this stage, these competitions will go ahead as planned. Consultation with the Winter Associations will be ongoing regarding the start of their season, the effect of rescheduled state and national events, and the Winter Championships. We expect that training for the winter season will be affected by this 21-day hiatus, and as soon as it practical we will confirm the start time for the season, considering the need for training to recommence prior.

Please note that as of today, the Baseball Victoria office has enacted its ‘Work From Home Plan’. The Baseball Victoria landline telephone will be diverted accordingly, and you can still call this number at any time. All staff are available directly via mobile and email. Please click HERE for full contact details.

You can find information on how to keep yourself and your family safe and healthy HERE from the Victoria Department of Health.

LATEST UPDATE - 12:00 PM 16/3/2020

The Baseball Victoria Board has convened a special Board Meeting to consider all possible scenarios and the impact, effect and ramifications of the rapidly evolving landscape related to COVID-19.

The meeting will take place on Monday 16 March with further advice related, but not limited to, the following areas of our operations to be advised to our community before midday Tuesday:

Player, volunteer and official welfare
Commercial and financial impact considerations
State, national and subsequent international competitions
Baseball community welfare

This is a very unique and challenging situation for all concerned. Baseball Victoria is working with Baseball Australia, and state, federal and baseball stakeholders to consider this situation and address it in an unified manner.

The Baseball Victoria Board and Administrators take their role in this matter very seriously and we are looking to lead and support baseball with empathy and considered decision-making.

Please click HERE to view Baseball Australia's statement on COVID-19 from 13 March 2020.

LATEST UPDATE - 4:30 PM 13/3/2020

Baseball Victoria, in consultation with Baseball Australia and the relevant health authorities are following the requirements relating to COVID-19 for Victorian baseball.

The Charter Player Development Program Super Series #1 being held in Geelong has been postponed. At this stage, a new date has not yet been selected.

BV President Myles Forman said “the safety of our members is our number one priority and the directives from Baseball Australia and the Government requires that we postpone some aspects of our sport until it is safe to continue. Please stay safe, and follow all the directions provided by the authorities and see the information below as it relates to our specific games and tournaments.”

Baseball Victoria will be taking precautions with those baseballers who will play over the weekend to minimise contact between players and to ensure best practices are applied as per the information provided by the Victorian government.

All information in relation to schedule changes or postponements will be made on the Baseball Victoria website and via direct email and the Baseball Victoria social media channels. Click HERE for the Baseball Victoria Facebook and click HERE for the Baseball Victoria Instagram.

Baseball Victoria is receiving updates and information via:

Baseball Victoria, in consultation with Baseball Australia and the relevant health authorities are following the requirements relating to COVID-19 for Victorian baseball.

The VSBL games that are scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday 14 March, for women at the Springvale Baseball Club and men at the Melbourne Ballpark will continue as scheduled, however we recommend that you watch on the livestream rather than attend the venues, and that only essential spectators attend.

If attending, we encourage you to follow all the recommendations on healthy best practices from the Victorian government.

VSBL games listed below will be livestreamed from both locations and we encourage you to join our baseball finals as part of our livestream coverage, available on the Baseball Victoria Facebook HERE.

Division 1 Grand Finals: Sunshine Eagles v Blackburn Orioles – Melbourne Ballpark

Saturday, 14 March – 4:30 PM

Sunday, 15 March – 4:30 PM (If game three of the series is required)

Division 2 Grand Finals: Williamstown Wolves v Malvern Braves – Melbourne Ballpark

Saturday, 14 March – 1:00 PM

Sunday, 15 March – 1:00 PM (If game three of the series is required)

Women’s Division 3 East Grand Final: Moorabbin Panthers v Melbourne Demons - Springvale Lions Baseball Club

Saturday, 14 March – 10:30 AM

Women’s Division 2 Grand Final: Doncaster Dragons v Springvale Lions - Springvale Lions Baseball Club

Saturday, 14 March – 1:00 PM

Women’s Division 1 Grand Final: Springvale Lions v Doncaster Dragons - Springvale Lions Baseball Club

Saturday, 14 March – 3:30 PM

BV President Myles Forman said “the safety of our members is our number one priority and the directives from Baseball Australia and the Government requires that we postpone some aspects of our sport until it is safe to continue. Please stay safe and follow all the directions provided by the authorities and see the information below as it relates to our specific games and tournaments.”

Players should:

wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, including before and after eating and after going to the toilet
cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser
if unwell, you need to contact your GP immediately
where possible, limit the use of sharing equipment
limit unnecessary contact with other players and officials
restrict shaking hands, this weekend baseball will use fist or elbow bumps
follow the instructions of all baseball officials

Other effective measures include:

avoid touching your face
regularly wipe down your devices
use contactless payment methods instead of cash

Any player who no longer wishes to participate in the scheduled games should immediately advise their club.

Baseball Victoria is receiving updates and information via:

Baseball Victoria, in consultation with Baseball Australia and the relevant health authorities, is following the requirements relating to COVID-19 for Victorian baseball.

If attending, we encourage you to follow all the recommendations on healthy best practices from the Victorian government.

VSBL games will be livestreamed from both locations and we encourage you to join our baseball finals as part of our livestream coverage. VSBL livestreams will be available HERE.

The Charter Player Development Program Super Series #1 being held in Geelong has been postponed. At this stage, a new date has not yet been selected.

BV President Myles Forman said “the safety of our members is our number one priority and the directives from Baseball Australia and the Government requires that we postpone some aspects of our sport until it is safe to continue. Please stay safe and follow all the directions provided by the authorities and see the information below as it relates to our specific games and tournaments.”

BV CEO Kristie Middleton said “In consultation with Baseball Australia, federal and state government, and further to discussions with the national CEOs, Baseball Victoria’s position will be continually assessed, and our position may need to be updated on further advice. Baseball Victoria continues to assess all competitions and future baseball, and we will provide updates as soon as possible.”

Baseball Victoria is receiving updates and information via:

A MESSAGE FROM BASEBALL VICTORIA REGARDING THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
(12 MARCH 2020)

Baseball Victoria continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in relation to Coronavirus (COVID-19) based on information available from a number of sources including; the Federal and State Departments of Health, Sport Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport and Baseball Australia. In addition, Baseball Victoria is working closely with the other State Baseball Associations to coordinate a national response where possible.

Presently there are no restrictions on events where large numbers of people congregate, but Baseball Victoria is conscious of the need to monitor any developments with COVID-19 and will act in accordance with the advice from the relevant authorities.

A Business Continuity Plan for the Baseball Victoria Office is in place which will ensure the team can all work from home if required and services provided to the Victorian Baseball Community can continue.

As a reminder, one of the best ways to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus is to use good hand washing and sneeze/cough hygiene.

You should:

wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, including before and after eating and after going to the toilet
cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser
if unwell, avoid contact with others (stay more than 1.5 metres from people)

Other effective measures include:

avoid touching your face
regularly wipe down your devices
use contactless payment methods instead of cash

Baseball Victoria will provide additional information to our members as it becomes available and will keep our community updated on any disruptions to the delivery of regular programs or events, should they occur.

The health and well-being of our participants is our highest priority, but it is important that people remain calm and act on the best health advice available.

For general advice on COVID-19, please refer to the Victorian Government Health website, https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

For sport specific advice, please refer to https://ais.gov.au/health-wellbeing/covid-19, dedicated to providing evidence based, real time advice, including travel as well as FAQs relating to COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

Malvern Braves took a 1-0 lead in the VSBL Division 2 Grand Final Series with a big 12-4 win over Williamstown Wolves on Thursday night at Melbourne Ballpark.

The Braves came in hot, piling on three runs in the first inning before another runner came around to score in the second. Malvern kept up the pace, extending the scoreline to 5-0 in the third. Williamstown battled back, scoring three in the fourth to get right back in the game, but the Braves weren't fazed, scoring another run in the fifth and three more in the sixth.

Gavin Woolger continued his red-hot streak, smashing a triple, and by the end of the seventh his team was up 12-3.

Sean Cruz had a quality start before handing it over to Mitch Kennedy for a scoreless eighth. While the Wolves got one back in the ninth, the Braves still cruised to a crucial first game victory.

Dennis Neal took the mound for Williamstown at the start of the game, although the Braves jumped on the pitches early. In contrast, Cruz kept things under control for the first few innings for Malvern. "He had a solid quality outing, he wasn’t as sharp as he has been in the last couple of weeks but he still produced, he competed really well and gave us a good quality start," Malvern Coach Phil Dale said. "He gave us a chance, the main thing last night was offence, we started producing straight away."

While Woolger, Ryan Dale and Jack Hanger contributed effectively at the plate, it was a great effort by the entire Malvern lineup that made this win possible. "Everybody put in some good at-bats to score 12 runs," Dale said. "We're lucky we got off to a good start. Williamstown bounced back and got three runs in the fourth, but we came straight back with some more runs."

While the Braves have the advantage going into Saturday's game, they know they can never be too careful or prepared. "It's going to be a tough battle Saturday, with different weather conditions," Dale said. "I feel a lot better going into there with one win, but we have to play a really tough game. That second one is probably the most important game, anything can happen."

Defense will be at the forefront of Malvern's approach on the weekend. "Jon Kennedy will be on the mound for us, so we've got a quality starter," Dale said. "Williamstown's starters are good, last night the wind was just blowing out a little for more offense but Saturday will be more defensive with tighter pitching."

The Orioles were firing offensively and defensively in their commanding 9-1 win over Sunshine in the fist game of the 2019/20 VSBL Division 1 Grand Final series.

The first Orioles offensive dig saw Eagles starter Scott Riley-Barr doing well early, a three-up, three-down dig that included two strikeouts. The home team though was out through three batters as a double play ended the inning just after Nikau Pouaka-Grego became the first base runner of the game, a close play at first determining his fate after hitting it to shortstop.

The second inning started with Jacob Evans grounding out but a collection of four hits in a row saw Blackburn take an early lead in this crucial game.

Ryan Berg doubled to leftf ield, advancing to third on a single to Cooper Goodman. Berg would be the first to score in the ballgame as Charlie Collins' fly ball to right f eld got away from the fielder.

With Goodman at second and Collins at first, David Dicker strolled up to the plate and while the count got away from him when he looked at two called strikes, Dicker sent the ball down the left field line, doubling up while scoring Goodman.

Nick Rossell became the second out in the dig for the Orioles, before Liam Hopkins made it a four-run game when he too progressed the runners on base to score with a hard ground ball out to left field.

Down four runs early in the game, Sunshine needed to start the bottom of the second off strong, however a quick three outs in 10 pitches meant the Eagles were back to field just as quickly as they’d come off it.

Blackburn found some more hits at the top of the third, leadoff batter Luke Hughes singling but remaining at first as the next two batters fell around him. Hughes was able to advance to third as Goodman picked up his second hit of the night, however he was unable to score as the third out was made.

Another three-up, three-down bottom half of the innings to the Eagles' was not what they needed from being behind, a quality at-bat from Dicker in the following dig worrying the Sunshine defense yet again. The Eagles got out of the situation though through Riley-Barr’s pitching yet again, recording two strikeouts in that time.

Sunshine managed to get a runner in scoring position at the bottom of the fourth, Pouaka-Grego picking up a walk as Bryce Aldridge singled after him. It unfortunately didn’t lead anywhere for the Eagles as the side was retired, looking to restrict the Blackburn batters further.

Luke Hughes led off again at the top of the fifth and with a full count, stayed in the box with an extra three fouls before reaching first on an error to the Sunshine left fielder. Two consecutive groundouts had the Burners two down though Hughes had made it over to third and was looking to continue the scoring. That he did too as Goodman again came up with his third hit of the night.

A similar story transpired at the bottom of the fifth when Sunshine, though finding connection, couldn’t get on base as the Eagles went through three batters yet again.

The Orioles improved their lead by three as their sixth turn at bat came to an end, Dicker taking a walk as Sunshine made a pitching change, Griffin Weir entering the game.

Things looked shaky for Weir to start as he gave up three singles after Dicker’s turn at the plate. Those singles were to Nick Rossell, Hopkins and Ben Leslie, Dicker and Rossell scoring.

Hughes was walked also as the bases were loaded for the Orioles, a double play at second and first breaking up the runners but not before Hopkins crossed home plate.

Blackburn’s offense were switched on as had been the case all night as Sunshine were sent back to the dugout within five pitches this time as the seventh inning was a three-up, three-down affair for both sides too.

As Blackburn turned to reliever Sam Buccello, the Eagles were able to get their first run on the board through a Jordan Young single that scored Jason Tutt in a close play at home. Back-to-back singles to Joshua Byrne and Young and a fielder’s choice to Tutt saw him advance from each of these batters.

Blackburn kept on rolling even with a seven-run lead going into the final inning of the game, Evans doubling on a hard ground ball to right field, advancing on a wild pitch. Berg grounded out in his plate appearance but Evans made sure he scored. A couple of extra singles picked up by Collins and Dicker looked to extend the Orioles lead, but it went nowhere as Rossell flew out to centre field to end the inning.

Entering the bottom of the ninth and down by eight runs, it was clear from Aldridge’s swings that Sunshine wasn't going to go down without trying, three hefty swings eventually seeing him walk back to the dugout. Buccello managed to get Rory Meddick down on strikes too before becoming involved in fielding the ball to his teammate at first base for the final out of the ballgame.

While it was a close contest between the pitchers, Blackburn starter Andrew Jones threw seven innings for two hits, zero runs and two strikeouts. Buccello came in as relief and while he couldn’t save the shutout win, he only allowed two hits and one run with three strikeouts.

Riley-Barr started for Sunshine and lasted five innings, leading the game for strikeouts with four but giving up nine hits and five runs in that time. Griffin Weir had seven hits placed on him for four runs with two strikeouts.

On the bats, Goodman and Dicker each had three hits for Blackburn while Leslie tallied two with an RBI. Hopkins had a two-hit, three RBI game while Collins made it on base safely twice also. Dicker made it a double RBI for one of his hits, scoring two runs himself during the game.

The four hits to Sunshine were all singles to Pouaka-Grego, Aldridge, Byrne and Young, the latter providing the means for Tutt to score.

The action continues in the second game of the series at Melbourne Ballpark on Saturday afternoon where Blackburn will hope to win in two games while Sunshine will look to be tighter defensively to take it to a third game.

Baseball Victoria is excited to announce a partnership with My Sport Live to livestream the 2019/20 Victorian Summer Baseball League (VSBL) finals.

The grand finals for VSBL Division 1 and 2 and Women’s Division 1 and 2 will be livestreamed.

My Sport Live is a sport promotions company that offers a range of services to help sporting organisations and events grow, including livestreaming and event video. My Sport Live and Baseball Victoria will work together to provide high-quality, accessible streams for the grand finals at Melbourne Ballpark and the women’s grand finals at Springvale Lions Baseball Club

“Baseball Victoria is proud to begin this relationship with My Sport Live, expanding coverage of our sport in Victoria and Australia,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “Providing the Victorian baseball community with the opportunity to watch their finals, and expanding our league to all those family, friends and fans who enjoy our sport, is a great opportunity. We hope our VSBL community enjoys the livestream experience and that this further highlights our sport and everything Victorian baseball has to offer. We’re excited for VSBL finals and we can’t wait to share the livestreams with our members.”

My Sport Live is pleased to be collaborating with Baseball Victoria for VSBL finals. “This is a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on VSBL teams and showcase the best in Victorian baseball,” My Sport Live Managing Director Andrew Weiss said. “We’re thrilled to be bringing brilliant baseball action to the screen to finish this summer season on a high note, and we’re excited to highlight teams chasing their premiership goals.”

VSBL Livestreams will be streamed on the VSBL website HERE and the Baseball Victoria Facebook page HERE.

Here is the livestreaming schedule for VSBL finals:

Division 1 Grand Finals: Sunshine Eagles v Blackburn Orioles – Melbourne Ballpark

Tuesday, 10 March – 7:00 PM

Saturday, 14 March – 4:30 PM

Sunday, 15 March – 4:30 PM (If game three of the series is required)

Division 2 Grand Finals: Williamstown Wolves v Malvern Braves – Melbourne Ballpark

Saturday, 14 March – 1:00 PM

Sunday, 15 March – 1:00 PM (If game three of the series is required)

Women’s Division 2 Grand Final: Doncaster Dragons v Springvale Lions - Springvale Lions Baseball Club

Saturday, 14 March – 1:00 PM

Women’s Division 1 Grand Final: Springvale Lions v Doncaster Dragons - Springvale Lions Baseball Club

Saturday, 14 March – 3:30 PM

Baseball Victoria is excited to announce a partnership with My Sport Live to livestream the 2019/20 Victorian Summer Baseball League (VSBL) finals.

The grand finals for VSBL Division 1 and 2 and Women’s Division 1 and 2 will be livestreamed.

VSBL Livestreams will be streamed on the VSBL website HERE and the Baseball Victoria Facebook page HERE.

Here is the livestreaming schedule for VSBL finals:

Division 1 Grand Finals: Sunshine Eagles v Blackburn Orioles – Melbourne Ballpark

Tuesday, 10 March – 7:00 PM

Saturday, 14 March – 4:30 PM

Sunday, 15 March – 4:30 PM (If game three of the series is required)

Division 2 Grand Finals: Williamstown Wolves v Malvern Braves – Melbourne Ballpark

Saturday, 14 March – 1:00 PM

Sunday, 15 March – 1:00 PM (If game three of the series is required)

Women’s Division 2 Grand Final: Doncaster Dragons v Springvale Lions - Springvale Lions Baseball Club

Saturday, 14 March – 1:00 PM

Women’s Division 1 Grand Final: Springvale Lions v Doncaster Dragons - Springvale Lions Baseball Club

Saturday, 14 March – 3:30 PM

The 2019/20 VSBL season wrapped up in thrilling fashion for VSBL Division 4 East, North West and South as Melbourne, Footscray White and Cheltenham secured premiership flags.

Congrats to the Demons, Bulldogs and Rustlers and well done to all VSBL Division 4 teams on a terrific season.

Division 4 East: Waverley Wildcats Black 4 v Melbourne Demons 10

The Demons extended their unbeaten run all the way through the home and away season and the postseason with a championship win over Waverley Black at Surrey Park.

The 18-0, first-placed Demons and 15-4 second-placed Waverley Black each had 10+ run wins in their semi-final matchups with Fitzroy Gold and Monash Uni respectively, so this game had all the makings of the two offensively-loaded teams squaring off in a big way.

However, last year’s champions Waverley Black were on the losing end of the grand final result this time around as Melbourne secured the win at home.

The Wildcats were the highest-scoring team of the season with 231 runs while the Demons were good defensively all season, giving up just 40 runs across 18 games. All season long under the watchful leadership of Coach Bruce Webb, Melbourne relied on the mentality of limiting opponents' scoring opportunities, and it worked wonders for them on Sunday as they won a highly-anticipated flag.

Division 4 North West: Footscray Bulldogs Red 1 v Footscray Bulldogs White 2

This was a close battle as many may have expected, the top two sides in the division making it tall the way to the grand final. The two Footscray sides went head-to-head and provided plenty of entertainment in a close game that saw White prevail by a single run.

Both teams scored in the first but offenses were kept quiet with pitchers prevailing although White scored one late in the game to confirm the win.

The Red Bulldogs were on the right end of a one-run result in last week’s semi-final against North Coburg Gold while it was a decisive 10-run victory to the would-be champions against Mitchell Majors Yellow.

It was Footscray White’s first grand final win in this division, however Footscray Red are no strangers to the big dance, having won it two seasons ago.

The two sides were very even in the runs against column throughout the season so it was always going to be a defense-lead battle, and the closeness of the scores reflected that.

Footscray White finished the regular season atop the ladder at 14-1-1 with Red just behind in second place at 15-2-1.

Division 4 South: Berwick City Cougars 0 v Cheltenham Rustlers 11

The Rustlers claimed their flag after shutting out last season’s champions Berwick, leading on from their huge margin in last week’s semi-final win against St Kilda too. Berwick beat Monash Uni last weekend by a single run but couldn’t match the Rustlers this time around.

The Rustlers were the frontrunners in this division through the season, ending it in first place with a 12-1-1 record while it took a good effort from Berwick to reach the grand final after finishing third with a 13-4 record.

Berwick was the second-highest runscoring team in the comp with 178 runs across 17 games, but the Cougars were completely stopped offensively by the Rustlers defense.

Cheltenham was thrilled to bring home the first flag for the fifths in nearly 20 years.