Baseball Victoria is thrilled to announce the four charter head coaches for the 2020 charter programs.
After the success of last year’s Charter Player Development Program, Baseball Victoria is looking forward to another fantastic year of development opportunities for junior players. The four 2019 head coaches are returning to their roles for this next year, as they will lead the charter programs in collaboration with Baseball Victoria Talent Development Manager Damian Shanahan.
The four head coaches for the charter programs are:
Geelong Baycats - Kelli Zablan
Kelli has enjoyed a successful career pursuing his sporting passions, which has included playing and coaching for Southern Utah University Thunderbirds in NCAA Division 1 and a stint with the Seattle Mariners in 2011. Kelli also played independent ball with the River City Rascals in the Frontier League before returning to Victoria to play for Melbourne Aces and coach Aces Academy. This will be Kelli’s third season as the Baycats charter coach.
Twins - Scott Meager
Scott played for Victorian state teams as a junior before passing the big milestone of 300+ senior games at both Williamstown Baseball Club in the Victorian Summer Baseball League and Saints Baseball Club of the winter Geelong Baseball Association. Scott has been coaching U16 Victorian state teams for the past seven years.
Southern Mariners - Marshall Skinner
Marshall spent more than 30 years playing for Preston Pirates Baseball Club, and he also participated in representative opportunities including the Waverley Reds ABL team in 1989/90 and Victorian Provincial Teams from 2001-2010. Marshall has decades of coaching experience as well covering Victorian clubs and state teams.
Eastern Athletics - David Hargreaves
David has been involved in baseball for more than 40 years, having played and coached at all levels. He has assisted with junior development by coaching junior teams at Waverley Baseball Club as well as regional representative sides, Charter All-Star teams and Victorian state teams. David looks forward to another year with Eastern Athletics.
Tryouts for the Charter Player Development Program will take place in December with on-field training beginning in February. The program will culminate in the Charter State Championships, which are set for 28 – 30 March (Senior League, Junior League and Intermediate League) at Geelong Baseball Centre and 3-5 April (Little League, Little League Development and Little League Minor) at Knox Baseball Club.
The 2019/20 VSBL Division 1 season continued with lots of excitement in round eight, as Geelong finally got the best of Sunshine to put a halt to the Eagles undefeated season. Sandringham and Cheltenham enjoyed big wins too as teams look to finish the first half of the season strong.
Division One Firsts
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 0 v Berwick City Cougars 0
The game got underway but after 45 minutes, the teams were sent to the dugouts as the rain started to pour with the decision to abandon the match ultimately made 10 minutes later.
The two sides play again on Tuesday night at Berwick with both needing wins to continue their climb up the ladder.
Sunshine Eagles 5 v Geelong Baycats 6
It took until the bottom of the ninth for Geelong to bang home the winning run as they tied it up in the eighth.
Sunshine got a two-run lead in the third before Geelong squared things up in the fourth.
One run to the Eagles and two to the Baycats saw the home side take the lead after the fifth inning was completed but the Eagles took the lead back at the top of eight, unable to claim the lead once more in the ninth.
Geelong were helped along by two runs to Ryan Darcy and Kelli Zablan, the latter hitting a home run with James Wood getting home from a three-base hit. Joshua Davies was the Baycats other runscorer.
Pitching-wise for Geelong, it was Rudy Jaramillo who was on the mound for eight innings where even though he gave up four earned runs, Jaramillo performed 11 strikeouts and one base on balls.
Newport Rams 0 v Fitzroy Lions 1
A strict defence was presented on the diamond from both Newport and Fitzroy in this matchup that featured the two bottom sides.
Ultimately it was Lions that powered through to get the winning run at the bottom of the eighth, with the Lions once again shutting the Rams out.
Newport were hampered by leaving many runners on base, collecting seven hits throughout the nine innings. Two hits to Connor Schibeci and a double to Tyler Comben highlighted the offensive work for the Rams.
Newport’s Jason Jarvis was on the mound for eight innings and in that time, gave up the game-winning run.
There were only two hits in the game for the Lions, each coming in the eighth inning. Tyler Trevaskis got on base with a double before Jordan Walker hit a single that allowed Trevaskis to run home.
Rusty Huber took the mound for seven innings, giving up three hits while striking out eight in his first win of the season. Brock Pawley came in to finish off the game, drawing four hits and two strikeouts.
Newport and Fitzroy will play their midweek fixture at Melbourne Ballpark where the Rams will be hopeful of taking one back from their opponents and even up the series.
Essendon Bombers 7 v Sandringham Royals 15
Sandringham won their third game of the summer as their up-and-down season continues, but this defeat of Essendon was needed.
On the Bombers part, they’ve now lost two in a row and to lowly-ranked opposition too as it was a 2-0 defeat to Fitzroy last week who sit 11th, whereas the Royals are two spots above the Lions.
Essendon have since slipped to third place and while it’s not all doom and gloom, a midweek matchup against the Royals at Melbourne Ballpark will be a good setting to get back on track.
Melbourne Demons 1 v Waverley Wildcats 8
Waverley got off to a great start in this game at home, getting out to a six-run lead after two innings.
Melbourne got their one and only run in the fourth, until the Wildcats stormed home well, gathering another two runs in the sixth and holding on for the win.
For the Wildcats, Jordan Ley went four from four, crossing the plate twice while Andrew Russell and Jacob Sheldon-Collins each got two runs from two hits.
The long ball played a massive part in the game’s proceedings, with three home runs hit, credited to Russell, Damon Hill and Reece Longstaff.
Russell again got the start and the win from pitching seven innings, allowing just the one run on three hits, with a season-high 10 strikeouts. Mitch Thomas did the rest to disallow Melbourne to get a hold of him in the later stages of the game, throwing two innings of scoreless baseball with just one hit given up and three strikeouts. This marks his second shutout relief performance in Waverley's firsts this year.
Waverley are back on track winning the last two, however Melbourne are winless from their past five games after starting the season 3-0.
Cheltenham Rustlers 7 v Blackburn Orioles 3
Blackburn drew first blood in the first and were up 3-1 all the way until the seventh after a two-run effort in the fifth as Cheltenham drew things up in the third.
Three runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings allowed the Rustlers to overtake the Orioles for their third win of the season and will be aiming to make it two wins over Blackburn in their midweek fixture.
Blackburn collected nine hits on the day to Cheltenham’s 12, but for the Orioles, multiple hits to Jacob Evans, Cooper Goodman and Liam Hopkins tried to propel them past the Rustlers.
Goodman was responsible for batting in all of the Orioles runs – Hopkins, Ben Leslie and Nick Rossell each crossing the plate.
Cheltenham are finally finding some form, winning three of their last four games after taking some time to adjust to their promotion to Division One while Blackburn remain competitive across the division.
Division One Seconds
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 0 v Berwick City Cougars 0
The unstoppable downpour of rain saw this game abandoned.
Upwey Ferntree Gully still managed to move up the ladder following Cheltenham’s loss despite the call on the game, whereas Berwick are sixth with a 3-3 record.
Each team will be hoping the weather improves for this weekend when they come up against each other at the Tigers home ground.
Sunshine Eagles 2 v Geelong Baycats 17
Sunshine had the best start, getting two runs in the first dig of the game, but for them, from there, it was all downhill.
Geelong responded with three of their own at the bottom of the first and completely put their foot down in the third, amassing nine runs in a dominant inning.
A further five runs across the following three innings was all that was needed, as the Baycats defence did a good job to shut out the rest of the Eagles batters.
Each team have won two games for the season now, with Geelong having the edge over the Eagles due to a draw earlier in the season. The two sides play each other again this Saturday.
Cheltenham Rustlers 9 v Blackburn Orioles 10
A couple of innings that produced a hefty amount of runs for Cheltenham and Blackburn was the highlight of this game, the Orioles producing the game-winning run in the sixth, but it took a lot of work.
Blackburn got the first in the first but the Rustlers knew when the step up, gathering three in the second and another one in the third before the Orioles snatched two back at the bottom.
After a tight defence to Blackburn, they rallied together and collected six runs to take the lead at the end of the fourth.
A scoreless fifth inning to both sides would potentially have been a foreshadowing of the ending to the game. Cheltenham may have been down, but they certainly weren’t out as they tied the ballgame at nine-all, leaving Blackburn to knuckle down in the bottom of six.
Eventually, Blackburn were able to produce the crucial run they needed, the walk-off victory was courtesy of Jorey Hubble. Clutch hits from Julian Vance on multiple occasions highlighted the big occasion for the Orioles.
Sam Bucello got the start on the mound and was crusing before running into trouble as Cheltenham got a hold of him.
Newport Rams 1 v Fitzroy Lions 8
Newport gave up two runs to the Lions in the first innings, but for the following three innings, each team’s offence worked wonders with no further scores.
The Rams halved the deficit in the top of the fifth before Fitzroy decided they needed to increase their lead – and did so with five runs coming through.
Newport couldn’t add to their tally in the sixth, while the Lions added one to their score before the game was called.
Melbourne Demons 1 v Waverley Wildcats 5
The Demons dropped their first game of the season in Round 7, at the hands of Waverley who were on a two-game losing streak.
Waverley got out to a five-run lead within the first three innings, with strict defence on the other end.
Melbourne achieved their only run of the game in the fifth, which translated towards the final scoreline.
Essendon Bombers 6 v Sandringham Royals 5
With one run coming in the first four innings of this contest, it was Essendon who had the early lead.
Sandringham brought in three runs to take the lead at the bottom of the fifth before the Bombers went two better in the next dig and had the lead going into a stressful final minutes of the game.
The 6-4 lead to the Bombers looked good, but nerves were showing in the Bombers camp when the Royals got one, knowing their capabilities. It wasn’t anything to worry about in the end for the Bombers who got the result they were after, their second win of the season.
Division One Thirds
Sunshine Eagles 9 v Geelong Baycats 13
A strong first dig for Sunshine was bound to set the tone for the match, collecting six runs in a huge display of hitting, which Geelong managed one in reply at the bottom.
The Baycats improved on that one though in the second, amassing a whopping eight runs before the Eagles were able to put a stop to things.
The Eagles, not backing down, put up a further three which tied the game, the defence now under pressure. And under pressure they were as Geelong were seeing the ball well which translated into them getting four runs.
Both teams kept it tight for the remainder of the match, Geelong moving to a 4-2-1 record, while the Eagles have just one win on the board with five losses.
Waverley Wildcats 2 v Melbourne Demons 4
It was a top-four matchup this one, with the Demons prevailing over the Wildcats, the away side suffering their first loss of the season while Melbourne are hot on the tail of the rest of the teams in the upper sections of the ladder.
Fitzroy Lions 12 v Newport Rams 13
A very even contest right from the outset, but the five-run first dig to Fitzroy could’ve had people thinking otherwise until Newport scored the exact same amount of runs in the bottom of the first.
In the second, the Lions got one across the plate, but the Rams ended the innings with a one-run lead after scoring two.
A tight affair in the following three innings, each team able to put another one onto their scores in the fourth but it was Newport who finally broke through when they scored three at the bottom of the sixth.
Sensing the challenge, the Lions were determined not to go down, and fought well to get a one-run lead heading into the later part of the game, thanks to five runs in the seventh.
Fitzroy were to be at their absolute best to prevent the Rams from claiming victory but it wasn’t to be as the walk-off win was all the Rams’ to celebrate.
The past four of Fitzroy’s fixtures have all resulted in losses by two runs or less as they sit on the bottom of the ladder.
Cheltenham Rustlers 6 v Blackburn Orioles 4
Cheltenham certainly have found their confidence off the back of the 18-run win in Round 4, beating or drawing with the teams that appear towards the top of the division and this week was no different.
The Rustlers beat the Orioles after a four-run third innings, despite being down 2-1 at the time.
The Orioles were never able to produce an innings to replicate Cheltenham’s and the Rustlers defence stood tall to prevent that result from happening.
The loss was Blackburn’s first of the season, Mitchell Upton a shining light getting three hits.
Essendon Bombers 6 v Sandringham Royals 2
Essendon got out to a six-run lead before the Royals pegged two back in the fourth.
Both teams were desperate for a win as they sit mid-table, although Essendon is now on a three-game winning streak.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 0 v Berwick City Cougars 0
Cyril Molyneux Reserve was deemed unplayable, meaning the Tigers and Cougars didn’t take the field last weekend.
Due to Blackburn and Waverley’s losses, Upwey Ferntree Gully is still trailing slightly behind those two on the ladder, the Tigers’ position not taking a hit because of the washout.
Division One Fourths
Sunshine Eagles 5 v Geelong Baycats 16
The Baycats may have gotten out to a 7-2 lead after the second inning but any thought of slowing down was vanished as they controlled the rest of the game with nine in the fourth.
Sunshine, after their two runs across the first two innings, responded with three in the fifth but the result ended that way.
It was a blow to the Eagles who slipped to fourth against a team that was before this round, on the bottom without a win.
Cheltenham Rustlers 11 v Blackburn Orioles 12
Blackburn were always looking to take the lead and did so on three separate occasions after Cheltenham steadied early.
It was a 5-0 Rustlers lead heading into the bottom of the second, with the Orioles able to put six on the board themselves in a dominant dig.
The third produced nothing on either end, until in the fourth, the Rustlers evened the score. But it was Blackburn who then put themselves up with two runners crossing the plate.
Cheltenham needed their bats to fire and that’s exactly what happened when they saw five runs come back in. Taking an 11-8 lead, it was time for their defence to shine.
The opposite happened, as it was the Blackburn offence that won out, Aaron Wawra hitting the go-ahead three-run shot. Jamie Della had a great game all around, going three from three.
Waverley Wildcats 5 v Melbourne Demons 8
Melbourne left their run late, but it paid off as the Demons continued their unbeaten run, sitting pretty at the top at 7-0.
Waverley stunned the Demons by getting two runs in the first inning and another one in the third while going strict in their defence.
The Wildcats lead grew to five, but that was when the away team started to fall. Three-run efforts in both of the fourth and fifth innings saw the Wildcats lead cut quickly to just one.
The Demons powered on, firstly by not letting any Wildcats runs to score, but rallied together to get the walk-off win, scoring two at the bottom of the sixth.
Essendon Bombers 7 v Sandringham Royals 3
Essendon started things off well with three runs in the top of the first and added a further four while whittling away at the Royals batters.
Sandringham got on the board with two runs in the fifth and were holding onto some hope when the Bombers failed to get a run at the top of the sixth.
However, Sandringham were only able to produce one more run to their tally as they’re now 3-3, while Essendon are second at 6-1.
Fitzroy Lions 9 v Newport Rams 9
Newport came agonisingly close to recording their first win of the season, instead drawing to Fitzroy.
Trailing for most of the match, but still getting runs on the board, Newport got ahead by one run as the fourth inning ended.
A 6-4 first inning lead to Fitzroy set the standard of the game as both teams produced special moments in offence and defence throughout the entirety of the match.
The Lions got a lead that was double the Rams score during the third but Newport came back with one, and then three in the fourth as the scores became level, a crucial innings approaching.
Neither team managed to break away in the decisive fifth inning, seeing one run cross the plate in each dig, contributing to the first draw of the Division One Fourths season.
Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 0 v Berwick City Cougars 0
The rain played a part in the result of this game as the match was abandoned without a ball pitched.
The 2019/20 VSBL Women's Division 1, 2 and 3 seasons continued with round six on Saturday, as Doncaster prevailed with more dominant performances and Melbourne and Moorabbin held steady, too. With 11 games left in the regular season, there's plenty more surprises and awesome baseball action to look forward to.
Women's Division 1
Doncaster Dragons 10 v Footscray Bulldogs 5
Footscray has now lost six in a row after a challenging outing against Doncaster. The Dragons stay undefeated with four wins and two draws on the season, thanks to big efforts from players up and down the lineup.
Doncaster looks very strong this season, with a lineup featuring the likes of Belinda Cannington, Bronwyn Gell, Ursula Howard and more. Their bats show no signs of slowing down anytime soon, as currently Doncaster leads Women's Division 1 with a first-place record and an impressive 78 runs scored compared to 40 given up.
The Bulldogs have five losses and a draw on their record as they head into round seven hungry for a win against Springvale. The Lions won 15-7 in their first meeting in round five.
Doncaster will look to continue their winning ways as they face Essendon at home, a result that was locked at seven-all in Round 1 as each team has gone separate ways since then.
Essendon Bombers 0 v Springvale Lions 10
The Lions asserted their complete dominance on the Bombers, cruising to a 10-0 win as Essendon's wins have eluded them since round two.
Springvale's big hitters are always on show with former Japanese Pro League player Ayumi Ikeyama leading the charge. Solid contributions courtesy of Sinead Flanigan and Lili Cavanagh also helped and will no doubt continue against Footscray in round 7.
Essendon will hope to rely on the likes of Courtney Foura, Sam Deeble and Allie Bebbere if they want to mount a challenge to the undefeated Doncaster next weekend.
Women's Division 2
Footscray Bulldogs 1 v Doncaster Dragons 15
The Dragons continued to prove to the rest of the competition just how strong they are with a huge 14-run victory over Footscray.
Doncaster won both contests against Footscray, the first fixture coming in the first round, which was a better result for the Bulldogs despite going down by 10 runs.
The Bulldogs will be expecting a win in their next matchup against the struggling Bombers, while the Dragons hope to continue to improve on their win record when they travel to meet Fitzroy.
Fitzroy Lions 7 v Springvale Lions 8
In a nail-biting contest, Springvale prevailed over Fitzroy to keep the team's prefect season intact, beating Fitzroy 8-7.
It was a great improvement for the Fitzroy after these two sides met in the first round, when the Lions failed to get on the board and in turn gave up 12 runs to Springvale.
5-0 Springvale is second behind Doncaster on runs scored but the team has high hopes they can overtake the Dragons when they travel to Wheelers Hill.
Fitzroy's next matchup doesn't make things easier, facing the other undefeated team in this division in Doncaster. The Lions will take great amounts of confidence that they can match it with the best of them in this middle part of the season.
Essendon Bombers 3 v Wheelers Hill Warriors 8
Wheelers Hill got out to a good lead as the first inning drew to a close, the margin being four runs in the Warriors favour.
The Bombers got their first run in the second as they started to reply however Wheelers Hill made sure to break away further, adding another three runs in the third and fourth innings combined.
The Bombers came back with two runs at the top of the fifth, before Wheelers Hill pegged one back at the bottom. The final score produces a five-run win to the Warriors who move to 3-2, while Essendon are starved remains winless this season on the bottom of the ladder before taking on Footscray next week.
Women's Division 3 East
Moorabbin Panthers 22 v Mulgrave Rebels 2
A huge win to Moorabbin on the back of three seven-run efforts across four complete innings was everything the team needed to maintain its hot start to the season. Mulgrave scored two runs across the second and third innings.
The Panthers have given up the least amount of runs (12) than any other club in the Division 3 East competition and it was further exemplified on Saturday.
Moorabbin and Mulgrave may be second and third on the ladder respectively, however the gap between the top two teams is widening on the mid-to-lower-placed sides.
Mulgrave face Springvale next weekend with both sides wanting to improve on their one-win season thus far while Moorabbin could snatch top spot if they beat the freshly rested Doncaster, due to Melbourne having the bye.
Melbourne Demons 24 v Springvale Lions 7
Melbourne was clinical as the lineup powered on after the first innings to beat Springvale in what blew out to be a big margin.
It was a hitting game right from the start for both sides as Melbourne got the jump early with three runs to start the game's proceedings.
The Lions hit back with seven of their own at the bottom, taking the lead but for them after that point, they were unable to produce anymore runs to add to their score.
A six-run effort in the second gave the Demons the lead once more, and it kept on growing as the game progressed as a further 15 runs were scored throughout the next three Melbourne innings.
It was just what Melbourne needed heading into a Round 7 bye while Springvale face the Rebels who also have the one win for the year.
Doncaster Dragons - BYE
Women's Division 3 South
Sandringham Royals 6 v Berwick City Cougars 4
Sandringham lost an early lead to Berwick but had to fight back to regain control and come away with win number two of the season.
Both sides are locked at 2-2 heading into round 7 where the Royals travel to play Pakenham Black and the Cougars are also on the road to Pakenham White.
Bonbeach Bluejays White 12 v Pakenham Pumas Black 10
Bonbeach White picked up its first win of the season in this encounter with the Pumas who came agonisingly close to snatching their first win themselves.
The win lifted the Bluejays off the bottom of the ladder where they had been since the start of the season, switching places with Pakenham Black.
Pakenham Black face Sandringham next weekend whereas it's bound to be a showdown for Bonbeach White facing the Blue team for bragging rights, the win coming at an optimal time.
Cheltenham Rustlers 19 v Pakenham Pumas White 4
The Rustlers have gone into their bye with a big win against Pakenham White and a 5-0 start, advancing their lead at the top as Bonbeach Blue had a bye.
The Rustlers were just too tough for the Pumas, although the Pumas are still in the top standings across the division as they look to get back onto the winners list against Berwick.
Bonbeach St Chads Blue v BYE
Women's Division 3 West
Geelong Baycats Blue 21 v Geelong Baycats White 11
At least two runs were scored in each dig from both Geelong sides but it was Blue that eventually claimed bragging rights.
Blue scored five runs to get proceedings underway, the two-run response from White enough for the time, remaining close.
However, the following two innings from Blue resulted in seven runs apiece, as White just couldn't maintain that scoring capability to keep up, despite scoring runs at a competitive pace.
Eventually the game whittled down to a 10-run win to Blue as each Geelong team has taken different paths this season; Blue on top at 4-1 and White at the other end of the ladder with four losses and a draw.
Both games in Division 3 West are being played at Geelong this weekend, where Fitzroy play Blue and winless North Western Titans will take on the winless White.
Sunshine Eagles 17 v North Western Titans 14
Sunshine were on the verge of an upset against North Western Titans but managed to rally together after being down in the last innings.
The hard-fought win to the Eagles included a strong pitching effort from Anameljen Quach to steady the defence.
It would have been the Titans' first win of the season had they held on but they have another shot against Baycats White this weekend while Sunshine are level with Baycats Blue at 4-1 before a bye this weekend.
Fitzroy Lions - BYE
Baseball Victoria is now accepting applications for head coaches and executive officers for the 2020 Women’s State Teams, which will complete at the Australian Youth Women’s Championships and Australian Women’s Championships from 10-17 April 2020 in Canberra.
This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals who wish to lead the state's top female baseball players to success on the national stage. Head coaches, assistant coaches and executive officers can have a major impact on our Victorian players, helping athletes in the youth women’s and women’s programs to further develop their skills and have an amazing tournament experience.
Baseball Victoria anticipates sending Women’s Blue and Women’s White teams along with a Youth Women’s team to the national championships.
Applications for open positions close on Wednesday, 20 November. More details on the requirements and application process are available below.
Lily Bell-Tanner has no plans to slow down on her baseball journey anytime soon. The 15-year-old is chasing her sporting dreams and looking ahead to a big summer season as she chases a premiership victory with Springvale Lions Women’s Division 2 team and prepares to try out for the Victorian Youth Women’s State Team again.
An avid outfielder who also plays first base, Lily has fallen in love with baseball after first taking the field four summers ago. Since then she’s enjoyed four fantastic years of baseball that have included strong campaigns with St Kilda Baseball Club, where she started playing, as well as state representative sides. Through it all, Lily has grown as a player and a person, and she’s found greater strength and confidence from her baseball experiences. “I am passionate about baseball and love to play,” Lily said. “I enjoy playing team sport and learning from coaches, being part of the club and making good friends.”
Lily’s love for the game has been fostered through her travels to America and Japan, where she’s been lucky enough to see a few games, including her favourite teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Osaka Hanshin Tigers. She’s also had the chance to paly for the Southern Mariners all-girls teams in the 2016 and 2017 state tournaments, an experience she cherished.
From Australian Emeralds clinics to the prospect of a professional women’s league in Australia, Lily is excited by what she’s done so far and what she may be able to accomplish in the future. “I have found there to be lots of cool and exciting opportunities for me as a female baseball player,” Lily said.
For a long time, Lily wanted to play for the Victorian Youth Women’s State Team, and she fulfilled her dreams earlier this year when she represented her state at the Australian Youth Women’s Championships in Canberra. She was thrilled to make the team and come away with a bronze medal. “It ended up being a really challenging but fun experience, with a bunch of awesome girls,” Lily said. “Although it is amazing to come home with a bronze medal it was also great knowing I had made so many friends.”
Over the course of her blossoming baseball career, Lily has learned how to persevere, train hard and work well as a team. After batting .500 at the Australian Youth Women’s Championships, Lily has found her stride at the plate, and she looks to take her skills to the next level. “I aim to represent the state again this summer season, and continue to work towards playing for the national team one day,” Lily said. “Outside of baseball, I just want to keep doing well at school and I plan to travel every opportunity I can.”
With a bright future ahead of her, Lily is inspired by her teammates and she looks up to her past and present coaches, including Shae Lilywhite, Bronwyn Gell, Ursula Howard, Chevy Stephenson and Kellie Manzie. “They have all taught me so much about baseball and being a team player.”
Following the success of Baseball Victoria’s Take the Pledge to Respect Umpires campaign, Fitzroy Baseball Club was drawn as the lucky winner of the $250 Ausport Superstore gift voucher.
Take the Pledge is an initiative introduced earlier this year aimed at encouraging everyone to treat umpires with the respect, kindness and courtesy they deserve. As part of this effort, Baseball Victoria teamed up with Ausport to offer an entry into the gift voucher drawing for any clubs, charters and associations that signed their pledges and sent in a photo.
Thank you to all the members of the Victorian baseball community who showed their support and took the pledge:
We look forward to a bright future for Victorian baseball as we continue to promote respect for umpires.
Baseball Victoria is pleased to announce the 2020 Victorian State Teams selected to represent the state at the Australian Youth Championships from 10-15 January 2020 in Victoria.
RELATED: Victoria Chases Back-to-Back Gold at Home
Baseball Victoria is proud to have these representatives participating on the national stage. These players will have the opportunity to further develop their individual and game skills with the best athletes in the country.
Thank you to all the players who participated in the tryouts and congratulations to all the selected players chosen for the 2020 Victorian State Teams.
The 2019/20 VSBL Division 4 season featured some fantastic matchups in round six as Melbourne, Footscray Bulldogs White and Melbourne kept their perfect records intact. This weekend's games are set to provide more awesome baseball action as teams come together in the battle to improve their records with 13 rounds left.
Division 4 East
Waverley Wildcats Red 9 v Malvern Braves 10
The Wildcats came oh-so-close to their second win of the season, but the Braves denied them the satisfaction of back-to-back victories in the final moments.
Malvern took a one-run lead in the first before Waverley Red scored two in the second. The Braves fought back, recapturing a narrow one-run lead before tacking on seven in the third. The Wildcats added seven of their own in the fourth but ultimately fell one run short.
Malvern sits at 3-3 while Waverley Red has a 1-5 record before playing Monash Uni this weekend. The Braves take on Waverley Black in round seven.
Monash University Farmers 9 v Blackburn Orioles 6
Monash stayed in third place on the ladder, now with three wins, one loss and one draw. Blackburn lost its fifth game of the season despite coming back from a 5-0 deficit at the start of the game.
Blackburn tacked on three runs in the second and three more in the fourth with the strong hitting efforts of Ben Finis, but it wasn't quite enough as the Farmers got the win.
Monash plays Waverley Red and Blackburn heads to St Kilda this upcoming weekend.
Waverley Wildcats Black FORFEIT v Melbourne Demons
Fitzroy Lions Gold v St Kilda Saints - WASH OUT
Division 4 North West
Fitzroy Lions Maroon 6 v Essendon Jets 3
The Lions were pumped to put win number four on the board thanks to a strong first inning that the Jets couldn't come back from.
Essendon put two on the board in the second and one in the fourth, but Fitzroy also scored two more toward the end of the game to keep the game out of reach. Fitzroy Lions Maroon plays Footscray Bulldogs Blue next while Essendon Jets face their fellow Essendon side.
Essendon Bombers 5 v Mitchell Majors Black 4
The Bombers were pleased to post their first win after a tough losing streak, taking a late lead to turn the game in their favour.
Now Essendon will hope to win again against the club's other Division 4 North West team, while Mitchell Majors Black takes a break with a bye.
Footscray Bulldogs White 12 v North Coburg Rebels Maroon 3
The top team in the conference showcased strong offense once more to make it six in a row.
The Bulldogs scored three early but also gave up two as the Rebels stayed in the game. With a narrow 4-3 lead after three innings, Footscray picked it up a notch, scoring seven runs in the fourth and one more in the fifth.
1-5 North Coburg Maroon will look for a win against Mitchell Majors Yellow this upcoming weekend while Footscray White hosts Fitzroy Blue.
North Coburg Rebels Gold 8 v Footscray Bulldogs Blue 6
Two tough competitors faced off in a big matchup, and while Footscray Blue came close but couldn't quite make up the deficit in the end.
The Rebels had a 8-0 lead before letting the Bulldogs back in the game as Footscray scored six.
Footscray Bulldogs Blue sits at 2-3 before Sunday's game at Fitzroy Lions Maroon. North Coburg Rebels Gold plays Footscray Bulldogs Red.
Footscray Bulldogs Red 6 v Mitchell Majors Yellow 1
The reigning premiers didn't have much offensive production against this fierce Footscray side. Six runs were enough for the Bulldogs to keep up with their winning ways and improve their record heading into round seven.
Fitzroy Lions Blue - BYE
Division 4 South
Cheltenham Rustlers 7 v Monash University 7
Both teams tried hard to get the edge, but ultimately this game ended in a draw after Monash caught up to Cheltenham.
Monash Uni has four wins and one draw in second place before Sunday's game at St Kilda while Cheltenham plays Pakenham.
Ormond Glenhuntly 13 v Pakenham Pumas 3
The Pumas never really found their groove as the Hunters continued to tack on runs throughout the game. Now Ormond Glenhuntly is 2-3 while Pakenham is still on the search for a win. Ormond Glenhuntly has a game against Berwick City this weekend to look forward to.
St Kilda Saints 4 v Melbourne 8
St Kilda put in a valiant effort but Melbourne prevailed in the end. Now St Kilda preapres for Monash Uni while Melbourne visits Moorabbin for a big matchup.
Cheltenham Rustlers 7 v Monash University 7
Both teams tried hard to get the edge, but ultimately this game ended in a draw after Monash caught up to Cheltenham.
Monash Uni has four wins and one draw in second place before Sunday's game at St Kilda while Cheltenham plays Pakenham.
Ormond Glenhuntly 13 v Pakenham Pumas 3
The Pumas never really found their groove as the Hunters continued to tack on runs throughout the game. Now Ormond Glenhuntly is 2-3 while Pakenham is still on the search for a win. Ormond Glenhuntly has a game against Berwick City this weekend to look forward to.
St Kilda Saints 4 v Melbourne 8
St Kilda put in a valiant effort but Melbourne prevailed in the end. Now St Kilda preapres for Monash Uni while Melbourne visits Moorabbin for a big matchup.
Round six of the 2019/20 VSBL Division 3 was a rainy one, although all games were played with some surprising results. Springvale remains unbeaten in both the firsts and reserves, while Pakenham and Ormond Glenhuntly teams are also enjoying strong campaigns.
Division 3 Firsts
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 1 v Chelsea Dolphins 16
The Dolphins were a force to be reckoned with on Sunday as they bounced back from a hard 21-5 loss to Pakenham the week before.
This marked the Dolphins highest run total so far this season, and despite the fact that they've scored 47 runs and given up 74, the Dolphins are holding steady in fourth place with two wins and four losses.
Chelsea scored 16 runs on 16 hits with Shane Jeffrey leading the way with the bat. He had five hits - four singles and a double - for 4 RBIs. Daniel Wong went 3-for-3 with three singles and three walks for a perfect on-base percentage.
Trevor Johansen knocked in two runs while Matthew Minchin picked up three hits including a double on the day. Evan Nesbit had a double too while Trent Wilford had three base hits. Cameron Hubbard had two hits and three walks to give his team a boost as well.
Shane Jeffrey covered the first four innings on the mound, keeping Ormond Glenhuntly scoreless with just one hit allowed, two walks and three strikeouts. Adam Burton threw three innings with two walks, one earned run and six strikeouts.
Chelsea scored in all but one inning while Ormond Glenhuntly's lone run came in the fifth. Ormond Glenhuntly Gold is 1-5 going into round seven v Springvale, while Chelsea has some momentum now heading into a game with Ormond Glenhuntly Blue.
North Western Titans 1 v Springvale Lions 15
Springvale shows no signs of slowing down after yet another huge victory, this time over North Western Titans. The Lions have scored 81 runs while allowing just five in the first six games, and now that they've played everyone once, they have a good idea of what they need to do moving forward to dominate the competition.
Cory Hart collected 3 RBIs with a single and a walk, while Scott Baillie accounted for two of the Lions' 13 hits with a pair of singles. Lucas Price had three base hits of his own as Tim Hanson brought two runners home with a blazing triple.
Other key offensive contributors for Springvale included Mark Richards, who got on base with two singles and a double and came around to score three times, as well as Chris Davis with two doubles and 3 RBIs and Adam Thatcher with a single.
Myles Barnden threw four innings, giving up five hits and striking out eight with one earned run allowed in the third. In his first pitching performance of season for the top nine, Tim Hanson threw three scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and three strikeouts.
Springvale plays Ormond Glenhuntly Gold in round seven, a team they beat by 10 runs in round two, while 1-5 North Western searches for another win at Pakenham.
Pakenham Pumas 8 v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 3
Despite collecting 10 hits on the day, the Hunters were outpaced by the Pumas in a big round six matchup.
The game was tight through four innings with no scoring on either side. It wasn't until the fifth that Pakenham got on the board with four runs. A further four runs across the last three innings put the Pumas in prime position for their fourth win of the season. With Pakenham in second place, Ormond Glenhuntly sits just behind in third place with three wins, two losses and a draw.
Although the Hunters have now lost back-to-back games, there were some highlights offensively on Sunday as Ashley Fisher hit three singles and Tim Carracher had two base hits. 2018/19 VSBL Division 3 Home Run Award winner Geoff MacDonald singled and walked, while Sean Walsh also got on base with a single and a double. Lachlan Eddington joined in the fun with a single.
Pakenham got the better of Lachlan Carracher on the mound, as he gave up five hits and five runs - four of them earned- across 6.2 innings along with five walks and five strikeouts. He did hit a double in one of his at-bats too.
Connor de Fina pitched for Ormond Blue as well, giving up two earned runs and one unearned in his first pitching appearance for the team this year. MacDonald covered one inning with no hits or runs, just two walks.
Ormond Glenhuntly Blue visits Chelsea this weekend and Pakenham looks to continue chasing Springvale with a home game v North Western Titans.
Division 3 Reserves
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 12 v Chelsea Dolphins 2
Mark Baneth earned player of the day honours for Chelsea despite the team's lacklustre loss, a far cry from the Dolphins' 15-4 rout of Pakenham the week before.
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold jumped on the board early with two runs in the first before a quiet stretch of the game for both sides. It wasn't until the fifth that the Hunters scored again, tacking on three runs before the Dolphins gathered their two lone runs of the game. A seven-run sixth inning at the end of the game gave the Hunters a thrilling finish as they improved to 5-1 to stay in second place.
Chelsea is 2-4 and looking to avoid two losses in a row against Ormond Glenhuntly Blue this weekend while the Hunters Gold side faces a big test against Springvale.
North Western Titans 0 v Springvale Lions 18
The Titans produced little offense as the Lions cruised to a massive victory. Springvale's reserves scored 72 runs across the first six games while giving up only 19, and such strong offensive production proved crucial once again in this game.
Springvale wasted no time, shutting down North Western quickly in the first before tacking on 11 runs in the team's first at-bats. Seven more runs scattered across the next three innings cemented Springvale's status as the strongest force in the competition thus far.
North Western remains on the hunt for the team's first win, with five losses and one draw going into round seven at Pakenham. Springvale goes to Ormond Glenhuntly Gold in what is sure to be an intense matchup between the two teams hanging out in first and second place.
Pakenham Pumas 6 v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 6
With both sides hungry for a win, this game proved to be a strong battle by Pakenham and Ormond Glenhuntly Blue. Ultimately neither team could break free from a 6-6 tie, resulting in a draw.
Pakenham took a 2-0 lead in the first and carried that through to the bottom of the third when Ormond Glenhuntly Blue tied it up. Four runs in the fourth put the Pumas at six, while the Hunters added two in the fourth and another two in the sixth to avoid the loss and get the draw.
Pakenham has four losses and two draws while Ormond Glenhuntly Blue has three wins, two losses and a draw. Pakenham plays North Western next and Ormond Glenhuntly Blue heads to Chelsea.
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold 12 v Chelsea Dolphins 2
Mark Baneth earned player of the day honours for Chelsea despite the team's lacklustre loss, a far cry from the Dolphins' 15-4 rout of Pakenham the week before.
Ormond Glenhuntly Gold jumped on the board early with two runs in the first before a quiet stretch of the game for both sides. It wasn't until the fifth that the Hunters scored again, tacking on three runs before the Dolphins gathered their two lone runs of the game. A seven-run sixth inning at the end of the game gave the Hunters a thrilling finish as they improved to 5-1 to stay in second place.
Chelsea is 2-4 and looking to avoid two losses in a row against Ormond Glenhuntly Blue this weekend while the Hunters Gold side faces a big test against Springvale.
North Western Titans 0 v Springvale Lions 18
The Titans produced little offense as the Lions cruised to a massive victory. Springvale's reserves scored 72 runs across the first six games while giving up only 19, and such strong offensive production proved crucial once again in this game.
Springvale wasted no time, shutting down North Western quickly in the first before tacking on 11 runs in the team's first at-bats. Seven more runs scattered across the next three innings cemented Springvale's status as the strongest force in the competition thus far.
North Western remains on the hunt for the team's first win, with five losses and one draw going into round seven at Pakenham. Springvale goes to Ormond Glenhuntly Gold in what is sure to be an intense matchup between the two teams hanging out in first and second place.
Pakenham Pumas 6 v Ormond Glenhuntly Blue 6
With both sides hungry for a win, this game proved to be a strong battle by Pakenham and Ormond Glenhuntly Blue. Ultimately neither team could break free from a 6-6 tie, resulting in a draw.
Pakenham took a 2-0 lead in the first and carried that through to the bottom of the third when Ormond Glenhuntly Blue tied it up. Four runs in the fourth put the Pumas at six, while the Hunters added two in the fourth and another two in the sixth to avoid the loss and get the draw.
Pakenham has four losses and two draws while Ormond Glenhuntly Blue has three wins, two losses and a draw. Pakenham plays North Western next and Ormond Glenhuntly Blue heads to Chelsea.