The Canberra Cavalry want to become the premier baseball ground in Australia after securing $5 million in government funding to redevelop Narrabundah Ballpark.
The Cavalry facilities are set for a major upgrade with refurbished locker rooms and the existing grandstand will feature a new bar, function room, bathrooms, broadcast booth and hall of fame.
The base lines will also be brought in so fans can be closer to the action as the club looks to make its game day experience the best in the country.
The project has been almost five years in the making with Cavalry officials putting the first wheels in motion after winning the 2013 Australian Baseball League title.
Canberra general manager Dan Amodio believes their ballpark is already the best place to watch baseball in Australia, but said the time had arrived for an upgrade.
"MIT Ballpark is already the most fun place to watch a game of baseball in Australia, hands down, however, it's old and it wasn't built for a professional team, it was built for grassroots development," Amodio said.
"As well as the grandstand development the locker rooms will be refurbished to give more of that big league feel and new batting cages will be connected to the rooms.
"The vision is to modernise the amenities while keeping that intimate community charm that Cavalry members and supporters have created and enjoyed over the past eight years.
"The goals is to improve the experience for our supporters and the vision was shaped by them, with the fans having given us a lot of feedback over the years."
Construction will begin at the end of February and be completed in time for next season, while two dozen extra seats will be fitted in the grandstand.
Membership prices will not increase next season and fans can have their names on display at the ballpark by purchasing commemorative bricks for $275, while major sponsors can bid to name the locker room.
"It's like having a building named after you at your university, only much cooler and better," Amodio said.
"If the fans come in and have a great experience then we provide a much greater opportunity for them to come back and our goal is to provide the best value in Canberra sports.
This article originally appeared on The Canberra Times
The base lines will also be brought in so fans can be closer to the action as the club looks to make its game day experience the best in the country.
The project has been almost five years in the making with Cavalry officials putting the first wheels in motion after winning the 2013 Australian Baseball League title.
Canberra general manager Dan Amodio believes their ballpark is already the best place to watch baseball in Australia, but said the time had arrived for an upgrade.
"MIT Ballpark is already the most fun place to watch a game of baseball in Australia, hands down, however, it's old and it wasn't built for a professional team, it was built for grassroots development," Amodio said.
"As well as the grandstand development the locker rooms will be refurbished to give more of that big league feel and new batting cages will be connected to the rooms.
"The vision is to modernise the amenities while keeping that intimate community charm that Cavalry members and supporters have created and enjoyed over the past eight years.
"The goals is to improve the experience for our supporters and the vision was shaped by them, with the fans having given us a lot of feedback over the years."
Construction will begin at the end of February and be completed in time for next season, while two dozen extra seats will be fitted in the grandstand.
Membership prices will not increase next season and fans can have their names on display at the ballpark by purchasing commemorative bricks for $275, while major sponsors can bid to name the locker room.
"It's like having a building named after you at your university, only much cooler and better," Amodio said.
"If the fans come in and have a great experience then we provide a much greater opportunity for them to come back and our goal is to provide the best value in Canberra sports.
This article originally appeared on The Canberra Times
"As well as the grandstand development the locker rooms will be refurbished to give more of that big league feel and new batting cages will be connected to the rooms.
"The vision is to modernise the amenities while keeping that intimate community charm that Cavalry members and supporters have created and enjoyed over the past eight years.
"The goals is to improve the experience for our supporters and the vision was shaped by them, with the fans having given us a lot of feedback over the years."
Construction will begin at the end of February and be completed in time for next season, while two dozen extra seats will be fitted in the grandstand.
Membership prices will not increase next season and fans can have their names on display at the ballpark by purchasing commemorative bricks for $275, while major sponsors can bid to name the locker room.
"It's like having a building named after you at your university, only much cooler and better," Amodio said.
"If the fans come in and have a great experience then we provide a much greater opportunity for them to come back and our goal is to provide the best value in Canberra sports.
This article originally appeared on The Canberra Times
U18: South Australia 2-0 Victoria
Jack O’Loughlin put in the performance of the tournament so far as he lead South Australia to a 2-0 victory over Victoria.
O’Loughlin struck out 11 in 6.1 innings of work, as he only allowed four hits in a dominant outing.
Victoria’s starting pitcher Liam Evans also had an impressive outing in trying circumstances. Evans struck out four and gave up a mere two hits in his four inning start.
South Australia left it late to claim their two runs, as Mason Clavell and Tom Rundle both drove in a run to give SA late momentum.
Victoria couldn’t quite get anything going in the seventh, as Wil Kortekaas finished the ballgame on the mound for SA.
U18: New South Wales Country vs. New South Wales
The game between New South Wales Country and New South Wales has been postponed.
Baseball Australia sends positive thoughts and best wishes to Josh Wingrove in his recovery.
U18: Queensland 4-3 Western Australia (f/9)
Our first extra inning ballgame of the championship was a great one, with Queensland just sneaking over the line against Western Australia.
It took two innings of tiebreaker baseball to separate the two teams, as Queensland scored the winning run in the top of the ninth.
Jett Hasegawa was immense in his 3.1 innings of relief, throwing the majority of those innings in a tiebreaker scenario. Hasegawa showed composure on the mound to keep the WA hitters quiet in the late stages.
Callum and Liam MacDonald both finished with two hits for Queensland, with Callum’s both hits going for extra bases.
U18 World Cup team member Jett Wright finished with two hits and two RBI for Western Australia, with first baseman Nicholas Riley also picked up a pair of singles.
Both teams scored one run in the first extra inning, but WA failed to push a runner across in the bottom of the ninth as the ballgame ended.
U18: New South Wales 7-3 South Australia
A strong start from Australian U18 World Cup pitcher Liam Holm lead New South Wales to a 7-3 win against South Australia on Diamond 1.
Holm scattered eight hits in 4.2 scoreless innings of work, striking out five in a fantastic performance.
Hayden Lyberopoulos swung a hot bat all afternoon for NSW, as the left fielder went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI.
Rhys Dewick was the only other NSW hitter to claim multiple hits, claiming a single, a triple as well as driving in a run.
All three of South Australia’s runs came in the seventh and final frame, as they were credited with their first loss of the tournament.
Tom Rundle and Jarrod Miller were the two SA hitters to drive in runs.
U18: Queensland 2-2 Victoria
The U18 game between Queensland and Victoria in the U18s has been called a tie, following the umpires terminating play on account of weather in the bottom of the seventh.
Victoria scored one run in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game care of a Mohi Kahui RBI single.
Rules 24.1, and 24.1.2 in the National Championship Technical Norms state;
It is a regulation tied game when the umpire terminates play on account weather, darkness or any other cause which makes further play impossible and:
If the home team shall score enough runs in its incompleted innings thereafter enough runs to equal the visiting team’s score.
Both teams didn’t trouble the scorers in the first three innings, however Queensland struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Nick Johnstone scored on a wild pitch.
Duane Johannsen completed his second strong outing of the tournament for Queensland, tossing 4.2 innings of scoreless ball and scattering four hits.
His opposite number, Victorian starter Blake Townsend only conceded one hit in three innings of work as he struck out five.
Josh Meyer and Brock Wells finished with two hits apiece for Victoria, while for Queensland, designated hitter Daniel Shannon claimed a single and an RBI.
U18: ACT 4-2 Western Australia
Jake Green tossed a complete game to lead the ACT to their first win at the 2018 Australian Youth Championship.
The Australian U18 World Cup team member struck out six and only conceded five hits in seven innings of outstanding work.
Nick Hosie picked up two hits for the ACT while centerfielder Thomas Lord was an impossible out for WA, as he finished with a double, two walks and an RBI.
Byron Armstrong was the only WA starter to manage multiple hits.
WA had runners on base in the final two innings, but Green kept his cool to ensure ACT claimed a well-earned victory to end day 5.
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U18 Championship | Victoria vs SA (completed 9 January due to heat)
It took six scoreless innings before anyone could hit the scoreboard with South Australia breaking Victorian hearts with the tight 2-0 win. This game was a pitchers duel from the beginning. South Australia (and the Adelaide Bite's) Jack O'Loughlin would throw 6.1 scoreless innings, striking out 11 on four hits to get the win. For the Victorians, Liam Evans was equally impressive giving up just two hits through 4.0 scoreless innings of work before the South Australian were able to manufacture two late runs off reliever Kyle Morrison. Morrison unlucky to take the loss, conceding two hits while walking two in his 2.0 innings of work.
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U16 Championship | Victoria BLUE vs A.C.T.
Blue was the colour in the U16 showdown between Australia Capital Territory and Victoria Blue as VB sailed to a resounding 10-0 win. Harvey Hadlow was not to be stopped on this day surrendering a total of two hits over his 4.1 innings for VB. Offensively for the victors, Jacob Bald reached base four times (three walks) and picked up two RBI. Henry Hayman also had two RBI and reached base three times as Victoria Blue drew an impressive 11 walks in the win.
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U16: Western Australia 12-2 Victoria White
Western Australia’s bats were held in check through the first few frames, but they eventually pulled away from Victoria White, claiming a 12-2 win.
Catcher Dan Stephenson finished with three RBI from his two hits, while Josh Paull and left fielder Calvin Eissens drove in two apiece.
Jarred Hutchins only allowed one run in his 3.2 innings of work for WA, however Vic White designated hitter Cameron Zimmerman found some form, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Two big innings from WA broke the game open, as they scored four in the third, and five runs in the fifth.
U16: Victoria Blue 10-0 Australian Capital Territory
Victoria Blue scored early and often, as they defeated the ACT 10-0 on Diamond 1 this morning.
Harvey Hadlow only allowed two hits in his 4.1 inning start for Victoria, as he struck out three to set his team up for the win.
Victoria Blue’s lineup showed patience and power at the plate, as Henry Hayman and Jacob Bald were two of their best, driving in two run each.
Lachlan Maurer and Stuart Tharle each claimed a base hit for the ACT.
U16: South Australia 15-4 Victoria White
South Australia scored early and often to claim a 15-4 victory over Victoria White.
The SA team piled on 10 runs in the first three frames to put the result beyond doubt, with Adam Wurful driving in four of his team’s 15 runs.
Jack Higginbotham continued his strong tournament, only conceding one hit through four strong innings.
Kiall Whitcher had a team-high three hits for South Australia as they kept the pressure on Victoria White.
To Vic White’s credit through, they never gave it up, scoring four late runs of their own.
Finn O’Connell and Josh Smith both finished with a hit and an RBI apiece for Victoria White.
U16: New South Wales Country 6-3 Western Australia
New South Wales Country used a four-run inning to get over Western Australia on Diamond 1 today.
Western Australia jumped out to an early lead, but RBIs from Ethan Bryant, Ewan Ney and Brett Allen in the third inning reclaimed Country’s advantage.
Parker Robinson and Ben Ridgewell combined well on the hill for Country, as they only allowed four hits during the game.
Max Chipper was one of WA’s best with bat in hand, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
Tye Kazmierowski tossed 3.2 innings of solid relief for WA, but they couldn’t quite push enough runners across to chase down Country.
U16: New South Wales 10-0 Queensland
New South Wales took a little while to get going, but their bats eventually found a way as they defeated Queensland 10-0.
Five pitchers combined to shut-out Queensland, with Mitch McDonough (2.2IP, 1H, 4K) one of the best.
First baseman Luke Krkovski went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI, while Travis Bazzana finished with a team-high three hits.
Riki Ward was the only Queenslander to finish with multiple hits, but New South Wales steamed home to post their fourth win in as many games, as they remain the only undefeated team in the U16s
U16: Victoria Blue 12-2 Queensland
Victoria Blue shook off a determined Queensland outfit on Diamond 1, as they eventually ran out 12-2 winners in a rain affected encounter.
Victoria Blue’s hitters showed patience at the plate, as every player in their lineup either claimed a hit, scored or drove in a run.
Reece Longstaff was an impossible out for the Queenslanders, as the Victorian centerfielder went 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBI.
Dante Caruso didn’t let the delay affect his work on the mound, as limited Queensland to four hits through five innings.
Lachlan Hyde had a solid day at the plate for Queensland, as his RBI double in the second inning kept Queensland well in the hunt.
Victoria Blue pulled away late though, scoring eight runs in the final two frames.
U16: New South Wales Country 8-2 Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales Country and the Australian Capital Territory played out a tense encounter through six innings, but a five run final frame saw NSW Country finish up 8-2 winners.
Quinn Johnson continued his fine tournament thus far, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and three RBIs.
Ryan Hudson (3IP, 4H, 2ER, 1K) and Brandon Tangaroa (4IP, 1H, 0ER, 2K) were immense on the mound for NSW Country, keeping the ACT offence quiet.
Hits were shared for the ACT offence, with PJ Barbaro and Oliver Davies each claiming a hit as well as an RBI.
Barbaro’s lone hit was an RBI triple in the third inning.
U16: New South Wales 15-3 South Australia
New South Wales scored eight runs in the first and never looked back, defeating South Australia 15-3 to end day four of the Australian Youth Championship.
Bailey Curtis continued his strong tournament, driving in another three RBI.
Hits were shared for NSW, with every player in their starting lineup either claiming a hit or driving in a run.
New South Wales used their pitchers sparingly, with no pitcher working for more than two innings.
Aidan Prokopec was the only South Australian hitter to register multiple hits, as the left fielder went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk and an RBI.
Dayton Mitchell and Ethan Chuck were the other SA players to claim base hits.
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U16: New South Wales 16-2 Victoria White
New South Wales’ bats got hot, and stayed hot as they defeated Victoria Blue 16-2 in the opening game of the day.
Travis Bazzana shone at the top of the NSW lineup, going 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and three RBI, while Bailey Curtis drove in three runs of his own.
A battery of six pitchers kept Victoria White reasonably quiet throughout, with NSW starter Blake Cavill allowing only one baserunner through two innings.
Cal Vance was the only Vic White hitter to claim multiple hits, as he went 2-for-2 with a double, a run and an RBI.
Shelby Roberts drove the other run in for Victoria White.
U16: New South Wales Country 5-2 Victoria Blue
NSW Country used a four run fourth inning claim some momentum and they never looked back, edging Victoria Blue in a great contest.
Brett Allen tossed 2.2 scoreless innings to start the ballgame for NSW Country, only allowing one baserunner.
The top five hitters in the NSW Country lineup all managed base hits, with Luke Jacobs, Sam McDonald and Quinn Johnson claiming RBIs.
Riley Light and Jarryd Wood both drove in a run each for Victoria Blue – as the hits were shared all through the lineup.
Victoria Blue kept the pressure on late, but Lex Trattles shut them down, as the Country reliever finished the ballgame with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.
U16: Western Australia 3-2 Queensland
In a high-quality encounter, Western Australia prevailed over a fast-finishing Queensland U16 team.
Queensland had the tying run at third base in the final frame, but Tarrant Reimers induced a groundout from Tim Preston to end the ballgame.
Reimers and Dylan Hopkins-Treloar both impressed with bat in hand too, each driving in late RBIs to reclaim the Western Australian lead.
Both starting pitchers threw exceptionally well in tough conditions, as Queensland’s Patrick Day (5.2IP, 3H, 2ER, 5K) battled all day against WA’s Dan Carter (5IP, 2H, 1ER, 5K).
Caiden Deal lead off well for WA, going 2-for-3 with a triple and a stolen base.
Deegan Powell was the only Queenslander to claim multiple hits, with Jack Waters and Kai-Noa Wynyard driving in one run apiece.
U16: South Australia 17-6 Australian Capital Territory
South Australia scored all 17 of their runs in the first two frames as they defeated the ACT on Diamond 1.
Riley Yeatman was the only SA hitter to claim three hits, while five of the starting South Australian nine claimed two RBI.
Both starters had their issues in tough conditions, but some solid bullpen work ended the game well.
SA utility Kane McMillan struck out four in 3.1 innings of one-hit relief, while for the ACT, Jack Waters tossed three scoreless in a strong performance.
Stuart Tharle, Beckham Crooks and Sean Bennett all chipped in with a hit and an RBI each for the ACT.
U18: New South Wales 8-5 Victoria Blue
New South Wales scored three runs in the top of the ninth to seal a very tough victory against Victoria Blue.
Ethan Stacy, Aidan Torpey and Rhys Dewick each drove in ninth inning runs for NSW and from there it was up to reliever Jo Stevens, who capped off the ballgame with a 1-6-3 double play.
Stacy finished with four hits and three RBI on the night for NSW, while shortstop Daniel Bannon went 3-for-5 with a stolen base.
Victorian Lachlan Hockey tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, as his teammate Jarrod Belbin was the only Victorian to claim two hits.
Lachlan Guilieri (5.2IP, 5H, 1ER, 5K) gave NSW a solid platform to build on, and those late heroics from the offence kept NSW in contention for the U18 Championship.
U18: South Australia 8-0 Australian Capital Territory
South Australia kept their offence ticking over until the eighth inning, as they scored five runs to run out 8-0 winners against the ACT.
Brayden Caskey gave SA a perfect start on the hill, only allowing three hits in five scoreless innings. Tyson McKee and Austin McClure finished off the shutout with solid relief appearances.
Offensively Griff Weber was one of SA’s best, finishing with three hits and an RBI, while Sean Maple drove in a pair.
Nick Graham was always involved for the ACT, tossing six strong innings and chiming in with two hits.
ACT third baseman Matt Gaughran scored his team’s only two runs in the final frame with a two-RBI single.
U18: New South Wales Country 11-10 Western Australia
In one of the most remarkable ballgames we've seen at this Australian U18 Championship, New South Wales Country came back from the brink, scoring five runs in the final frame to claim an 11-10 win over Western Australia.
Daniel Moss had the final say, working a bases loaded walk at well past midnight to seal the victory.
Rixon Wingrove put his team in a winning position, clearing the bases with a double in the final frame to flip the momentum in favour of NSW Country.
Josh Greenham finished with four RBI for WA, while Nicholas Riley went 2-for-3 with two triples and two RBI.
The ballgame almost lasted four and a half hours, as Country pulled off the near impossible comeback, sealing their second win of the tournament.
U18 Championship | Victoria vs NSW
New South Wales got the better of Victoria on Sunday as they came out on top 8-5. Lachlan Guilieri pitched very well for NSW hurling 5.1 innings and allowing three earned runs, only one of which was earned. After New South Wales scored in the opening frame, Victoria responded with two of their own. NSW defensively were having all sorts of issues as they started the bottom of the first off with three consecutive errors. That allowed Brock Wells and Ciaran Palmer to pick up RBIs and give Victoria a 2-1 lead. However, NSW would not be denied on this day, and the rallied for three runs in the sixth and three runs in the ninth as Ethan Stacy and Daniell Bannon combined to go 7-for-11 with three RBI. Jo Stevens closed out the game for NSW by pitching two shutout innings, sealing the 8-5 victory.
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U16 Championship | Victoria BLUE vs NSW Country
Country New South Wales held the Victoria Blue in check as they picked up a 5-2 win on Sunday. Country NSW used small ball to take the lead, when lead off hitter Luke Jacobs walked, stole second, and then scored on two consecutive ground outs. The scoring would not pick up again until the fourth inning when Country NSW added four runs thanks to RBIs from Brent Iredale, Luke Jacobs, Samuel McGoldrick, and Quinn Johnson. For Victoria Blue, Jarryd Wood and Riley Light drove home a pair of consolations runs late as Victoria Blue were held to just eight base runners throughout the game.
Click here for the FULL BOX SCORE - Victoria vs NSW Country.
U16 Championship | Victoria WHITE vs NSW
New South Wales ran rampant in their win over Victoria White scoring six runs in the first inning and never looking back in their 16-2 win. Errors and walked doom Victoria White from the onset, and after one inning of play, NSW plated six men home with only two hits and still stranded the bases loaded. Mitchell Vickery was a perfect 4-for-4 scoring three runs and driving in two. Travis Bazzana and Bailey Curtis also handled the heavy-lifting by contributing three RBIs of their own. NSW drew 14 walks in the game while they used five different pitchers to hold VW to two runs on four hits.
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U16 Championship | Victoria BLUE vs NSW Country
Country New South Wales held the Victoria Blue in check as they picked up a 5-2 win on Sunday. Country NSW used small ball to take the lead, when lead off hitter Luke Jacobs walked, stole second, and then scored on two consecutive ground outs. The scoring would not pick up again until the fourth inning when Country NSW added four runs thanks to RBIs from Brent Iredale, Luke Jacobs, Samuel McGoldrick, and Quinn Johnson. For Victoria Blue, Jarryd Wood and Riley Light drove home a pair of consolations runs late as Victoria Blue were held to just eight base runners throughout the game.
Click here for the FULL BOX SCORE - Victoria vs NSW Country.
U16 Championship | Victoria WHITE vs NSW
New South Wales ran rampant in their win over Victoria White scoring six runs in the first inning and never looking back in their 16-2 win. Errors and walked doom Victoria White from the onset, and after one inning of play, NSW plated six men home with only two hits and still stranded the bases loaded. Mitchell Vickery was a perfect 4-for-4 scoring three runs and driving in two. Travis Bazzana and Bailey Curtis also handled the heavy-lifting by contributing three RBIs of their own. NSW drew 14 walks in the game while they used five different pitchers to hold VW to two runs on four hits.
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U16: Victoria Blue 9-7 Victoria White
Victoria White played out of their skin against their state based counterparts, but Victoria Blue eventually got the job done, claiming an 9-7 victory.
Vic White used a five run fourth inning to claim a 6-2 lead, but some strong extra base hits from Vic Blue in the late stages proved the difference.
Connor Hickey nailed the first home run of the AYC 2018 tournament, with Chris Nielsen and Mitchell Thomas both claiming triples. Nielsen finished with two RBI.
The top of the Vic White lineup did the damage, with Sadi Nergiz, Josh Smith and Cameron Zimmerman all finishing with two hits apiece.
Dante Caruso cooled the Victoria White offence late in the ballgame, as he only gave up one earned run in 3.1 innings of relief.
U16: New South Wales 8-1 Western Australia
A fantastic team pitching performance set the tone, as the New South Wales offence clicked into gear late to claim an 8-1 win.
Mitch McDonough set up the win for NSW, only giving up one hit through four innings of work.
Offensively, Jake Burns was one of NSW’s best, driving in three runs from his two hits, while first baseman Luke Krkovski finished with two RBIs of his own.
Will Sherriff struck out four in his three inning start for WA, but unfortunately the offence couldn’t get anything going.
Max Chipper, Ben Drew and Maddux Stivey each claimed a hit for WA, with Stivey driving in the lone run.
U16: South Australia 14-9 New South Wales Country
South Australia flew out of the blocks and held off a determined New South Wales Country side to claim a hard fought 14-9 win.
Jacob Scott and Ethan Murphy both claimed a double, a triple and an RBI as SA broke the game open with nine runs in the second inning.
Ethan Badcock and Jack Higginbotham nailed two RBI apiece, while on the hill for SA, Liam Bull was impressive, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings and striking out four.
First baseman Parker Robinson was the only Country hitter to pick up multiple hits, while Kynan Harding only allowed three baserunners in 2.2 shutout innings.
NSW Country pulled back seven runs in the blink of an eye, but it was too little too late, as the SA defence tightened up and ran away with the win.
U18: New South Wales Country 7-4 Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales Country was pushed by the ACT all the way, but eventually prevailed 7-4 in a tense encounter.
All of NSW Country’s seven runs came in the fifth inning as Sam McLean, Taituha Nukunuku and Chase Karn all finished the game with two hits. Daniel Moss was the only Country hitter to claim multiple RBIs.
Luke Livian was outstanding for Country on the mound, twirling six scoreless innings and only allowing one baserunner - a leadoff walk in the fifth inning.
Back-to-back walks from Nick Hosie and Zac Rauter and a single from Nick Graham saw the ACT threaten in the seventh and final inning, however Country reliever Josh Wingrove got the job done, inducing a flyout from Jordan Kelly to end the ballgame.
U18: South Australia 8-3 Queensland
Queensland jumped out to an early lead, but South Australia’s offence reeled them in, as the croweaters ran out 8-3 winners.
South Australia used a five-run inning to propel them to a lead, with Tom Rundle’s two RBI double capping off the inning. Cooper Marsh was solid in his four inning start, only giving up two runs from two hits.
Griffen Weber finished with two hits and two RBI for South Australia.
Queensland centerfielder Tyson Zamora went 2-for-5 with a triple and an RBI, with Callum MacDonald and Daniel Shannon each driving in a run.
U18: Western Australia 2-0 New South Wales
Behind a strong pitching performance, Western Australia won a see-sawing battle against New South Wales.
Lochlan Southee and Lachlan Waite combined for a four-hit shutout of New South Wales as Western Australia claimed their first win of the tournament.
Southee only allowed four baserunners in his 5.2 inning start, while Waite only allowed two in his 3.1 innings.
New South Wales pitching trio Josh Gessner, Jayden Bastow and Shannon Ward-Underhill all battled manfully on the mound but RBIs from Lachlan Brear and Dawson Summers saw WA prevail.
Western Australia had a massive chance to extend their lead in the top of the ninth with bases loaded, however it mattered little as they outlasted NSW in sweltering heat.
U16: Queensland 4-2 Australian Capital Territory
Both starting pitchers toiled in the heat at Blacktown International Sportspark, but it was Queensland lead by Jack Waters who triumphed in a tight one.
Waters struck out four and let his defence work well behind him as he finished with four scoreless innings. His opposite number - ACT starter Stuart Tharle - only gave up two runs from his four innings in an impressive performance.
The score was tied heading into the bottom of the fifth, but Queensland scored three runs late through RBIs from Ian Lee, Jacob Ponton and Marcus Feagaiga to put the result beyond doubt.
ACT did have an opportunity to extend the game in the finale frame, however they couldn’t capitalise on two runners in scoring position as Riki Ward closed out the ballgame for Queensland.
The 2017 Australian Youth Championships bring back memories of pure agony, and pure ecstasy for Western Australian baseball.
The ecstasy came on the 15th of January as the U18 WA team claimed a hard-fought Australian Championship against New South Wales.
The agony came on the 6th of January, as the unexpected passing of former big leaguer and Western Australian legend Greg Jelks sent shockwaves through the WA camp and the Australian baseball community.
WA’s U18 Assistant Coach and one of Jelks’ best mates, Jason Hewitt recalls the moment he heard the news.
“I was in the van with Mark Pettit (WA U18 Manager), and Mark’s phone rang,” Hewitt says.
“Michael Hodge (one of Hewitt’s childhood friends) was on the other end of the line and said to me ‘Jelksy didn’t get off the plane in Sydney this morning’.”
Jelks was on his way to visit Hewitt and the WA boys for a few days before heading back to Perth, instead he passed away from unexpected heart failure on the flight from Los Angeles to Sydney.
He was 55.
Greg Jelks was, and still is one of the greatest sporting personalities Western Australia has ever had. He made his MLB debut in 1987 for the Philadelphia Phillies, and WA fans first saw this highly skilled, fun loving athlete in 1992 when he made his debut for the Perth Heat.
Jelks’ feats at Parry Field remain in Western Australian sporting folklore, and his ABL numbers speak for themselves. His career average in the ABL sits at .344, and he consistently made breathtaking plays which made everyone watching gasp in amazement.
An MLB player on the field, and a World All-Star bloke off the field ensured Jelks’ status continued to grow and Jason Hewitt remembers those days fondly.
“Greg couldn’t walk down the street in Perth without someone stopping him,” Hewitt says.
“He was in the same category as Wildcats (Perth’s NBL team) players, the West Coast Eagles and WA’s Australian cricket representatives such was his popularity among the people.”
“One of the best things about Jelksy was he’d always play the game. He’d always take photos, sign autographs and chat to every single person that approached him.”
That popularity was no more evident in the days following Jelks’ passing, with tributes flowing from all over the world, including the Carine Cats, Jelks’ state league team to the Evansville Otters in Evansville Indiana, where Jelks spent four years as the manager.
Jelks’ passing took an unimaginable toll on the quartet of Don Kyle, Mark Pettit, Lee Hogan and Jason Hewitt, four of Jelks’ close friends and four men tasked with leading Western Australia to an Australian Championship.
Hewitt recalls the Championship as one of the most challenging periods in his life.
“We knew Jelksy would want us to be out there competing and playing hard every day,” he says.
“His passing was a massive motivating factor for us to win the Australian Championship.”
“When we were on the field, nothing else enters your mind apart from the baseball, so in hindsight it was the perfect place for myself, Don, Mark and Lee to be.”
“Out there with a committed and passionate team that we wanted to lead to the gold medal more than anything.”
“There were moments off the field though that certainly took their toll, being summoned to view the body on Sunday morning followed by a doubleheader was one such moment.”
“To the players and staffs credit we stuck fat, got the job done for ourselves, supporters and the great man."
“It is an achievement we will cherish as a group for the rest of our lives.”
The U18 WA team defeated NSW in a classic final. NSW lead after three innings, but WA came back with a vengeance, scoring late to claim a 4-3 victory.
As Jess Williams made the final out of the game, pandemonium ensued on the WA bench, with emotions boiling over for players and coaching staff alike.
Everyone had Jelksy in the forefront of their minds.
After the dust had settled as Jelks was honoured at a memorable service, Jason Hewitt and his good mate Steve Douglas felt the need to pay tribute to Jelks, and from that idea, the Greg Jelks Baseball Development Fund was born.
“Steve and I are passionate about giving back to youth baseballers who represent their state and their country,” Hewitt says.
“We’ve already raised over $13,000 and we want to use that money to help young baseballers in WA represent their state and country.
“The Old Heat vs. New Heat game was a great example of the groundswell of support this cause has in WA, and we want to see that support go from strength to strength for an extended period of time.”
There’s no doubt Jelks has left an immeasurable hole in the lives of many, however through the outstanding work of the Greg Jelks Baseball Development Fund, the great man’s legacy will live on.
On Saturday in the U-16 game, Victoria BLUE edged past Victoria WHITE in a thriller as the BLUE blys held on for a 9-7 win.
With Victoria White leading 6-2 after four innings, VB came roaring back with three runs in the fifth and three runs in the sixth to take an 8-6 lead. Each team would add one more run in the seventh before the stunning 9-7 result. Sadi Nergiz had an excellent showing for VW with his two RBI, 2-for-4 effort while Cameron Zimmerman and Joshua Smith both went 2-for-3.
For VB, no player had more than one hit but eight different batters registered a knock and six different batters delivered at least one RBI.
Click here for the FULL BOX SCORE - Victoria BLUE vs Victoria WHITE
U18 Championship | Victoria (bye)