Baseball Victoria’s Division One competition turned back the clocks on Wednesday night to honour history for the League's inaugural All-Star game, with the Monarchs (Western Conference) and Reds (Eastern Conference) battling it out for the first time since the original Australian Baseball League disbanded following the 1998-99 season.
The Reds and Monarchs, previously the Waverly/Melbourne Reds and Melbourne Monarchs, were fierce cross-town rivals throughout the ten years of the original ABL competition that ran from 1989 to 1999. Ultimately it were the Reds who finished on top after the league disbanded, claiming a total of three championships to the Monarchs one.
All twelve division one teams were well represented. Five-time premiers Essendon with the highest amount of players representing them at the all-star game, with a total of nine players.
A healthy crowd attended the Melbourne Ballpark to watch the best of the competition battle it out for the first time, and to support the Monarchs or the Reds on this historic occasion. The turnout a nod to the affiliation the Victorian Baseball community has to the Reds and Monarchs of old.
In the first instalment of the all-star game, it was the Western Conference claiming bragging rights with a convincing 12-0 win over the Eastern Reds, led by strong performances at the plate (outhitting the Reds 19-0) and a combined no-hitter from the pitching staff.
No doubt the impressive win from the Western Conference will have the Eastern Conference back to prove themselves as the superior conference in Baseball Victoria’s Division One competition at the next all-star game.
Among those with strong performances at the plate for the Monarchs were Essendon’s Scott McIntyre (3-5, 3RBIs) and Tim Sullivan (3-4, 1RBI), Preston’s Mike Walker (3-4, 1HR) and Fitzroy’s Alex Turlea (2-2, 2RBIs, 1BB). For the Reds, Cheltenham’s Ben Leslie and Blackburn’s Nic Rossell were the only ones that reached base, each being walked once.
While on the mound the Monarchs utilised their entire pitching staff across the nine innings for a combined no-hitter, finishing with a total of six strike outs, no hits and earned runs allowed, and just the two walks.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| Eastern REDS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Western MONARCHS | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 19 | 0 |
U16 – Gold Medal game
Victoria Blue 5-1 Western Australia
Blake Townsend had his best start of the tournament and was backed up by some timely offense as Victoria Blue claimed their second U16 National Championship in three years after a hard fought 5-1 victory against Western Australia.
Blake Townsend threw a complete game on the mound for Victoria, striking out four and only giving up one earned run in his seven innings.
Victoria Blue’s Manager Marshall Skinner praised Townsend’s ability to bounce back following a tough start to the tournament.
“Blake was sensational today,” Skinner said.
“He had a rough start to the tournament that he was disappointed with, but today’s performance was fantastic.”
Chris Burke began the scoring for Victoria Blue, as he punched a 2RBI single down the first base lane in the third to begin the match-turning inning for Victoria. Fraser Smith, Reece Longstaff and Zak Skinner all added to the score with an RBI each in the third inning.
Nick Riley had two hits for Western Australia, while pinch hitter Mitch Scofield driving in the lone RBI after a sac-fly in the final frame. However WA’s rally was squashed as Matt Martin grounded out to end the ballgame and send Victoria Blue into celebration mode.
Victoria Blue’s Ben Fierenzi was named the MVP and Gold Glove for best fielder of the U16 National Youth Championship, after hitting an astonishing .565 for the tournament, claiming 13 hits and 4 RBI from his eight games. Dante Caruso picked up the hitting award for Vic Blue following an astounding tournament, finishing with a batting average of .684 and 12 RBI in nine games.
U18 – Gold Medal game
Western Australia 4-3 New South Wales
In one of the most dramatic and emotion filled matches at the National Youth Championships ever, Western Australia claimed the Gold Medal following a tense 4-3 victory over New South Wales at Blacktown International Sportspark.
Both Western Australia and New South Wales struck early, before an unforgettable pitchers dual developed between NSW’s Kyle Glogoski and WA’s Frazer Brice. Glogoski only gave up three runs in his six innings of work, striking out five, while on the other side of the coin, Frazer Brice only gave up three runs in 7.2 innings. Both pitchers toiled away and kept the drama high as a worthy gold medal game developed.
WA Manager Mark Pettit sung Brice’s praises post-game.
“Frazer shown throughout the tournament that he has poise beyond his years.” Pettit said.
“He’s only a first year guy, and he just doesn’t give in when he’s out there. Pitching is all about getting the job done and Frazer certainly got it done tonight.”
Brice’s status continued to grow post-game, as he was named pitcher of the tournament.
Jake Taylor and Jess Williams had three hits each for WA, while Jett Wright had two RBIs. New South Wales fought hard, with Ismail Adra picking up two hits, and Luis Gonzalez knocking in two of NSW’s three runs in the ballgame.
The victory for Western Australia was particularly emotional given the recent passing of Western Australian baseball legend Greg Jelks. Members of both the WA U16 and U18 coaching staff were great friends with Jelks, and WA Manager Mark Pettit spoke candidly about the impact of the sudden passing on the team.
“The past two weeks have been such an emotional rollercoaster for not just us but baseball in Australia,” Pettit said.
“I’m not sure there’s a group of young men on the face of the earth that could’ve got through what they did over the past 10 days and I couldn’t be prouder.”
WA’s Dawson Summers picked up the fielding award to cap off an incredible tournament for the second baseman.
Baseball Australia is proud to announce the
following players and coaching staff that will participate in the U18 World Cup
Qualifier at Blacktown International Sportspark beginning on the 18th of
January.
Australia will host Guam and New Zealand in
the qualifier, with the champions advancing to the U18 World Cup in Thunder
Bay, Canada at the beginning of September.
To stay in touch with the results and news
from the U18 World Cup Qualifier, click here.
First name
Last name
Position
State Team
Bat
Throw
Jacob
Amos
C,OF
New South Wales
Country
R
R
Nick
Anderson-Vine
OF
New South Wales
Country
L
R
Matthew
Beattie
P
Victoria
R
R
Joshua
Bedggood
P,OF
Queensland
S
L
Brodie
Cooper-Vassalakis
P
ACT
R
R
Jarryd
Dale
IF
Victoria
R
R
Mitchell
Edwards
C
ACT
S
R
Dermot
Fritsch
P, IF
Queensland
R
R
Jake
Green
P
ACT
R
R
Alex
Hall
C, IF
Western Australia
R
R
Liam
Holm
P
New South Wales
L
L
Curtis
Mead
IF
South Australia
R
R
Jack
O'Loughlin
P
South Australia
L
L
Jackson
Riley
P,IF
Western Australia
R
R
Dawson
Summers
IF
Western Australia
L
R
Jake
Taylor
IF
Western Australia
L
R
Jess
Williams
P, IF
Western Australia
L
R
Aidan
Willis
OF
Victoria
R
R
Rixon
Wingrove
C, IF
New South Wales
Country
L
R
Jett
Wright
P, IF
Western Australia
L
R
Steve
Fish
Manager
Micheal
Nakamura
P.
Coach
Mark
Shipley
Coach
Neil
Barrowcliff
EO
Greg
Castle
Physio
U16 Award Winners
Gold Glove (Fielding)
– Ben Fierenzi (Victoria Blue)
Displaying silky skills at short-stop, Ben Fierenzi was a
worthy winner of the Gold Glove Award. A member of the history making Southern
Mariners Senior League team, Fierenzi’s hands and footwork are second to none,
as he claimed the Golden Glove award in the U16 division.
Batting Award – Dante
Caruso (Victoria Blue)
Another one of the Victoria Blue members that claimed a gold
medal and an individual award was Dante Caruso. Caruso finished the tournament
with an astonishing .684 batting average, with the second best hitter recording
.579. Caruso finished with 13 hits from his 19 at bats, and 12 RBI to boot in a
stunning display of hitting.
Pitching Award – Liam
McCallum (New South Wales)
New South Wales’ Liam McCallum claimed the pitching award at
the tournament following his standout performances on the mound. McCallum made
three starts, and only gave up three earned runs in 10.2 innings of work.
Hitters only managed to hit .189 off McCallum, who lead NSW on the hill.
MVP – Ben Fierenzi
(Victoria Blue)
As well as claiming the Gold Glove award, Ben Fierenzi was a
standout choice for Most Valuable Player at the 2017 U16 National
Championships. Fierenzi was outstanding at the plate, hitting .565 for the
tournament, and claiming 13 hits and 10 runs from his 23 at bats. Fierenzi also
picked up four RBI and walked seven times, a sign of patience at maturity at
the plate.
U18 Award Winners
Gold Glove (Fielding)
– Dawson Summers (Western Australia)
The Championship winning second baseman from WA Dawson
Summers was named the Gold Glove winner at the tournament. Summers possesses
great skill and impeccable reflexes in the middle infield and has a
exceptionally low error rate, as he turned a championship high 10 double plays
and 38 assists.
Batting award – Jake
Amos (New South Wales Country)
NSW Country brought an imposing lineup to the U18 National
Youth Championships, and one of their stars was Jake Amos. Amos lead the
division in hits, runs, RBI and total bases, all of that was compounded by a
.475 batting average and selection in the Australian U18 team.
Pitching – Frazer
Brice (Western Australia
A first year player and member of the U18 Gold Medal winning
team, Frazer Brice was a worthy winner of the pitching award. Brice threw an
outstanding game in the final for Western Australia, and only gave up four
earned runs in 15 total innings during the tournament. Brice finished in the
top 10 for strikeouts with 11 and will be a player to watch for the future.
MVP – Rixon Wingrove
(New South Wales Country)
16-year-old Rixon Wingrove put together an extremely
memorable tournament for NSW Country, as he finished with 13 RBI, 16 hits and
an average of .400. Wingrove, a catcher kept opposition players honest by
throwing out eight runners (most by any catcher), as well also showing speed on
the base paths himself, stealing a tournament high six bases.
U16 - 7th
place playoff
Australian Capital
Territory 8-4 New South Wales Country
The Australian Capital Territory have been unlucky not to
record a win so far at the tournament, however they finally broke through to
claim an 8-4 win over NSW Country and finish seventh in the U16 National Youth
Championships. Grant Craft had a strong
start on the mound for ACT, giving up only two earned runs and striking out six
in five innings of work. Tom Pellow and Bailey Curtis both had two RBI each at
the top of the lineup, while Jack Mitchell picked up an RBI from his sole hit. Sam
McLean went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple for NSW Country as he capped off
a fine tournament. Bailey Van Leeuwen picked up two hits and an RBI for NSW
Country.
U18 – 7th
place playoff
Queensland 5-4
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT took an early lead in the 7th place
playoff against Queensland, but in the end it was Queensland who scored late
and claimed a 5-4 victory. Matt Roberts only gave up one earned run in his five-inning
start for Queensland, and his bats backed him up. James Franco again proved his
quality in this tournament, with another two hits and two RBI. Dermot Fritsch picked
up two more hits, while Josh Bedggood had a hit and an RBI. Rylie Goodwin only
gave up three earned runs in a six inning start, while Mitch Edwards and Jordan
Kelly had two hits each.
U16 – 5th
place playoff
Queensland 3-2
Victoria White
Riki Ward was the hero for Queensland in the 5th
place playoff game, lacing a walk-off RBI triple in the bottom of the final
frame to defeat Victoria 3-2. Victoria
White tied up the ballgame in the top of the seventh thanks to two RBI from
Chris Nielsen, however Riki Ward came up big, scoring Kai-Noa Wynyard from
first to snatch fifth place from Victoria. River Stevens Dobby struck out five
and only gave up two earned runs in his start for Vic White, with Damon Hill
and Keenan Spence both picking up doubles. Max Watson was lights out for
Queensland, tossing six scoreless innings, striking out three. Josh Nieass
claimed an early RBI, but pitching and defence reigned supreme all game as it
came down to a thrilling final frame.
U18 – 5th
place playoff
Victoria White vs.
Victoria Blue
Victoria Blue scored consistently early and never looked
back, defeating Victoria White 6-1 to finish fifth in the U18 division at the
National Youth Championships. Jackson Boyd continued his strong tournament,
only giving up the one run in his 5.1 innings on the mound for Vic Blue. Jack
Dunn went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the middle of the Vic Blue
lineup, while Jamie Young collected three hits on the day. Vic White kept the
Vic Blue bats at bay until the eighth, where Vic Blue put the result beyond
doubt with three insurance runs. Sam Drummond and Brock Wells had two hits each
for Vic White, with Jarrod Belbin picking up the lone RBI.
U16 – Bronze Medal
game
New South Wales 11-1
South Australia
New South Wales scored five early runs and never looked
back, defeating South Australia 11-1 and in turn, claiming a bronze medal in
the U16 National Youth Championships. Joe Gluyas, Blake Farr and Callum Park
had a hit each for South Australia, with Farr driving in SA’s lone run of the
ballgame. Ky Jackson was one of NSW’s best, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and
three RBI, while Ethan Stacy chimed in with two RBI of his how. Liam McCallum
only gave up one earned run in his 4.1 innings of work for NSW.
U18 – Bronze Medal
game
South Australia 15-1
New South Wales Country
South Australia piled on the runs early and never looked
back against New South Wales Country, claiming a bronze medal in the U18
division at the National Youth Championship. Curtis Mead had a great day at the
plate, going 2-for-5 with a triple and three RBI, while Griffin Weber chipped
in with two hits and two RBI for himself. On the mound, Cooper Marsh was
immense for SA, striking out three and only giving up one run in six stellar
innings. Every SA player in the starting lineup had either a hit or an RBI in a
complete team performance. Hits were shared for NSW Country, with Rixon and
Josh Wingrove as well as Jacob Amos and Mitch Ellison picking up one each.
U16 – Gold Medal game
Victoria Blue 5-1
Western Australia
Blake Townsend had his best start of the tournament and was
backed up by some timely offense as Victoria Blue claimed their second U16
National Championship in three years after a hard fought 5-1 victory against
Western Australia.
Blake Townsend threw a complete game on the mound for
Victoria, striking out four and only giving up one earned run in his seven
innings.
Victoria Blue’s Manager Marshall Skinner praised Townsend’s
ability to bounce back following a tough start to the tournament.
“Blake was sensational today,”
“He had a rough start to the tournament that he was
disappointed with, but today’s performance was fantastic.”
Chris Burke began the scoring for Victoria Blue, as he
punched a 2RBI single down the first base lane in the third to begin the
match-turning inning for Victoria. Fraser Smith, Reece Longstaff and Zak
Skinner all added to the score with an RBI each in the third inning.
Nick Riley had two hits for Western Australia, while pinch
hitter Mitch Scofield driving in the lone RBI after a sac-fly in the final
frame. However WA’s rally was squashed as Matt Martin grounded out to end the
ballgame and send Victoria Blue into celebration mode.
Victoria Blue’s Ben Fierenzi was named the MVP and Gold
Glove for best fielder of the U16 National Youth Championship, after hitting an
astonishing .565 for the tournament, claiming 13 hits and 4 RBI from his eight
games. Dante Caruso picked up the hitting award for Vic Blue following an
astounding tournament, finishing with a batting average of .684 and 12 RBI in
nine games.
U18 – Gold Medal game
Western Australia 4-3
New South Wales
In one of the most dramatic and emotion filled matches at
the National Youth Championships ever, Western Australia claimed the Gold Medal
following a tense 4-3 victory over New South Wales at Blacktown International
Sportspark.
Both Western Australia and New South Wales struck early,
before an unforgettable pitchers dual developed between NSW’s Kyle Glogoski and
WA’s Frazer Brice. Glogoski only gave up three runs in his six innings of work,
striking out five, while on the other side of the coin, Frazer Brice only gave
up three runs in 7.2 innings. Both pitchers toiled away and kept the drama high
as a worthy gold medal game developed.
WA Manager Mark Pettit sung Brice’s praises post-game.
“Frazer shown throughout the tournament that he has poise
beyond his years.” Pettit said.
“He’s only a first year guy, and he just doesn’t give in
when he’s out there. Pitching is all about getting the job done and Frazer
certainly got it done tonight.”
Brice’s status continued to grow post-game, as he was named
pitcher of the tournament.
Jake Taylor and Jess Williams had three hits each for WA,
while Jett Wright had two RBIs. New South Wales fought hard, with Ismail Adra
picking up two hits, and Luis Gonzalez knocking in two of NSW’s three runs in
the ballgame.
The victory for Western Australia was particularly emotional
given the recent passing of Western Australian baseball legend Greg Jelks.
Members of both the WA U16 and U18 coaching staff were great friends with
Jelks, and WA Manager Mark Pettit spoke candidly about the impact of the sudden
passing on the team.
“The past two weeks have been such an emotional
rollercoaster for not just us but baseball in Australia,” Pettit said.
“I’m not sure there’s a group of young men on the face of
the earth that could’ve got through what they did over the past 10 days and I
couldn’t be prouder.”
WA’s Dawson Summers picked up the fielding award to cap off
an incredible tournament for the second baseman.
U16 – Queensland 6-5 New
South Wales Country
Queensland tied up the ballgame in the bottom of the final
frame before escaping with a 6-5 walk-off extra innings victory. Kai-Noa
Wynyard had the walk-off knock, with a single to right field scoring Franco Natale
as Queensland guaranteed a place in the 5th place playoff. Angelo
Natale had two hits and two RBI, while brother Franco also had two base hits.
Chet Robinson had three hits for NSW Country, with Liam Purcell and Bailey Van
Leeuwen claiming an RBI each.
U16 – South Australia
4-3 Victoria Blue
South Australia held on following a late Victorian comeback
to hold on to claim a 4-3 victory on Diamond 2. Max Leuga had a pair of hits
for Vic Blue, while Riley Light and Mackenzie Salmon had an RBI each. Tim Reid
struck out six in 4.1 innings, while Oscar Hargreaves kept the SA bats quiet
late, only giving up the one hit and striking out three in two innings. Jasper
Clark had a solid start for SA, only giving up one run in five innings. Joe
Gluyas had a great day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and
two RBI. Victoria Blue will play off in the Gold Medal game despite their loss,
with defending champions SA will look to claim bronze.
U16 – Western
Australia 9-3 New South Wales
Western Australia sealed their place in the Gold Medal Game
of the U16s with a 9-3 victory against New South Wales. Western Australia put
up three in the first inning, and didn’t cool down, scoring at least a run in
each of the first five innings. Dylan Walsh picked up three hits and three RBI,
while Nick Riley continued his good tournament with two hits and two runs.
Lachlan Waite only gave up three earned runs in his six-inning start, while
Blake Monaghan closed the game out in the seventh. Jaylin Rae had two hits,
while Hayden Lyberopoulos picked up two of the three RBI for New South Wales.
U16 – Queensland 11-1
Victoria White
Queensland put up six runs in the second inning to topple
Victoria White and seal a place in the fifth place playoff. Marcus Feagaiga’s
lone hit was a triple, while JD Winlaw had three hits and an RBI. Mac Butler
had a great day on the mound, only giving up two walks in his four innings
shutout start. Donnie Poole had Vic White’s only hit of the ballgame, while
Cooper de Haan had the sole RBI.
U16 – New South Wales
Country 8-0 Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales Country took a little bit of time to warm
up, but eventually defeated the ACT 8-0 on Diamond 3. Stuart Tharle had two
hits for the ACT, with Hamish Lambert and Tom Pellow claiming a hit each. Sam
McLean had another strong day for NSW Country, with three RBI from his one hit,
while Kalin Marum and Chet Robinson had the other RBI for Country. Nick Dollin
had a phenomenal start for NSW Country, striking out nine and not giving up a run
in 6.2 innings.
U16 – Victoria White
12-1 Australian Capital Territory
Jed Woodger tossed a no-hitter as Victoria White rolled the
Australian Capital Territory 12-1 in the final game on Diamond 3. Woodger
struck out seven and only gave up the one uneared runs in five innings. Damon
Hill had three RBI and two hits for Victoria, while Chris Nielsen went 2-for-3
with two RBI.
U18 – New South Wales
11-4 Western Australia
In what eventuated as a Gold Medal Game preview, New South
Wales claimed a hard-fought 11-4 win over Western Australia. Ismail Adra has
three RBI in the leadoff spot, while Matt Martinson and Flynn Stallworthy each
had two RBI. Mitch Skinner was immense for NSW, striking out six and only
giving up only one earned run in his 6.1 innings. Grant Kerry was a tough out
for NSW, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Versatile first baseman David John had two
hits and an RBI for WA.
U18 – New South Wales
Country 10-6 South Australia
Four early runs and four late runs saw New South Wales
Country topple South Australia 10-6 on Diamond 1. Rixon Wingrove, Alex Osborne
and Rhys Neuhold each had two hits on the day, with Neuhold knocking in a team
high three RBI. Josh Peruch threw three innings of scoreless relief for NSW
Country, striking out three and only allowing three base runners. Harry Knuckey
and Griffin Weber both had two hits each for SA, with Weber and Nick Platten
picking up two RBI each.
U18 – Victoria White
2-1 Queensland
Victoria White just edged out Queensland 2-1 in a tight
tussle on Diamond 2 this afternoon. It took until the fifth inning to break the
scoreless deadlock as Jarrod Belbin and Brock Wells claimed RBI in the fifth
and sixth inning. Richard Kiel only gave up one unearned run in his 5.1 innings
pitched for Victoria White, while Duane Johannsen tossed a complete game for
Queensland, while Callum MacDonald claimed Queensland’s only RBI.
U18 – Victoria White
4-0 Australian Capital Territory
Neither Victoria White nor the ACT managed to score in the
first four innings, but four late runs from Vic White saw them defeat the ACT
4-0 in the final game on Diamond 2. Alex Barling and Brock Wells had two hits
each for Vic White, while the pitching load was shared, the final 5 innings
yielding no ACT hits. Jake Green threw all seven innings for the ACT in trying
conditions, and with bat in hand, Ricky Deeble and Rylie Goodwin had the ACT’s
two hits.
U18 – Victoria Blue
3-2 Australian Capital Territory
Lead by another strong start from Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis,
the ACT held a two run lead heading into the final frame, only for Victoria Blue
to score three runs and claim a walk-off victory. Ciaran Palmer was the hero
for Vic Blue, with a pinch hit RBI single to left field to ice the ballgame.
Matt Beattie struck out seven over his six innings of work, while
Cooper-Vassalakis also had seven strikeouts for the ACT. Mitch Edwards had the
ACT’s only RBI, while Ricky Deeble and Julian Paramanov claimed the other two
hits.
U18 – Victoria Blue
vs. Queensland
Victoria Blue scored early, left the door open for a Queensland
comeback with three late runs, however held their nerve to take a 6-4 win on
Diamond 1. Luke Turner and Josh Bedggood each claimed two hits, with Bedggood
picking up an RBI. Ryoto Kusumoto went 2-for 3 with a double and a run for
Queensland. Jamie Young was one of Victoria’s best with bat in hand, picking up
two RBI from his two hits, while on the bump Jayson Arthur was solid, only
conceding one run and striking out four in four digs.
Following nine days of intense competition at the National
Youth Championships, the standings have been finalised and Gold/Bronze Medal
Games finalised. Click here to view the full schedule for the final day's play.
U16 – Western
Australia 9-8 South Australia
A six run inning lead Western Australia to a
come-from-behind walk-off win against South Australia in the opening game on
Diamond 3. Carter Dowling had two innings of scoreless relief for Western
Australia, and despite putting up only one run through the first five innings,
WA snuck home 9-8 thanks to a pinch-hit single from Josh Paull in the bottom of
the seventh. Cayden Nicoletto, Nicholas Riley and Evan Perera had two hits each
for WA, with Riley knocking in two runs. Zac Heintze-Unger and catcher Joe
Gluyas both had multiple hits, with Heintze-Unger picking up two RBI.
U16 – Victoria Blue
6-4 New South Wales
Despite New South Wales driving in four early runs, Victoria
Blue fought back to record a 6-4 victory on Diamond 2. Jarryd Wood had a huge day at the plate,
going 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. Dante Caruso also notched up three
RBI to go with his three hits. Lachlan Hockey continued his strong tournament
so far, striking out three and only giving up one hit in 2.2 relief innings.
Jack Lee threw well from the bullpen for New South Wales, only giving up one
earned run and sitting down three Victorian hitters. Thomas Horne was the only
New South Wales player to claim multiple hits, as he went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
U16 – Queensland 10-0
Australian Capital Territory
Queensland swung the bats early and often, and behind a
no-hitter from Brandan Bidois, defeated the ACT 10-0. Bidois only allowed one
walk in his five innings, while striking out seven in one of the most
impressive pitching performances so far. Angelo Natale, Max Watson and Riki
Ward all had two hits each for Queensland, while Takumi Kimoto and Mac Butler
claimed multiple RBI.
U16 – Victoria Blue 15-11
Western Australia
Vic Blue and WA combined for 30 total hits, however it was
Vic Blue who made the most of them, taking a high scoring ballgame 15-11. Nick
Riley had four RBI for WA, while Matt Martin continued his great tournament,
driving in three runs. Cayden Nicoletto again hit well, claiming a team high
four hits for WA. Jarryd Wood went 4-for-5 for Vic Blue with three RBI, while
Mohi Kahui claimed two hits, an RBI and crossed the plate three times.
U16 – New South Wales
7-5 South Australia
South Australia scored first, but a strong start from Aidan
Torpey and some late consistent scoring saw NSW take a 7-5 win. Torpey struck
out five and only gave up one earned run in a solid 5.1 innings on the mound.
The hits were shared by a NSW, with Daniel Bannon, Zac Lawrence and Liam Spinks
all collecting two, with Spinks and Caleb Shepherd picking up two RBI each.
Brodie Arriola was SA’s standout bat of the game, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Blake Farr and Callum Pike had the other RBI of the game. Tyson McKee kept the
NSW hitters honest, striking out five and only giving up three earned runs in
five innings.
U16 – Victoria White
11-10 New South Wales Country
A contender for most eventful game at the 2017 National
Youth Championships was the game between Victoria White and New South Wales
Country, which ended 11-10 in favour of Victoria White after a change of venue,
a rain delay and two extra frames. Bailey Van Leeuwen had two hits and three
RBI, while Tristan Watts chimed in with two hits of his own for Country NSW.
Damon Hill had a monster day at the plate, with three hits, a double and five
RBI. Cooper de Haan had a strong start for Victoria White, giving up two runs
and striking out five across four innings.
U18 – New South Wales
Country 8-7 New South Wales
A massive six run inning from New South Wales Country held
them in good stead as they survived a late comeback from New South Wales to
record a 8-7 walk-off victory in extra innings. Rhys Neuhold scored on a
throwing error in the eighth to claim a hard-fought victory for New South Wales
Country. Coming in as a pinch-hitter, Henry Groth had two hits and two RBI from
his two at bats, while Matt Martinson and Flynn Stallworthy each had two hits
for New South Wales. Tom Holland had three RBI from his one hit, while Nic
Anderson-Vine and Mitch Ellison had two hits each for Country.
U18 – Western
Australia 17-1 South Australia
Western Australia had South Australia’s number from the
get-go, as they ended up winning 17-1 on Diamond 1. David John threw a complete
game for WA, and only gave up five hits in five innings. Jake Taylor had a
perfect game at the plate for WA, going 4-for-4 with four RBI. After missing a
few games with injury, Jess Williams didn’t miss a beat at shortstop, going
4-for-5 with three RBI.
U18 – New South Wales
7-4 South Australia
Coen Wynne anchored New South Wales to a tight 7-4 win over
South Australia in the final game on Diamond 1. Wynne struck out eight and only
gave up four runs in his six innings of work, while a scoreless final inning
from Chris Rofe capped off the win for New South Wales. Leadoff trio of Ismail
Adra, Alex Brook and Matt Martinson had two hits each, while Adra and Brook
both drove a run in. Wade Chant was one of SA’s best with the bat, picking up
two RBI, while Mason Clavell legged out a triple in hot conditions, driving in
a run of his own. Tom Norley didn’t give up an earned run in his 2.2 innings
for SA, while Morgan Ruchel and Blayke McMillan had two hits apiece.
U18 – Western
Australia 10-4 New South Wales Country
Three RBI from Alex Hall and three hits from Jess Williams saw
Western Australia topple NSW Country 10-4 on Diamond 2. Hall had three RBI,
while Williams and Jake Taylor had two each. Jackson Riley only gave up the
sole earned run in his five inning start, fanning five NSW Country hitters. Sam
Rada had three scoreless innings of relief, as he struck out three West
Australians. Rhys Neuhold, Minami Matsumoto and Nic Anderson-Vine were the
three WA hitters to claimed RBIs, with Neuhold picking up two hits.
U18 – Victoria White
7-6 Victoria Blue
Victoria White scored seven early runs, and weathered a big
Victoria Blue comeback to hold on 7-6 in the final game on Diamond 3. Kyle
Morrison only gave up two earned runs in his 4.1 inning start, while Jai
Lyttleton finished the game strongly, striking out two in three innings. Sam
Drummond had a double and a triple from his two hits, as well as driving in a
team-high three runs. Alex Barling chipped in with three hits and two RBI.
Lachlan Medew and Brock Wells had the other two RBI for Vic White. Jarryd Dale
had three hits, while Matt Beattie claimed two RBI from his two hits. Jordan
Barnett and Jack Dunn drove in a run each for Victoria Blue.
U18 – Queensland 7-2
Australian Capital Territory
Three early runs from Queensland saw them maintain their
lead and eventually defeat the ACT 7-2 in the final game at Gilchrist Oval. Luke
Turner fanned an impressive eight ACT hitters, while only giving up one
unearned run in his five innings. Jordan Kelly kept the Queensland bats quiet
and extended the game, with two innings of scoreless relief. Luke Clapson drove
in Liam Sherer for the ACT’s only earned run of the day while first baseman
Mark Zhang claimed a hit and worked a walk. Callum MacDonald was strong with
the bat for Queensland, claiming two RBI from his three hits.
Please make yourself aware of the updated schedule for tomorrow's play, click here to view.
Team Australia Baseball has confirmed it will tour South Korea in preparation for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Team Australia, who will finalise its roster in the first week of February, will boast a number of Major League Baseball players, Australian Baseball League stars as well as a string of Australia’s best young talent, who recently won a silver medal at the U23 World Cup.
The playing group will travel to Seoul, South Korea on 24 February. The team will work out on the 25 and 26 February before taking on an unconfirmed Korean club team on 27 February.
Australia’s tour will conclude on the 28 February, where they will take on the world #3 South Korean national team at the Gocheok Skydome in Seoul. South Korea will provide stiff opposition for Team Australia; having beaten Team Australia 6-0 in the first round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Team Australia then travels to Osaka, Japan on 1 March, before practice games against the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes, two teams in the top flight of Japanese baseball.
Team Australia Manager Jon Deeble is excited to hit the ground running in Korea.
“This tour will be ideal for our preparation heading into the World Baseball Classic,” Deeble said.
“The tour gives us an opportunity to get up north and test out some combinations leading into the tournament. Playing Korea will be a great experience. We go out and try to win every game we play, and we’re treating this tour to Korea no differently.”
Australia will take on Cuba, China and host nation Japan when the 2017 World Baseball Classic begins on March 8 at the world-famous Tokyo Dome.