Australia will play off for a medal at the 2016 U23 World Cup after a fantastic victory against Panama, 8-4 in Monterrey.
Pending other results, Australia will play off for the Gold Medal tomorrow against Japan, with confirmation still needed from the World Baseball Softball Confederation.
Connor MacDonald had an outstanding day at the plate, claiming two home runs from his first two at bats. His first of the day coming in the second inning, while his second coming with two men on base in the fifth.
As well as MacDonald’s solo shot in the second, Liam Bedford drove in a run with a single to left field, scoring Guy Edmonds. However a costly error from the left fielder enabled Robbie Perkins to scamper around from first base and extend Australia’s lead to three after two innings.
Dan Nilsson gave Australia a solid platform on the mound, with the Queenslander tossing four scoreless innings to begin the ballgame. It took until the fifth inning for the Panamanians to get ahold of Nilsson, who gave up a pair of earned runs.
Tensions were high in both dugouts in this all important game, which resulted in ejections for both sides in the later innings.
Defence kept Australia in the ballgame during the later innings, with three rally killing double plays in the sixth, seventh and eighth inning.
Despite those double play balls, Panama continued to threaten, pegging back a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. A long fly-ball would’ve scored another two runs if it wasn’t for the stellar defence of centrefielder Aaron Whitefield. Whitefield’s moved quickly to his right, claiming the deep fly ball on the warning track, and maintained Australia’s late three run advantage.
The ninth inning was highlighted by an added insurance run in the form of Jacob Younis. After nailing a double, Younis scampered to third and to home care of the wild pitch. Josh Guyer came into the ballgame to finish it off in the ninth, and sealed Australia’s place in a medal playoff.
Stay tuned for confirmation of tomorrow's schedule, which will see Australia play off for a medal at the U23 World Cup.
Click here for the the full box score.
After a disappointing loss to host nation Mexico yesterday, Australia bounced back early against Korea, and held on after a tough fightback from Korea, defeating the Asian nation 9-7.
Australia came out of the blocks with intent, scoring four runs in the opening inning. Canberra Cavalry star Robbie Perkins claimed two of the four RBIs with a double that almost cleared the fence for a home run.
Connor Macdonald and Guy Edmonds added to the Australian advantage in the second with both claiming RBI singles to extend Australia’s lead.
After a pair of scoreless innings to start the ballgame, the Korean hitters began the fightback, pulling four runs off Australian starter Nick Hutchings in the third.
Korea regained the lead in the fifth inning with a RBI double, setting up an eventful final few innings.
Those final few innings were highlighted by a solo shot from Robbie Perkins in the seventh which gave Australia a one run advantage with a couple of innings to play.
A base hit stretched into a double by the red-hot Jacob Younis ended up with Younis standing at third after the second baseman dropped the ball attempting to make the tag. From there, it was up to Younis’ Sydney Blue Sox team mate Zac Shepherd to drive him in and extend Australia’s advantage to two runs.
Josh Guyer proved a hero late, with the right-handed reliever only allowing one hit and striking out four Korean hitters in his second relief appearance this tournament.
Australia’s final game of the Super Round is against the #1 seed Panama, with a victory required to have any chance of qualifying for the Championship Game. First pitch is scheduled for 4am AEDST.
Click here for the full box score.
Despite strong performances by several core hitters, Australia opened Super Round play at the U23 World Cup with a close 15-8 loss to host nation Mexico.
Mexico got on the board tagged starting pitcher Nick Veale for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, but the powerful Aussie bats answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Jacob Younis drew a one-out walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Zac Shepherd then laced a single into left field, allowing Younis to dash home. One out later, Australia tied the game on Guy Edmonds’ double.
The game continued as a back-and-forth battle in the second inning. Mexico loaded the bases with one out in the top of the inning before taking a 5-2 lead on Moises Gutierrez’s three-run double that chased Veale from the game. New Aussie pitcher Mitch Neunborn surrendered one run before getting out of the inning.
Mexico pulled away with the lead in the middle innings, with a three-spot in the top of the fourth and two more runs in the top of the sixth. The host nation tacked on four more runs in the top of the ninth to extend the advantage.
Shepherd led Australia’s charge in chipping away at the Mexico lead in the third, doubling in Younis for Australia’s third run of the game. Undaunted by Mexico’s powerful offence, Australia also added on runs in the fourth and sixth innings, and rallied for another run on the board in the bottom of the eighth frame.
Despite the loss, the talented middle of the Aussie batting order continued to pack a solid punch in the tournament. Younis had a pair of hits and scored two runs while driving in one, and both Shepherd and Connor MacDonald had two hits and two RBIs.
Click here for the complete game box score.
Australia continues Super Round play tomorrow, Saturday 5 November against Korea. First pitch is scheduled for 5am AEDST.
With the success of the Australian U23 World Cup thus far (four wins from five games), we decided to profile three members of the Australian U23 team, who have not only stood out at the U23 World Cup, but have had success at for their affiliated team, college and state.
Zac Shepherd
Current Age: 21
Position: 3B
Affiliation: Detroit Tigers
Comparison: Stefan Welch
- Outstanding defence
- Quality hitter
- National Team focused
Ever since Baseball Australia’s Head of High Performance Glenn Williams set eyes on 14-year-old Rouse Hill junior Zac Shepherd, he knew he had something special.
“Zac has tackled every opportunity that has come his way,” Williams said of Shepherd.
“Zac has always been meticulous identifying what he needs to do to improve his game, and something that is exciting for the national team, he’s always one of the first guys to put his hand up when there’s an opportunity to represent Australia.
A product of the MLB Australian Academy, and a star at National Youth Championships, Shepherd was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2012.
2011 proved a year to remember for the then 16 year old Shepherd, taking out the Baseball Australia Youth Player of the Year following his outstanding performances at the 2011 AA World Cup. 8 RBIs at a .500 clip proved Shepherd as an offensive weapon, but his defence stood out, as he was named in the World Cup All-Star team at Shortstop, as well as Outstanding Defensive Player at the tournament.
Shepherd’s time with the Detroit Tigers has proved fruitful too, being named a 2015 Mid-Season All-Star for the Class-A West Michigan Whitecaps.
Shepherd will no doubt play a big role on Tony Harris’ U23 team, and will be looking to put in a strong performance before he returns to the Australian Baseball League this season.
Sam Holland
Current Age: 22
Position: RHP
Affiliation: Los Angeles Angels
Comparison: Dushan Ruzic
- Deceptive release point
- Keeps hitters off balance
- Consistent
2012 was also the year that Sam Holland got his first crack at affiliated baseball after signing with the San Diego Padres, and despite a solid few years in the Padres minor league system (2-2, 2.25 in first year of affiliated baseball), Holland was released in March of 2016.
However a young man with such a high ceiling was picked up almost immediately by the Los Angeles Angels, and given his year in the Angels organisation, the Padres may be kicking themselves they let Holland go.
Beginning his 2016 in Class-A Burlington, Holland put together outstanding performances out of the bullpen, finishing his time at the Bees with a 3-1 record, a mind-blowing 0.57 ERA, and eight saves from nine opportunities. His promotion to Class A-Advanced Inland Empire 66ers was warranted, and he again proved his worth, finishing with a 1.50 ERA and two saves from 10 appearances. Couple those stats with a 0.61 WHIP, 36 punchouts and only 7 walks, Holland proved consistently brilliant in 2016.
Holland’s side-arm release coupled with his deceptive movement and durability make him a weapon for the Australian U23 team as well as the ABL Champion Brisbane Bandits in the 2016/17 Australian Baseball League.
Mitch Neunborn
Current Age: 19
Position: RHP
Affiliation: N/A
Comparison: Warwick Saupold
- Four pitch mix
- Wipeout slider
- Versatile
Mitch Neunborn is yet to debut in the ABL and is not signed by an affiliated club, but people in the know have flagged the West Australian as a very promising prospect moving forward.
Back-to-back Claxton Shield winning manager Steve Fish reflected on Neunborn’s promising career.
“I have known Mitch since he was 11 and playing Little League,” Fish said.
“He was always a very athletic and talented kid, and that versatility saw him move from the mound to the middle infield through his high school baseball. He really developed when he came overseas as part of the ‘Perth Heat Colts’ trip. In 2015 I put him back on the mound and my first reaction was ‘wow, this is the best right-handed pitcher in the entire country.”
Neunborn is no stranger to the national setup, having played for Fish in the 2015 U18 World Cup. Australia finished fourth in that tournament, and Fish remembers Neunborn’s performances at that tournament fondly.
“Mitch played some third base for me over there, but I brought him over as my closer,” Fish said.
“His defining moment was an incredible relief effort over Cuba which lifted us into the medal rounds.”
That ‘defining moment’ for Neunborn ended up as 4.2 innings of shutout relief against a Cuban lineup that crushed 28 runs in five pool games. Neunborn struck out six and only gave up two hits before the offence caught fire and propelled Australia to victory.
Neunborn represents North Iowa Area Community College, and Head Coach Travis Hergert rates Neunborn highly.
“He’s one of our top players on both sides of the ball,” Hergert said.
“He’s a dynamic arm, very athletic and will play a big role for us on the left side of the infield. He certainly has a bright future.”
To stay in touch with the performance of these three prospects at the U23 World Cup, head to http://baseball.com.au/National-Teams/Under-23-Men.
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In a game that would result in a maiden win for either team, it seemed close until a huge top of the second by Footscray, plating 9 runs on 7 hits.
From then on it was stellar pitching by Brittney Cedelland who kept Ormond bats quiet only allowing just 7 base runners in the game. She was aided by a solid defence with good plays by Dean Hayhow, Cory Hart and Troy Davis.
Troy Davis led the day offensively with 2 doubles and 5 RBI's all coming in the one inning, as well as Scott Harvey with 2 RBI's.
Ormond's relief pitching was solid and limited the run threat. Ormond looked like they would threaten in the later innings, but the strong defence and precise pitching of Footscray was the factor on the day, earning them their first victory in a weather affected shortened 7 inning game.
With the heightened expectations of an undefeated clash, the first half of the game was worth the price of admission.
After a scoreless first frame, Mulgrave pushed across two runs in the top of the second. St Kilda answered with a lone marker in the fourth to halve the deficit.
The sixth inning proved to be decisive with the Rebels plating two more runs and though the Saints answered with one of their own in the home half, Mulgrave’s lead was never to be relinquished.
Once St Kilda ace Jarrod MacEachern left the mound, the floodgates opened. Mulgrave scored thrice in each of the last three frames, answered by just one run in the bottom of the ninth for St Kilda to provide the final margin of victory, 13-3.
Matthew Young pitched the first seven innings for the Rebels and Joel Stubbs closed the game out.
The game was delayed by rain in between the fourth and fifth frames.
Original reports supplied by Lincoln Ladds and Robby Lewis of the Mulgrave and St Kilda Baseball Clubs, respectively
With the heightened expectations of an undefeated clash, the first half of the game was worth the price of admission.
After a scoreless first frame, Mulgrave pushed across two runs in the top of the second. St Kilda answered with a lone marker in the fourth to halve the deficit.
The sixth inning proved to be decisive with the Rebels plating two more runs and though the Saints answered with one of their own in the home half, Mulgrave’s lead was never to be relinquished.
Once St Kilda ace Jarrod MacEachern left the mound, the floodgates opened. Mulgrave scored thrice in each of the last three frames, answered by just one run in the bottom of the ninth for St Kilda to provide the final margin of victory, 13-3.
Matthew Young pitched the first seven innings for the Rebels and Joel Stubbs closed the game out.
The game was delayed by rain in between the fourth and fifth frames.
Original reports supplied by Lincoln Ladds and Robby Lewis of the Mulgrave and St Kilda Baseball Clubs, respectively
With the heightened expectations of an undefeated clash, the first half of the game was worth the price of admission.
After a scoreless first frame, Mulgrave pushed across two runs in the top of the second. St Kilda answered with a lone marker in the fourth to halve the deficit.
The sixth inning proved to be decisive with the Rebels plating two more runs and though the Saints answered with one of their own in the home half, Mulgrave’s lead was never to be relinquished.
Once St Kilda ace Jarrod MacEachern left the mound, the floodgates opened. Mulgrave scored thrice in each of the last three frames, answered by just one run in the bottom of the ninth for St Kilda to provide the final margin of victory, 13-3.
Matthew Young pitched the first seven innings for the Rebels and Joel Stubbs closed the game out.
The game was delayed by rain in between the fourth and fifth frames.
Original reports supplied by Lincoln Ladds and Robby Lewis of the Mulgrave and St Kilda Baseball Clubs, respectively
With the heightened expectations of an undefeated clash, the first half of the game was worth the price of admission.
After a scoreless first frame, Mulgrave pushed across two runs in the top of the second. St Kilda answered with a lone marker in the fourth to halve the deficit.
The sixth inning proved to be decisive with the Rebels plating two more runs and though the Saints answered with one of their own in the home half, Mulgrave’s lead was never to be relinquished.
Once St Kilda ace Jarrod MacEachern left the mound, the floodgates opened. Mulgrave scored thrice in each of the last three frames, answered by just one run in the bottom of the ninth for St Kilda to provide the final margin of victory, 13-3.
Matthew Young pitched the first seven innings for the Rebels and Joel Stubbs closed the game out.
The game was delayed by rain in between the fourth and fifth frames.
Original reports supplied by Lincoln Ladds and Robby Lewis of the Mulgrave and St Kilda Baseball Clubs, respectively
With the heightened expectations of an undefeated clash, the first half of the game was worth the price of admission.
After a scoreless first frame, Mulgrave pushed across two runs in the top of the second. St Kilda answered with a lone marker in the fourth to halve the deficit.
The sixth inning proved to be decisive with the Rebels plating two more runs and though the Saints answered with one of their own in the home half, Mulgrave’s lead was never to be relinquished.
Once St Kilda ace Jarrod MacEachern left the mound, the floodgates opened. Mulgrave scored thrice in each of the last three frames, answered by just one run in the bottom of the ninth for St Kilda to provide the final margin of victory, 13-3.
Matthew Young pitched the first seven innings for the Rebels and Joel Stubbs closed the game out.
The game was delayed by rain in between the fourth and fifth frames.
Original reports supplied by Lincoln Ladds and Robby Lewis of the Mulgrave and St Kilda Baseball Clubs, respectively
Australia will face Panama, Korea and host nation Mexico for the chance to play off for a medal at the WBSC U23 World Cup.
With four wins from five games during pool play, Australia has set themselves up to improve on their 5th place finish at the 2014 U21 World Cup.
vs. Mexico, Friday 4 November, 11am AEDST
vs. Korea, Saturday 5 November, 5am AEDST
vs. Panama, Sunday 6 November, 5am AEDST
All games will be streamed live via the WBSC's YouTube Channel. Stay tuned to Team Australia Baseball on Facebook and Twitter, as well as the tournament homepage for more information.
The ABL is pleased to announce the 2016 All-Star Game presented by Boral will again be held at Melbourne Ballpark on the 22nd of December.
For the fifth consecutive year, the home of the JetCouriers Melbourne Aces will showcase the best and brightest talent as Team Australia take on the World All-Stars in what shapes as one of the most important All-Star Games in recent history.
As the World Baseball Classic (WBC) rolls around again, the All-Star Game looms as vital match practice for Team Australia, who takes on Japan, Cuba and China in March 2017 at the WBC in Japan.
Last year’s All-Star Game was memorable both on and off the field, with Aussie indie rockers The Delta Riggs playing an incredible pre-game set at the Levi’s All-Star Music Sessions, while on-field, Sydney Blue Sox veteran Trent D’Antonio pulled off a textbook squeeze bunt to walk-off the World All-Stars 3-2 in one of the most unforgettable All-Star Game’s yet.
Continuing their support of the All-Star Game for another year is the Victorian continued growth of the relationship between the Victorian Government and baseball in Victoria.
“We’re very excited about hosting the All-Star Game in Melbourne again,” Foster said.
“Their (Victorian Government) continued support of the All-Star Game is testament to the relationships built between Baseball Victoria, the ABL and the Victorian Government.”
Acting Minister for Sport Martin Foley said he was pleased to welcome the All-Star Game back to Melbourne.
“The Victorian Government has been a proud supporter of this game since 2011, and we are pleased to be able to welcome Team Australia and the World All Stars back to the Melbourne Ballpark,” Minister Foley said.
“Victoria is the sporting capital of the world, and I encourage all Victorians to come along and experience the 2016 ABL All Star Game."
Stay tuned to the ABL website and Facebook for further announcement regarding the Levi’s ® All-Star Music Sessions, as well as when tickets will go on sale.
Australia ran into a dominant Japanese lineup in their final pool game of the WBSC U23 World Cup, going down 11-2, but still qualified for the Super Round for the second consecutive tournament.
After finishing fifth at the 2014 U21 World Cup, Australia will finish sixth or higher, and gain valuable WBSC World Ranking points leading into an important international tournament cycle, including the Premier12 and 2020 Olympics.
Joshua Hendrickson started on the mound for Australia against a Japanese lineup that has put up plenty of runs in each of their pool games. Hendrickson did a great job of restricting the Japanese onslaught, only giving up four runs through five innings, a fantastic effort against the strongest U23 lineup in the world.
Aaron Whitefield and Sam Kennelly were Australia’s best offensively, both picking up two hits each. Kennelly drove both of Australia’s runs in during the seventh with a single up the middle. Guy Edmonds and Robbie Perkins were the other Australian players to claim hits.
Lachlan Madden had a strong relief outing, throwing 1.1 innings of scoreless baseball against Japan.
With that result, Australia has qualified second in Group B, and will more than likely face Mexico in their first game of the Super Round, beginning Friday morning.
To stay in touch with everything to do with the U23 World Cup, head to the Baseball Australia website.
Click here for the full box score.
