SENIOR LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
ASIA-PACIFIC (Southern Mariners) vs. Maine District, 5 August 2016
The Southern Mariners have done the impossible with a 5 run bottom of the seventh to record a walk off win against the undefeated team from Maine and advance to the Senior League World Series Final.
The Mariners were playing catch-up baseball for the majority of the day and trailed 6-2 with their final three outs remaining. What happened next is something these kids will never forget.
Jai Lyttleton led off the bottom of the seventh with his second hit of the game. Taj Clayton then walked and when Aidan Willis singled to left, the bases were loaded with none out and the door was ajar for the Mariners.
Jordan Barnett's third hit of the game plated Lyttleton to make it 6-3 and when Jack Dunn drove in two more with a base knock to left, the Mariners were back in the game: trailing 6-5 with runners at the corners and still none out.
Josh Meyer then struck out but not before Dunn was able to steal second, putting the winning run on second base and in scoring position. Maine pitched around Ciaran Palmer to put him on first and once again load them up, giving the hosts a chance to escape the jam with a double play ball. Enter John Callil for his first AB of the game.
With two strikes on him, Callil grounded a ball to third. The ball was fired to second for one out but bobbled in the transfer allowing Dunn to score from second, sending the Mariners to the Senior League World Series final.
Time Lane battled hard on the hill giving up 10 hits and six runs (three earned) for his 4.1 innings of work while Jordan Barnett picked up the win with his two innings of scoreless relief work. In the box, Barnett kept the scorers busy with three hits while Jai Lyttleton and Aidan Willis both recorded multiple hit games.
The Mariners will be the first team from the Asia Pacific region to play off in a Senior League World Series Final.
The Mariners will now play Central (the only team to beat the Mariners) in the World Series final on Sunday 7 August at 4:00AM AEST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN but stay tuned for more way you'll be able to follow all the action.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| MAINE DISTRICT | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 0 |
| ASIA-PACIFIC (Mariners) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
Back-to-back ABL Championship Series rematches, and a potentially pivotal Hume Highway Cup Series highlight the 2016/17 Australian Baseball League schedule.
For the first time in the current ABL, the Brisbane Bandits proudly presented by WellDog will enter the 2016/17 season as defending champions, and will begin their title defence against the Canberra Cavalry at Holloway Field. The Bandits lock horns with the SA Power Networks Adelaide Bite in consecutive series, with the first clash between the two teams scheduled in Adelaide on the 15 December.
After consecutive ABL Championship Series defeats, the Adelaide Bite have a point to prove. The team from the city of churches will head back to Holloway Field to face the Bandits on 29 December, and with four of their final six series at home, the Bite will again look to challenge for the Claxton Shield.
If perennial ABL powerhouse, the Alcohol. ThinkAgain Perth Heat are aiming to regain the Claxton Shield, they’ll need to make the most of the second half of their season, with tough back-to-back road trips to Brisbane and Adelaide looming large in January.
For the JetCouriers Melbourne Aces, the schedule is highlighted by an opening series blockbuster against the Perth Heat and their final two pre-Christmas series at home against Canberra and Sydney.
The Compass Global Markets Sydney Blue Sox host the Adelaide Bite in their opening series of the year, and face three season defining road trips to Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide in the second half of their season.
After a second place finish last season, the Canberra Cavalry will look to go one better in season 2016/17. The team from the nation’s capital have three of their first five series at The Fort, and will travel to Sydney for the penultimate series and a chance to retain the Hume Highway Cup.
Following the launch of the 2016/17 ABL draw, the League will unveil in coming weeks the schedule for the Playoffs, new broadcast schedule and gameday ticketing information. Club Memberships are now on sale.
Download your club’s ABL draw straight to your digital calendar using eCal. This season the ABL has partnered with eCal, the world’s leading sporting calendar service, which will deliver all your important club information direct to your daily digital organiser including live-streaming links, ticketing information, club events and much more. Click this link to download now.
To view your club's full 2016/17 ABL fixture, CLICK HERE.
Photo (L-R): Myles Foreman (BV President), Justin Huber (Aces General Manager), Ashley Blair (BV General Manager).
Following the announcement that Baseball Australia (BA) has secured 100% ownership of the Australian Baseball League (ABL), Baseball Victoria (BV) can confirm that the Melbourne Aces will fall under the auspice of BV from the 2016-17 season.
Since it’s re-inception in 2010 the ABL has operated as a joint venture between BA and Major League Baseball (MLB) with today’s announcement presenting a number new opportunities to move baseball forward in Victoria.
Despite having withdrawn their funding from the ABL, Major League Baseball will continue to support baseball in Australia by supporting a number of high performance and development programs.
Following the announcement BV President Myles Foreman said:
“This is a significant step for Victoria given the lack of integration between BV and the Aces historically.
“While we have worked hard to improve this over the last 18 months, we will now take the integration one step further”.
Justin Huber will remain as the General Manager of the Melbourne Aces and has mirrored the comments of BV’s president.
“It’s going to give us access to some extra resources we haven’t previously had available but from a baseball perspective: it’ll give us better integration between the Aces and BV’s high performance programs which means more opportunities for Victorian players to develop and be exposed to professional baseball”.
The ABL will fund all League and Team related operating costs for the coming season with BV General Manager Ashley Blair saying the impact on member Clubs and Associations was BV’s first consideration when it came to a decision on taking on the Aces.
“The most important thing for our member Associations and Clubs to note is that it will be business as usual.
“We’re excited to support the Aces with key operational functions and responsibilities for the coming season but it won’t detract from the current services being provided at the grassroots level of baseball in Victoria”.
“The new structure aligns to our key strategy of a one sport approach of governing all aspects of the sport in Victoria 12 months of the year as well as help achieve our core objective of: gain, train and retain”.
Former President and Board Member of BA and current BV Board Member Geoff Pearce will sit on an ABL Strategic Advisory Committee as Victoria’s representative, charged with overseeing and monitoring the ABL competition with the goal of developing a long-term operational framework for the ABL.
On confirmation of the new structure, the ABL has also released a preliminary schedule for the 2016-17 season which will commence on 17 November 2016.
SENIOR LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
ASIA-PACIFIC (Southern Mariners) vs. Latin America, 4 August 2016
Wednesday was a rough outing for Josh Meyer, but Asia-Pacific still managed to pull out a 13-7 victory over Latin America in seven innings at Mansfield Stadium | Bangor, ME.
Meyer allowed six in 1 2/3, but the bullpen gave up just one more as the offense banged out 12 hits to pick up the slack and secure the win for Asia-Pacific.
Jordan Barnett racked up three RBIs on three hits for Asia-Pacific including a second inning triple and single base knocks in the second and fourth.
Latin America was hurt by a number of miscues in the field, committing three errors which led to two unearned runs for Asia-Pacific.
Jai Lyttleton got it done on the bump. He allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings. Lyttleton struck out one, walked three and gave up seven hits but most importantly gave up just a single marker in the top of the seventh on his way to recording the win.
Latin America’s Saul Burgos ended up on the wrong side of the pitching decision, charged with the loss after lasting just 1 2/3 innings, walking one, striking out two, and allowing three runs.
It didn't take long for Asia-Pacific to recover a slow start after Latin America’s four-run first as they went on to score in every inning.
The win now sees the Southern Mariners representing the Asian-Pacific region advance to the tournament semi-finals tomorrow where they face the undefeated Maine at 10am AEST.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Latin America | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 3 |
| Asia-Pacific (Mariners) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | X | 13 | 12 | 2 |
Baseball Australia (BA) is pleased to announce that it has recently secured 100% ownership of the Australian Baseball League (ABL) – which will enter its seventh season in November 2016.
Baseball Australia (BA) is pleased to announce that it has recently secured 100% ownership of the Australian Baseball League (ABL) – which will enter its seventh season in November 2016.
The ABL is a national competition with teams in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. Since its inception in 2010, the ABL has operated as a joint venture between Major League Baseball (MLB) and BA, founded upon a 20+ year relationship between BA and MLB in Australia.
The ABL has flourished as a result of the unique relationship between BA and MLB, one of the premier sporting organisations in the world. This relationship is a highly integrated international relationship that does not exist with any other sport in Australia.
The ABL has achieved some outstanding national results in its first 6 years, in a very competitive Australian sports market:
· Over 930,000 matchday tickets sold (with double digit annual growth)
· 19 Players have gone on to make their MLB debut
· Over 350 Australians have signed professional contracts
· More than 1.95 billion total TV, web, print and radio impressions
· Over $9.6M in sponsorship revenue
· 82.3% of the adult fanbase is 18-35 years old
· Grassroots growth has never been stronger with Australian Little League the fastest growing region in the world with 11,645 participants.
BA, with the support of its key stakeholders, is now in a position to build on that foundation and benefit from BA’s longstanding relationship with MLB.
A key component of BA assuming control of the ABL is the signing of a 3-year development agreement between MLB and BA, whereby MLB will continue its support of the growth of Australian Baseball through investment in a range of activities including youth academies, grassroots initiatives and promotional programs.
Over the past six seasons, the ABL has established itself as not only the cornerstone of BA’s High Performance program, but as its key asset in the marketing and development of the game in non-traditional baseball markets.
The ABL provides a clear pathway for the development of Australia’s best Baseball talent. With an announcement by the International Olympic Committee set for August 2016 regarding Baseball’s possible inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the ABL will continue to support the development of our emerging talent and provide great opportunities for supporters of Baseball, and those new to the game, to engage with the sport.
Plans are well advanced for the delivery of the 2016/17 ABL Season, which is set to commence in mid-November 2016. The CEO of BA, Brett Pickett, is hugely excited about recent developments.
“MLB has been an incredible partner for over 20 years,” said Pickett.
“On behalf of everyone involved in Australian Baseball, I thank MLB for all it has done for the game in our country. We could not have re-established the ABL without the support of MLB. Today represents a watershed moment whereby the Australian Baseball community can take control of its own League within an environment of continued support by MLB for the development of Baseball in Australia.”
“2016 is a big year for Australian Baseball in so many ways - with club-membership on the rise, an internationally recognised pathways program, a well-established National Youth Championships program, a national High Performance program which will see no less than 10 international tours in the coming 12-months, BA taking 100% ownership of the ABL, and the pending 2020 Olympics announcement – the future is looking bright.”
"BA’s decision to acquire 100% ownership of the ABL would not have been achieved without the support of our member State and Territory bodies who have been integrally involved throughout this entire process,” said Pickett.
Confirming the new ownership structure, the ABL also announced the 2016-2017 Draw, with Round 1 set to commence on Thursday 17 November 2016.
The 40 game season will consist of 10 rounds, five home and five away, with the much anticipated ABL All Star game presented by Boral coming after round five.
Following the launch of the 2016/17 ABL draw, the League will unveil in coming weeks the schedule for the Playoffs, new broadcast schedule and gameday ticketing information.
Download your club’s ABL draw straight to your digital calendar using eCal. This season the ABL has partnered with eCal, the world’s leading sporting calendar service, which will deliver all your important club information direct to your daily digital organiser including live-streaming links, ticketing information, club events and much more. Click here to download your club's fixture.
Click here for full ABL 2016/17 draw.
Download your club’s ABL draw straight to your digital calendar using eCal. This season the ABL has partnered with eCal, the world’s leading sporting calendar service, which will deliver all your important club information direct to your daily digital organiser including live-streaming links, ticketing information, club events and much more. Click here to download your club's fixture.
Click here for full ABL 2016/17 draw.
The Asian region pools for the premier international baseball tournament, the World Baseball Classic (WBC) 2017 have been finalised, with Australia scheduled to take on Japan (ranked #1), Cuba (#5) and China (#18) in Tokyo in March 2017.
The Tokyo Dome will host both the first and second round pools, with pool play getting underway on the 7th of March. Australia needs to finish either first or second in their pool to advance to the second round.
Team Australia manager Jon Deeble is excited by facing the #1 ranked team in the world.
“I’m really excited we’re in this pool,” Deeble said.
“It will give us a chance to go up against some of the best teams in the world in Japan and Cuba.”
The Australian side will look for an improved performance at the WBC after getting some all-important match practice at Honkbalweek in the Netherlands last month.
Honkbalweek was a valuable experience for Team Australia leading into the WBC according to manager Jon Deeble.
“Honkbalweek was very important as it gave us a chance to see the guys who aren't in pro ball, as well as seeing who possibly could help us in the WBC,” Deeble said.
“It also allowed us to get some of our experienced guys like Luke Hughes, Trent Oeltjen and David Kandilas some at bats against quality opposition in the off season.”
Australia is currently ranked 13th in the world, and according to Team Australia Manager Jon Deeble; the Australian Baseball League will be an important part of preparation for the WBC.
"The ABL season and the ABL All-Star game will be vital for our selections,” Deeble said.
The management and Board of Baseball Victoria (BV) are in the early stages of reviewing all governance within the sport and part of this review is to determine the best possible structure and approach to overseeing the Victorian Summer Baseball League (VSBL).
The current management and Board have been involved in a number of discussions with the Victorian Summer Baseball League Competitions Committee (VSBLCC) since the conclusion of the 2015/16 season. It was felt that the VSBLCC who were previously charged with setting the rules and structure of the VSBL didn’t have the right tools available to them to influence change and help continue to grow the sport.
As member Clubs and Associations had previously been notified, the result of these discussions was that the current committee was to be disbanded for the upcoming 2016/17 season.
BV President Myles Foreman commented after the latest Presidents and Secretaries meeting saying:
“This is not a decision we took lightly.
“The outgoing VSBLCC did a good job and we thank them for their (in some cases) years of service.
“Baseball entering a period of change and everybody felt the time was right for a complete review of the current VSBL and ensure we’re operating under the correct structures to continue to increase participation in the sport and further develop players”.
General Manager of BV Ashley Blair mirrored the President’s comments saying:
“The VSBL needs to align to our key strategy of a one sport approach of governing all aspects of the sport in Victoria 12 months of the year as well as help achieve our core objective of: gain, train and retain.
“As per previous seasons, BV will continue to administer the VSBL with no rule or structural changes for the forthcoming season”.
SUMMER LEAGUE REVIEW WORKING GROUP | Calling for nominations
Following the move to disband the VSBLCC, BV is in the early stages of putting together a Summer League Review Working Group and are currently calling for nominations.
The purpose of the Working Group will be to review the entire competition structure and rules moving forward. All nomination/applications will be assess by BV’s General Manager and Director responsible for the Pathways, Competitions & Tournaments Portfolio.
SUMMER LEAGUE REVIEW WORKING GROUP | TERMS OF REFERENCE
Applicants will be assessed on their capacity to contribute to the group, capability, commitment and enthusiasm to work collaboratively to improved specified areas of baseball in Victoria.
All nominations can be sent via:
Daniel Garrood
Baseball Operations Coordinator
Daniel.Garrood@baseballvictoria.com.au
In your application you should address:
Applications will close on Friday, 2 September 2016 with successful applicants notified no later than Friday 23 September.
Match Report courtesy of BASEBALL AUSTRALIA
SENIOR LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
ASIA-PACIFIC (Southern Mariners) vs. SOUTHWEST, 3 August 2016
Despite giving up an early run, the Southern Mariners battled hard, scoring two late runs and overcoming pre-tournament favourites Southwest 2-1 in dramatic circumstances.
After giving up an early run, Jayson Arthur settled nicely into his starting role, not giving up a hit after the first inning.
Josh Meyer was the only Mariners player to pick up two hits, while Ciaran Palmer, Taj Clayton and John Paul Callil all claimed a hit each.
The sixth inning proved the difference, with an error from the Southwest first baseman allowing a pair of Mariners to score.
Jordan Barnett was immense on the mound for the Mariners in relief, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings and striking out two in the process.
The final inning was not without drama though, as with two out, a line drive from Southwest’s Jalen Battles gave Matthew Castro a chance to tie the ballgame up, however an incredible throw from Aiden Willis in centrefield was picture perfect, with catcher Ciaran Palmer making the tag for the third out, sealing a famous victory for the Southern Mariners.
The Mariners continue their journey at the Senior League World Series again Latin America at 7am AEST on Thursday August 4.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Southwest | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Asia-Pacific (Mariners) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | X | 2 | 5 | 0 |
Match Report courtesy of BASEBALL AUSTRALIA
SENIOR LEAGUE WORLD SERIES
ASIA PACIFIC (Southern Mariners) vs. CENTRAL, 2 August 2016
The Southern Mariners held a five run lead in the middle innings, but it wasn’t enough as Central clawed their way back to claim a 13-8 victory.
The Mariners swung the bat well in what was their first loss as a team, after going through the state, national and Asia-Pacific tournaments undefeated.
The hits were shared, with Josh Meyer going 3-for-4 while Jack Dunn and Jayson Arthur picked up a pair of hits each.
Mariners starting pitched Jackson Boyd toiled in the loss, throwing four tough innings, while Jordan Barnett cooled Central’s offence, throwing a scoreless inning of relief. Rydge Hogan drove in four runs against a strong Central defence, including one of the six runs scored in the fourth inning.
The Mariners continue their tournament early tomorrow morning (3am AEST) against the winner of Southwest and East.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Southern Mariners | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 2 |
| Central | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 | X | 13 | 13 | 3 |