Baseball Victoria, Author at Baseball Victoria

On Friday a decision was taken by the Baseball Victoria not to cancel baseball this weekend after consultation and careful consideration.

The decision was taken in the knowledge that the heat policy would ensure games would not proceed where the temperature got above 34 for juniors and 38 for seniors.

The often unpredictable nature of Melbourne's weather and the variations in temperature across Melbourne and Victoria were taken into consideration.

A balance between allowing for games to proceed if possible and ensuring the health and wellbeing of players, coaches and umpires was decided upon.

Some sports proceeded this weekend relying on heat policies and others took the decision to cancel. The approach and decisions taken varied across sports.

As intended the heat policy operated and ensured protection as the weather became extreme.

Baseball Victoria would like to thank the many players, coaches, umpires, club volunteers, parents and families who attended games in the hope it could proceed only to not play as the temperature rose and rose.

We understand this caused some uncertainty and inconvenience. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

While the decision taken on Friday was based on trying to play if the weather conditions allowed, it was taken in the full knowledge the heat policy would protect our baseball community.

With an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather and improvements in the reliability of weather forecasts a review will be undertaken immediately to reconsider how to manage the balance between a desire to play and protection of players, coaches and umpires.

The Cheltenham Winter Baseball Club is seeking the services of an experienced baseball coach for the 2016 Winter season.

The club enters teams in the A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 grades in the seniors and U17 U15 U13 U11s in the Dandenong Baseball Association. We are the most successful club in the DBA winning the A grade premiership 12 times since 2000 and numerous other grade premierships.

Position requirements of the coach:

· Facilitate effective Thursday night Club training sessions during the Winter season; (April - September)

· Manage the firsts on game day;

· Support and assist selected coaches of other grades;

· Help encourage the continued development of the club's very successful junior program;

· Conduct selection meetings once a week;

· Implement a season training program that caters for a wide variety of skills right across the club;

· Attend all club functions and take an active leadership role within the club.

Key Selection Criteria

The applicant should:

· Have appropriate coaching qualifications and have coaching experience at a junior or senior level;

· Have highly developed communication skills;

· Be able to lead the club with pride and maturity both on and off the field;

· Have the ability to work with all players regardless of standard and skill level in a professional manner;

· Be able to maintain the high integrity of the club at all times;

· Be able to provide input into the long term strategic direction and planning of the club.

The position would be subject to a contract with remuneration to be negotiated with the selection committee.

Please forward your application addressing the Key Selection Criteria

To club president Pat ONeill at pat_me50@hotmail.com application will close on 26th January only successful candidates will be notified.

Dear All,

Please find below Hot Weather Release regarding this weekend's games.

Baseball Victoria Release

Thank you.

By Alexis Brudnicki - TheABL.com.au

MELBOURNE – After a tight battle between pitching staffs at the fifth-annual Australian Baseball League All-Star Game presented by Boral, Team Australia walked off the World All-Stars with a squeeze bunt to take the matchup 3-2 on Wednesday night at Melbourne Ballpark.

Coming into the tie ballgame to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth inning with a runner on third base, first-time all-star and CompassMarkets.com Sydney Blue Sox utility player Trent D’Antonio laid down the bunt to end the affair, giving the national squad its third victory in five Midsummer Classic games down under.

“It was an awesome game,” D’Antonio said. “The pitchers threw well and it’s always tough when you’re running out one pitcher after another to try and stay in it. I mean, it was a good first experience for me.

“I wasn’t really surprised by the squeeze, to be honest. That’s kind of part of my game, and [Team Australia] manager Jon Deeble knows that, so when I got the sign I thought it made sense. The game was a lot of fun, it really was.”

Representing the Brisbane Bandits, proudly presented by WellDog, outfielder Andrew Campbell scored the winning run for the home squad. Though he had some trouble not cheering for the five of his teammates he was playing against, the 23-year-old couldn’t have had more fun with the Aussie team.

“It was an awesome experience,” Campbell said. “That game was so close the whole time. That’s a good ballgame when you finish in the ninth inning like that. Everyone wants to win that way so it was good. It was exciting. I was happy to score for Australia at the end…It was good to get around the other Australian boys and we felt like a team tonight so it was good. It was good to win.”

After a similar finish last year for the national team, its skipper was happy to leave Melbourne Ballpark with another exciting win, and a look at many of the potential members of the upcoming squad for the World Baseball Classic qualifier, taking place in Sydney in February.

“It’s always great to come down here and play in this All-Star Game, and give our Australian kids a chance to play,” Deeble said. “When they get a chance to play, they’re really good. When you put that Australian uniform on, our guys take it up to another level. I thought we played really well tonight…

“And every time we go out and play, we go out to win. We were giving the kids a chance to play tonight to see what we’ve got [for the qualifier] and the guys really impressed us, the coaching staff. So there are going to be some guys here who are going to make this club.”

Craig Anderson got the start for the home team, and the left-hander representing the Blue Sox allowed one run on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts. The World All-Stars got out to an early lead against the southpaw, his teammate Rhys Hoskins plating the first run with a sacrifice fly in the opening frame.

Anderson was followed out of the bullpen with scoreless outings from right-hander Steven Chambers of the Adelaide Bite, proudly presented by SA Power Networks, Daniel Schmidt of the Alcohol. Think Again Perth Heat, and Sydney teammate Wayne Lundgren.

Steve Kent was the sole representative of the Canberra Elite Cavalry, and in his 1 1/3 innings of work for the Australian side, he allowed a solo home run to Bandits outfielder Justin Williams. The remaining members of both all-star squads from Canberra were unable to attend due to unexpected flight cancellations caused by inclement weather.

Sydney’s Aaron Sookee, the Bite’s Josh Tols and Matt Williams, and Brisbane’s Matt Timms and Ryan Searle all came on in relief and held the visitors off the board to finish the game. Searle earned the win after throwing a scoreless ninth before his team walked it off.

The World All-Stars used eight hurlers with Perth’s Edwin Carl getting the nod to start the game. Bandits southpaw Rick Teasley came out of the bullpen first and allowed two runs on two hits – to his Brisbane teammates Mitch Nilsson and Aaron Whitefield, the outfielder driving in both – with a walk.

Blue Sox hurlers Alex Balog and Calvin Drummond followed with scoreless appearances, with Jet Couriers Melbourne Aces pitchers Yasuo Sano and William Wu coming on for more of the same. Eric Green, the Bandits lefty voted in by the fans, kept the Aussies off the board for one inning before Bite pitcher Kody Kerski came on in the final frame, taking the loss after giving up one unearned run.

“They ran some really good arms out there tonight,” Deeble said. “There were some 95-96s for sure. They ran some good arms out there and they swung the bats particularly well too. I thought some balls they hit into the wind they hit pretty well but that’s Altona with the wind blowing in.”

The World squad was paced by Aces shortstop Tanner Vavra and Bandits utility player TJ Bennett, who had three hits apiece. On the home side, Brisbane shortstop Logan Wade had two hits, the offence led by some of the youngest players on the squad.

“It’s great to be back down here with the boys,” D’Antonio said of his first Team Australia appearance in almost a decade. “There were a lot of faces that I recognise from last time I was down here and a lot of faces that I knew, which was really good to see.

“We had a lot of young guys, so that’s good and bad that I’m one of the older guys now and in the [All-Star Game] for my first time, but Melbourne put on a good show and this was a great game.”

On Saturday 24 January at 1 p.m. at their home ground in Northcote, the Fitzroy Baseball Club will hold their annual Alcohol-Free Round where they encourage social responsibility and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, both of which are affected by the abuse of alcohol.

The Lions are aiming to create a carnival-style celebration for the whole family, with music, games for the kids, a BBQ and a fun baseball atmosphere for all those who attend.

Please see attached flyer for additional information.

La Trobe University Baseball Club is seeking a head coach for the 2016 winter season. Duties include but not limited to:

Appropriate coaching accreditation required and Working with Children check preferred. Contract terms negotiable with performance bonuses set by the committee.

For more information or to send an expression of interest, please contact latrobebaseball@gmail.com.

Baseball Victoria is proud to announce the two teams that will be competing in the 2016 Youth Women and National Women’s Championships.

Both are set to take place at the Narrabundah Ballpark in Canberra, with the youth women scheduled for 10 January to 15 January and the senior women beginning on the same day and finishing two days hence on 17 January.

The youth women’s head coach Rob Gell is very pleased with this year’s squad.

“The Victorian U16 Youth Women's baseball team for 2016 has been selected after a high quality tryout,” Gell said. “The coaching staff have been amazed with the ability and enthusiasm of the players. Although the team is quite young, with many of the girls available for the next one-to-two years, we expect that they will acquit themselves well, have fun and develop as baseball players.

“Our teams preparation has been first class and the girls are excited about what's ahead for them as they prepare to represent Victoria at the National Baseball Championships in January at Canberra. We welcome supporters to follow our team progress on our Team App: Victorian U16 Girls Baseball.”

The Youth Women’s National Championship roster:

Manager: Rob Gell
Assistant Coach: Paul Hung
Assistant Coach: Miffanwy Smith
Executive Officer: Jeanette Bevan

Jamieson Bastian

Gabby Bevan

Hanami Campitelli

Lili Cavanagh

Emma Chandler

Claire Costa

Emily Di Divine

Tori Elliott

Jaymee Hasset-Smith

Hannah Healy

Brooklyn Hutton

Emily Kline

Zoe Murphy

Becky Petty

Baylin Rousell

Maddison Singleton

Lara Watson

Jade Yuen

Bronwyn Gell, a veteran of previous tournaments and a key cog on this year’s team, had this to say about the current national squad:

“With less than a month before we head away, the team is coming along really well,” she said. “The girls are increasing their intensity on-and-off the field with the help of the dedicated coaches ensuring we are getting plenty of reps in.

“It is exciting to be part of the team. There is a lot of young talent and plenty of years of experience among the senior players, giving a great balance and atmosphere.”

The Women’s National Championship roster:

Head Coach: Dean Anglin
Assistant Coach: Shae Lillywhite (playing assistant)
Assistant Coach: Chris Goodrope
Pitching Coach: Joe Michaud
Executive Officer: Aimee Page

Leslie Anglin
Sinead Byrne-Connell
Belinda Cannington
Brittney Cedelland
Vanessa Clifford
Amy Collins
Madeline Davis
Emma French
Bronwyn Gell
Ellen Goodrope
Hannah Jackson
Abbey Kelly
Abbey McLellan
Georgia Page
Abe Reiko
Risa Tanaka

Supporters can follow the progress of the Victorian teams at the National Youth Championships with live scores, ladders, statistics and photographs on the Baseball Australia website.

A no-hitter by the Southern Mariners (B) team highlighted this slate of six games between the Under 12s in the Little League Charter & Junior League Charter Academy, this week hosted by Berwick and Blackburn. Last Saturday the Under 14s took the field. All previous iterations of the weekly wraps are also available.

Southern Mariners (A) 12, Northern Diamondbacks (Green) 6

A triumvirate of St Kilda Saints hurlers—Millar Kuhl, Ferris Sallka and Felix Brunner—led the Southern Mariners (A) squad to a resounding 12-6 win at the home of the Berwick Cougars on Saturday morning.

The Mariners stellar pitching buoyed their offense, helping them to score the maximum five runs in both the first and second inning and two more in the third. After three they held a commanding 12-1 lead.

Not dead yet, the D’Backs did all they could to resurrect their chances by plating five of their own runs in the top of the fourth. Joel Prpic, Connor Schibzci, Zachary Gorman and Harrison Green-Williams had hits for the Northern squad.

For the victorious side, Dylan Williamson, Balin O’Callaghan, Angus Newman, Charlie Pierson and Sallka had the hits for the Mariners.

The victory evened Southern’s record at 2-2 while the D’Backs (Green) fell to 1-3.

Northern Diamondbacks (Orange) 9, Southern Mariners (B) 5

The first win is always the toughest to get. So kudos to the Northern D’Backs (Orange) squad who triumphed for the first time in their fourth game. They did it by scoring runs early and often.

Five in the first and then four in the second was all they needed to prevail. The D’Backs were led by Mitch Nolan and Sam Skinner who each went 3-for-3 at the dish. Skinner also closed out the win with no runs and a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. Mace Poole started for Northern and got the victory.

Across the diamond the Mariners used six pitchers—Tom Connolly, Josh Tribe, Lachlan Smith, Matt Kaplan, Joel Poole, and Flynn Lhuedz—and were led at the plate by Ryan Langworthy (2-for-2); Cooper Williamson and Tyler Ellis each contributed a hit.

The Mariners fell to 2-2 in the comp.

Eastern Athletics (Green) 13, Geelong Baycats 6

A dominant start—four runs in each of the first two innings—and a resounding finish (five in the fourth) were more than enough to propel the Eastern Athletics (Green) team to their fourth straight win to begin the Little League Charter Academy slate.

The hit parade was led by trio of A’s: Nick Parton, Charles O’Connell and Finn Weichard, who each recorded two knocks. Zac Dawes, Hudson Priamo, Kobi Lyon and Kynan Jones all had one hit for the winning side.

The Baycats scored once in the first and five in the fifth to account for the final score. Of Geelong’s four hits, Hayden Peoples had two of them, including a booming home run. Hudson Carter and Noah Brennan added the other two hits to the ledger.

With the loss, the Baycats fell to 2-3.

Southern Mariners (A) 8, Northern Diamondbacks (Orange) 3

Topping off a fantastic sweep, the Southern Mariners (A) scored runs in every inning to down the D’Backs 8-3.

Dylan Williamson, Angus Newman and Charlie Pierson all pitched very well for the winning side, surrendering a mere three runs in the four frames.

At bat, Newman had two hits including a double and both Felix Brunner and Ferris Sallka contributed singles.

For the D’Backs, Sam Skinner had a double amongst his two hits and Sam Kilikoski registered a single.

The loss is the D’Backs fourth in five games.

Southern Mariners (B) 8, Northern Diamondbacks (Green) 1

For the first time in either the Junior or Little League Charter games this season there has been a no-hitter! Congratulations to the fantastic foursome—Tyler Ellis (1.1 innings pitched), Cooper Williamson (.2), Ryan Langworthy (1.1) and James Lynch (the final two-thirds of an inning)—on an amazing accomplishment.

At bat, Ben Campbell, Joel Poole, Lynch and Connolly and all had hits for the Mariners.

Billy Kolyniuk, Angus Stals and Josh Dawson pitched for the D’Backs, who dropped to 1-4 with the defeat.

Eastern Athletics (Gold) 7, Geelong Baycats 3

While not yet as successful as their Eastern Athletics (Green) brethren, the Gold squad have still set quite the high standard.

That exalted status was further illuminated by their 7-3 victory at Blackburn’s home ground. Despite being down 3-1 after two, the Gold squad scored once in the fourth to trim the deficit to one and then five times in the bottom of the fifth to provide the winning margin.

The victorious Athletics had six hits—two from Jack Ranonin and one each courtesy of Ryan Othen, Bronson Neave, Will Stone and Ethan Scabo—while the Baycats had five. Like in the opener (and really for the entire season) Hayden Peoples dominated, accumulating another two hits. Noah Brennan, Jordan Baumann and Cooper Rickard also had knocks for the Baycats.

Of note: the first inning ended on a perfectly executed run-down between third base and home plate by Geelong. Rickard also played well in left field, catching two towering fly balls.

Here is how the comp stands after three rounds: https://sportsdesq.imgstg.com/portal/index.cfm?fuseaction=competition&competitionID=10393&OrgID=16724&clubOrganisationId=0##ladder. It’s the Under 14s turn to again take the field. Six games—four at Blackburn and two at Newport’s home ground—are scheduled for Saturday 19 December from 9 a.m. Check back here for a full report of all six games.

Southern Mariners (A) 12, Northern Diamondbacks (Green) 6

For the victorious side, Dylan Williamson, Balin O’Callaghan, Angus Newman, Charlie Pierson and Sallka had the hits for the Mariners.

The victory evened Southern’s record at 2-2 while the D’Backs (Green) fell to 1-3.

Northern Diamondbacks (Orange) 9, Southern Mariners (B) 5

The first win is always the toughest to get. So kudos to the Northern D’Backs (Orange) squad who triumphed for the first time in their fourth game. They did it by scoring runs early and often.

The Mariners fell to 2-2 in the comp.

Eastern Athletics (Green) 13, Geelong Baycats 6

With the loss, the Baycats fell to 2-3.

Southern Mariners (A) 8, Northern Diamondbacks (Orange) 3

Topping off a fantastic sweep, the Southern Mariners (A) scored runs in every inning to down the D’Backs 8-3.

Dylan Williamson, Angus Newman and Charlie Pierson all pitched very well for the winning side, surrendering a mere three runs in the four frames.

At bat, Newman had two hits including a double and both Felix Brunner and Ferris Sallka contributed singles.

For the D’Backs, Sam Skinner had a double amongst his two hits and Sam Kilikoski registered a single.

The loss is the D’Backs fourth in five games.

Southern Mariners (B) 8, Northern Diamondbacks (Green) 1

At bat, Ben Campbell, Joel Poole, Lynch and Connolly and all had hits for the Mariners.

Billy Kolyniuk, Angus Stals and Josh Dawson pitched for the D’Backs, who dropped to 1-4 with the defeat.

Eastern Athletics (Gold) 7, Geelong Baycats 3

While not yet as successful as their Eastern Athletics (Green) brethren, the Gold squad have still set quite the high standard.

Of note: the first inning ended on a perfectly executed run-down between third base and home plate by Geelong. Rickard also played well in left field, catching two towering fly balls.

Doncaster 10, Footscray 5

Thanks to Samantha Hamilton and Amy McCann’s penchants for hits, the host Dragons doubled up the Bulldogs, 10-5. Hamilton went 3-4 with a double, walk, two runs scored and two runs batted in. McCann also was 3-4, but with a couple two baggers, a run scored and four RBI.

Belinda Cannington did her best Bryce Harper imitation by having just one official plate appearance (a double) yet scored four runs thanks to a base on balls and two hit by pitches.

On the mound, Erin Collis started and threw 72 pitches (47 for strikes) with Kate Lethborg (17 balls, six strikes, 23 pitches) and McCann (10-9-19) pitching the remainder of the contest.

The victory pushes Doncaster’s record to 5-6—good for third on the ladder—while Footscray falls to 3-9 (fourth).

Springvale 16, Essendon 7

In a showdown between the league’s two best teams, the Lions mauled the Bombers, 16-7.

Springvale started the scoring by plating two in the top of the first. Undeterred, Essendon responded by scoring four in the bottom half of the frame. After swapping single runs in the second, the Lions took control in the top of the fourth, scoring twice. They then added two in the fifth, five in the sixth and four in the seventh to provide the winning margin.

Bronwyn Gell (3-4 with a triple, walk, two runs scored and two stolen bases) led the Bombers; Courtney Foura and Abbey Kelly also had two hits each. Kelly and Vibeke Pedersen both contributed two RBI to the cause.

The Lions victory allowed them to open up a two game lead on Essendon.

Malvern was idle.

Belinda Cannington did her best Bryce Harper imitation by having just one official plate appearance (a double) yet scored four runs thanks to a base on balls and two hit by pitches.

On the mound, Erin Collis started and threw 72 pitches (47 for strikes) with Kate Lethborg (17 balls, six strikes, 23 pitches) and McCann (10-9-19) pitching the remainder of the contest.

The victory pushes Doncaster’s record to 5-6—good for third on the ladder—while Footscray falls to 3-9 (fourth).

Springvale 16, Essendon 7

In a showdown between the league’s two best teams, the Lions mauled the Bombers, 16-7.

The Lions victory allowed them to open up a two game lead on Essendon.

Malvern was idle.