Oscar Hargreaves is busy living out his college baseball dreams. The Victorian State Team player is now in his second year at Williston State College in North Dakota, having stayed overseas for the U.S. summer ball season.

After growing up playing grassroots baseball with local clubs Greensborough, Preston, and Waverley, Hargreaves took everything he learned in club ball and BV High Performance training and set off for college in the American Midwest last year.

Great First Year On The Field

The second baseman's first year of college baseball proved awesome.

"My team, school, and town were all extremely welcoming which made it very easy to settle in," Hargreaves said. "The baseball aspect was like something I hadn’t ever experienced before. I had to get into a routine very quickly otherwise I felt like I would fall too far behind early. Throughout the whole fall, we ran as a team at 6am every weekday morning and practiced almost every day in the afternoon."

That consistent training combined with exhibition games helped Hargreaves and his fellow Tetons get ready for the season. By the time spring rolled around, they were ready to go, starting every weekday morning off strong with 5am practice or team gym lifts.

One of the standout moments for Hargreaves was a March trip to Tucson, Arizona to play in a tournament before their conference games began.

"Tucson was definitely a highlight of my freshman year," he said. "We played a total of 11 games in 14 days in Tucson, which felt a lot like the state tournaments back home in Australia."

Making it to the regional championship after finishing second in the conference tournament was another highlight, as the Tetons went 34-15 overall. The first season taught Hargreaves a lot, as he went 55 for 164 for a .335 average in 46 games.

"My favourite thing about college baseball so far would have to be playing and practicing every day. College baseball doesn’t really have off days," he said. "There is almost always something that you could be doing that day which I really like as it keeps me busy and gives me something to look forward to every day. Another enjoyable thing is the people you meet and friendships you make that will last a lifetime."

Hargreaves credits junior baseball in Victoria with helping him prepare for the competitive side of college baseball.

"College baseball is a grind, everyone has to earn their spots, no matter if you’re a returner or new to the program. I feel that as I moved up the ranks in junior baseball and had to earn a position on the field every year was quite similar to how college baseball works," he explained. "At a representative level I learnt how to be around the team and live with teammates. This was a big help for me as I felt like the transition to college baseball was somewhat easier as I had already experienced living with teammates while travelling with representative teams. In college you’re around your teammates 24/7, especially if you live in dorm rooms with them."

Staying for Summer Ball

After finding his groove as a freshman, Hargreaves decided to stay for the summer ball season. He headed to Augusta, Kansas to compete in the Kansas Collegiate Baseball League (KCBL) with the Kansas Cannons, who played a total of 46 games with a 37-9 record. The infielder gained a lot from this experience and playing against a high level of competition and finished with a .354 summer batting average, the second-highest on the Cannons.

"I was able to learn new things from different coaches as well as from the other players that I played with. Another major positive was the ability to make connections with new coaches that could possibly help me transfer to a 4-year school after I finish my sophomore year at junior college," Hargreaves added.

Hargreaves embraced the opportunity to continue playing every day, although he missed his family and friends. Even so, he's not taking his time overseas for granted and enjoys being surrounded by different sporting teams and athletes, including college voleyball, basketball, hockey, and softball.

He also wasn't the only Aussie, or Victorian for that matter, to stay for summer ball. He was joined by catcher and fellow state representative Mason Wray who also played for the Cannons. The duo met up with Ben Fierenzi, who played for the Hays Larks after his season with Arizona Western College. Victorians Henry Hayman, Riley Light, and Kobe Greenhalgh were a few others who took part in summer ball.

Looking to the Future

After freshman year and summer ball, Hargreaves is eager to keep improving and chasing his goals both on and off the field.

"One major goal that I have for myself in a baseball setting is to continue to grow my knowledge for the game as well as to get bigger and stronger in the weight room," Hargreaves said. "In the classroom I want to strive to maintain my 4.0 GPA so that I can get academic scholarship money when I transfer to a university."

Hargreaves hopes to continue his collegiate career by studying kinesiology or sport science and seeing where his baseball journey can take him. His advice for players looking to follow in his footsteps is to stick at it and focus on their strengths, while also embracing the fun of junior baseball before the competition gets more serious.

"Another big thing is not comparing yourself to your peers as college baseball has taught me that everyone has their own skill sets and are different to each other," Hargreaves said. "One last piece of advice I’d give to junior players is to just have fun. You hear it all the time as a junior, but you never really realise the importance of it until it’s finished. College baseball will always be there for you, but junior baseball goes by so fast. Junior baseball was some of the most fun I’ve ever had playing the game."

The 2022/23 VSBL season is off to a fantastic start with seniors, masters, and juniors now underway.

Make sure to follow along this season with the VSBL Facebook page and BV Twitter/Instagram/TikTok.

As a reminder, you can view all fixtures HERE or check out VSBL resources HERE.

All players, coaches, and volunteers must register to be covered by insurance – please click HERE to access club registration links if you haven’t already.

Women's Week 2

Seniors Week 2

Masters Week 2

In Masters 38+ East, Upwey Ferntree Gully recorded two victories, with the Gold team winning 10-0 over Research Lower Plenty and the Tigers Black team overpowering Monash/Ormond Glenhuntly 9-2. Waverley won 13-2 vs. the Hunters and Melbourne held on for a 9-8 win against Blackburn.

Masters 38+ North West featured Newport's 10-3 victory over Port Melbourne and Williamstown's 10-4 win vs. Werribee.

Essendon Bombers shut out Fitzroy 15-0 and the Jets battled back against Pivot City for an 8-7 win. Sunshine Blue won 18-1 in a memorable matchup against their fellow Eagles (and many new players!) on the White team.

In Masters 38+ South, Springvale and Bonbeach put on two competitive games, with the Bigcats bouncing back to win 4-3 and the Tomatoes winning 4-2.

Cheltenham tied it up in the last inning but Sandringham scored a pair to end the game up 7-5. Mornington scored 19 runs and gave up six in a win over Chelsea.

Blackburn won 8-4 at Sandringham in Masters 45+ as Malvern battled back for a 5-3 win against Melbourne.

Juniors Week 1

Mulgrave opened the U14 East Metro season with a 5-1 win over Doncaster, while Blackburn finished 15-0 up vs. Melbourne. Cheltenham got a 12-6 victory against Malvern as Waverley won 13-4 at Upwey Ferntree Gully.

In U14 West Metro, Research Lower Plenty came from behind to win 10-7 against Sunshine as North Western recorded a 15-6 victory over Newport/ Footscray.

Geelong's U14 West State racked up the runs in a 17-3 win vs. Sunshine while Research Lower Plenty did the same, finishing 11-4 in front of Essendon.

In U16 Metro, Fitzroy's battle of the Lions saw the Maroon side overpower Blue 16-7. Waverley also had a big day at the plate, scoring 18 and giving up just one to Blackburn/Doncaster.

Sandringham held off North Western for a 9-5 win as Malvern beat Port Melbourne 14-10. Research Lower Plenty/Preston captured the lead late to overcome Werribee 12-11. Essendon finished 26-2 up over Williamstown.

St Kilda's U18 Metro brought the offense in a 29-1 win over Sunshine while Doncaster beat Cheltenham 13-3.

In U18 State, Blackburn/Upwey FTG shut out Melbourne 11-0 while Bonbeach/Moorabbin won 15-4 over Newport.

Geelong scored 11 runs and gave up only one to Sunshine as Malvern overpowered Werribee 16-1.

Sandringham started scoring early, finishing with 11 runs to Waverley's five. Essendon won 17-1 at Research Lower Plenty/ Preston.

Baseball Australia has locked in an exciting summer of baseball for talented young players.

Over the course of late December into early January, in partnership with Perfect Game, six international teams will be arriving on our shores to play a series of 48 games over nine days against Under 18 state squads in Brisbane, Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney.

The games, held from 29 December to 6 January, will provide additional competition opportunities for players who will be going on to play at the 2023 Australian Youth Championships in mid-January.

The Australian Youth Championships will be held a Blacktown International Sports Park, where both the Under 16 and Under 18 events will be held for the first time since January 2020. Players will arrive into Sydney on 9 January prior to taking part in showcase activities and workouts presented by Perfect Game on 10-11 January.

Teams will then move into six double header days of completion to crown the Australian Champions with the finals being played on 17 January. In all, over 60 games will be played across the six days of competition, with all games on field one broadcasted and games on fields two and three also streamed.

Click HERE to read the full story from Baseball Australia and stay tuned for BV updates on state team selection.

Baseball Victoria is excited to announce our new Diamond Partnership Program, aimed at streamlining and strengthening community connections with an opportunity that puts all partners on an even playing field.

This new program invites businesses and organisations to sign up for one of our four partnership levels: Single, Double, Triple, and Home Run. All partnerships include promotion across BV platforms and products to reach our growing baseball member base.

“We are dedicated to supporting and growing the game at all levels, and partnerships and potential sponsorships will play an important role,” BV CEO Chet Gray said. “We would love to recognise more businesses and organisations as official partners of baseball in Victoria. Not only will partners receive greater exposure through BV communication channels, but they will also have priority access to future sponsorship opportunities.”

“We thank all the organisations who have supported grassroots baseball over the years, and we look forward to a bigger and brighter future for Victorian baseball with exciting opportunities for everyone to get involved.”

BV is pleased to have Ausport, Fullhammer, and School Sport Victoria as Home Run Partners for 2022/23.

Learn more about our Diamond Partners and check out opportunities to get involved HERE.

We had a great start to the 2022/23 VSBL season with seniors taking the field for a beautiful weekend of baseball.

We hope everyone enjoys this upcoming round, and a special good luck to all juniors hitting the field for their first summer games.

As a reminder, you can view all fixtures HERE or check out VSBL resources HERE.

All players, coaches, and volunteers must register to be covered by insurance – please click HERE to access club registration links if you haven’t already.

Make sure to follow along this season with the VSBL Facebook page and BV Twitter/Instagram/TikTok.

Women's Week 1

In Women’s Division 1, reigning premiers Doncaster won 27-0 over Footscray while Springvale and Essendon were locked in a tight battle, finishing in a 5-5 draw.

Women’s Division 2 saw three high-scoring games, including Doncaster's 17-5 win over North Western, Springvale's 16-5 victory vs. Geelong, and Newport's close 10-8 result against Melbourne.

In Women’s Division 3 East, Waverley Black overpowered Upwey Ferntree Gully late to win 13-12. Waverley Red scored seven in the final frame for a 12-6 win over Malvern, while Research Lower Plenty and Preston drew with 11 runs apiece.

In Women’s Division 3 South, Chelsea won 24-3 over Berwick, Springvale outlasted St Kilda 15-10, and South East Warriors put up three seven-run frames for a 21-6 victory against Pakenham.

Mitchell Majors debuted against Fitzroy in Women's Division 3 West, with the Lions coming away 19-4 winners. Alfredton collected 11 hits in a 16-8 win over North Western, while Newport won 21-7 vs. Williamstown.

A back-and-forth battle ended with Werribee up 13-12 over Essendon, plus Geelong finished 17-4 against Port Melbourne.

Seniors Week 1

In Division 1 Firsts, Reigning premiers Upwey Ferntree Gully got the job done in 11 innings, besting Sunshine 5-3. Berwick collected six hits and gave up just one in a 3-1 victory over Geelong.

Malvern blanked Sandringham 4-0, while Waverley came back to win 7-4 against Melbourne at home. Moorabbin prevailed 6-4 against Blackburn and Essendon opened with a 7-3 win over Mulgrave.

In Division 3 Firsts, Mornington won 21-11 vs. Geelong and Sandringham earned a 22-1 victory over Port Melbourne. Pakenham finished in front of Footscray, 15-10.

Division 4 East saw Waverley Black and Waverley Red win 16-1 and 15-2 against Research Lower Plenty Black and Gold, respectively. Research Maroon picked up an 11-4 win over Doncaster and Monash University finished 13-6 against Blackburn.

In Division 4 North, Alfredton opened the season with a 14-1 win over Footscray while Mitchell Majors held on for an 11-8 victory against Greensborough. North Coburg recorded a 14-3 win vs. Fitzroy Maroon and Essendon went 8-0 against Fitzroy Blue.

Springvale's Division 4 South side got a 16-1 win over Chelsea Blue, but Chelsea White jumped on the board with a 10-8 victory vs. Mornington.

Masters Week 1

In Masters 38+ East, Waverley opened the season with a 14-3 win vs. Monash University/Ormond Glenhuntly while Blackburn took home an 8-0 victory over the Hunters.

Masters 38+ North West saw Essendon come away with two wins as the Jets went 8-2 vs. Port Melbourne and the Bombers shut out Sunshine Blue 5-0.

Williamstown fought back to win 8-7 over Newport as Fitzroy and Pivot City drew 4-4. Sunshine White and Werribee also ended in a draw with five runs apiece.

Bonbeach enjoyed a 10-0 win over Mornington in Masters 38+ South, while Sandringham held off a Springvale rally for a 3-2 win. Chelsea secured an 8-4 victory against Pakenham/Berwick.

Blackburn came away 4-2 winners against Malvern in Masters 45+ as Melbourne overpowered Sandringham 9-1.

Victorian Nick Bertucci is taking his baseball career to the next level, committing to Central Arizona for 2023 alongside fellow Aussie and U18 World Cup representative Max Stagg. Central Arizona is the defending Junior College National Champions and has won two of the last three Div 1 Junior College World Series.

Bertucci has come a long way in his baseball journey, from charter games with Southern Mariners to Victorian State Teams and the National Junior Squad. Playing with Team Australia in last month's World Cup was another huge highlight, and his impressive performance earned him a spot on the MLB World Select Team for the Arizona Fall Classic.

The talented outfielder is very appreciative of the opportunity to visit the U.S. and commit to a standout college baseball program.

"Prior to coming to America, I had my eyes on furthering my schooling and baseball career with Central Arizona and now I get to say I’m a Vaquero," Bertucci said. “The opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without being able to train with their squad and I have been fortunate enough to showcase my skills, which they were fond of and offered me a scholarship alongside Max Stagg, which we both agreed to and will have a successful time with Central Arizona, especially with a familiar face around.”

“It is an amazing school with an amazing program and is exactly what I was aiming for. My family and I are super excited that this is the school I will be attending and couldn’t ask for much more. Dreams really do come true when you put the work in.”

Bertucci and Stagg will remain in Arizona to represent Australia as part of the MLB World Select Team in front of colleges and professional scouts.

They become the first players out of the U18 National Team to narrow down their college commitment with others still in the recruiting process and currently deciding their futures.

Read more from Baseball Australia.

As the summer season gets underway, the BV Technical Operations Committee is hard at work, focused on administration for existing umpires and pathway development for all umpires. We hope to grow our umpiring fraternity to ensure as many games can be covered as possible while promoting a safe, enjoyable, and fair competition for all.

We have a few upcoming umpire information sessions open to anyone interested in umpiring:

• Thursday 6 October at Moorabbin Centre 4 at 6:30pm
• Friday 7 October at Springvale Centre 3 at 6:30pm
• Tuesday 11 October at Essendon Centre 6 at 6:30pm
• Wednesday 12 October at Werribee Centre 5 at 6:30pm

Please contact umpiringpw@baseballvictoria.com.au for more details.

With the inaugural Barclay Cup in the books, the Vic Dingoes and Hornets have come away with greater confidence in their game and awesome memories of their time on and off the field.

The new national tournament for youth girls aged 13-16 is named in honour of Jacinda Barclay, a beloved Australian athlete and dedicated baseballer who sadly passed away in 2020. Held at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club on the Gold Coast from 25 September to 1 October, the event featured nine teams from across the country.

The Dingoes and Hornets made the most of this opportunity to play on an all-girls team and meet players from other states. They had the support of dedicated coaching staff, including Australian Emerald/Victoria Aces players Abbey McLellan and Morgan Doty, Alan Sutherland, Sophia Stensholt, and Chris Nunn.

Together with Samantha Hamilton, head coach of the Victoria Aces and Women’s State Team, the coaches worked hard to prepare players for the tournament. This collective effort showed throughout the week as the girls gave every game their all while having fun and embracing every aspect of their beloved sport.

"The skill and passion shown by the girls from every state was incredible," Vic Dingoes Assistant Coach Abbey McLellan said. "Even though this was a friendship tournament, the girls were making tough plays, running the bases and sliding hard and swinging the bat aggressively. My personal highlight was coaching 3B in our last game win, waving as all the girls ran past me to score."

Even when a few games didn't go their way, the Dingoes and Hornets were encouraged to focus on the positives, paying tribute to Barclay's determined spirit and friendly, fun-loving personality. The tournament featured the Barky's Team Spirit Award, with nominations based on support for teammates, comraderie with other teams, and being an all-around team player.

"The amount of nominations for the two individual awards are testament to the players for really representing Jacinda well," McLellan added. "We spoke to our girls a couple of different times about Jacinda and what made her the person she was. I know for a fact the other states also really made sure to share and focus on the key attributes of her wonderful personality."

For McLellan, this marked her second recent coaching experience with the junior girls after helping with the BV Allstars all-girls teams at the 2022 U14 State Winter Championships in Bendigo. Having coached senior mens and women's teams in the past, she found the Barclay Cup to be an awesome coaching experience with valuable learning moments.

"For the coaches, and me personally, my biggest lesson or realisation was to make sure I'm always encouraging both sides of a player. The fierce competitor and the compassionate, respectful teammate - the true essence of Jacinda," McLellan explained.

"This group of girls were just so eager to learn, they were constantly firing questions at us, sometimes more advanced than I was expecting! They asked for feedback and tips every chance they got. I think all the games were played and coached in a great spirit. Working with our coaching team, both Dingoes and Hornets, was great fun."

Not only did the girls get to further develop their playing skills, but they also learned about being prepared for gameday and staying healthy.

"For the girls, I think it was a great eye opener to the physical and mental requirements of tournament baseball," McLellan said. "We harped on about strength and conditioning and arm care in the leadup to the tournament, but I don't think the girls really understood why until day 5-6!"

McLellan is confident the girls have a bright future ahead, whether it be on the Victorian Women's State Team or with the Australian Emeralds.

"I'm really excited to play with and against as many of these girls as I can. Some honestly look ready to go next year and many more have the potential once they grow and get stronger."

 

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Victorians Jayden Kim and Nick Bertucci have been named to the MLB World Select Team ahead of the Arizona Fall Classic in Phoenix.

Kim and Bertucci were all part of the Team Australia side that played in the U18 World Cup earlier this month in Florida. Team Australia concluded their campaign with a 7-2 victory over South Africa to finish ninth.

One of the main purposes of the MLB World Select Team is to showcase members of MLB’s international academies, with players from eleven countries including Australia, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic, France and Brazil to be exposed to college/professional level baseball.

The team will be playing multiple games in Arizona in the leadup to the Arizona Fall Classic.

Read the full story HERE.