Victoria improved to 2-1 on Day 3 of the 2022 Australian U16 Youth Championship in Redcliffe, Queensland.

After wet weather wiped out Tuesday's AYC action, Victoria came out swinging in the first inning of Wednesday's midday matchup v Western Australia. Logan O'Brien singled on a 2-0 count to score Victoria's first of three runs in the opening frame on their way to a 5-3 victory.

O'Brien got the win, throwing three innings with one hit, one strikeout, one walk, and two runs. Addison Bishop-Worn and Jayden Kim entered the game out of the bullpen, with Kim recording the last six outs to earn the save.

Jack Ratcliffe went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead Victoria in hits. Addison Bishop-Worn and Andrew Land doubled as well.

Victoria kept up the momentum going into their second game of the day. The night game against New South Wales Country ended in a 5-2 win for Victoria, with Aimon Dowling leading the way on the mound. The lefthander threw four and a third innings, giving up two runs on four hits with a strikeout.

NSW took a 1-0 lead in the second but it was short-lived as Victoria scored three in the third, one in the fourth, and a final run in the fifth. Ben Howard doubled on a 3-1 count to start the scoring before Jack Ratcliffe homered in the fifth inning.

Victoria heads into Thursday's doubleheader with a 2-1 record. VIC plays QLD at 11:45am and ACT at 2:30pm, both games on Diamond 2.

Click HERE to follow Victoria on GameChanger or visit the official #AYC2022 event hub.

Baseball Victoria’s U14 State Winter Championships took over Bendigo with 30 games across the weekend of 2-3 July.

Out of the 11 teams, two were all-girls sides added as part of BV's growing women and girls pathway. The Blue and Grey BV Allstars offered an opportunity for junior girls to play on an all-female team following strong interest and successful tryouts.

The U14 State Winter Champs coincided with the Women’s Junior Sporting Festival, with 28 girls and over 150 total players joining in on the fun.

BV Allstars Blue went 4-2 overall, finishing just behind WDA at 6-0 in Pool A, while BV Allstars Grey made it into the Pool B grand final, finishing second after a 7-4 loss to Geelong. Overall, it was a memorable experience for players and coaches alike.

"I loved getting to work with players and coaches from different clubs, and establish a real sense of community amongst the girls," Coach Leah Trebilcock said. "It is important that we provide talent development pathways, such as representative tournaments, for our junior girls."

"It was incredible to have Emerald and Victoria Aces representatives, Morgan Doty and Abbey McLellan, as coaches. It is invaluable for these girls to have visible role models for what they can achieve."

Leah says the coaches have high hopes for the future of junior girls' baseball in Victoria.

"I hope that we can expand our offering for an all girls team in each age group of the State Winter Championships, and charter tournaments, and maybe one day have all girls tournaments for each age group."

Coach Andrew Fielden said the competition was well-balanced and gave the girls a new opportunity.

"Having two Australian women’s baseball players as part of the coaching staff was a great addition for the girls, something for them to strive for," Andrew said. "We hope to see the youth program grow for the girls, possibly into their own championship and leading to greater opportunities in women’s baseball."

The encouragement and support from the other teams helped the girls make the most of the weekend.

"It was the perfect opportunity to show that we belong on the field with everyone else and can be competitive against all other teams in the tournament," Nyah O'Brien said. "The best part of the tournament was to be with the girls, their energy and positivity throughout the tournament made it an environment where everyone enjoyed every minute."

"The coaches were amazing and so supportive and encouraging of each and every one of us to push to the best that we can. The tournament was a very enjoyable and created a team that I will definitely look forward to playing with again and playing in future tournaments together."

Teammate Lily McKenner said getting the chance to pitch was great, as was playing alongside some familiar faces. "We're all able to understand, communicate and include one another to a better level than what most teams are like. It also helped that majority of us have known each other several years before this team so it was like a reunion."

Lily Burns shared the sentiment, saying it was very special to not only play in her first-ever tournament, but play with an all-girls team.

"The best part would be how everyone cheered on their team mates. If someone got out, the team would cheer them on for having a go," Lily said. "When the pitcher threw a strike or someone had a base hit, there was so much cheering and everyone was supportive."

BV Allstars Blue MVP Caitlin Hoy hopes other young girls are inspired to stick with their baseball goals.

"It would be an amazing feeling if more young girls are inspired to play baseball from seeing this team and the growing opportunities for women in baseball," Caitlin said. "It was a really great atmosphere to play on an all-girls team, as this was the first time for most of us to play on an all-female team during a tournament and play with people our age."

"The best part of the tournament was not just the on-field play but the friendships created throughout the whole experience. Being surrounded by amazing coaches and having assistance from current Australian Emerald players such as Morgan Doty and Abbey McLellan has further inspired me to chase my goals of playing on the Victorian women’s team with my fellow current teammates from this tournament, and one day hopefully making the Emeralds team."

Photo: Lee Dare

Victoria faced a tough battle on opening day of the 2022 Australian U16 Youth Championship in Redcliffe, Queensland.

The U16 State Team lost 5-2 to South Australia after giving up two home runs. Victoria was on the back foot from the first inning with a 3-0 deficit, although they got one back in the second and another in the fifth. SA scored two more in the fourth and fifth to keep the game out of reach.

Despite the scoreline, Victoria kept up at the plate with four hits compared to SA's five. Jayden Kim doubled while Jack Ratcliffe, Ben Howard, and Charles Chislett all singled. Kim and Chislett recorded RBIs.

Liam Bald threw two and two-thirds innings with three runs, three hits, and five strikeouts. Ratcliffe and Matthew Johnston entered the game in relief.

Click HERE to follow Victoria on GameChanger or visit the official #AYC2022 event hub.

Baseball Victoria’s U14 State Winter Championship in Bendigo was a big success, with two grand finalists and 11 MVPs recognised after 30 action-packed games across Saturday and Sunday.

The 2022 U14 State Winter Championships opened on a beautiful day in Bendigo, with 11 teams taking the field for action-packed games.

Check out game recaps below and follow along on Facebook for the latest updates.

Pool A

BV Allstars Blue 9 v Diamond Valley 3

BV Allstars Blue got on the board in the first inning when Caitlin Hoy doubled on a 2-2 count, scoring two runs.

Diamond Valley evened things up at two in the bottom of the first inning as Brody Stokes grounded out, scoring one run.

The Allstars pulled away for good with Lily McKenner's RBI double in the second, followed by a five-run fourth with an RBI single from Lily Simpson and an error on a ball put in play by Eden Neave.

Hoy gave up two runs on two hits over one inning, striking out one and walking one. McKenner went 2-for-3 and Simpson had three stolen bases to help the Allstars.

Diamond Valley starter Lachlan Brennan threw one-third of an inning, allowing one hit and two runs while striking out one. Oscar Naughton, Darcy Squire, and Reeve Hammond pitched in relief. Squire and Thomas King each managed one hit to lead Diamond Valley.

Dandenong 13 v City West 4

City West watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 13-4 loss to Dandenong. The winning side's scoring started with a bases-loaded walk Thomas Hill in the first, followed by three more walks and a fielder's choice.

Dandenong scored five more in the third with RBIs by Euan Clarkin and Joash Xavier. City West responded with three runs on singles from Parks Halasz and Rhys Rayner, although it wasn't enough to make up the deficit.

Rutgers led things off on the pitcher's mound for Dandenong, throwing one inning, allowing one hit and one run while striking out three.

Alex Papadopolous toed the rubber for City West. The bulldog allowed four runs on one hit. Harley Chamberlain and Alyssa Jamieson entered the game from the bullpen, throwing one and one-third innings and one inning respectively.

Halasz, Ryan Harris, Christopher Woodney, and Onni Zdraveski each managed one hit for City West.

Dandenong stole 11 bases during the game as four players stole more than one. Clarkin led the way with two.

Diamond Valley 10 v Ringwood 9

Despite seeing an eight-run lead whittled down by the end, Diamond Valley still held off Ringwood for a 10-9 victory. Ringwood put up five runs in the fourtg-inning comeback effort with RBIs from Jess Marsh, Jiah Cosgrave, Romesh Guntilake, and Jonathan Park.

Diamond Valley fired up the offense in the first inning on Darcy Squire's double before adding five in the second. The big inning was driven by walks to Lachlan Brennan, Reeve Hammond, and Eric Webster, a single by Sawyer Fisher, and a double by Thomas King.

Brody Stokes got the start for Diamond Valley, allowing three hits and two runs over one and one-third innings, striking out two and walking zero.

Park led things off on the hill for Ringwood. Park went one-third of an inning, allowing three runs on two hits and walking one. Tom Bowden and Alessio Petruzziello entered the game as relief, throwing one inning and one-third of an inning respectively.

Diamond Valley tallied eight hits on the day. Fisher and King had two hits apiece while the team stole 10 bases to keep things moving.

Ringwood was sure-handed and didn't commit a single error. Bowden made the most plays with two.

Dandenong 7 v Diamond Valley 6

After an 11-3 win over BV Allstars Blue, Dandenong kept up the momentum with a 7-6 victory against Diamond Valley.

Lachlan Collier, Ishant Dittakavi, Mitchell Langworthy, Thomas Hill, and Matt Fielden all had one hit for Dandenong. The side was sure-handed in the field and didn't commit a single error as Lachie Wright had the most chances with six.

Diamond Valley stole seven bases during the game, including two by Brody Stokes.

Pool B

BV Allstars Grey 12 v North Eastern 10

Despite a 5-run deficit in the first inning, North Eastern almost came all the way back, eventually falling 12-10 to BV Allstars Grey.

North Eastern scored five runs in the second inning, led by Noah Boyd's RBI single. Makiah McCallum, Josh Wells, and Blake Boon also got on base.

Saya Turnley handled pitching duties while BV Allstars Grey racked up five runs in the first, two in the second, and a final five in the third.

Grace Castello was on the pitcher's mound for North Eastern, covering one-third of an inning, allowing five runs on zero hits and striking out one. Clarence Lampa and Sophie Berry entered the game from the bullpen, throwing one and one-third innings and one-third of an inning respectively.

Ashsh Basnet, Wells, and Boyd all had one hit to lead North Eastern as two players stole at least two bases. Wells led the way with three.

Kendra Rutgers had two of the Allstars' eight stolen bases.

Latrobe Valley 8 v Bendigo 7

Bendigo's effort to come back from down five runs in the third inning came up just short as they fell 8-7 to Latrobe Valley. Bendigo scored three runs in the comeback campaign with walks from Fabian Gray, Asha Murphy, and Travis Shanahan.

Jack Thomas led things off on the mound for Latrobe Valley. The fireballer lasted one and two-thirds innings, allowing two hits and two runs while striking out three. Connor McKenzie led the side offensively.

Ronan Clarke was on the pitcher's mound for Bendigo. Clarke went one-third of an inning, allowing four runs on zero hits. Murphy, Deon Strahan, and Shanahan each contributed in relief.

Marcus Murphy went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead Bendigo in hits. The team went on to win 8-5 over North Eastern in their next game.

Latrobe Valley 4 v Geelong 2

Geelong watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 4-2 loss to Latrobe Valley, who took the lead on an passed ball in the first inning.

Geelong lost despite out-hitting Latrobe two to one. An error scored the first two runs for Latrobe in the opening inning.

Connor McKenzie got the start for Latrobe. The hurler went one and two-thirds innings, allowing zero runs on one hit, striking out three and walking one.

Xavier Gardner led things off on the pitcher's mound for Geelong. He threw two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on zero hits with a pair of strikeouts. Sid Grimmer, Beau Spencer, and Charlie Bell each contributed in relief for Geelong. Bell and Spencer had one hit apiece, too.

Blake Duncan led Latrobe with one hit in two at bats. The team tore up the base paths, as two players stole at least two bases. Duncan led the way with four. There were no errors either as Jack Thomas had seven chances in the field, the most on the team.

Geelong 7 v North Eastern 3

North Eastern fired up the offense in the first inning when Blake Boon singled on a 1-1 count, scoring one run.

Both sides put up two runs in the third. Geelong's Xavier Gardner grounded out to bring home a run while an error scored another. Cooper Kimball drew a bases-loaded walk to support North Eastern's scoring.

Geelong pulled away for good with five runs in the second inning. Reid Sexton singled on a 3-2 count, scoring two runs and Charlie Davenport singled on a 2-0 count, scoring two more.

Reuben Millar led things off on the mound for Geelong. The ace lasted one inning, allowing one hit and one run while striking out three and walking zero.

Tanner Godenzi pitched for North Eastern, giving up five runs on four hits over two innings with three strikeouts. Makiah McCallum threw one and one-third innings in relief.

Sid Grimmer and Harry Davenport had four of Geelong's nine hits while three players stole at least two bases.

BV Allstars Grey 13 v Bendigo 0

Bendigo watched the game slip away early and couldn't recover in a 13-0 loss to BV Allstars Grey on Saturday. The Allstars scored on a single by Kendra Rutgers and a walk by Amelia Wright in the first inning.

One bright spot for Bendigo was a single by Chad Mannes in the first inning.

Leah Antonacci pitched well for the Allstars, giving up just one hit over two scoreless innings with a strikeout.

Mannes picked up a hit and led things off on the pitcher's mound for Bendigo, allowing five runs on two hits. Archer Etherton and Marcus Murphy entered the game from the bullpen, throwing one and two-thirds innings and two-thirds of an inning respectively.

Emma Sullivan went 2-for-2 at the plate to lead the Allstars in hits. She also had four fielding chances, the most on the team.

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Baseball Victoria’s U14 State Winter Championships will get underway in Bendigo on Saturday 2 July, with 11 teams in the running for grand final glory, including two all-girls teams.

The addition of the BV Allstars teams is part of Baseball Victoria’s growing women and girls pathway, offering an opportunity for junior girls to play on an all-female team. Following strong interest from youth girls and successful tryouts, two teams were formed with 28 girls taking part in the tournament.

“We are excited to continue the State Winter Championships in Bendigo with more than 150 players ready to take the field,“ Baseball Victoria CEO Chet Gray said. “It’s great to have two all-girls teams joining the tournament as we look to further support female participation at all levels.”

The U14 State Winter Champs will be held on the same weekend as the Women’s Junior Sporting Festival as Bendigo Baseball Association and the local community look forward to hosting the event after a significant hiatus.

“Our association is proud to host this tournament with our members excited and eager to give the best possible experience to all teams, coaches, volunteers and players,” BBA President Anthony Amsing said. “We wish teams the best of luck and look forward to seeing some competitive baseball across the weekend.”

“To have two all-girls teams attending the U14 SWC is a tremendous initiative that will hopefully encourage more girls to play our sport and provide parents with a clearer pathway for their kids. We sincerely hope this is the first step in developing an all-girls championship across all age groups in the near future.”

Click HERE to view the SWC event hub and follow along on GameChanger for the latest scores across the weekend.

Baseball Victoria is pleased to open applications for the 2022 BV Development Grants Program. This funding opportunity supports Victorian baseball clubs and associations through grants for activities and events aimed at driving participation and the growth of our sport at the grassroots level.

These grants are made possible through the Baseball Victoria Development Fund, which consists of annual contributions collected from member fees participating in T-ball, juniors and seniors.

As the membership grows, so do these funds, which will be distributed among chosen applicants for outreach activities designed to generate interest and grow baseball participation.

Activities may include come and try days, junior gala days, baseball equipment, female participation programs, All Abilities programs, club-driven school events and more.

Applications for Category 1 (Summer League clubs) are open now through Sunday 31 July while Category 2 (winter clubs or associations) will open at the start of 2023.

“We are excited to receive grant applications and look forward to seeing what ideas our VSBL clubs come up with for attracting new members,” Baseball Victoria CEO Chet Gray said. “By putting this funding back into the baseball community through our clubs, we can continue working together to ensure a bright future for baseball across the state.”

Please click HERE to learn more about BV Development Grants, including the program guidelines and application requirements.

Baseball Victoria is excited to announce 20 Victorians named to the U16 State Team ahead of the 2022 Australian Youth Championship in Redcliffe, Queensland from 4-9 July.

“We have an excellent team representing Victoria at the first U16 AYC in two years,” BV High Performance Officer Damian Shanahan said. “After months of dedicated preparation and training, these players are ready to go, and we wish them all the best on the national stage.”

Congratulations to the following Victorian representatives:

• Addison Bishop-Worn
• Aimon Dowling
• Andrew Land
• Ben Howard
• Charles Chislett
• Devin Leahy
• Jack Ratcliffe
• Jayden Kim
• Lachlan Schumann
• Liam Bald
• Liam Sullivan
• Logan O’Brien
• Matthew Johnston
• Max Saggers
• Noah Scott
• Ryder Wilson
• Tanner Stack
• Ty Daniels
• Will Cavanagh
• Zach Dunkley

Click HERE to view the official #AYC2022 event hub. You can also follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Geelong went 6-0 throughout the tournament, while Dandenong and Ringwood both finished 4-2. Latrobe Valley had a 2-4 record while MWBL City and North Eastern were 1-5.

The following players received MVP honours: Jye Robinson (Geelong), Ty Schoevers (Dandenong), Rhys McKenzie (Latrobe), Levi Packer (MWBL City), and Nick Jonker (North Eastern).

Congratulations to Geelong and well done to all players on a fantastic tournament!