Baseball Australia has locked in the location for next month’s National Junior Camp and added six players to the list of invitees, including two more from Victoria.

The Australian Institute of Sport and Narrabundah Ballpark in Canberra will host the camp from 16-24 April, with this event serving as a key step in Team Australia’s preparations for September’s WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in the U.S.

Victorians Felix Brunner and Lachlan Smith have been added to the provisional list of 44 invitees named at the start of the month, which also includes Bronson Neave, Charlie Pierson, Declan Speirs, Genevieve Beacom, Hayden Peoples, Jayden Kim, Nick Bertucci, and Nick Parton.

These U-18 athletes were selected alongside fellow high performance prospects from around the country following an in-depth review of data collected at the 2022 National Showcase Series events in each state.

View the updated National Junior Camp invite list HERE.

Two regional Victorian baseball teams will come together on Saturday 12 March 2022 to help raise awareness for mental health.

The Wangaratta Rangers (North Eastern Baseball Association) and the Strathfieldsaye Dodgers (Bendigo Baseball Association) will be in action for the second annual Beyond Blue Country Baseball Cup.

After a former player of both clubs passed away two years ago, the match become an opportunity to recognise the importance of mental health. The Rangers took out bragging rights with a convincing win last year, so the Dodgers will be keen to regain the cup this time around.

The day starts out at 10am at Rangers home ground (Targoora Park on Wangaratta \Whitfield Rd) with both clubs warming up before the Country Cup game commences at 11am for a 9 innings game. The Country Cup will be presented to the winning team at the conclusion of the game.

The action is not limited to the diamond as there will be a BBQ on the day in addition to an online auction run by the Strathy Dodgers, with all profits going to Beyond Blue. Some of the items up for auction include a Boston Red Sox jersey, a Cleveland Indians Cap and DVD package, and a San Francisco New Era Cap and Rawlings glove.

The auction is currently open and concludes at 8pm on Saturday 12 March - click HERE to learn more.

The 2022 Victorian Women’s team is hard at work training for the Australian Women’s Championship, which gets underway next month in West Beach, Adelaide. From 15-21 April, these talented women will do their best to follow up on Victoria’s 2019 national title as the Women’s Championship returns after two years of COVID cancellations.

Head Coach Samantha Hamilton is confident the Victorian side has what it takes to succeed on the national stage.

"The playing group has been working tirelessly since mid-February, with dual state training sessions in addition to club training and VSBL game commitments each week," Hamilton said.

"The women’s program is also benefiting from being immersed in the Baseball Victoria High Performance Program headed by Damian Shanahan and Keli’i Zablan. During these sessions, the players are being exposed to new and exciting theories and learnings which they are embracing head-on."

Hamilton, who is supported by coaches/team officials Duane Davenport, Stephen Black, Ursula Howard, and Leah Trebilcock, says they are all excited by the group's potential.

"The Victorian women’s team has a tremendous history of success at nationals, and we are also the reigning champions, so we will be one of the favourites to lift the champion’s trophy at tournament’s end," Hamilton added. "But as a playing and coaching group, we are committed to focusing on the processes each and every week at training as this foundation will give us the best platform for success in Adelaide."

"With one the largest registrations for state team trials seen in recent years, the inclusion of the women into the Baseball Victoria High Performance Program, in addition to an exciting crop of rising stars within the team, the future of women’s baseball in Victoria is looking bright."

As the Victorian Women’s team continue preparations for the upcoming national championship, let’s take a closer look at the team roster and get to know the dedicated women who will represent Victoria.

Abbey Kelly

As a three-time VSBL Women’s Division 1 MVP, Abbey Kelly is a beloved figure at Essendon Bombers Baseball Club where she’s spent many successful summer seasons, including a memorable 2018/19 premiership. The right-handed pitcher also lends her talents to winter club Melbourne Uni alongside Morgan Doty, serving as role models for younger players. Abbey won tournament MVP at the 2019 Australian Women’s Baseball Championship and has also pitched for the Australian Emeralds, even getting a win in her Australian debut to send the Emeralds into the 2016 Women’s World Cup Super Round.

Abbey McLellan

Abbey McLellan has been a standout at Footscray Baseball Club for the last decade, winning the VSBL Women’s Division 1 MVP and batting title in 2016/17 and taking out the batting award in the next season, too. A long-time Victorian representative who was part of Victoria’s 2017 and 2019 national titles, Abbey has plenty of achievements on the big stage, including a grand slam home run and team-leading hits and batting average. The star catcher earned her call up to the Emeralds ahead of the 2018 Women’s World Cup where Australia finished seventh.

Allie Bebbere

Pitcher Allie Bebbere is looking to replicate her success from 2019 when she won the VSBL Women’s Division 1 Grand Final with Essendon and then took home gold with Victoria Blue at nationals in the next month. She was also nominated for the Women’s Div 1 MVP and Pitcher of the Year Awards at the BV Awards Night and was named Essendon’s joint Women’s MVP alongside Abbey Kelly. Allie continues to impress on the mound leading up to the 2022 Australian Women’s Championship, which will mark her second national tournament after being selected to the 2020 state squad just before the pandemic.

Belinda Cannington

Belinda Cannington is a beloved member of Doncaster Dragons Baseball Club, where she’s a two-time VSBL Women’s Division 1 MVP and a valued role model for junior players. She celebrated her 150^th game as a Dragon in December 2019, rounding out an incredible year after winning gold at nationals for the second time in two years. Belinda was selected in the 2016 Emeralds Training Squad and has been a consistent top hitter throughout the past decade, helping to lead Victoria to a silver finish with a three-hit performance in the 2016 Australian Women’s Championship, too.

Bronwyn Gell

Infielder Bronwyn Gell has been a driving force in the success of Victorian Women’s teams in the past decade, representing her state and country multiple times while also making an impact on the field for Doncaster Dragons. Bronwyn was a proud Australian Emeralds player for the 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Women’s World Cup tournaments, bringing home an Aussie-best silver medal back in 2010 during her rookie year. In addition to MVP honours at the 2017 Australian Women’s Championship, Bronwyn has taken out the VSBL Women’s Division 1 batting title twice.

Emily Devine

A Springvale Lions’ standout, Emily Devine has been a key contributor to the club’s success in recent years, including back-to-back VSBL Women’s Division 1 Premierships in 2020 and 2021. Once an up-and-coming junior, Emily broke through with a huge performance at the 2018 Australian Youth Women’s Championship, helping Victoria claim gold with a two-run homer over NSW. She was named the tournament MVP after batting .625 with nine RBIs and 17 total bases. Later that year, she became the first-ever female to hit a home run over Springvale’s centre field fence, a moment made even better by the fact it was a grand slam.

Emma Davenport

With successful stints at Essendon and Geelong, Emma Davenport has proved a tough competitor, having played on the Victoria White team in the 2019 Australian Women’s Championship. She was part of Essendon’s 2018/19 VSBL Women’s Division 1 Grand Final win and once participated in the 2016 Girls Charter Tournament. Emma also scored the 2021 VSBL Women’s Division 1 Home Run Award alongside Bronwyn Gell.

Gabby Bevan

Gabby Bevan is another talented Springvale player, rising the junior ranks to earn her spot as one of the Lions’ most reliable pitchers. Her team has taken out the VSBL Women’s Division 1 Premiership in three of the last four years, and she won the league pitching twice in 2019 and 2020. Gabby was also named the VSBL Women’s MVP for the 2018/19 season and carried that momentum into the 2019 Australian Women’s Championship. She got the start for Victoria Blue in the gold medal game, allowing just one run on four hits in five innings as Victoria sealed the deal.

Hannah Jackson

Originally from Sale, Hannah Jackson has been with Springvale for over 10 years, regularly collecting club awards and scoring spots on representative teams. She earned her first Bill Reay Trophy at Springvale as the Women's Best & Fairest player after a strong 2016/17 VSBL season, which culminated in the Lions’ fifth straight premiership. Hannah has picked up three more VSBL premierships with Springvale since then, including the 2020 grand final against Doncaster where she took a fantastic catch in left field, a move head coach Shae Lillywhite credited as saving the game.

Jamie Bastian

Jamie Bastian has left her mark on Doncaster Baseball Club, representing the Dragons numerous times and winning the VSBL Women’s Division 1 Pitching Award in 2021 with a 0.00 ERA in 12.32 IP and 16 strikeouts. She was part of the 2019 Victoria Blue team that brought gold home from nationals and was named to the 2020 state squad as well. Jamie has made the most of international opportunities, going to Osaka, Japan as part of a high performance women’s baseball program with the “Future Emeralds” group back in 2017. Her athletic journey also took her to Europe where she was named the Swiss Toros Softball MVP in November 2018.

Jasmine Bentley

A strong contributor to Essendon’s successful women’s program, Jasmine Bentley was part of the 2017 and 2018 Victorian Youth Women’s Team. After a gold medal finish in the youth competition, Jasmine was named to the 2019 Victorian Women’s White team. That same year, she helped Essendon bring home the VSBL Women’s Division 1 trophy, overpowering Springvale 5-3. During her junior career, Jasmine played in Little League and State Winter Championships, including an U16 winter tournament win with Diamond Valley in 2018.

Jessica Johnson

Doncaster’s Jessica Johnson has pitched well all throughout this season, supporting the Dragons’ Division 1 side as they remain in the top two. Not only does she have a great pitching arm, but Jessica can hit home runs too, even taking out the Div 1 Home Run Award during the 2020 Baseball Victoria Awards. The 2022 Australian Women’s Championship will be a first for Jessica as she trains alongside many familiar faces at Doncaster, including head coach Samantha Hamilton and teammates Belinda Cannington, Bronwyn Gell, and Jamie Bastian.

Leslie Anglin

Leslie Anglin has played at Essendon, Footscray, and East Belmont and is currently supporting the growth of the women’s program at Newport Baseball Club. The outfielder donned green and gold for the Women’s World Cup in 2016 and 2018 as the Emeralds finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Not only has Leslie played in South Korea and the U.S., but she also won gold with Victoria Blue in 2019 and picked up a league batting title with Footscray back in 2014.

Maddy Patrick

Maddy Patrick has fully embraced Springvale Baseball Club and its flourishing women’s program, winning back-to-back premierships in 2020 and 2021. She’s also made the most of winter baseball at Boneo and Victorian representative opportunities, including the 2018 Australian Youth Championship. Maddy made a difference in the team’s gold medal campaign, protecting the side’s perfect start with quality pitching, eventually earning her a spot on Victoria Blue in 2019. Last year, Maddy was named to the Brisbane Bandits roster for the Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase, where she received the Spirit of the Game Award for her positive attitude and team contributions.

Morgan Doty

Morgan Doty has taken the field for Newport, Footscray, and Melbourne Uni, as well as Victorian State Teams and the Australian Emeralds. She’s a long-time representative at national championships, most recently Victoria Blue in 2019 when she earned the tournament pitching award after not giving up a run in 9 1/3 innings. Morgan struck out 10 hitters and allowed just three hits without a walk (one hit by pitch) on the way to gold. She also represented Australia at the 2016 and 2018 Women’s World Cup, displaying her dominance in the outfield and at the plate.

Shae Lillywhite

A decorated veteran of women’s baseball in Victoria and across Australia, Shae Lillywhite is the country’s most capped female player, having played in eight consecutive Women’s World Cups from 2004 to 2018. The Emeralds’ star infielder was named to the 2006 Women’s World Cup All-Star team as second basewoman, and in 2013, she became the first Aussie to sign with the Japan Women’s Baseball League. At the helm of the Springvale women’s program, Shae has helped the Lions win eight out of the last 10 VSBL Women’s Division 1 Grand Finals.

Ruby Dale

Ruby Dale was one of two players invited to train on as development players/emergencies. She has spent the summer with Newport in VSBL Women’s Division 2 and has also made plenty of memories with Moorabbin in recent years, including making the Victorian Youth Women’s team in 2019 and playing in the 2017 Girls Charter State Championships.

Lily Bell-Tanner

Lily Bell-Tanner joins Ruby Dale as development players/emergencies for the women’s squad. The duo came home with bronze medals following an action-packed campaign at the 2019 Australian Youth Women’s Championship, and Lily has kept training hard ever since with the rest of the Springvale Lions.

International Women's Day is a global day to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness against gender bias, and take action for equality.

The theme for 2022 International Women's Day (IWD) is #BreakTheBias.

In baseball, many women have had to break bias at some point in their baseball journey, whether it has been as a player, an umpire, coach, scorer, in the media or management positions.

To celebrate 2022 International Women's Day, Baseball Victoria Board Director and Team Australia alum Amy McCann will feature three women in Victorian baseball on her podcast Women’s Baseball - The Inside Pitch.

Jennie Moloney - Scorer

Jennie Moloney is changing the game off the field from the scorer’s box. A life member and part of the team of the century at Williamstown Baseball Club, Jennie began her scoring career at her very first game of baseball in 1976. Jennie has since scored at three Olympic Games, is currently one of just five members of the WBSC Scoring Commission, was named the 2019 WBSC Scorer of the Year, and in 2021 was appointed as the Baseball Scoring Director for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Janine Thompson - Umpire

When Janine Thompson saw no women on a list of registered umpires in Melbourne in 2006, she thought she would do something about it by umpiring herself. 15 years later, Janine is the only woman currently umpiring in the Baseball Victoria Victorian Summer Baseball League, has umpired countless Women’s National Championships, and has also umpired in Hong Kong and the USA. She was part of an all-women umpiring crew at the Baseball Australia Showcase in 2021 which she will do again in 2022.

Abbey McLellan - Player

Abbey McLellan’s journey in baseball has been one of commitment and persistence. Bursting onto the scene as an 11-year-old playing in Footscray Baseball Club’s Under 16 team, the hard-hitting outfielder turned catcher’s career was almost derailed at just 21 years of age when a knee reconstruction ended her 2016 National Championships and World Cup aspirations. However, in a story of never letting go of your dreams, Abbey came back to represent her country at the 2018 World Cup and is now a leader of the Victorian Women’s Baseball team.

Women’s Baseball - The Inside Pitch

You can find Women’s Baseball - The Inside Pitch on Apple iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music/Audible, Google Podcasts, Podbean, or wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Newport Rams Baseball Club had a big reason to celebrate at the end of last month as club stalwart Roland Stott reached his 800^th game milestone.

On Sunday 27 February, Stott took the field at K.C White Reserve, starting in the VSBL Division 2 Fourths in his 800^th senior game for the Rams.

This exciting occasion was celebrated by many in the Newport baseball community who know Stott well, considering he has played more than 200 games in each of the Firsts, Seconds, and Thirds, plus 100 games in the Fourths and 23 in the Fifths. He has served as playing manager across many of these competitions over the years and also put in 16 seasons of Monday Night Masters.

“I have stated that I am planning on playing forever, and 800 senior summer games for Newport makes it feel like I am getting close to my goal,” Stott said. “It was great to receive well wishes from many people within the baseball community, as well as from all the people at Newport.”

As the club’s longest-serving player and president, Stott has come a long way since he first joined Newport as a 16-year-old in 1979. His junior baseball career actually started a few years earlier when took up the sport with Geelong Baseball Association in the winter of 1976. Once he moved into U17s and met A Grade Coach John Armstrong from Newport, he scored an invite to play with Newport in the summer of 1979/80.

“I was hesitant at first because I played cricket in the summer, but once they told me that baseball played on Sunday I agreed straight away,” Stott said. “I have played every season since - 43 seasons in a row and counting.”

Stott has approximately 670 winter games under his belt too, including 332 with his current winter club Lara, putting his total number of baseball games played across summer and winter at well over 1,000.

Not only has Stott been playing baseball year-round since 1979, but he’s also given back to the sport he loves, serving as president of Newport Baseball Club for 13 years and treasurer of Geelong Baseball Association for 27 years.

“It was a privilege to lead Newport Baseball Club and with the committee ensure that the club matured and continued the trend of becoming more family orientated,” Stott added. “The club has always welcomed new players and made them feel at home, treating the playing group as a whole, which means that all the players from the Firsts to the Fourths feel valued.”

With such impressive dedication to his beloved baseball, reaching this 800th game milestone was a big moment for Stott, who was both playing and managing the Newport Fourths as they looked to beat ladder leaders Moorabbin to get into the top four.

“We got out to an early lead and were in front for more than an hour, but Moorabbin were too good and won 12-8. No hits for me, but I did get a couple of walks,” Stott said.

“I was humbled when the Fourths players made a guard of honour for me to run onto the field and asked me to throw the first pitch. It was nice to be congratulated by many of the Moorabbin players, who seemed impressed by my longevity. I was also honoured by a presentation before the Firsts game, which included cutting a cake and throwing the ceremonial first pitch.“

Overall, his 800th Newport game gave Stott the chance to take a little trip down memory lane, reflecting on the highlights of his baseball career which are vast and varied. “I pitched a 1-hit shutout against Coburg in Div 1, losing the no-hitter with one out in the 9th. I almost hit for the cycle against Essendon in Div 1, only missing the single, and it may have been the only triple I ever hit in Div 1.”

His best highlight of all wasn’t even during a game. “The biggest highlight was when I married Natalie at Home Plate on the Newport field on 31 Oct 2011, which was Melbourne Cup Eve. I got married on a Monday so that it would not interrupt the weekend’s games.”

Coaching also holds a special place in his heart. “I have coached 20 junior teams and it made me happiest when I was able to instill my love of the game.”

Stott’s passion and love for baseball are obvious to all those who know him at Newport, and after honouring his off-field commitments to NBC, the club community was excited to recognise his playing achievements, too.

“The milestone of Roland's 800th game was a great celebration for all members, as it allowed the current senior playing group and supporters to acknowledge his 800th game and for the club to show our appreciation to Stotty for his commitment to NBC on and off the field over so many years,” Club President Paul Walshe said.

“Newport prides itself on being a family club with so much homegrown talent and Stotty is an example of how that can look long term on and off the field. Community sports clubs are built on the efforts of volunteers off the field and players of all abilities on the field, and Stotty typifies this for us. Newport Rams are very proud of Stotty's achievement and it is a great example to the younger guys coming through.”

There are just two rounds remaining in VSBL Division 2 with Mulgrave, Newport, Moorabbin, and Werribee firmly in the running for finals.

See fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out the latest recaps below.

Division 2 Firsts

Williamstown Wolves 0 v Mulgrave Rebels 3

The Rebels scored once in the first and twice in the third on their way to their 14th win of the season, led by Jayson Arthur on the mound. Arthur threw a complete game shutout with five hits, a walk, and 10 strikeouts, plus three hits of his own at the plate.

Williamstown's Dennis Neal gave up 10 hits and three earned runs with four strikeouts and no walks in eight innings. Teammate Aaron Green had two singles while Justin Gourlay, Jason McDonald, and Cooper Carrison had one each.

On Mulgrave's side, Nicholas Thompson had two singles and two RBIs, while Paul Rutgers had the team's only extra-base hit of the day. Jordan Gavin had two singles and Ryan Phillips had one.

Ladder-leaders Mulgrave take a 14-4 record into the next game at Williamstown with the Wolves sitting fifth at 10-8-1.

St Kilda Saints 4 v Newport Rams 5

It was a close meeting between the Saints and the Rams, with the Rams coming back to win the game after falling behind 4-0.

St Kilda scored once in the second and three times in the fifth before Newport got on the board, making it 4-1 going into the sixth. The Rams added three in the bottom of the seventh and one more in the ninth to break the 4-4 tie and come away with a walk-off win.

Tyler Comben threw five innings with four hits and four runs (three earned) with four strikeouts. Aaron Robson contributed four scoreless innings with three hits and three strikeouts.

St Kilda's pitching also kept them in the game, with Adam Schoppe throwing 8.33 innings with nine hits and five runs (three earned). Isaac Dale had the team's only extra-base hit of the day while Rolando Curiel and Mariano Favia had RBI singles.

George Polley had two base hits for St Kilda as Marcel McFall and Daniel Hogg had one each.

On Newport's side, Alan Ortiz singled, doubled, and tripled for two RBIs while Robson had a single and a double, too. Matthew Lawman, Scot Malthouse, Connor Schibeci, and Nathan Smith all had base hits on the day.

Second-place Newport hosts the round 20 matchup between these two sides, looking for win number 15.

Preston Pirates 0 v Port Melbourne Mariners 3

The Mariners scored three late runs to break through after six scoreless innings. One run in the seventh and two in the eighth made all the difference as Henry Hernandez Reveron picked up an RBI and Adam Baker had three singles.

Port Melbourne's Kevin Ung also had two hits while Jack White, Beau Graham, and Brian Andora had one each.

Matthew Parker threw the whole game for Port Melbourne, giving up six hits and three walks with eight strikeouts.

Preston starting pitcher Logan O'Brien kept things scoreless on the mound too with seven hits and a strikeout in six innings. Shane Waters pitched in relief, giving up four hits, two walks, and three runs in two innings with a strikeout.

Campbell Every and Mitch Legge had two base hits for Preston while Darcy Byrne-Connell doubled and Luke Williams singled.

Preston has the home game next, looking for win number six of the season.

Doncaster Dragons 5 v Werribee Giants 8

Doncaster wasn't no time jumping on the board with four runs in the first, a lead they carried through the fourth when Werribee scored three.

By the end of the fifth, it was a 7-4 ballgame Werribee's way, and while both teams scored once more, the Giants held on for their 13th win of the season.

Winning pitcher Wesley de Jong gave up 10 hits in eight innings with five runs (four earned), five strikeouts, and no walks. Jacob Sigismondi contributed a scoreless inning, too.

Fraser Boyd and Brian Chen split time on the mound for Doncaster, each contributing four innings. Boyd gave up one hit, two walks, three HBP for five runs (four earned) and three strikeouts. Chen allowed thee runs on three hits with one walk, one HBP, and two strikeouts.

Wade Balzer led Werribee's offense with two RBIs, followed by Oliver Box, Andrew Christou, Trent Pantalleresco, and de Jong with one each. Ryan Balzer and Jonathon Lowe had one single each.

Billy Findlay took care of Doncaster's three RBIs with a bases-clearing double while Brendan McDonald and Nic Unland had extra-base hits, too. Chen, Marcel Davoine, and Luke Utting recorded base hits.

Werribee improved to 13-6 with this win while Doncaster has a 10-8-1 record. The round 20 matchup is at Doncaster.

Moorabbin Panthers 17 v Ormond Glenhuntly Hunters 6

Ormond Glenhuntly led 4-1 after the first but it didn't last long, with Moorabbin going ahead 5-4 in the second. By the end of the fourth Moorabbin was in front 8-4, but the Hunters scored two in the fifth to cut that lead in half.

While that would be it for scoring on the Ormond Glenhuntly side, Moorabbin wasn't finished at the plate, adding one in the seventh and eight in the next frame for a convincing victory.

Matt Hardie pitched three innings for Moorabbin, giving up four hits and two runs with a pair of strikeouts. Four runs (three earned) scored during Stewart Mathieson's two innings on the mound, which included four hits, two walks, and four strikeouts.

Felix Brunner struck out four and walked one in two scoreless innings while Ben Campbell had a quiet inning on the mound, too.

Moorabbin's big offensive performance included three RBIs apiece for Hardie, Brunner, and Tom Brookes, plus two RBIs for Ben Laux and Adam Harris. Nicholas Veale had two singles, a double, and an RBI while Travis Finney singled and doubled. Nick Bertucci had a pair of base hits and an RBI, too.

The Panthers are now 13-5-1 while Ormond Glenhuntly has a 6-13 record with Moorabbin hosting the next round.

Essendon, Sandringham, Upwey Ferntree Gully, Melbourne, Waverley, and Geelong recorded wins on the weekend with just two games left in the VSBL Division 1 regular season before finals.

Read full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out the latest recaps from round 19 below.

Division 1 Firsts

Malvern Braves 3 v Essendon Bombers 13

Essendon scored seven runs in the seventh on the way to a 13-3 victory over Malvern on Saturday. Michael Formisano, McLeod Sell, Jack Giles, Jared Cruz, Jarryd Rogers, and Declan Speirs all had RBIs in the big inning.

Gareth Formisano got the win on the mound, throwing seven innings with five hits, three runs, and three strikeouts. Luke Abels threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Mark Richards took the loss for Malvern, scoring four and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out four.

Essendon tallied 14 hits on the day as Rogers went 4-for-5 and Joel Prpic went 3-for-4. McLeod Sell had two RBIs while Jack Giles and Michael Formisano knocked in one run each. Darby Sexton, Declan Speirs, and Scott McIntyre also had hits.

Ryan Dale led Malvern with two hits in three at bats while Ryan Othen and Nicholas Parton doubled and James Squire singled.

Essendon goes into round 20 at Sandringham with a 14-2-2 record while Malvern is 7-11-1 with the next game at home v Fitzroy.

Sunshine Eagles 1 v Sandringham Royals 11

It was a tight matchup for the first half of the game, with neither side scoring until the fifth when Sunshine got one on the board. Sandringham quickly responded with seven runs, followed by one in the seventh and three more in the eighth, all while keeping Sunshine off the board for the rest of the game.

Grant Irving threw eight strong innings for Sandringham with three hits, one walk, one unearned run, and three strikeouts. Teammates Sam Skinner, Lachlan Smith, Joshua Meyer, Declan Ferguson, and Matthew Blackmore knocked in runs while Will Tucker got on base three times with a pair of singles and a walk.

Sunshine's Griffin Weir threw 4.33 innings, giving up four hits, three walks, and seven runs (two unearned) with one strikeout. Jordan Young covered 2.66 innings with two hits, an unearned run, and a strikeout while Josh Byrne pitched too,

In a quiet day at the plate for Sunshine, Jeremy Young had an RBI single and Tyson Cox-Davies had a base hit, too.

13-5 Sunshine heads to Geelong while 8-11 Sandringham hosts Essendon next.

Berwick City Cougars 3 v Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 14

Jordan Elliott was in the zone on Saturday, tallying four hits and leading Upwey Ferntree Gully to a 14-3 win over Berwick. Elliott singled in the first, singled in the fourth, doubled in the fifth, and singled in the sixth.

Upwey Ferntree Gully got on the board in the first inning as Donovan Hendriks singled on a 0-1 count, scoring one run. The Tigers tallied seven more runs in the fifth inning with RBIs from Elliott, Andy Kane, Staci Rogers, and Peter Schroeders.

Jarrod Turner got the win on the mound, allowing 11 hits and three runs over six innings, striking out four and walking zero. Sean Meldrum threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Craig Barnett took the loss for Berwick after giving up seven runs on 11 hits over four innings, striking out two and walking one.

Upwey Ferntree Gully collected 15 hits total as Elliott went 4-for-4 and Schroeders, Hendriks, and Turner all had multiple hits too. Hendriks had the most chances in the field with seven on an error-free day for the Tigers.

Berwick totaled 11 hits in the game with three for Matthew Homfray and two apiece for Aidan Willis and John King.

The Tigers are 10-7-2 going into round 20 at home v Waverley while the Cougars take a 10-8-1 record into an away game at Blackburn.

Melbourne Demons 7 v Blackburn Orioles 1

Blackburn fell behind early and couldn't come back in a 7-1 loss to Melbourne on Saturday, with the Demons taking the lead on a sacrifice fly from Daniel Schroot in the second inning.

Daniel McGrath led things off on the pitcher's mound for Melbourne, covering seven innings with three hits, a walk, a run, and eight strikeouts.

Blackburn's Sam Bucello gave up seven runs on 12 hits over seven innings, striking out three. James Paterson threw two innings out of the bullpen.

Charlie Collins went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Blackburn in hits while Melbourne tallied 14 hits on the day. Oliver McMahon went 4-for-6 while Kynan Jones, and Harvey Mitchelhill had multiple hits, too. Jones had a team-high 10 fielding chances in an error-free game.

Melbourne has a 7-10-1 record and Blackburn is 7-12 with the next games at home v Cheltenham and Berwick, respectively.

Waverley Wildcats 6 v Cheltenham Rustlers 2

The first four innings were quiet before Waverley scored once in the fifth. The Wildcats went on to score five more in the eighth, all while keeping Cheltenham off the board apart from two runs in the final frame.

Waverley's Mitchell Wilhite homered and Jordan Ley and Ned Hargreaves each drove in two runs to support pitcher Luke Papanicolaou, who gave up eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Adam Bright struck out three in one inning as well.

Josh Tribe threw six innings for Cheltenham, giving up two hits, three walks, and a run with four strikeouts. Jack Enciondo gave up two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in an inning, while five earned runs came around during Josh Ashen's two innings of work.

Ashen, George Calil, and Jack Dunn had two base hits while Dylan Trevorah, Sam Michael, and Jack Daniels had one hit each.

Waverley has a 10-6-2 record going into an away game at Upwey Ferntree Gully as Cheltenham heads to Melbourne.

Geelong Baycats 6 v Fitzroy Lions 5

Geelong got started straight away with two runs in the first, one in the second, and two more in the third. Fitzroy added three at the bottom of the inning before another two came in the fifth to tie it up.

The Baycats pulled in front for good with one run in the seventh, holding on to lead as Rudy Jaramillo got the win. He threw seven innings with 12 hits, one walk, five earned runs, and three strikeouts, plus had an RBI single at the plate. Sam Gibbons threw two scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

Josh Davies, Tyler Luther-Wilson, Lewis Weldon, Brock Wells, and Keli’i Zablan knocked in runs while Ryan Darcy doubled and Harper Rickard and James Wood singled.

Fitzroy's Tyler Trevaskis gave up eight hits and six runs (two unearned) with three walks and four strikeouts in seven innings. Danny King threw two scoreless in relief with three hits and a strikeout.

Carl Wilson had three RBIs for Fitzroy while Thomas Wilson had one. Tom Dicker, Ethan Epifanio, Jordan Hill, Chris McBride, and Patrick Wyatt all got on base with timely hits.

Geelong has a 13-5-1 record before hosting Sunshine while Fitzroy plays at Malvern in round 20.

Following a successful 2022 National Showcase Series, the Baseball Victoria High Performance team has distributed detailed player reports and college information to all 72 players who attended the showcase.

The first part of the showcase was dedicated to data collection, with all this information including individual position metrics, run time, exit velocity, and throwing velocity now compiled into player reports for recruitment purposes.

Over 2,000 individual videos have been produced and shared with the players as well, including film of 60-yard sprints, hitting, infield, outfield, catching, and in-game pitching.

“These videos give players an insight and historical record into their individual skills and output at this point in their career,” BV Talent Development Manager Damian Shanahan said. “The videos also show players and parents how to capture their skills on film as a recruitment tool in the future.”

“We are confident these individual performance reports, combined with valuable resources from Baseball Australia on college baseball opportunities, will help our hardworking showcase athletes take the next steps in their bright futures on and off the field. Thank you once again to these players for their fantastic efforts throughout the showcase, and we look forward to seeing what they accomplish moving forward.”