Essendon, Upwey Ferntree Gully, Melbourne, Fitzroy, and Sunshine secured midweek wins in VSBL Division 1 with just three rounds to go before finals.

Read full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out the latest recaps from round 18 below.

Division 1 Firsts

Malvern Braves 1 v Essendon Bombers 5

The Bombers got the better of the Braves on Tuesday night, scoring one in the third and four in the fifth, while Malvern's lone run came off the bat of Nick Parton in the sixth.

Sam Street led the way for Essendon on the mound, striking out 14 in seven innings with just four hits and one run. Declan Speirs, Darby Sexton, Jarryd Rogers, and Scott McIntyre knocked in runs as Jack Giles, Michael Formisano, Jared Cruz, and Lachlan Condie got on base with timely hits too.

Mitch Kennedy doubled while James Squire, Ryan Othen, and Ryan Dale singled for the Braves. Simon Pole pitched 4.33 innings, giving up seven hits, a walk, and five runs (one unearned) with two strikeouts. Tyler Dale kept things scoreless in 2.66 innings, giving up two hits and three walks with a strikeout.

Essendon is 13-2 in first place while Malvern has a 7-10-1 record, with the Bombers hosting another matchup between the two this weekend.

Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers 1 v Berwick City Cougars 0

The Tigers got in front with Jordan Elliott’s two-out single in the first as the rest of the game proved to a pitchers’ duel.

Donovan Hendriks threw eight shutout innings for the Tigers, striking out seven and allowing five hits with two walks.

Matthew West pitched seven innings for the Cougars with seven strikeouts ahead of a scoreless eighth for Joel Hector.

Elliot and Hendriks had multiple hits for the Tigers while Berwick's Marcus Graham went 2-for-4 at the plate and made the most plays in the field with eight.

The Tigers have a 9-7-2 record while the Cougars are sitting at 10-7-1 with the next game at Upwey Ferntree Gully on Sunday.

Melbourne Demons 3 v Blackburn Orioles 0

Blackburn fell behind early and couldn't come back in a 3-0 loss to Melbourne on Tuesday.

The pitching was strong on both sides as Melbourne pitchers struck out nine and Blackburn sat down seven.

Melbourne fired up the offense in the first inning on an RBI single for Kynan Jones, followed by Kurtis Smith's RBI base hit in the second.

A double by Jacob Evans in the second inning was a positive for Blackburn.

Melbourne's Daniel McGrath went seven scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, and nine strikeouts.

Gerard Kingston covered six innings for Blackburn, allowing three runs on 11 hits and striking out five. Evans threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen and went 1-for-3 at the plate to lead the team in hits.

Melbourne racked up 13 hits in the game, including a 4-for-4 day from Jones. Smith, Nathan Aaron, and Harvey Mitchelhill also had multiple hits.

Going into round 19, Melbourne sits at 6-10-1 while Blackburn is 7-11. The Orioles have the home game this weekend.

Cheltenham Rustlers 1 v Waverley Wildcats 1

The first two innings were quiet before Cheltenham scored on Jack Dunn's RBI single in the third, although Waverley tied it up with a base hit from Mitchell Homfray in the bottom of the fourth.

Neither side could score in the final frames as the pitching stayed strong - Waverley with Darcy Longstaff's four hits and six strikeouts and Cheltenham with solid innings from Max Barrett and Russell Ferguson.

Dylan Trevorah, Jack Daniels, and George Callil had Cheltenham's other singles while Damon Hill, Jordan Ley, Tommy Maxfield, and Jacob Sheldon-Collins had base hits for Waverley.

The Wildcats are 9-6-2 going into the next game at Cheltenham.

Fitzroy Lions 5 v Geelong Baycats 3

Sandringham Royals 1 v Sunshine Eagles 5

Adam Irons led the Eagles to victory on the mound, giving up just one run in the fifth with four hits, a walk, and three strikeouts in six innings.

Sunshine scored once in the first and again in the second before finishing with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Cam Deeble, Nathan Gatt, and Jordan Young had RBIs.

Two unearned runs scored during Genevieve Beacom's four innings on the mound for Sandringham as she gave up two hits and struck out five. Riley Trad pitched too while Harrison Wills had the team's lone RBI.

Sunshine has a 13-4-1 record and Sandringham is 7-11 going into Sunday's game at the Royals' home base.

Baseball Australia has announced the provisional 44-player list of invitees to April’s National Junior Camp, including eight from Victoria:

• Bronson Neave (Melbourne)
• Charlie Pierson (Sandringham)
• Declan Speirs (Essendon)
• Genevieve Beacom (Sandringham)
• Hayden Peoples (Geelong)
• Jayden Kim (Sandringham)
• Nick Bertucci (Moorabbin)
• Nick Parton (Malvern)

These U-18 athletes were chosen 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.

“We are very proud of our eight Victorians invited to the National Junior Camp, which will be an excellent opportunity to further their development and prepare to take their game to the next level,” Baseball Victoria Talent Development Manager Damian Shanahan said. “As demonstrated at the Victorian showcase, these athletes consistently put in the hard work to get better and expand their skills, and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for them after April’s camp.”

Once the camp is complete, a National Junior Squad will be picked to travel to the U.S. in late August before being finalised ahead of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup in Florida.

Click HERE to read more and view the full list of National Junior Camp invitees from around the country.

It was a busy weekend in VSBL Division 3 with double-digit scores in every game and wins for Chelsea, North Coburg, Springvale and Bonbeach.

View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read recaps from the latest games below.

Division 3 Firsts

Footscray Bulldogs 3 v Chelsea Dolphins 11

The Dolphins had the advantage in this matchup, scoring a flurry of late runs to take back the lead and record win number five.

Chelsea had a 1-0 lead going into the third before Footscray scored two in the fifth. The Bulldogs went on to score one in the sixth while Chelsea scattered 10 runs across the last few innings for a solid win.

The Dolphins had 15 hits total against Footscray pitchers Abbey McLellan and Thomas Medland, with Jarryd Tippett, Trevor Johansen, and Shannon Groenendyk recording three hits apiece. Tippett and Johansen singled three times while Groenendyk singled and doubled twice.

Matthew Hannan had a single and a double for three RBIs, Evan Nisbet had two base hits, and Glenn Sanders doubled and singled. Ryoji Shinoda knocked in two runs with a homer and a single while Rhys Tippett had a pair of base hits, too.

Chelsea was strong pitching-wise as well, with Groenendyk throwing eight solid innings with three unearned runs, two hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts. Shinoda pitched one in relief, striking out two out of three batters.

Footscray had one singles from Shane Kinlough and Abbey McLellan, while Medland tripled twice. Adam White and Kinlough had RBIs on the day.

Now 5-7, Chelsea hosts Bonbeach next while 3-9 Footscray heads to Pakenham.

Geelong Baycats 13 v North Coburg Rebels 17

The Rebels worked their way to a big win in this high-scoring game, despite Geelong outhitting them 19-9.

North Coburg led 4-1 after the first inning with both sides scoring two in the second. By the end of the third, North Coburg was in front 8-4, and that led grew to 11-5 in the fourth.

Geelong added two in the fifth, one in the eighth, and five in the ninth, but North Coburg stayed in front with three runs in both the seventh and eighth.

Holding off Geelong's rally in the final frame, the Rebels secured their second victory of the season with Andy Karp getting the win on the mound. Justin Lake, Addison Kaye, Kade Eicke, and Karp all had two RBIs while Gavin Alki, Dionysios Papadatos, and Jack Pinches knocked in a run each.

Jesse Buzza, Jordan Ellis, and Riley Peoples put in pitching work for Geelong while teammate Robert Hickey knocked in four runs and Cooper Tipping had three RBIs on two triples.

Buzza also recorded three RBIs with Noah Brennan, Connor Hughes, and Peoples also bringing runners home. Ellis and Cade White had two hits apiece as well.

Both teams will go into round 13 looking for win number three, with North Coburg playing at Springvale and Geelong visiting North Western.

North Western Titans 1 v Springvale Lions 16

The Lions kept up the momentum against the Titans, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead before tacking on 11 runs in the fourth. North Western's lone run came in the fifth as Springvale managed 16 hits total compared to three for the Titans.

Scott Baillie pitched 3.33 innings for Springvale with one hit and five strikeouts, followed by 2.66 innings from Joel Stubbs with two hits, two walks, one unearned run, and a strikeout.

Rydge Hogan led the way offensively with three doubles and three RBIs, followed by Steve Hughes, Adam Thatcher, and Stubbs all with two runs knocked in.

Lucas Anderson, Neal Cavanagh, and Maxwell Chew also brought runners home while Lucas Anderson, Matthew Cameron, and Baillie singled. Ryan Kirby had one of the team's four doubles, too.

North Western had Cameron Wilson and Connor Wilson on the mound while Dan Holmes collected two singles and Alan McGaughey had one.

12-0 Springvale hosts North Coburg next while 7-5 North Western plays Geelong at home.

Bonbeach Bluejays 24 v Pakenham Pumas 2

The Bluejays were relentless at the plate in the later innings, bouncing back after the Pumas took a 2-1 lead in the first. Bonbeach kept Pakenham from scoring for the rest of the game while keeping up offensively, with five runs in both the fourth and the fifth before 13 in the sixth.

Jacob Bald had five RBIs, Olly Hookey-Rizzo had four, and Matthew Burton and Jarad Curwood knocked in three runs each. James Crowe, Matthew Bucci, and Mathew Prior also brought runners home while Daniel Conway-Jones, Kyle Hubbard, and Edward Steere had singles for Bonbeach too.

Prior gave up four hits and two runs with three strikeouts in as many innings, while Conway-Jones gave up three hits with three strikeouts in his time on the mound.

Tim Bellerby struck out four in four innings for Pakenham with Rohan Hector also contributing on the mound. Bellerby and Hector joined Shaun Fahy, Ethan Hamilton, Jesse Hunter, Matthew Mills, and Darren Reeves had singles.

Mitchell Lording was the only Pakenham player to record multiple hits while Danny Cannizzaro and Hunter knocked in runs.

Second-place Bonbeach heads to Chelsea with a 10-2 record as 7-5 Pakenham hosts Footscray next.

There are four rounds to go in VSBL Division 2 with Newport, Mulgrave, Moorabbin, and Werribee looking towards finals, and Doncaster and Williamstown not far out of the top four.

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

Division 2 Firsts

Mulgrave Rebels 16 v Preston Pirates 5

Mulgrave took care of business on Saturday, scoring six in the first, two in the second, and one in the third. Preston got three back throughout the middle innings before the Rebels put another four on in the fifth and three in the sixth. The Pirates scored twice more but that was it for the day.

Liam Richardson got the win on the mound, striking out six with 12 hits and five runs (two unearned). Riley O'Shea struck out one during a short relief appearance to end the game.

Mulgrave's batters didn't strike out once on the day, getting the better of Preston's pitching staff with timely hits - 21 in total. This included three RBIs for Jordan Gavin, Ryan Phillips, and Paul Rutgers, who all doubled on the day. Nicholas Thompson, Donnie Poole, Caleb Poole, O'Shea, and Richardson also knocked in runs while Jason Cousins had a pair of singles.

Preston wasn't shy at the plate either, collecting 12 hits with three RBIs for Jaycob Pascuzzi, a home run by Gabriel Valderrama, and an RBI base hit for Hebert Rodriguez. Shane Waters and Campbell Every had two hits apiece while Glenn Farrell, Mitch Legge, and Logan O'Brien had one.

Mulgrave sits second at 12-4 with the next game at home v Preston, which now has a 5-11-1 record.

Moorabbin Panthers 3 v Newport Rams 7

The Rams took a 2-1 lead in the third and kept scoring from there, adding two more runs in both the fourth and the fifth before a final run in the seventh. Moorabbin didn't get on the board again until the ninth, scoring two before the final out was recorded.

Winning pitcher Tyler Comben gave up 11 hits and struck out eight in seven innings with no walks and just one run. Aaron Robson filled in for two innings, giving up five hits, a walk, and two runs with a strikeout. Newport's offense included RBIs from Ben Howard, Matthew Lawman, Alan Ortiz, and Nathan Smith. Jared Berman, Cam Lyons, and Dean Malthouse got on base with big hits.

Moorabbin had Ben Campbell and Matt Hardie on the mound for four innings each. Hardie took the loss but did have a good day at the plate, knocking in two runs on three singles. Nick Bertucci smashed a double and two singles for an RBI, while Ben Laux and Nicholas Veale had four base hits each. Adam Harris and Tom Brookes also had hits for the Panthers.

Newport is now 13-4 while Moorabbin is 11-5-1, sitting first and third respectively. Moorabbin hosts the next game between these two on Thursday night.

Ormond Glenhuntly 8 v St Kilda Saints 14

The game was tied 1-1 after the first, although Ormond Glenhuntly pulled ahead by two in the third. It wasn't until the later stages when St Kilda battled back, with the Hunters still leading 4-3 after the fifth. It was 7-5 after the sixth with the Saints coming within one in the seventh.

After Ormond Glenhuntly scored once in the top of the eighth, St Kilda's bats came alive in the bottom frame, racking up eight runs to take the lead and seal the deal on their fifth win of the year.

Adam Schoppe pitched all nine innings, striking out five and throwing 147 pitches total. Rolando Curiel, Mariano Favia, and Robby Lewis had a pair of RBIs each while Deilyn Guzman, Millar Kuhl, and George Polley had one RBI each. Guzman, Kuhl, Lewis, and Polley had triples on the day.

Both sides are 5-12 going into round 18 at Ormond Glenhuntly.

Port Melbourne Mariners 0 v Werribee Giants 14

The Giants started scoring early and didn't stop the pressure, cruising to a 14-0 victory with five runs in the first, four in the third, and one in the fourth. They added three more in the fifth and a final run in the last inning while keeping Port Melbourne off the board altogether.

Winning pitcher Wesley de Jong gave up six hits in six innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks or runs. Tyler Huisman and Jacob Sigismondi pitched in relief, protecting the shutout while Werribee batters did their job at the plate.

Trent Pantalleresco collected four RBIs on a pair of doubles, while Huisman hit a single and a home run for two RBIs. Oliver Box plated two with a big base hit, while de Jong, Hibbert, and Lowe had one RBI each. John Curnow, Andrew Christou, and Wade Balzer also had hits.

Five unearned runs hurt Port Melbourne, with Kevin Ung on the mound for six innings. On the offensive side, the Mariners had two singles from Beau Graham and Matthew Parker, while George Camov and Ung had one single each.

Fourth-place Werribee goes into the next game at Port Melbourne with an 11-6 record.

Doncaster Dragons 3 v Williamstown Wolves 5

The Wolves scored two early runs and added to their run tally across the middle innings, holding off a late three-run rally from Doncaster to win the game.

The Dragons' comeback was led by Brian Chen and Billy Findlay with RBIs, although Williamstown starter Dennis Neal was able to calm things down. He gave up eight hits, three walks, and three runs in nine innings with 14 strikeouts.

Justin Gourlay and Aaron Green had RBI singles while Robert Higginson and Hiroshi Narasaki also got on base.

Doncaster has a 10-6-1 record going into a home game v the Wolves, who hold a 9-7-1 record.

It was another big weekend across VSBL Women's Division 1, 2, and 3 with finals just weeks away.

Check out recaps below and view season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE.

Women's Division 1 - Midweek Games

Springvale Lions B 0 v Springvale Lions 17

Hannah Jackson and Maddy Patrick combined for seven strikeouts in this big win, which featured hits up and down the lineup, including two apiece for Hanami Campitelli, Shae Lillywhite, and Siobhan Stephenson.

Jackson knocked in four runs with two singles and a triple, while Lily Bell-Tanner, Shirlie Bull, Sinead Flanigan, and Patrick all had hits too.

On the Springvale B side, Phoebe Dowsett doubled and Emma Jenkinson singled.

This game marked Springvale's tenth win of the season with just a handful of games to go.

Doncaster Dragons 7 v Essendon Bombers 7

The Dragons were first on the board with two early runs, but it wasn't long before Essendon made it a 3-2 ballgame. By the end of the third the Bombers were ahead 7-4, however that lead was short-lived as Doncaster tied the game with a three-run fourth. Neither side could score in the fifth as the game ended in a draw, the first of the season for both teams.

Jessica Johnson threw the whole game for Doncaster, with four of Essendon's seven runs unearned. Jamie Bastian smashed a double for two RBIs while Maddi Weller also knocked in two runs on a pair of singles. Belinda Cannington, Amy McCann, and Chelsea Stewart also had hits.

On Essendon's side, Emma French threw three innings with three hits, three walks, four runs, and five strikeouts. Abbey Kelly contributed two innings as well as a pair of singles and an RBI, while Allie Bebbere, Jasmine Bentley, Courtney Foura, Megan Kelly, and Aislinn Taiaroa knocked in runs too.

Women's Division 1 - Saturday Games

Springvale B 0 v Doncaster Dragons 22

Doncaster opened the game with 13 runs and kept up the pressure from there, adding three in the second and six in the third. Jamie Bastian had three hits and three strikeouts in three innings of work to pick up the win, while Bronwyn Gell contributed two innings with one hit and three strikeouts. Gell also led the team in RBIs, knocking in five on a single, triple, and a home run.

Maddi Weller had four RBIs on a single and a double, while Bastian brought three runs in on two singles and a triple. Belinda Cannington singled and tripled for two RBIs, Erin Collins had a pair of base hits, and Chelsea Stewart had a hard-hit 2-RBI single. Amy McCann and Brooklyn Hutton also got on base with timely hits.

Phoebe Dowsett, Rebecca Heenan, Emma Jenkinson, and Lily Pedder picked up hits for Springvale B.

Doncaster now has a 9-1-1 record, sitting second behind the Lions, while Springvale B is 6-6. Next up, Doncaster takes on the other Springvale side while Springvale B hosts Essendon Bombers.

Springvale Lions 3 v Essendon Bombers 1

The Lions were first on the board in the second, although Essendon tied it up at one-all in the third. Springvale added runs in the fifth and the seventh to secure their 11th straight win, staying atop the ladder for another week.

Simone Wearne got the win for Springvale with five hits, five walks, and five strikeouts. Just one unearned run scored during her time on the mound, while Gabby Bevan contributed two scoreless innings as well.

Hanami Campitelli and Siobhan Stephenson had RBIs for Springvale while Shirlie Bull, Emily Devine, and Shae Lillywhite collected singles.

11-0 Springvale hosts Doncaster in round 14 while 6-5-1 Essendon plays Springvale B.

Women's Division 2

Footscray Bulldogs 1 v Newport Rams 17

The game was tied at one going into the second before Newport pulled in front, adding two in the second, three in the seventh, and three in the fourth. Newport had 17 hits on the day while giving up just two, thanks to strong pitching from Mackenzie Prentice-Evans who struck out four in four innings.

Kira Jansen, Laura Sexton, and Leslie Anglin had three hits apiece for Newport while Caroline Moustas and Morgan Doty knocked in runs.

Newport is 6-5 going into the next round while Footscray is 3-7 and plays Essendon at home in round 13.

Geelong Baycats - Forfeit v Doncaster

After this forfeit, Doncaster is 3-8 going into a bye while Geelong plays Newport at home.

Women's Division 3 North East

Malvern Braves 0 v Melbourne Demons 17

Melbourne opened with seven runs and kept up the scoring from there, putting five on in the second and five in the third to secure win number nine. Now 9-2, Melbourne plays Waverley at home while 5-6 Malvern takes on Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly.

Research Lower Plenty 4 v South East Warriors 14

Research opened with a run in the first but the Warriors weren't deterred, adding seven in the bottom of the inning and another seven in the second. The Research offense was quieter with one run in the second and two runs in the second.

South East improved to 8-2 ahead of an away game at Preston, while Research Lower Plenty hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully next.

Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly 8 v Upwey Ferntree Gully 16

Upwey Ferntree Gully had a 2-0 lead going into the second when Malvern OGH tied it up. The Tigers pulled in front with seven runs in both the second and the third, giving them a good cushion in front of Malvern OGH despite a late flurry of six runs.

Next up for the Tigers is an away game at Research Lower Plenty, while Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly plays Malvern at home

Waverley Wildcats 14 v Preston Pirates 2

Waverley started with six runs and kept up the pressure from there, leading 9-1 by the middle of the third before a final five runs in the fourth. Preston got one back in the final frame but that was it as the Pirates are now 7-4 while the Wildcats stay at the top with a 10-1 record.

First-place Waverley heads to Melbourne and fourth-place Preston hosts the Warriors for the next round.

Women's Division 3 South

Berwick Cougars 6 v Moorabbin Panthers 11

Berwick was first on the board with one run in the second, but Moorabbin quickly took over, scoring seven in the second and another in the third. Berwick got two back in the fourth and three in the fifth but three more Moorabbin runs put them firmly in front.

Moorabbin sits second at 9-3 while Berwick is fourth with a 5-7 record. Next up the Panthers host Sandringham and the Cougars play Bonbeach at home.

Sandringham Royals 14 v Pakenham Pumas 7

The Royals recorded their seventh win of the season thanks to back-to-back seven-run innings to open the game. Pakenham tried to keep up, scoring three in the first and four in the second, but ultimately Sandringham was busier at the plate.

7-5 Sandringham hits the road to take on Moorabbin while Pakenham is away playing Springvale in round 13.

Bonbeach Bluejays 19 v Springvale Lions 9

The Bluejays were hot out the gate, scoring six runs in the first and five in the second. By the end of the third it was a 14-4 ballgame, and both teams scored five more in the fourth for an exciting finish.

Now 9-3, Moorabbin plays Sandringham at home while 3-8 Springvale hosts Pakenham in round 13.

Women's Division 3 West

Sunshine Eagles 12 v Fitzroy Doncaster 6

The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first but Fitzroy Doncaster battled back, scoring four in the second. However, the game was just getting started as Sunshine finished out the third narrowly in front 6-5.

A final six runs for the Eagles sealed the deal, although Fitzroy Doncaster did end up getting one back in the final frame.

After this game, Sunshine is 9-1 at the top of the ladder, while Fitzroy Doncaster is 5-5 in fifth place. Sunshine hosts North West Orange next while Fitzroy Doncaster heads to Essendon.

Port Melbourne 11 v North Western Orange 6

The Mariners scored four early runs although the Titans got two back in the bottom of the first. Port Melbourne managed two in the second and five in the third, holding off the Titans after they scored four runs in the final frame.

Port Melbourne hosts Newport next as North Western Orange visits Sunshine.

Newport Rams 9 v Essendon Bombers 9

The Rams and Bombers both battled hard, with Newport taking an early three-run lead, which was short-lived after Essendon scored seven in the bottom half.

Newport got one back in the second and two in the third. Essendon's two runs in the third gave them the advantage but Newport wasn't ready to lose, scoring the tying run in the fourth and keeping the Bombers off the board in the final frame.

After this 9-9 draw, Newport has an away game at Port Melbourne and Essendon plays Fitzroy Doncaster at home.

Werribee Giants 3 v North Western Black 20

The Giants started with two runs but North Western quickly answered, scoring seven runs in both the first and the second. A final six runs in the third gave the Titans their biggest win of the season as they improved to 6-3.

The Titans visit Geelong in round 13 while Werribee has a bye.

Baseball Victoria is pleased to announce the life membership of Don Stephens following the BV Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 22 February 2022.

“We are proud to confer life membership on Don Stephens in accordance with Article 8 of the Baseball Victoria Constitution,” Baseball Victoria Interim CEO Gemma Scales said. “This is a well-deserved honour for a dedicated administrator who has spent decades serving the Geelong baseball community, working hard to support and ultimately grow the sport. On behalf of Baseball Victoria, we congratulate Don and thank him for his many contributions to Victorian baseball.”

Stephens has been extensively involved with Geelong Baseball Association since 1995 in a variety of roles including registrar, pennant committee chair, vice president and president. He has dedicated himself to supporting winter baseball in the region, serving as the executive officer for numerous GBA carnival teams, as well as umpire and scorer for junior and senior events.

Stephens is known for his positive, caring, and thoughtful approach to the integrity of the sport and the experience of those around him, and was surprised and humbled to hear of his life membership, thanking his fellow administrators at Geelong who nominated him.

“I was very shocked. I’ve lived my life by the philosophy that whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it, and that’s what the sport is to me. Baseball is fun but the lifelong friendships you make on and off the field give you reason to come back and continue. It’s just the people you meet along the way,” Stephens said.

His early days of baseball began when he ran into a schoolteacher picking up baseball equipment. It wasn’t long before he hit the field and fell in love with the game, first playing at Ringwood before moving to Geelong and taking on more of a leadership role at the local cub and association, embracing everything from premierships to running nationals at Geelong Baseball Centre.

“I just kept getting involved, being positive, and enjoying the game. To see the success of the game in Geelong from where we started to where we are now is fantastic, and in the future, I just hope to see the ongoing success of baseball in Victoria and throughout Australia.”

Baseball Victoria is pleased to deliver a series of coach education presentation sessions at local clubs over the next month.

All junior club coaches are invited to attend these sessions, which will include a one-hour presentation on coaching principles and how to apply them in on-field training. After the presentation, BV Talent Development Manager Damian Shanahan and Coach and Player Pathways Coordinator Keli’i Zablan (Zee) will hold a Q&A session to strengthen relationships with coaches and better understand what else they may want to learn.

These sessions will be the start to an entire suite of BV coaching resources, presentations, and clinics throughout the year.

The upcoming presentations begin on Monday 28 February 2022 with specific club dates available HERE. All sessions run from 7:30pm-9pm at a club within each charter.

• Southern Mariners - Mondays @ Moorabbin Baseball Club
• Eastern Athletics - Tuesdays @ North Balwyn Baseball Club
• Geelong Baycats - Thursdays @ Geelong Baseball Club
• Twins - Fridays @ Melbourne Ballpark Altona

Please click HERE for more information on coach accreditation and education and if there are any enquires, feel free to contact pathways@baseballvictoria.com.au or phone 0428 737 691.

VSBL Division 3 featured high scores across the board this past weekend as Springvale, Bonbeach, Pakenham, and North Western Chelsea, and Pakenham remain in the top four going into round 12.

View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read recaps from the latest games below.

Division 3 Firsts

Footscray Bulldogs 1 v Bonbeach Bluejays 19

The Bluejays wasted no time jumping on the board, scoring three early runs after giving up one to Footscray to open the game. The competition was close for the first few innings, but soon Bonbeach opened it up with five runs in the third and ten in the fourth.

Bonbeach was led by Daniel Conway-Jones on the mound, as he gave up seven hits but just one run with two strikeouts and a walk. Matt Bucci and Aaron Mills both contributed one scoreless inning in relief.

The high-scoring side saw an RBI triple from Mathew Prior and five RBIs on five hits from Daniel Conway-Jones on a big single and a double. Jacob Bald and Mills both had three RBIs along with Olly Hookey-Rizzo while James Crowe had two singles and a double and Matthew Burton had a pair of base hits with an RBI.

Shane Kinlough threw six innings for Footscray and had two singles alongside Alec McGuinness. Mark Jewers, Liam McKean, and Thomas Medland had one single each.

9-2 Bonbeach heads to Pakenham next while Footscray looks to improve on a 3-8 record on the road to Chelsea.

Chelsea Dolphins 5 v North Western Titans 15

The Titans struck first with a five-run second, followed by four runs in the third and another in the fourth. The score was 10-2 going into the bottom of the sixth when North Western scored three more.

Chelsea continued to battle, bringing three home in the final inning while North Western got two for a final score of 15-5, North Western's seventh win of the year.

Connor Wilson threw all seven innings for the Titans with ten hits, ten strikeouts, one walk, and five runs - four of them earned. He also had two RBIs on a single and a double.

North Western also relied on strong offensive contributions from Cameron Wilson, who plated five with two singles and a home run. Ryan Tompkins had two base hits with an RBI while Jarrod Johns, Dan Holmes, Daniel Hamilton, and Anthony Falzon had one RBI each.

On Chelsea's side, Hayden Ochoa, Matthew Hannan, and Lachlan Davies put in work on the mound as Ryoji Shinoda, Rhys Tippett, and Henry George knocked in runs. Davies had a pair of singles while Jarryd Tippett, Evan Nisbet, and Trevor Johansen had hits too.

North Western takes a 7-4 record into round 12 at Springvale as 4-7 Chelsea plays Footscray at home.

North Coburg Rebels 5 v Pakenham Pumas 18

The Pumas are 7-4 after a comprehensive win over North Coburg, made possible by strong pitching from Tim Bellerby, Max Hunter, and Mitchell Lording.

Bellerby gave up six hits, two runs, and a walk with four strikeouts in three innings to start the game. Then came Lording, who handled two scoreless innings with two hits, two walks, and a strikeout. Three unearned runs scored while Hunter was on the mound but the offense had done its job so Pakenham was already comfortably in front.

Lording and Hunter had three RBIs with a double and a single each while Greg McCormick, Jesse Hunter, and Danny Cannizzaro knocked in two runs apiece. Matthew Mills had a pair of singles as Bellerby and Jarrad Bell also got on base.

Jack Pinches and Andy Karp battled on the mound for North Coburg, with the team's RBIs coming off the bats of Gavin Alki, Addison Kaye, Justin Lake, and Karp. Ravneel Prasad, Dionysios Papadatos, Kade Eicke, Yoshinori Adachi, and Pinches all singled, demonstrating contributions up and down the lineup despite the loss.

After this big matchup, Pakenham hosts Bonbeach and North Coburg plays Geelong at home in the next round.

Geelong Baycats 0 v Springvale Lions 11

The Lions continued on their hot streak, winning their 11th straight game off the back of another quality start by Lucas Anderson. The pitcher threw struck out six and gave up just two hits and a walk in the first six innings, followed by Rydge Hogan who had a hit and a strikeout in one inning.

Matthew Sage, Tyson Sherry, and Cade White had Geelong's lone hits of the day as Noah Brennan, Connor Hughes, Riley Peoples, and Sage took turns on the mound.

On Springvale's side, Hogan singled and tripled two RBIs, with Steve Hughes knocking in three and Matthew Cameron and Joel Stubbs recording a pair of RBIs also. Anderson had an RBI single as Scott Baillie, Rowan Hall, and Adam Thatcher got on base with timely hits to further their cause.

11-0 Springvale plays fourth-place North Western at home while Geelong has a shot at win number three with an away game at North Coburg.