Several Victorians have recently committed to attend college in 2022, taking the next step in their baseball journeys.

Congratulations to Angus Stals who will head to Three Rivers in Missouri and Charlie Collins who committed to Odessa College in Texas. Josh Ashen is also headed to Texas to attend Vernon College.

Well done to all of these players on their accomplishments – we are looking forward to watching their college experiences unfold!

Click HERE to read the latest stories and click HERE to view the current list of Victorian college players.

There have been several updates to the Baseball Victoria Board and Executive with the appointment of three new directors including a new President, with new Baseball Victoria CEO, Ritchie Hinton, also commencing this month.

The Board of Baseball Victoria confirms President Meghan Mayman has resigned from her role effective 19 November 2021 and will stay on until Christmas to assist with the final stages of transition as part of the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee.

The Baseball Victoria Board met on Saturday to appoint Andy Rose as the new President following Meghan’s departure, which is part of a seamless, planned transition into the next chapter of Baseball Victoria leadership as we get back to baseball after numerous COVID challenges.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time on the board as a Director and President, and I would like to thank my fellow Directors, previous CEO Kristie Middleton, interim CEO Gemma Scales, and the entire BV team for their knowledge, time, and energy during this challenging six-month period while managing COVID,” Meghan said.

“It’s been fantastic to work with a dynamic and collegiate group of Directors as we reassessed our strategy and implemented changes to benefit Victorian baseball as a whole and ensure BV is in a good financial and governance position leading up to the VSBL season.”

The BV Board would like to take this opportunity to thank Meghan for her leadership through the difficult pandemic period.

Two other new Directors have been appointed to the board in addition to Andy Rose, with Jennifer Pitson and Brett Mitsch also confirmed on Saturday.

“Congratulations to Andy, Jennifer and Brett on their appointments. Thank you to Grant Weir as chair of the BV Nominations Committee, Amy McCann and Joanna O’Connor as Nominations Committee representatives, and Rob Stanley for the extra assistance throughout the director recruitment process.

Thank you to Sportspeople for their guidance on the recruitment process, and all those who nominated - we were thrilled with the number of interested candidates,” Meghan added.

“Of course, thank you also to the players, umpires, coaches, and most of all the committee members who have shown incredible resilience during these difficult times.

I wish the new Directors and the whole BV community all the best for a bright future.”

Andy Rose – President

Andy is honoured to take on the role of Baseball Victoria President to help lead his beloved sport to a bright future across Victoria. Over the last 25 years, Andy has run a successful photographic and digital company, with a strong focus on strategic direction and team management for advertising campaigns on both local and national levels. Over the past decade, Andy has been heavily involved in Victorian baseball, coaching teams, managing committees, and facilitating programs from community t-ball up to high performance.

He has also served as President of North Balwyn Baseball Club since 2010, where he focused on growing junior participation and offering more opportunities to participate in baseball. Andy is excited to direct his enthusiasm and creative thinking to further the strategic plan of growing grassroots baseball and fostering the next generations of talent in Victoria.

“I’m pleased to be appointed Baseball Victoria President and look forward to working with the entire board and our new CEO, Ritchie Hinton, to develop and execute a new strategic plan focused on sustainable success for baseball across Victoria. We have an excellent opportunity to boost our junior development, get more kids into the game at the t-ball and under-12 levels, and we want to make sure all clubs have the resources to deliver a really good product.”

“By giving an amazing experience to all participants, we can see more kids and adults coming out to play baseball. As a state sporting organisation, we will be working towards these strategic goals and ensuring the proper resources are in place to increase the profile of Victorian baseball and empower our clubs and members to make the most of baseball opportunities.”

Jennifer Pitson – Director

Jennifer joins Baseball Victoria with over 20 years of sport industry experience including strategic, commercial, participation, marketing and event positions. Jennifer holds a Master of Business Administration (Entrepreneurial Management) and is currently studying a Doctor of Business Administration at the Australian Institute of Business. Jennifer is a consultant with Woodlyon Pty Ltd., having previously served as General Manager - Commercial & Development at Motorsport Australia and Sponsorship Manager at Bowls Australia. At both organisations, she was responsible for developing and implementing relevant strategic plans to ensure key commercial and participation objectives were met.

Throughout her career, Jennifer has worked for the Australian Football League, Melbourne Racing Club, and City of Melbourne managing strategic partnerships with Cricket Australia, Australian Rugby Union, and Melbourne Vixens to name a few. She’s passionate about strengthening commercial and participation strategies to benefit sporting organisation members and keeping people active. She’s looking forward to influencing the future of Baseball Victoria and ensuring grassroots baseball continues to encourage teamwork, community engagement, and long-lasting connections.

“I’m excited to join Baseball Victoria and lend my extensive skillset and sports administration knowledge to this state sporting organisation in an exciting period of strategic planning and future growth. I believe baseball can influence people of all ages to keep active while building a strong platform to encourage teamwork and community engagement, and I’m thrilled to be involved and to start working with the other directors.”

Brett Mitsch – Director

Brett is an experienced senior banking executive and current managing Director of Steam Plains Capitol. Brett holds a Master of Business Administration and has extensive experience in global executive leadership, NFP governance, and management. His previous roles as an advisor, portfolio manager, and board member allowed him to develop and execute a range of growth strategies, and he has also represented at numerous investor conferences and industry presentations.

As a player who has returned to the sport after 30 years, Brett is passionate about baseball and driving increased participation at the grassroots level.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the board and management team to raise the level of awareness and interest of the game here in Victoria. As part of our new strategic plan, we have the opportunity to get more people involved who love the game but haven’t played it and give Victorians the chance to play baseball at any age through pathways with local clubs and the potential growth of new clubs. I’m excited to see how we can tap into the global baseball community to further enhance the game in Australia.”

The Baseball Victoria Board once again deeply thanks Meghan for her contributions and welcomes Andy, Jennifer, Brett and Ritchie to their roles.

Click HERE to read more about the Baseball Victoria Board of Directors.

The 2021/22 VSBL season is off to an awesome start as Women's Division 1, 2, and 3 hit the diamond for summer baseball. After wet weather the first weekend, teams enjoyed better conditions in the second round, with plenty of baseball left to come.

View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and check out recaps below.

Women's Division 1 & 2

Springvale Lions 18 v Newport Rams 0

Springvale secured their first win after last week's washout thanks to nine hits and consistent pitching from Gabby Bevan.

Springvale's starter covered five strong innings with just two hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. This strong pitching performance was backed up offensively with Lilian Bell-Tanner's three-RBI day, not to mention Bevan's two RBIs.

Hannah Jackson and Baylin Rousell each had two singles while Siobhan Stephenson and Shae Lillywhite had a pair of RBIs. Emily Devine was patient at the plate, taking two walks as Lili Cavanagh and Hanami Campitelli plated runs too.

Newport's Claire Costa and Mackenzie Prentice-Evans both put in work on the mound while teammates Laura Sexton and Ruby Dale singled.

Springvale will look to repeat a big day of offense at home v Essendon in the third round while Newport hosts Doncaster.

Essendon Bombers 2 v Doncaster Dragons 7

The Dragons got their first win on the board with strong pitching and six hits.

Jessica Johnson threw seven solid innings with four hits, one walk, two unearned runs, and four strikeouts. Teammates Samantha Hamilton, Amy McCann, Ursula Howard, and Erin Collins recorded RBIs.

Essendon pitchers walked just one and struck out eight throughout the game.

Doncaster heads to Newport and Essendon visits Springvale this weekend.

Springvale Lions B 12 v Doncaster Dragons B 7

The Lions are now 2-for-2 after besting the Dragons in a high-scoring game.

Brooklyn Hutton handled three innings on the mound for Doncaster, striking out eight and giving up five hits to the Lions.

Doncaster's RBIs came off the bats of Keeley Harrison and Lilly Simpson, although the team fell just short in their first game.

Springvale B takes on Essendon Jets fresh off the bye while Doncaster B visits Geelong.

Geelong Baycats 5 v Footscray Bulldogs 15

The Baycats battled hard but ultimately fell short as the Bulldogs kept up the offense all the way through to even thir record at 1-1.

Footscray scored in all five innings, putting up two in the first and one in the second before a seven-run third. The Bulldogs followed up with three in the fourth and two in the fifth to seal the deal, all while keeping Geelong to two in the second and three in the third.

While the matchup was competitive, Footscray had the upper hand in stringing along multiple hits and runs in each frame, thanks to big contributions up and down the lineup from Judy Hamilton, Caitlin Hoy, Kelly Jewers, Amanda Napier, Rhea Sandoval, and Tiffaney Shawcross.

Geelong's Jen Mason doubled while Teri Jackson, Emma Hill, and Ella Wilson singled twice. Nyah O'Brien and Ruby Benne had base hits.

Geelong hosts Doncaster B in the third round while Footscray has a bye.

Women's Division 3 North East

Pakenham Pumas 3 v South East Warriors 15

The Warriors opened their season with a win thanks to a strong offensive performance including seven runs in the first and four apiece in the second and third.

Pakenham's only runs came in the first and third and three pitchers combined to keep the Pumas off the board for the most part.

Round 3 has the Warriors hosting Melbourne and the Pumas visiting Waverley.

Malvern Braves 0 v Waverley Wildcats 13

The Wildcats made the most of early scoring opportunities, putting two on in the first, seven in the second, and four in the third.

After getting win number one out of the way, Waverley will look to do it again at home v Pakenham while Malvern hosts Upwey Ferntree Gully.

Melbourne Demons 21 v Upwey Ferntree Gully 7

It was Upwey's first women's game in 12 years, an exciting moment for the club as both sides enjoyed a great game.

The defending champs jumped in front by five in the first but the Tigers battled back, making the score 7-4 before a scoreless third.

Melbourne managed two seven-run innings to end the game while the Tigers got three back to finish things off.

The Demons look to go back-to-back this Saturday as they play the Warriors on the road while Upwey Ferntree Gully heads to Malvern.

Preston Pirates 29 v Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly 3

The Pirates are 2-for-2, following up on their 14-9 win over Research Lower Plenty in the first round with a big win this weekend too.

Preston jumped on the board early with seven runs, followed up by four in the second and another seven in both the third and the fourth. A four-run fifth finished things off for the Pirates, while Malvern got runners home in the middle innings.

Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly faces Research fresh off the bye while Preston has the week off.

Women's Division 3 South

Sandringham Royals 9 v Bonbeach Bluejays 12

The Royals put up a good fight but ultimately Bonbeach came away with the win, their second victory this season.

Bonbeach led 4-1 after the first and soon added seven more in the second, but the Royals powered back with seven of their own in the third. Each team would score once more as the Bluejays finished in front by three.

Both teams are away this weekend as Bonbeach heads to Berwick and Sandringham takes on Moorabbin.

Pakenham Pumas 6 v Moorabbin Panthers 18

The Panthers scored one more run than in last week's win, taking them just a few runs shy of 40 for the year already.

Moorabbin gave up five runs to Pakenham in the opening frame but put together a seven-run first to take the lead.

By the end of the second, it was a 9-6 ballgame, and the Panthers went on to score five more in the third and a final four in the fourth.

Moorabbin is at the top of the ladder and looking to go 3-0 at home v Sandringham while Pakenham heads to Springvale.

Berwick Cougars 17 v Springvale Lions 4

The Cougars racked up the runs for a big win to even their record at 1-1. It was all Berwick from the get-go, with four runs scoring in the first and five in the second.

By the end of the third, Berwick was in front 10-3, and in the final frame the Cougars managed another seven while giving up just one more.

Berwick will aim for back-to-back wins at home v Bonbeach while Springvale hosts Pakenham in the next round.

Women's Division 3 West

Fitzroy Doncaster 8 v Geelong Baycats 21

Geelong has scored 40 runs in the first two games, and this high-powered offense shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

North West Orange 14 v Essendon Bombers 2

The Titans got right to work, putting five runs on in the first and six in the second to lead the game 11-1 after two complete innings.

By the end of the game, the Titans led 14-2 to confirm their first victory of the season. Now, the Orange side heads to Port Melbourne and Essendon visits Newport.

Sunshine Eagles 22 v Newport Rams 3

Sunshine got the season started off right with a comprehensive victory. The Eagles were only ahead by one at the end of the first, but a seven-run second inning changed the name of the game.

Five more runs in the fourth and six in the fifth confirmed Sunshine's victory, something they will look to do again at home v Fitzroy Doncaster. Meanwhile Newport hosts Essendon.

Port Melbourne Mariners 20 v Werribee Giants 3

Port Melbourne has a win on the board after a dominant performance.

The Mariners' victory was made possible by a six-run first and seven runs in both the second and third. Werribee scored once in the first and twice in the second.

Port Melbourne hosts North West Orange and Werribee takes on North Western Black next.

Congratulations to Victorian Charlie Collins on his commitment to Odessa College in Texas.

Baseball Victoria congratulates Allan de San Miguel on his new job with Kansas City Royals. After many years playing for Team Australia, Melbourne Aces, Sunshine Eagles, and Perth Heat, the Claxton Shield champ will join the KC Major League coaching staff in the 2022 MLB season.

A fan favourite across Victoria and all of Australia, Allan has spent five seasons in the KC minor league system and will now serve as a strategist and bullpen catcher for the Royals. We wish him all the best for his future in this well-earned appointment.

Applications are open for the next round of funding through the Sport and Recreation Victoria Sporting Club Grants Program.

According to the SRV website, grassroots sports clubs and organisations can now apply for grants to support new uniforms and volunteer/coach training. The latest funding round includes grants of up to $1,000 for new uniforms and equipment, up to $2,000 for training coaches, officials and volunteers, and up to $5,000 to improve club operations.

Funding Categories

Category 1: Uniforms or Equipment

Grants of up to $1,000 to purchase:

• Uniforms or equipment that are essential for participation in a sport / activity, or required for play
• Safety or injury prevention equipment; and
• First-aid equipment which is necessary for immediate attention to injury that may occur during participation in sport or active recreation

Category 2: Skill Development

Grants of up to $2,000 for clubs or organisations, or up to $5,000 for leagues, associations or organisations that collaborate with multiple organisations.

Management, committee members, volunteers, coaches, officials and administrative staff all require skills through education, training and mentoring.

For the purpose of this fund, Skill Development projects are:

• Initiatives to improve the skills of management and committee members of clubs and organisations
• Projects that offer clubs or organisations sustainability through training of coaches, officials and administrative staff.

Category 3: Operational Capacity

Grants up to $5,000 for clubs or organisations.

Clubs and organisations attempting to grow as sports and active recreation leaders, require support and development to explore new opportunities, or improve their effectiveness within their communities.

For the purpose of this fund, Operational Capacity projects:

• Improve the operational effectiveness and efficiency of clubs and organisations through strategic planning.
• Increase community participation through accessible sport and active recreation opportunities.

Community organisations delivering sport and active recreation programs anywhere in Victoria may apply, with applications closing Tuesday, 25 January 2022 at 5:00pm.

More than 50 Victorian baseball clubs have made successful Sporting Club Grant applications in recent years. Click HERE to view all previous Sporting Club Grant recipients.

Please click HERE to learn more about the Sporting Club Grants Program and apply today on the Sport and Recreation Victoria website.

For a list of available grants from Sport and Recreation Victoria and other organisations, click HERE.

The 2021/22 VSBL Division 4 season opened on a rainy weekend, although nine games still managed to go ahead as Upwey Ferntree Gully, Waverley, Bonbeach, Pakenham, Sandringham, St Kilda, Essendon, and Research Lower Plenty all started off with wins.

View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read recaps below.

Division 4 East

Upwey Ferntree Gully Black 9 v Malvern Braves 7

The Tigers started strong with five runs in the first and stayed in front for the rest of the game, although Malvern battle back to come within one.

Upwey Ferntree Gully led 6-1 going into the bottom of the second, but Malvern scored four to make it a one-run ballgame. Luckily for the Tigers, they put together a three-run third and held off the Braves, allowing two runs but  hanging on for the win.

The Tigers look to go 2-for-2 at home v Waverley Red while the Braves play Monash Uni at home.

Waverley Wildcats 8 v Monash Uni Farmers 6

Waverley had a 3-0 lead in the middle of the second, but a six-run effort by Monash shifted the game in the Farmers' favour. The Wildcats pulled together to put up five more in the third to ensure the win.

Monash had seven hits compared to three for Waverley, but errors on both sides helped runners get on base.

Despite the loss, Ashley Aylen managed 12 first pitch strikes and two strikeouts for the Farmers, while Jack Makeham struck out one in an inning of work.

Division 4 South

Mornington Red 2 v Bonbeach White 18

The Bluejays came away with a double-digit victory after dominating offensively.

Mornington's two runs came at the start of the game, and then it was all Bonbeach with the bats. David Morris, Hayden Booker, James Gillam, Rebecca Heenan, Sebastian Hindson, Glen Jones, and Adam Major all contributed in the high-scoring game.

The Bonbeach lineup will look to do more of the same after scoring in all four innings - five in the first, seven in the second, and three in both the third and the fourth. The Bluejays next game is at Sandringham while Mornington Red heads to St Kilda.

Mornington Black 5 v Pakenham White 12

The Pumas had the upper hand in this matchup, giving up just three in the first and two in the second while taking care of things offensively.

Pakenham White has a chance to make it two in a row at home v Bonbeach Blue on Sunday while Mornington Black hosts Chelsea.

Sandringham Royals 15 v Mulgrave Rebels 0

Sandringham's offense put on a promising display to start the season with contributions up and down the lineup from Owen Cogar, Deakin Mitchell, Hunter Richardson, Iain Richardson, Taryn Richardson, and Todd Wavish.

The Royals put up four in the first, seven in the second, and a final four in the third, an effort they will look to repeat at home v Bonbeach White this coming weekend.

Meanwhile, Mulgrave heads to the Pumas' home ground to take on Pakenham Black.

Chelsea Dolphins 0 v Bonbeach Blue 16

Bonbeach Blue racked up the runs in this high-scoring matchup, cruising to a big win like the other Bonbeach side, picking up where the club left off after winning the Div 4 South final last year.

Bonbeach Blue is on the road at Pakenham White and Chelsea heads to Mornington Black in the next round.

St Kilda Saints 9 v Pakenham Black 2

The Saints wasted no time getting on the board, scoring six in the first inning followed by three in the second.

The Pumas got two back but it wasn't enough, and now they'll turn their attention to matchup with Mulgrave at home. The Saints host Mornington Red for round two.

Division 4 North West

Essendon Bombers 9 v North Western Titans 1

Essendon piled on the runs to come away with the win, scoring two in the first and seven in the second.

The Titans only run came in the bottom of the second as Michael Sullivan and Mitchell Miller kept things under control on the mound.

Jarrod Liersen had two hits and three RBIs while Miller knocked in two and Calen Porter also brought a runner around to score.

North Western's Jarrod Johns had six first pitch strikes and three strikeouts in two innings.

Essendon Bombers head to Melbourne Red this weekend as the Titans hit the road to take on Mitchell Majors.

Research Lower Plenty 14 v Melbourne Red 6

Research Lower Plenty piled on the pressure early and didn't let up, scoring three runs in the first and five in the second. By the time the third inning was complete, Research led 14-2.

The Demons added four in the final frame but it wasn't enough to make up the deficit.

Now, Melbourne Red prepares to host Essendon Bombers while Research plays Essendon Spitfires on the road.

The 2021/22 VSBL Division 3 season got started on Sunday with a few exciting high-scoring games as Footscray, Springvale, Chelsea, and Pakenham put wins on the board.

View full season fixtures, results, and ladders HERE and read recaps below.

Division 3 Firsts

Geelong Baycats 1 v Footscray Bulldogs 17

Footscray got ahead early and cruised to a big victory with offense up and down the lineup with 16 hits total.

Footscray pitching held Geelong to just two hits and a handful of walks, while the Bulldogs took advantage of eight walks to keep up the scoring.

The Bulldogs will look for win number two at home v Pakenham while Geelong hosts North Western on Sunday.

Springvale Lions 4 v Bonbeach Bluejays 0

The reigning premiers came away with a shutout victory over the Bluejays thanks to strong pitching from Lucas
Anderson, Scott Baillie, Rydge Hogan, and Matthew Cameron, who combined struck out 10 with just four hits and two walks to Bonbeach.

Anderson had two RBIs while Hogan and Cameron had one each while Neal Cavanagh, Ryan Kirby, and Joel Stubbs all singled.

Springvale will hope to go 2-for-2 at home v Chelsea while Bonbeach heads to North Coburg on Sunday.

Chelsea Dolphins 10 v North Coburg Rebels 2

Chelsea managed six hits and 10 runs to win the game over the Rebels, giving up five hits along the way.

The Dolphins put six runs on in the second and hung onto their lead for the rest of the game, despite allowing two RBIs for the Rebels, one by Brayden McTigue and the other from Jack Pinches.

After making the move up from Division 4 last year, the Rebels will continue their Div 3 journey at home v Bonbeach in the next round while Chelsea heads to Springvale.

Pakenham Pumas 10 v North Western Titans 3

The Titans led 2-1 after the first inning but Pakenham powered back with seven runs in the second. North Western only got one more in the fourth while Pakenham added a pair in the sixth to reach the final score and get the win.

Pakenham had six hits total and gave up five with two RBIs apiece from Max Hunter and Darren Reeves.

Dan Hamilton threw 5.1 innings for North Western with 16 first pitch strikes and eight strikeouts.

Hunter struck out six during his three innings on the mound for Pakenham.

Pakenham plays Footscray on the road and North Western heads to Geelong for the next round.