Baseball Victoria, Author at Baseball Victoria

Following the Victorian Government’s announcements today, Baseball Victoria is planning for the easing of statewide lockdown restrictions from 11:59pm on Tuesday 27 July 2021.

A number of restrictions will remain in place from Wednesday 28 July, although there will no longer be only five essential reasons for Victorians to leave home and the 5km travel limit will lift. For a period of two weeks, the restrictions in Victoria will be:

No visitors to homes
Community sport can resume
Masks remain mandatory indoors and outdoors
Hospitality, retail, and gyms can reopen with a density limit of 1 person for every 4 square metres

The Victorian Government has provided this Table of Restrictions from 11:59pm on Tuesday 27 July 2021 which defines the changes to restrictions.

The resumption of community sport includes a return to training and competition for all ages, limited to the minimum number of people required to participate in and facilitate the activity (i.e. players, coaches).

Spectators are not allowed, excluding people necessary for events such as coaches, umpires, carers, parents and guardians.

Baseball Victoria confirms that winter associations can return to training and play and the Baseball Victoria Aces Academy will return to on-field training. We are considering the numerous COVID safety protocols for a major event and will make an announcement on the Under 16 State Winter Championships in Sale scheduled for this weekend as soon as possible, likely late this evening.

Mask wearing remains mandatory for indoors and outdoors, except for those on the field who have a reasonable expectation they will need to exert themselves. Scorers, committee members, and anyone else 12 years and older must wear a mask inside any facility and outdoors at all times.

The Service Victoria QR Code app must be used for check-in at all baseball venues, and all attendees need to check-in regardless of how long they are there. Click HERE for details.

“We acknowledge this recent lockdown was challenging in a lot of ways, but we are pleased to see restrictions easing. Thank you to our Victorian baseball community for doing your part to stop the spread and keep everyone safe,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “We look forward to the return of baseball activities across the state as participant safety remains a top priority. We will continue communicating with winter associations and stakeholders to provide updates on the COVIDSafe settings.”

Click HERE for the full statement from the Victorian Government.

Baseball Victoria is in the process of updating our Return to Play COVIDSafe Plan as it relates to today’s announcements. The updated version will be available shortly HERE.

It remains very important that Victorians monitor for symptoms, get tested, and get vaccinated when eligible.

To stop the spread, everyone should check this list of exposure sites and follow these instructions:

Anyone who has visited a Tier 1 exposure site during the times listed must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure.
Anyone who has visited a Tier 2 exposure site during times listed should urgently get a test and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Anyone who has visited a Tier 3 exposure site during times listed should monitor for symptoms - If symptoms develop, immediately get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.

If you have been to an exposure site, are a close contact of a confirmed case, or exhibit any symptoms of COVID-19 – such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, chills or sweats, or change in sense of smell or taste – get a test immediately. Find out where to get tested HERE.

The Victorian vaccination program is now open to all Victorians over the age of 40 as well as select priority groups. Getting vaccinated helps protect you from getting sick with COVID-19. The vaccines being used in Australia are safe, free, and very effective at preventing serious illness and loss of life from COVID-19.

Click HERE to read more about vaccine information and how to sign up for your vaccine appointment.

While Victoria works to get more people vaccinated, you can stay safe by washing your hands regularly, wearing a face mask, coughing and sneezing into your elbow, and keeping at least 1.5 metres from others. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, no matter how mild, you must get tested and stay home.

For the latest COVID-19 updates from the Victorian Government, click HERE.

Click HERE to view our frequently asked questions.

We encourage our members to stay connected and prioritise their mental health. Please view mental health resources on our website HERE, including information from Beyond Blue, Headspace, Kids Helpline, Lifeline and R U OK?

To view more COVID-19 resources from the Victorian Government, click HERE.

Nominations are now open for the 2021 Disability Sport & Recreation Awards

These awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and organisations across Victoria that have made a large impact on the disability sport and recreation sector.

This year’s awards celebrate activities over an 18 month period from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2021. Nominations close on Sunday 15 August 2021.

Please click HERE for more information and to view the nomination criteria.

Baseball Victoria is saddened to hear of the passing of Peter Flintoff, a dedicated Australian baseball historian and supporter who created the Australian Major League Baseball database in the 1990s.

Flintoff served as historian for the Melbourne Reds in the ABL and was passionate about producing sports player databases and connecting fans to their beloved sport. His love of the game was evident not only at his home base of Waverley Baseball Club, but also around the country where he encouraged the growth of baseball Australia wide.

We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Flintoff family and all who knew him. He will be very missed and his loved ones are in our thoughts during this difficult time.

Justin Huber, former Baseball Victoria GM and the fourth Victorian to play in Major League Baseball, has been named as one of two 2021 inductees into the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Born in Emerald, VIC, Huber grew up playing grassroots tee-ball and baseball at Upwey Ferntree Gully, quickly developing into a standout player and earning serious scouting attention as well as spots on the Australian national team. At 18 years old, he signed as an international free agent catcher with the New York Mets in 2000, the next step in chasing his MLB dreams.

Huber was a top Mets prospect for several seasons before he was traded to the Kansas City Royals in 2004. He made his debut for the Royals on 21 June 2005 and went on to an exciting MLB career spanning five years and 72 appearances in stints with the San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins. He also represented Team Australia at the 2006, 2009, and 2013 World Baseball Classics, as well as the 2011 World Cup.

When Huber returned home in 2011, he joined Preston Pirates Baseball Club and soon suited up for the Melbourne Aces in the Australian Baseball League, helping the Aces go all the way to the championship series. This next chapter in his career saw him continue playing the sport he loved while giving back to the grassroots community that gave him so much. Seen as a hometown hero to many aspiring baseball players, Huber was a regular at come and try days, camps, and clinics where junior athletes got to train alongside a former Big Leaguer.

Huber retired from the ABL at the end of the 2015 season, ending his professional career with 854 Minor League appearances, 170 ABL appearances, and three MLB Futures games. Although he put his playing days behind him, he stayed with his beloved baseball, first taking the role of general manager at the Aces and then general manager of Baseball Victoria from July 2017 – June 2019. Huber returned to his role of Aces GM as the team went on to win back-to-back championships, bringing the Claxton Shield home to Melbourne for the first time in the modern ABL.

Huber joins West Australian Neville Pratt, who passed away in 2012 aged 81, as 2021 Hall of Fame inductees. The Hall of Fame launched in 2005 and recognises players, officials, and administrators who have achieved excellence domestically or abroad.

"It's wonderful to be recognised in this way. With such a high class in Australian baseball before me, it is, without doubt, an incredible honour,” Huber said. “I am genuinely thankful to be contributing to the sport I love in a new way post my playing career. I can't wait to see our sport grow and flourish for generations to come, as those who nurtured and supported me throughout my journey have before me.”

“Congratulations to Neville also, who I am thrilled to be honoured alongside for his giant contribution and success in our sport."

Huber and Pratt are the first inductees into the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame since 2018. Huber is the 17^th Victorian to receive this honour.

“On behalf of the Baseball Victoria Board, staff, and the wider Victorian baseball community, we wish to congratulate Justin Huber on this fantastic accomplishment,” Baseball Victoria President Meghan Mayman said. “It’s a well-deserved honour for someone who has given so much to our sport and inspired countless young baseballers that juniors from Victoria and Australia can go all the way. His commitment to growing Victorian baseball at both the grassroots and ABL level has secured a brighter future for the sport across our state, and we deeply appreciate his many contributions. Congratulations Justin!”

Following the Victorian Government’s announcements today, Baseball Victoria confirms all baseball activity across the state remains on pause, for at least the next seven days, in line with the statewide lockdown, now extended to 11:59pm Tuesday 27 July 2021.

This extension of lockdown includes the cancellation of the Under 14 State Winter Championships, scheduled for 24-25 July 2021 in Bendigo. We continue to review the remaining State Winter Championships events as they approach, and any future decisions will be based on the eventual easing of restrictions and participant/community safety measures.

Baseball Victoria continues to closely monitor this evolving situation. In the meantime, Baseball Victoria Aces Academy will proceed with online sessions only.

As a reminder, the current restrictions in Victoria are:

Only five reasons to leave home:
- shopping for necessary goods and services (within 5km radius of home unless not available within)
- two hours of exercise (within 5km radius of home unless not available within)
- caregiving/compassionate/medical reasons
- authorised work or permitted education
- getting the coronavirus vaccine
No public or private gatherings
No community sport
Masks must be worn both indoors and outdoors unless an exemption applies

Click HERE to read the full announcement from Premier Daniel Andrews, including strengthened border controls and the temporary pause on Victorians returning from interstate with red zone permits.

The list of exposure sites and close contacts is regularly updated as more cases are detected. Everyone should check this list of exposure sites and follow government directions:

Anyone who has visited a Tier 1 exposure site during the times listed must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure.
Anyone who has visited a Tier 2 exposure site during times listed should urgently get a test and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Anyone who has visited a Tier 3 exposure site during times listed should monitor for symptoms - If symptoms develop, immediately get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.

“We recognise the challenges of this extended lockdown, but we remain hopeful we can get through this together while protecting the health and safety of our community,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “Many factors contribute to the rescheduling or cancellation of events, as we look to maintain the integrity of the interrupted current winter competitions and continue to prioritise the safety of our competitors and support persons. This includes their ability to train and travel, as well as the safety of events with high numbers of participants. We continue to communicate with clubs and stakeholders to provide updates on the winter season and our Return to Play COVIDSafe Plan.”

An updated COVIDSafe Plan is available on our website HERE. We will make further updates to this documentation when more details are available.

Coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective in protecting against COVID-19. Vaccines are available for many eligibility groups, including Victorians aged 40 and up. Learn more about the vaccine and how to get protected HERE.

Click HERE to view our frequently asked questions.

During these challenging times, we encourage our members to stay in touch with one another and prioritise their mental health. Please view mental health resources on our website HERE, including information from Beyond Blue, Headspace, Kids Helpline, Lifeline and R U OK?

To view more COVID-19 resources from the Victorian Government, click HERE.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed this morning that the snap circuit breaker lockdown will be extended beyond 11:59pm tomorrow night, Tuesday 20 July 2021.

We await further updates from the Victorian Government on the lockdown exit date, with an announcement expected tomorrow following additional test results and case interviews.

All baseball activity across the state remains cancelled until further notice.

Baseball Victoria continues to review the upcoming State Winter Championships and will be meeting with winter associations tomorrow evening when we anticipate more information will be available to assess the upcoming schedule of the State Winter Championships.

As a reminder, the current restrictions in Victoria are:

Only five reasons to leave home:
- shopping for necessary goods and services (within 5km radius of home unless not available within)
- two hours of exercise (within 5km radius of home unless not available within)
- caregiving/compassionate/medical reasons
- authorised work or permitted education
- getting the coronavirus vaccine
No public or private gatherings
No community sport
Masks must be worn both indoors and outdoors unless an exemption applies

As more cases are detected, the list of exposure sites and close contacts continues to grow. Everyone should check this list of exposure sites and follow government directions:

Anyone who has visited a Tier 1 exposure site during the times listed must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure.
Anyone who has visited a Tier 2 exposure site during times listed should urgently get a test and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Anyone who has visited a Tier 3 exposure site during times listed should monitor for symptoms - If symptoms develop, immediately get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.

“Thank you to our Victorian baseball community for doing the right thing and helping to keep Victoria safe and stop the spread. We know it is challenging to be in an extended lockdown, and we hope all of our baseballers are staying safe and healthy,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “We will get through this and return to the diamond as soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime, Baseball Victoria remains in regular communication with clubs and stakeholders to provide updates on the winter season and our Return to Play COVIDSafe Plan.”

An updated COVIDSafe Plan is available on our website HERE. We will make further updates to this documentation when more details are available.

Click HERE to view our frequently asked questions.

We encourage our members to stay in touch with one another and prioritise their mental health. Please view mental health resources on our website HERE, including information from Beyond Blue, Headspace, Kids Helpline, Lifeline and R U OK?

To view more COVID-19 resources from the Victorian Government, click HERE.

Following the Victorian Government’s announcements this afternoon, Baseball Victoria confirms the cancellation of all baseball activity statewide to comply with the five-day snap circuit breaker lockdown, which begins at 11:59pm tonight, Thursday 15 July. These lockdown measures are currently set to last until 11:59pm on Tuesday 20 July 2021.

For the health and safety of our entire community, Baseball Victoria strongly recommends no training proceeds this evening given the impending lockdown.

Due to these new restrictions, the Baseball Victoria Board confirms the cancellation of the Under 12 State Winter Championships, scheduled for 17-18 July 2021 in Morwell. We continue to review the rest of the State Winter Championships events as they approach, and any future decisions will be based on the eventual easing of restrictions with participant and community safety as the top priority.

Baseball Victoria will provide further details as they are made available from the Victorian Government throughout this evolving COVID situation.

From 11:59pm tonight, the restrictions in Victoria will be:

Only five reasons to leave home:
- shopping for necessary goods and services (within 5km radius of home unless not available within)
- two hours of exercise (within 5km radius of home unless not available within)
- caregiving/compassionate/medical reasons
- authorised work or permitted education
- getting the coronavirus vaccine
No public or private gatherings
No community sport
Masks must be worn both indoors and outdoors unless an exemption applies

The Victorian Government has named additional exposure sites this morning, and all baseball members must check this list and follow government directions:

Anyone who has visited a Tier 1 exposure site during the times listed must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure.
Anyone who has visited a Tier 2 exposure site during times listed should urgently get a test and isolate until they receive a negative result.
Anyone who has visited a Tier 3 exposure site during times listed should monitor for symptoms - If symptoms develop, immediately get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.

“As lockdown restrictions return, we want to thank our Victorian baseball community for doing their part to stay safe and stop the spread,” Baseball Victoria CEO Kristie Middleton said. “We know this is tough, but we will get through this together. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again. Baseball Victoria will remain in regular communication with clubs and stakeholders to provide updates on the winter season and our Return to Play COVIDSafe Plan.”

An updated COVIDSafe Plan is available on our website HERE. We expect detailed clarification within this plan in the coming days and will update the documentation when those details are available.

Coronavirus vaccines are available for many eligibility groups, including Victorians aged 40 and up. Learn more about the vaccine and how to get protected HERE.

Full details on the Victorian Government announcement are available HERE.

Click HERE to view our frequently asked questions.

To view more COVID-19 resources from the Victorian Government, click HERE.

Congratulations to Geelong’s Liam Spence on being selected by the Chicago Cubs with the 154th pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft.

The 23-year-old Victorian infielder and Aces Academy alum was named by the Cubs with their fifth round selection this week.

His selection followed an impressive college campaign with Tennessee which saw him named in All-SEC First Team. He hit .336 and led the Southeastern Conference with an on-base percentage of .472.

Spence says his selection was a dream come true and a testament to his hard work paying off, with his dedication and drive instilled in him from his early days at Geelong Baycats and Guild All-Stars Baseball Club before progressing through the development pathway.

"My experience with playing club ball helped me fall in love with the game, I think back to those days and it reminds me to just have fun with the game," Spence said. "Playing state and doing the Aces Academy was the best preparation I could do for college. The competition was really good and helped me get ready for what college was going to be like."

Spence knows firsthand how long the road is, but the nonstop grind and daily practice has helped him develop into the player he is today. He hopes other players can trust the process and stay focused on their goals.

"Everybody develops differently and at a different pace. No matter where you are at compared to others around you, it doesn’t stop the fact that everyday you need to work on getting a little better. You can find something to get a little better at and over time you will begin to pass people that don’t think they need to put in that extra work. Control what you can control as a player and that’s not what others are doing but what you do, because if you put in the work you will be rewarded sooner or later."

Spence says anything is possible for junior players in Australia.

"Playing baseball is a grind and you need to love the grind, and that means doing extra swings by yourself when you don’t have practice, doing sprints, finding someone to play catch with. Whatever it is it doesn’t matter as long as it will help you reach whatever your end goal is."

The Victorian Government continues to update travel restrictions for Victorians returning home from interstate travel, which is heavily impacted at this time due to ongoing outbreaks and lockdown restrictions.

Most recently, all of NSW, including regional areas, has become a red zone. If you are a Victorian resident and have been in a red zone (other than for transit), you can obtain a red zone permit to enter Victoria – but you will be required to quarantine at home for 14 days. Non-Victorian residents who have been in a red zone (other than for transit) cannot obtain permits to enter Victoria.

Baseball Victoria encourages members to stay up-to-date on the latest developments. As a reminder, it is your responsibility to acknowledge and adhere to travel restrictions. If you return from interstate travel and must quarantine/self-isolate and get tested, you are not permitted to attend baseball training or activity of any kind until the quarantine period and requirements have been met.

All arrivals into Victoria must apply for a travel permit at the Service Victoria website even if you are entering from a green zone. Find exemptions and exceptions HERE.

For the full details on interstate travel into and out of Victoria, click HERE.

Click HERE to read the latest COVID updates from Baseball Victoria.

To view COVID-19 resources from the Victorian Government, click HERE.