As part of our BV Pipeline umbrella, we are excited to offer several upcoming 2Ball + Coach Education sessions, including one at Mulgrave this Friday night! Our first session at Geelong Baseball Centre was a big hit, and we look forward to more fun on the field with juniors and coaches who want to improve their skills.
These sessions aim to provide VSBL junior players with an engaging gameplay environment, offering supplementary game time and at-bats, and the opportunity for players of all abilities to participate in a Pipeline program with Performance Pathway staff.
Player bookings are available via bvpipeline.com.au.
Coach education (free and open to all clubs/coaches) will be facilitated by Keli'i "Zee" Zablan (BV Player & Coaching Pathway Officer), with a presentation and open Q&A provided, as well as an open invitation to join on-field during 2Ball sessions alongside PP coaches.
All sessions are open for all clubs' players and coaches regardless of location. If you have any questions, please email development@baseballvictoria.com.au.
Pipeline 2Ball + Coach Education session at Geelong Baycats Baseball Club
Baseball Victoria is pleased to open tryout registration for the Victorian Women's and Youth Women's State Teams ahead of the 2025 Australian Championships, which will return to Melbourne Ballpark next April.
Tryouts will be held on Sunday 15 December from 9-11:30am and Friday 20 December from 6-9pm. A training program will follow the selection process in preparation for the Australian Women's & Youth Women's Championships. The AWC will run from 13-19 April and the AYWC (U16) will run from 15-19 April.
Please click HERE to register for tryouts.
Baseball Victoria held its AGM on Wednesday 30 October 2024 following the shift in financial year, now ending 30 June.
Returning directors Grant Weir, Andy Rose, and Jennifer Pitson were re-elected to the Board of Directors, and the members ratified the appointment of Finance Director Greg Hill to fill a casual vacancy on the Board.
The AGM also resulted in five new Baseball Victoria Life Members: Jon Deeble, Phil Dale, Garry Bitmead, Stephen Black, and Alan Sutherland.
“Thank you to all our member clubs and associations for another fantastic year of baseball in Victoria,” BV CEO Chet Gray said. “We appreciate everyone taking the time to attend the AGM and we wish to offer a special congratulations to our newest life members, who have made extensive contributions to baseball across the state, paving the way for Victorians to succeed at the local, national, and international level.”
Well done to all and we look forward to another great year of baseball ahead. If you would like to catch up on the year that was, please view the 2023/24 BV Annual Report on our website.
Overview of Newest Baseball Victoria Life Members
Jon Deeble
- 35 years of playing, coaching, and scouting
- Distinguished pitcher for Melbourne Monarchs in the old Australian Baseball League before coaching Victoria’s Claxton Shield Team, Monarchs, and Aces in the new ABL
- In 2005, Jon became the first Victorian and Australian coach in the Major Leagues, creating opportunities for other Victorian and Australian coaches
- Over 20 years as an MLB international scout and has signed numerous Victorians to professional contracts
- 10+ years of support with school holiday camps in Victoria and club coach accreditation through the national coach accreditation scheme
Phil Dale
- 40 years of playing, coaching, and scouting
- ABL career included playing, coaching, and managing with Waverley/Melbourne Reds and Melbourne Monarchs, winning MVP
- Named to Victorian “Team of the Century” (1934 – 2000) as a pitcher
- Inaugural manager of the Melbourne Aces in the second version of the Australian Baseball League and a second stint as pitching coach
- First Australian to play college on a four-year scholarship and to coach and scout full-time for major league organisations, creating opportunities for other Victorians
Garry Bitmead
- Long service to elite Victorian teams and the growth of baseball in Victoria as a respected coach of state teams and the Victorian Institute of Sport
- Coached Melbourne Bushrangers in the old Australian Baseball League and was an assistant coach of the Victorian Under 16 Team from 2002 to 2003
- Head coach of the Victorian Under 16 Team from 2003 to 2010 - winning two national championships and finishing runner-up three times
- Head coach of the Victorian Women’s Team between 2008 and 2010 and won a national championship
- Promoted the development of junior baseball as a coach of the Strathmore Secondary College baseball team between 1985 and 2015, where he won numerous state championships
Stephen Black
- Contributed to elite coaching in Victoria for over 40 years, covering juniors, men’s, and women’s teams
- Melbourne Aces coach and extensive involvement in Baseball Victoria training, high-performance, and development programs
- Coached the Victorian State Provincial Team in the Commonwealth Cup (1995) and was assistant coach for Under 16 and Under 18 Victorian State Teams during 1990s
- Head coach of the Under 23 State Team from 2006 to 2008 and named Victorian representative and coach of the Under 13 Australian Team from 2007 to 2009
- Pitching coach for the Victorian Women’s State Team since 2022 and coach of the Women’s Victorian Aces showcase team in 2022 and 2024
Alan Sutherland
- Dedicated service through representative boys and girls junior team coaching and umpiring since 1986
- Coach of the Victorian Under 14 Development Team in 1994, 1995, 2014, and 2015 (received a Baseball Victoria Service Award that same year)
- Coach for Victorian Under 16 White Team in 2017 and 2018 and executive officer of the Victorian Under 18 Blue Team in 2020
- Head coach of the Victorian Dingoes and Hornets teams at the 2022 and 2023 Barclay Cup – nominated to the coaching panel for the Victorian Youth Women’s Program
- Baseball Victoria umpire since 2021, earning opportunities to officiate at the Australian Youth Championships and join the BV Umpiring Working Group
Port Melbourne Baseball Club is calling all past players and baseball lovers for a very special moment in the club's 96-year history.
On Saturday 16 November, the Mariners will celebrate Past Players Day and the first home game under lights and on the new field. After years of hard work and consultation with local council, the club is thrilled to have competition lights and a new synthetic/turf infield.
There will be a triple header starting with Women's State League, followed by Premier 2 Reserves and Premier 2 Firsts.
Save the date and click HERE to RSVP.
Club Address: JL Murphy Reserve, Longstaff Field, 351 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Baseball Victoria is excited to announce the U16 and U18 Victorian State Teams ahead of the 2025 Australian Youth Championships early next year. The prestigious national event will return to Blacktown, NSW with the Under 16 tournament running from 7-13 January and the Under 18 event from 9-15 January.
“Representing your state is an incredible privilege, and we know these players will make us proud while enjoying an amazing experience on the national stage,” BV CEO Chet Gray said. “Following the success of our U18 National Champions at the 2024 AYC, we are excited to see what our teams can accomplish next year.”
Congratulations to all our state team representatives! Read more about the tournament HERE.
VSBL Player of the Week Awards are back this summer! For the second straight season, we will recognise standout players across seniors, women’s, and juniors. Winners will demonstrate exemplary performance, leadership, sportsmanship, and commitment to baseball.
Nominations will be accepted from the Baseball Victoria Board, staff, member clubs, member parents, registered baseball players, scorers, umpires, and anyone else associated with affiliated clubs of BV.
Please submit your nominations at the links below by the EOD Monday for the previous weekend of play.
Weekly winners will be announced on the VSBL Facebook page and each winner will score an Ausport gift voucher.
- VSBL Senior Player of the Week
- VSBL Junior Player of the Week
- Aces Sporting Club VSBL Women’s Batter of the Week
- Aces Sporting Club VSBL Women’s Pitcher of the Week
Thank you to BV Diamond Partners Ausport and Aces Sporting Club for their ongoing support of VSBL Players of the Week!
Vic Dingoes and Hornets are excited for a big week of baseball as the 2024 Barclay Cup kicks off this Sunday 29 September and runs through Saturday 5 October.
"We wish our Vic Dingoes and Hornets the best of luck as they head to Sydney to play in the junior girls tournament against baseballers from across Australia," Baseball Victoria CEO Chet Gray said. "The third annual event is sure to be filled with baseball fun on and off the diamond, and we can’t wait to watch it unfold."
To prepare for the tournament, Barclay Cup baseballers took part in the newly revamped Youth Women's Prospects Program for players aged 13 to 16, forming the core of their training. The program ran over eight weeks under the leadership of Samantha Hamilton, Victorian Women's Head Coach and Australian Women’s Assistant Coach.
Now, they are ready to represent at the Barclay Cup, which features teams from NSW, QLD, VIC, WA, and SA, providing a platform for junior girls to showcase their talent and celebrate the future of women’s baseball in Australia.
"Training was awesome and all of the girls showed massive improvements. They were sponges, absorbing everything they were told and working on their skills," Dingoes Head Coach Daniel Bebbere said. "Now, our goal is to help athletes put what they learnt at training into play."
The girls made leaps and bounds at training and are eager to meet new people and work well together.
"Sam Hamilton and the Barclay Coaches have put together an awesome program focused on developing the players' skills and learning new ones. The players have improved in a short time and we're looking to play some strong competitive baseball over the next seven days,” Hornets Head Coach Andrew Fielden said.
“This group of players is eager and willing to learn. We want the players to have the chance to experience baseball at a national level and make some new friends."
Check out the official Barclay Cup Facebook page for the full schedule and stay tuned for streaming via streamer.com.au.
Scroll down for team previews!
Vic Dingoes
Players
#12 Paige Anders: the pitcher and shortstop plays with Porepunkah Panthers and looks up to her dad as they share a love of baseball. Her favourite baseball moment was pitching her first win of the season, and she's excited to play her first Barclay Cup game, with her sights set on enjoying the experience and further growing her baseball skills. Off the field, Paige loves to ski in her spare time.
#18 Lillie Brockwell: another player from Victoria's North East, Lillie proudly plays for Wangaratta Rangers alongside her brother and friends. She plays pitcher, third base, second base, and outfield, and her favourite memory is playing with her brother and his friend in the same team for the first time. Lillie is excited to go away and play for the Dingoes, and she aims to improve her baseball skills and meet new people. When she's not playing ball, she enjoys spending time with her "three crazy dogs" (German Shorthaired Pointers).
#25 Sarah Fielden: Sarah, also known by the nickname "Sizzle", plays for Moorabbin Panthers and is a pitcher and infielder. Her baseball role models are Ruby Dale & Lili Cavanagh, and her favourite baseball memories come from playing at Little League Nationals. Now, she's hoping to get a few hits and hang out with her Barclay Cup teammates. As for her fun fact? "I’m better at baseball than my dad!"
#8 Alyssa Jamieson: Alyssa, or "Lyss", is a pitcher with Port Melbourne Mariners, and she represented Victoria at the Australian Youth Women's Championship earlier this year. She looks up to her dad in baseball and is excited to play with her friends while learning and growing at the Barclay Cup. Her fun fact is she can sleep for 15 hours.
#77 Guilia Kopievsky: Guilia's first year of baseball has brought plenty of fun, both with Melbourne Baseball Club (including a three-RBI single in her first game) and now the Barclay Cup! Guilia plays right field and second base.
#10 Ruby Llewellyn: Ruby continues to shine on the field after participating in the All-Girls Winter Invitational earlier this year alongside sister Mia. She wrapped up a great season with Greensborough Baseball Club and is ready to represent at the Barclay Cup and play infield.
#11 Ayla McCallum: Ayla hails from Porepunkah Panthers Baseball Club and plays catcher, shortstop, and second base. She's excited for Barclay Cup and the opportunity to improve her baseball skills and meet new people while striving to be the best team player. Ayla is Canadian and has a twin sister Sam. Her favourite baseball memories are shared with family: "Throughout my time playing baseball, I’ve played many games but the one thing I always loved and remember was having a throw in the paddock with my dad, practicing grips and having fun, even just for 20 minutes."
#70 Zali Packer: Z is a utility player who enjoys year-round baseball with Werribee Giants and Newport Rams. She looks up to Paul Rutgers on the field and loved being part of the inaugural Barclay Cup in 2022. She wants to win and is excited to represent Victoria and maintain the memory of Jacinta Barclay. Outside of baseball, she made the varsity ice fishing team in Wisconsin.
#82 Kendra Rutgers: this marks Kendra's third Barclay Cup. At the inaugural event, she was nominated for the Barky’s “LIONHEARTED” Award for the most ferocious competitor who also demonstrated courage and leadership, both on and off the field. Kendra pitches and plays first base, and won VSBL Women's Batter of the Week last season following a 5-for-6 performance. She also represented at the 2024 Australian Youth Women's Championship.
#37 Lily Strachan: nicknamed "Lilza", this dedicated catcher plays with Springvale Lions and Frankston Tomatoes. While she's only played two winter seasons and a summer season, she is at home on the field and looks forward to having fun and making new friends at Barclay Cup. This will be her first out-of-state baseball tournament, and she is inspired by role models Simone Wearne, Mandy Advent, Cassandra Shelverton, and Bronwyn Gell. Her favourite memory? "In my first season, winter semi-finals were a washout so my team decided to have some fun sliding around in the mud."
#80 Olivia Walker: Olivia plays first base and shortstop. She represented Victoria at the Australian Youth Women's Championship earlier this year and picked up a double for her first tournament hit at the 2023 Barclay Cup in Perth. Outside of baseball, Olivia plays bass guitar.
Coaches
Daniel Bebbere: "Bebbs" is excited to be the Dingoes head coach, having been involved in baseball for 20 years. He plays Summer League with Fitzroy Lions and MWBL with Latrobe Uni. He even got married on a baseball field and has a baseball stitching pattern in his wedding ring. His proudest baseball moment was being able to coach his now-wife and little brother in the same team. He looks forward to seeing the athletes put their practice into action and wants the team to have a bunch of fun and make friends with each other and other interstate athletes. His key advice for players? "You have more than one chance in baseball, don’t let one minor thing ruin your day."
Matthew Atkinson: the assistant coach comes from Sandringham Baseball Club, with 30+ years in the sport including incredible moments like watching and coaching his daughter pitch an 11-strikeout grand final. He advises players to "be an aggressive and smart baseballer" and hopes to see growth in all the girls as they achieve their goals and strive to bring home Barclay Cup glory.
Jasmine Bentley: the Victorian Women's representative brings 10 years of experience to her role as pitching coach. Jasmine, nicknamed DJ on the field, plays with Doncaster Dragons in the summer and Watsonia Saints in the winter. Her proudest baseball moment is getting the opportunity to coach overseas in the USA and being the only female coach in that tournament. Jasmine tells players not to take any moment for granted - compete and smile. She is excited to help develop everyone's pitching abilities and watch their progression, while also seeing them build baseball friendships that will last lifetimes. Her fun fact? "I still actively carry my year 4 pen licence as a form of valid identification."
Nicole Llewellyn: Nicole is a dedicated baseball mum, childcare industry professional, and the Dingoes EO, ensuring the team is set up for success and the girls are supported every step of the way.
Vic Hornets
Players
#14 Lila Atkinson: Lila is back for another Barclay Cup! She pitches and plays second base and has even picked up a save in winter semi-finals. She also won MVP honours at the 2023 State Winter Championships. One of Lila's favourite players to watch is Shohei Ohtani.
#58 Amelia Bergman: Amelia, who goes by the nicknames Noodles and Milly, catches and plays outfield with Newport Rams. She looks up to Aaron Whitefield and is excited to follow in her sister Ellisha's footsteps. She also looks forward to making more tournament memories after playing with the 2023 Belles Little League team in Sydney. Her Barclay Cup goals? "To try my best and hopefully get to catch a game or two."
#21 Alexia Hunkin: Alexia plays first base and utility with local clubs Waverley and Heathmont. She is excited to return to the Barclay Cup for the second year in a row and continue improving her skills after playing on the 2024 Victorian Youth Women's State Team.
#26 Charlotte Jansen: Another returning infielder, Charlotte has been involved in all three Barclay Cups and played for Victoria at the AYWC this year, where she went 2-for-2 with three RBI in a comeback win. She enjoys meeting new friends and making memories at baseball tournaments.
#8 Stephanie Keely: Steph enjoys grassroots baseball at Essendon and Research, playing both second base and pitching. She looks up to Jasmine Bentley and has many fond baseball memories, such as finishing her first season with a walk-off. Steph has lived in Canberra, Queensland and the Northern Territory, but she's excited to represent Victoria while developing as a player, meeting new people, making new friends, and having fun with the team!
#76 Molly Lewis: Molly plays for South East Warriors and looks up to Abby McLellan, with great memories of playing in her first women's game. She plays catcher, third base, and second base and is excited to have fun, make friends, and learn something new at this year's Barclay Cup. She also looks forward to seeing friends from other states.
#59 Hayley Mather: Hayls pitches and plays first base with Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers and Knox Falcons. Gen Beacom is her role model, and she's feeling inspired to play her part in the 1/9th and do it as best she can. She is excited to play with people from all over Austalia and bring home awesome memories. As for fun facts, she was part of a triple play 6-4-3-2, and she was born on the 13th in room 13, bed 13, and lives at 13.
#4 Tabitha Pitt: Tabitha from Sandringham Baseball Club plays third base and centre field. She's had a busy year of baseball, representing at the AYWC as well as last year's Barclay Cup. She's had some great baseball moments so far, from epic backhand catches with the Mariners at nationals to throwing a six-pitch inning.
#2 Audrey Trubiano: Audie is a catcher and first base player from Research Lower Plenty Baseball Club. She looks up to her team and has amazing memories from winning a winter grand final. She looks forward to playing with the Hornets and hopes to hit well. Outside of baseball, she knows a lot about reptiles.
#54 Amelia Wright: it's been a busy few years for Amelia, nicknamed "Milsy", with the first two Barclay Cups under her belt plus two AYWC tournaments. The utility player from Newport Rams has fond memories of making her first rep team and continues to be inspired by Gen Beacom and other women's baseball trailblazers. She always wears a ribbon when she plays and will continue her tradition at the 2024 Barclay Cup, where she's excited to play her best tournament baseball for the team and mentor younger players.
#19 Isy Zurawel: Isy is a Newport Ram who pitches and plays infield. In her third year of baseball, she was named to the Victorian Youth Women's State Team. This will be her second Barclay Cup!
Coaches
Andrew Fielden: the head coach has been involved in baseball for 40 years and is a proud member of Geelong Baycats and Ballarat Royals. Playing in a winning grand final with his son is his proudest moment, and he could put a family team on the park including an umpire and scorer. Heading into the 2024 Barclay Cup, he reminds the Hornets to play in the spirit of the game. He is eager to help players have an enjoyable and positive tournament, and he's most excited to see how they take their improvements over 10 weeks of tryouts and training into the tournament.
Jamie Bastian: a beloved Victorian Women's rep, JB plays for Doncaster and offers sound advice to stop thinking and swing hard. She is excited to be part of an awesome coaching staff and hopes the girls take home good skills, life lessons, and great memories. Her own favourite memory? "Coaching my sister in rookie ball and her having a better arm than me."
Jess Johnson: also known by the nickname "JJ", Jess has been involved in baseball for about 28 years, with plenty of great memories at local clubs Doncaster and Watsonia. Jess was part of the Victorian Women's State Team that took out the 2024 national title, as well as the Women's American Football World Cup in 2017 for the first-ever Australian women's team. With experience on the Emeralds squad, Jess is excited to see the future of Australian women's baseball while promoting a fun, positive and competitive baseball environment. As for advice, Jess says baseball is a game of failures and failure is a success so long as you learn from it. And proudest baseball moments? "Winning this year's nationals and watching my husband win an ABL championship."
The 2024 BV Umpire Seminar took place at Knox Baseball Club on 21-22 September, with over 60 umpires turning out for the first day of Community, Association, and State Umpiring courses.
40 umpires continued on day two for additional plate and on-field situational plays. The second-annual seminar aimed to promote baseball umpiring to new and returning officials, while creating consistency with formal training, assessments and accreditations aligned with the National Umpiring Accreditation Scheme.
We had student attendees from all over the state, some joining us from Albury-Wodonga, Latrobe Valley, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, and Mornington Peninsula, as well as locals from the Melbourne metropolitan area and surrounds.
Brett Robson (WA), Paul Latta (NSW), and Tom West (QLD) were on hand to support training and assessments.
It was great to have their vast knowledge and experience adding to that of our local instructors David Welsh, Geoff Dunn, Denis Dalzotto, Peter Clapp, Randall Vavra, John Schroders, Neil Medlin and Casey Cooke.
We started with the theory portion of our Behind the Mask Community Umpire Program, which was attended by both new umpires and Association Level Umpires who had not done so previously.
We are working toward having many of our Association and State Level Umpires ready to deliver the Behind the Mask Community program at their local clubs, VSBL Hubs and regional associations.
While the Community Theory was being delivered, some Association and State Level Umpires who had previously completed the program had a cage session with Tom, Paul, Neil and Casey. These cage sessions teach plate stance, head height, proper use of eyes and the correct play, time, strike and ball mechanics.
From there, we broke into smaller groups, with some officiating live games using a 3-umpire system, some learning the 2-umpire system with simulated plays, and the newest Community Umpires learning safe calls, outs, strikes, and balls.
Sunday saw a mix of new Community Umpires return for further on-field instruction alongside our more developed umpires. Three rotating field stations and cage work offered great learning opportunities for all.
The weekend wrapped up with a BBQ provided by Knox Baseball Club where there was lots of socialising, networking, and sharing memorable umpiring stories.
"We received very positive feedback, opening up conversations about umpiring and all the opportunities it can bring to individuals and the greater baseball community," said Alan Sutherland of the BV Umpiring Working Group. "It was great to see so many smiling faces while discussing all things umpiring, and many people said they learned a lot about our beloved sport. We are excited to see everyone on the field and continuing to improve with each game."
A special thanks to:
- Knox Falcons Baseball Club for hosting and putting on the BBQ.
- Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club for moving practice matches to Knox to support our teaching and learning.
- Brett Robson, Paul Latta and Tom West for coming from interstate and sharing your love of baseball umpiring with us all. Your help in delivering this program is greatly appreciated.
- Neil Medlin for giving up your weekend and travelling from Albury to support our instruction and course delivery.
- Our local instructors, Peter Clapp, John Schroders, Denis Dalzotto, Randall Vavra, Casey Cooke, Geoff Dunn and David Welsh.
- Brooke Penfold and Michelle Coote for all the behind-the-scenes work organising everything from invites to accommodation to uniform sales and much more.
Most of all, thank you to everyone who attended to start or further develop your umpiring. We look forward to a bright future together!
Baseball Victoria is saddened to hear of the passing of Life Member Ian Bishop, a beloved figure who dedicated over 50 years to Sunraysia Baseball League (SBL).
Ian’s baseball career spanned decades of playing, coaching, umpiring and committee work. He first joined the sport as an athlete in the 1950s, and quickly took up coaching in addition to playing on representative sides. He served as SBL’s Secretary/Treasurer and played a crucial role in reforming the league in 1979. He was a founding member of Eagles Baseball Club and was part of the original nine taking the field in the club's inaugural game.
Although Ian retired from playing in 1984, his contributions to the sport were far from over, soon beginning 40 years of umpiring. He was a proud advocate and promoter of the sport, serving as media liaison for several years as well as sharing baseball radio reports on Sunday mornings from 1982-2005. He was the SBL Committee Level Umpire Coordinator from 1990-2004 and returned to his beloved role as Secretary/Treasurer from 2007-2017.
Ian was granted life membership to SBL in 1993 for his commitment and support of the sport and its growth in Sunraysia. He was recognised with Baseball Victoria Life Membership in 2019.
Ian will always be remembered for his love of the game and his proud involvement in the local baseball community. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him and we send our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.
