Baseball Australia officials visited Lismore today, to throw the Australian baseball community’s support behind the flood ravaged town, as it recovers from Cyclone Debbie.
Baseball Australia Chief Operating Officer, Justin Drew, met with Lismore City Council Mayor Isaac Smith, General Manager Gary Murphy and Lismore’s Tourism and Events Manager, Mitch Lowe, to confirm this year’s Bendigo Bank Australia Little League Championship and Australia Senior League Championship will again be hosted in May and June in at Lismore’s Albert Park Baseball Complex.
“Baseball Australia and its 55,000 strong membership has formed a strong connection to the Lismore community - which has hosted The Bendigo Bank Australian Little League Championship for the past 3 years,” said Drew.
“The Lismore community has been in our collective thoughts - and our commitment to Lismore, as they rebuild their community, is unfaltering.”
“Despite the catastrophic damage to the town and the sporting facilities here at Albert Park, Baseball Australia remain committed to hosting not only The Australian Little League Championship here in June (7-12) but also the Australian Senior League Championship here on 14-19 May.”
Baseball Australia officials have been in constant communication with the Lismore City Council and Far North Coast Baseball Association (FNCBA), and are encouraged by the willingness of the community to pull together and restore the facility to a playable condition, despite the obvious need for a range of repairs.
The Bendigo Bank Australian Little League Championships and the Senior League Championships bring over 1,500 players, coaches, officials and family members visit the region, which invest over $2.5M back in to the Lismore community, each year.
With fields 1 and 2 being approved for play by late April, Baseball Australia will continue to work with Council and FNCBA to assess the playability of the remaining fields.