St Kilda Saints Outfielder Daniel Hogg is along for the ride as his beloved team looks to make their mark in VSBL Division 2.
Daniel moved to Melbourne at the start of 2018, and he and a friend signed up to play at St Kilda. He hasn’t looked back since, embracing his club community which is celebrating 140 seasons of baseball. Daniel says he’s excited for this monumental season. “I’m really looking forward to being back in Division 2 and playing some competitive baseball.”
The Saints dropped three of their first four games in series against Preston and Moorabbin, but players like Daniel aren’t fazed as he knows his club has what it takes to compete consistently across the long summer season. “As a club I think staying in Division 2 is probably our primary goal and as we work on our juniors, we will move towards Division 1 in a couple of years.”
The Saints fiercely dominated VSBL Division 3 in recent years, with undefeated streaks stretching the course of the season earning them a promotion back up to Division 2. Although the Saints were a strong contender for premiership glory last season, they were defeated in a surprise upset by Pakenham to cut their season short. Now that they’re in Division 2, Daniel and his St Kilda teammates are eager to go one step further in finals and continuing chasing a flag.
Daniel is determined to support St Kilda and make a difference for his team. He’s no stranger to the game, having played since he was a kid when he picked up the sport in primary school. “I found out I was really good at hitting and throwing balls, so I decided to give baseball a go.”
After years of playing, including representative stints for NSW at the Australian Youth Championships, Daniel knows that a big key to success for any team, St Kilda included, is a sense of comradery. “I think one of the keys to success for St Kilda is probably the mateship that we’ve got between not just our ones guys but the twos, the threes, the fours and the fives as well,” Daniel said. “We’re a very multi-cultural club and that helps us gel.”
Having fun together on and off the field gives the Saints a real boost, and Daniel is happy to be apart of this thriving team environment. He says anyone who is interested in joining the club will feel warm and welcome. “You’ve got a lot of guys who have been playing baseball their whole lives. When you come down, they’re some of the nicest blokes I’ve ever met,” Daniel said of his fellow Saints. “They’ll give you a hand doing whatever. If you need help hitting, they’ll help you with your hitting. If you need help throwing, they’ll help you with your throwing. Just don’t be intimidated and give it a go.”
Daniel had two hits and two RBIs in St Kilda’s 16-9 loss to Preston on 13 Oct, and he will look to replicate these efforts as he and his St Kilda teammates play Moorabbin this weekend.