Tonight the first pitch will be thrown in a Division 1 Grand Final without precedent. No matter who wins the best-of-three series, history will be made.
Down the third base side you have Essendon. The Bombers have won four straight Ross Straw Trophies, equalling Waverley’s feat from 1989 to 1993. A fifth consecutive title would put them in a league all of their own.
Across the diamond, upstart Cheltenham is seeking their first ever Division 1 crown. Winning two of the next three games would be the biggest upset the Victorian Summer Baseball League has seen in quite some time.
What, then, is the Rustlers recipe for success?
Led by first year club coach and player/manager Adam Blackley and pitching coach Matt Gourlay, Cheltenham is a very young team augmented by sage veteran talent.
Second year import Bryan Kloppe leads a strong starting rotation, which also features dynamic hurlers Jack Enciondo, Lochy Madden, Max Barrett and Blackley.
Anchoring their team is catcher Mitch Holding. They also feature talented young guns in both the infield (George Callil) and outfield (Sam Trend-Beacom).
Ex-professional players Ben Leslie (21 years of age) and Paul Rutgers (32) round out a dynamic starting nine.
Cheltenham plays the game hard and are renowned around Division 1 for their relentless competitiveness and never-say-die attitude.
Their opponent, Essendon, has very few apparent weaknesses.
Strong pitching rotation? Check. Led by Gareth Formisano, Dean McIntyre and featuring stalwarts Kyle Bedford, Russell Spear and Shane Lindsay, the pitching staff rivals any in the VSBL.
Solid starting nine? Yes. Extremely experienced and all tough outs, the Bombers lose little from the top to the bottom of their batting order. Brett Tamburrino, Tim Sullivan and Josh Davies are all top-flight hitters and if Peter Stokes, Liam Bedford and McIntyre are spraying the ball to all fields and getting on base consistently, Essendon is tough to beat.
They also feature Most Valuable Player candidate Tom Dicker who is enjoying a season for the ages.
Their defense is above average and their coaching—led by Peter Giles and Richard King—is top notch.
And, of course, they are battle tested. There is nary a scenario on the diamond they haven’t yet confronted individually or as a group.
While Cheltenham is going for their first ever Division 1 championship, Essendon is chasing their seventh. Already second since the current structure began in 1973, a best-of- three series victory would bring them within five titles of Waverley.
First pitch of Game 1 is slated for 7.30 p.m. this evening at Melbourne Ballpark.
Down the third base side you have Essendon. The Bombers have won four straight Ross Straw Trophies, equalling Waverley’s feat from 1989 to 1993. A fifth consecutive title would put them in a league all of their own.
Across the diamond, upstart Cheltenham is seeking their first ever Division 1 crown. Winning two of the next three games would be the biggest upset the Victorian Summer Baseball League has seen in quite some time.
What, then, is the Rustlers recipe for success?
Led by first year club coach and player/manager Adam Blackley and pitching coach Matt Gourlay, Cheltenham is a very young team augmented by sage veteran talent.
Second year import Bryan Kloppe leads a strong starting rotation, which also features dynamic hurlers Jack Enciondo, Lochy Madden, Max Barrett and Blackley.
Anchoring their team is catcher Mitch Holding. They also feature talented young guns in both the infield (George Callil) and outfield (Sam Trend-Beacom).
Ex-professional players Ben Leslie (21 years of age) and Paul Rutgers (32) round out a dynamic starting nine.
Cheltenham plays the game hard and are renowned around Division 1 for their relentless competitiveness and never-say-die attitude.
Their opponent, Essendon, has very few apparent weaknesses.
Strong pitching rotation? Check. Led by Gareth Formisano, Dean McIntyre and featuring stalwarts Kyle Bedford, Russell Spear and Shane Lindsay, the pitching staff rivals any in the VSBL.
Solid starting nine? Yes. Extremely experienced and all tough outs, the Bombers lose little from the top to the bottom of their batting order. Brett Tamburrino, Tim Sullivan and Josh Davies are all top-flight hitters and if Peter Stokes, Liam Bedford and McIntyre are spraying the ball to all fields and getting on base consistently, Essendon is tough to beat.
They also feature Most Valuable Player candidate Tom Dicker who is enjoying a season for the ages.
Their defense is above average and their coaching—led by Peter Giles and Richard King—is top notch.
And, of course, they are battle tested. There is nary a scenario on the diamond they haven’t yet confronted individually or as a group.
While Cheltenham is going for their first ever Division 1 championship, Essendon is chasing their seventh. Already second since the current structure began in 1973, a best-of- three series victory would bring them within five titles of Waverley.
First pitch of Game 1 is slated for 7.30 p.m. this evening at Melbourne Ballpark.