Geelong will host May’s 2022 Australian Senior League Championship, marking the first time the tournament has been held in Victoria.
Baseball Australia today announced Geelong Baseball Centre will host the May 13-17 event with the support of the City of Greater Geelong.
It will cap off a big fortnight for Geelong with the three-team Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase locked in for May 5-8.
City of Greater Geelong will also support the showcase, continuing its ongoing commitment to major baseball events in the region.
Both events will be supported through the council’s community events grants.
The Australian Senior League Championship was set to be held in Mandurah in Western Australia but was moved due to uncertainty surrounding the state’s border reopening.
While the border has since reopened tight restrictions are in place which could prevent the event being staged unhindered.
Baseball Australia chief executive Glenn Williams said while the circumstances were unfortunate, it was fantastic to lock in another event in Geelong.
“Geelong continues to shine on a national stage, having hosted the Australian Women’s and Youth Championships in recent years along with the KBO Challenge and the Geelong-Korea Australian Baseball League franchise,” he said.
“The support of the local baseball community and City of Greater Geelong has been vital in the success of those events and we can’t wait to return and create more memories at this year’s Senior League Championship.
“It is a dream fortnight for baseball lovers in Victoria with the country’s top women in Geelong followed by what will be a tightly contested Senior League event.”
The Australian Senior League Championship was first held in 2016. It features players aged 13-16 and is played on full-sized diamonds.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the Australian champion won through to the Senior League Baseball World Series.
The 2022 Senior League Baseball World Series is slated for July 30 to August 6 in Easley, South Carolina.
Victoria’s Southern Mariners won the 2021 Australian Senior League Championship. WA’s Western Suns were the 2019 champions and last team to represent Australia Region at the World Series prior to the pandemic.