The 2022 Victorian Women’s team is hard at work training for the Australian Women’s Championship, which gets underway next month in West Beach, Adelaide. From 15-21 April, these talented women will do their best to follow up on Victoria’s 2019 national title as the Women’s Championship returns after two years of COVID cancellations.
Head Coach Samantha Hamilton is confident the Victorian side has what it takes to succeed on the national stage.
"The playing group has been working tirelessly since mid-February, with dual state training sessions in addition to club training and VSBL game commitments each week," Hamilton said.
"The women’s program is also benefiting from being immersed in the Baseball Victoria High Performance Program headed by Damian Shanahan and Keli’i Zablan. During these sessions, the players are being exposed to new and exciting theories and learnings which they are embracing head-on."
Hamilton, who is supported by coaches/team officials Duane Davenport, Stephen Black, Ursula Howard, and Leah Trebilcock, says they are all excited by the group's potential.
"The Victorian women’s team has a tremendous history of success at nationals, and we are also the reigning champions, so we will be one of the favourites to lift the champion’s trophy at tournament’s end," Hamilton added. "But as a playing and coaching group, we are committed to focusing on the processes each and every week at training as this foundation will give us the best platform for success in Adelaide."
"With one the largest registrations for state team trials seen in recent years, the inclusion of the women into the Baseball Victoria High Performance Program, in addition to an exciting crop of rising stars within the team, the future of women’s baseball in Victoria is looking bright."
As the Victorian Women’s team continue preparations for the upcoming national championship, let’s take a closer look at the team roster and get to know the dedicated women who will represent Victoria.
Abbey Kelly
As a three-time VSBL Women’s Division 1 MVP, Abbey Kelly is a beloved figure at Essendon Bombers Baseball Club where she’s spent many successful summer seasons, including a memorable 2018/19 premiership. The right-handed pitcher also lends her talents to winter club Melbourne Uni alongside Morgan Doty, serving as role models for younger players. Abbey won tournament MVP at the 2019 Australian Women’s Baseball Championship and has also pitched for the Australian Emeralds, even getting a win in her Australian debut to send the Emeralds into the 2016 Women’s World Cup Super Round.
Abbey McLellan
Abbey McLellan has been a standout at Footscray Baseball Club for the last decade, winning the VSBL Women’s Division 1 MVP and batting title in 2016/17 and taking out the batting award in the next season, too. A long-time Victorian representative who was part of Victoria’s 2017 and 2019 national titles, Abbey has plenty of achievements on the big stage, including a grand slam home run and team-leading hits and batting average. The star catcher earned her call up to the Emeralds ahead of the 2018 Women’s World Cup where Australia finished seventh.
Allie Bebbere
Pitcher Allie Bebbere is looking to replicate her success from 2019 when she won the VSBL Women’s Division 1 Grand Final with Essendon and then took home gold with Victoria Blue at nationals in the next month. She was also nominated for the Women’s Div 1 MVP and Pitcher of the Year Awards at the BV Awards Night and was named Essendon’s joint Women’s MVP alongside Abbey Kelly. Allie continues to impress on the mound leading up to the 2022 Australian Women’s Championship, which will mark her second national tournament after being selected to the 2020 state squad just before the pandemic.
Belinda Cannington
Belinda Cannington is a beloved member of Doncaster Dragons Baseball Club, where she’s a two-time VSBL Women’s Division 1 MVP and a valued role model for junior players. She celebrated her 150th game as a Dragon in December 2019, rounding out an incredible year after winning gold at nationals for the second time in two years. Belinda was selected in the 2016 Emeralds Training Squad and has been a consistent top hitter throughout the past decade, helping to lead Victoria to a silver finish with a three-hit performance in the 2016 Australian Women’s Championship, too.
Bronwyn Gell
Infielder Bronwyn Gell has been a driving force in the success of Victorian Women’s teams in the past decade, representing her state and country multiple times while also making an impact on the field for Doncaster Dragons. Bronwyn was a proud Australian Emeralds player for the 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 Women’s World Cup tournaments, bringing home an Aussie-best silver medal back in 2010 during her rookie year. In addition to MVP honours at the 2017 Australian Women’s Championship, Bronwyn has taken out the VSBL Women’s Division 1 batting title twice.
Emily Devine
A Springvale Lions’ standout, Emily Devine has been a key contributor to the club’s success in recent years, including back-to-back VSBL Women’s Division 1 Premierships in 2020 and 2021. Once an up-and-coming junior, Emily broke through with a huge performance at the 2018 Australian Youth Women’s Championship, helping Victoria claim gold with a two-run homer over NSW. She was named the tournament MVP after batting .625 with nine RBIs and 17 total bases. Later that year, she became the first-ever female to hit a home run over Springvale’s centre field fence, a moment made even better by the fact it was a grand slam.
Emma Davenport
With successful stints at Essendon and Geelong, Emma Davenport has proved a tough competitor, having played on the Victoria White team in the 2019 Australian Women’s Championship. She was part of Essendon’s 2018/19 VSBL Women’s Division 1 Grand Final win and once participated in the 2016 Girls Charter Tournament. Emma also scored the 2021 VSBL Women’s Division 1 Home Run Award alongside Bronwyn Gell.
Gabby Bevan
Gabby Bevan is another talented Springvale player, rising the junior ranks to earn her spot as one of the Lions’ most reliable pitchers. Her team has taken out the VSBL Women’s Division 1 Premiership in three of the last four years, and she won the league pitching twice in 2019 and 2020. Gabby was also named the VSBL Women’s MVP for the 2018/19 season and carried that momentum into the 2019 Australian Women’s Championship. She got the start for Victoria Blue in the gold medal game, allowing just one run on four hits in five innings as Victoria sealed the deal.
Hannah Jackson
Originally from Sale, Hannah Jackson has been with Springvale for over 10 years, regularly collecting club awards and scoring spots on representative teams. She earned her first Bill Reay Trophy at Springvale as the Women's Best & Fairest player after a strong 2016/17 VSBL season, which culminated in the Lions’ fifth straight premiership. Hannah has picked up three more VSBL premierships with Springvale since then, including the 2020 grand final against Doncaster where she took a fantastic catch in left field, a move head coach Shae Lillywhite credited as saving the game.
Jamie Bastian
Jamie Bastian has left her mark on Doncaster Baseball Club, representing the Dragons numerous times and winning the VSBL Women’s Division 1 Pitching Award in 2021 with a 0.00 ERA in 12.32 IP and 16 strikeouts. She was part of the 2019 Victoria Blue team that brought gold home from nationals and was named to the 2020 state squad as well. Jamie has made the most of international opportunities, going to Osaka, Japan as part of a high performance women’s baseball program with the “Future Emeralds” group back in 2017. Her athletic journey also took her to Europe where she was named the Swiss Toros Softball MVP in November 2018.
Jasmine Bentley
A strong contributor to Essendon’s successful women’s program, Jasmine Bentley was part of the 2017 and 2018 Victorian Youth Women’s Team. After a gold medal finish in the youth competition, Jasmine was named to the 2019 Victorian Women’s White team. That same year, she helped Essendon bring home the VSBL Women’s Division 1 trophy, overpowering Springvale 5-3. During her junior career, Jasmine played in Little League and State Winter Championships, including an U16 winter tournament win with Diamond Valley in 2018.
Jessica Johnson
Doncaster’s Jessica Johnson has pitched well all throughout this season, supporting the Dragons’ Division 1 side as they remain in the top two. Not only does she have a great pitching arm, but Jessica can hit home runs too, even taking out the Div 1 Home Run Award during the 2020 Baseball Victoria Awards. The 2022 Australian Women’s Championship will be a first for Jessica as she trains alongside many familiar faces at Doncaster, including head coach Samantha Hamilton and teammates Belinda Cannington, Bronwyn Gell, and Jamie Bastian.
Leslie Anglin
Leslie Anglin has played at Essendon, Footscray, and East Belmont and is currently supporting the growth of the women’s program at Newport Baseball Club. The outfielder donned green and gold for the Women’s World Cup in 2016 and 2018 as the Emeralds finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Not only has Leslie played in South Korea and the U.S., but she also won gold with Victoria Blue in 2019 and picked up a league batting title with Footscray back in 2014.
Maddy Patrick
Maddy Patrick has fully embraced Springvale Baseball Club and its flourishing women’s program, winning back-to-back premierships in 2020 and 2021. She’s also made the most of winter baseball at Boneo and Victorian representative opportunities, including the 2018 Australian Youth Championship. Maddy made a difference in the team’s gold medal campaign, protecting the side’s perfect start with quality pitching, eventually earning her a spot on Victoria Blue in 2019. Last year, Maddy was named to the Brisbane Bandits roster for the Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase, where she received the Spirit of the Game Award for her positive attitude and team contributions.
Morgan Doty
Morgan Doty has taken the field for Newport, Footscray, and Melbourne Uni, as well as Victorian State Teams and the Australian Emeralds. She’s a long-time representative at national championships, most recently Victoria Blue in 2019 when she earned the tournament pitching award after not giving up a run in 9 1/3 innings. Morgan struck out 10 hitters and allowed just three hits without a walk (one hit by pitch) on the way to gold. She also represented Australia at the 2016 and 2018 Women’s World Cup, displaying her dominance in the outfield and at the plate.
Shae Lillywhite
A decorated veteran of women’s baseball in Victoria and across Australia, Shae Lillywhite is the country’s most capped female player, having played in eight consecutive Women’s World Cups from 2004 to 2018. The Emeralds’ star infielder was named to the 2006 Women’s World Cup All-Star team as second basewoman, and in 2013, she became the first Aussie to sign with the Japan Women’s Baseball League. At the helm of the Springvale women’s program, Shae has helped the Lions win eight out of the last 10 VSBL Women’s Division 1 Grand Finals.
Ruby Dale
Ruby Dale was one of two players invited to train on as development players/emergencies. She has spent the summer with Newport in VSBL Women’s Division 2 and has also made plenty of memories with Moorabbin in recent years, including making the Victorian Youth Women’s team in 2019 and playing in the 2017 Girls Charter State Championships.
Lily Bell-Tanner
Lily Bell-Tanner joins Ruby Dale as development players/emergencies for the women’s squad. The duo came home with bronze medals following an action-packed campaign at the 2019 Australian Youth Women’s Championship, and Lily has kept training hard ever since with the rest of the Springvale Lions.