Baseball Victoria’s commitment to women’s baseball development continues with the appointment of Samantha Hamilton as BV Performance Pathway Coach.
A decorated Team Australia Emeralds alumni, BV Life Member and women’s head coach, Hamilton joins the Performance Pathway team for weekly training with the Prospects and Select programs. She will bring her wealth of playing and coaching experience to the field, helping some of Victoria’s brightest baseball talent take their game to the next level.
The appointment follows a sizzling summer of baseball in Victoria that produced stellar results on the field, in addition to the introduction of several exciting new initiatives through the Women’s Pathway Working Group.
At the recent 2023 Australian Women’s Championships, Victoria won silver in the senior event and bronze in the Youth Championships to stand alone as the only dual medallist across both tournaments.
Victoria will be well represented on the international stage in 2023, with the state boasting 10 of the 25 player selections to the Team Australia Emeralds squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup qualifier where Hamilton will also serve as assistant coach and Ursula Howard will be EO.
As Victoria shines on the highest stage, women’s participation in the state’s winter and summer competitions has also exploded with a 22% rise since 2021.
Youth girls are getting more chances to build new skills and develop their game. BV Belles embraced the Little League State Championships and will be the state’s first all-girls team to represent at the Division 2 Little League Nationals. Victoria will also return to the Barclay Cup in October after a strong showing at the 2022 inaugural national tournament for junior girls.
BV also plans to introduce a Women’s and Girls Performance Pathway Program in August 2023 to offer even more opportunities for talent development, with Hamilton leading the way.
“We are thrilled to have Samantha Hamilton on board for the Performance Pathway program. She has made fantastic contributions to our sport as a player and coach, and we are grateful for her leadership as women’s head coach over the past two years,” BV CEO Chet Gray said. “Samantha is a valuable asset to our organisation as we focus on our strategic priorities of increasing women’s teams and participation numbers. We wish her all the best and know she will do great in this role.”
Hamilton is ready to hit the ground running with a talented group of Victorian baseballers.
“I’m excited to continue my coaching career with the BV Performance Pathway, particularly working with our Emeralds players headed to the Women’s World Cup in August,” Hamilton said. “It’s an honour to work alongside Damian Shanahan and Keli’i Zablan to help talented athletes unlock their full potential. I’m grateful to be a part of such impressive development for women’s baseball in Victoria as we build a bright future for our great game.”