Australia's Asia Professional Baseball Championship roster revealed

24 October 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Australia's Asia Professional Baseball Championship roster revealed

Australia has unveiled a roster with a mix of World Baseball Classic experience, professional pedigree and emerging Aussie talent for the upcoming 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championships.

Australia will travel to Tokyo to take on Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei at the WBSC-sanctioned event from November 16-19. All games will be broadcast live & free on Baseball+.

There are 17 players on the roster who have professional experience in the United States. All players have strong connections to the Australian Baseball League.

Rosters from all competing countries were selected with the following criteria:

Must be Under-24; or
Have three years or less of professional experience; or
Be one of the three overage players allowed (but not older than 29)

Team Australia General Manager Russ Teichmann says the staff wanted to select the best available players to go and win the event.

“We have a busy tournament cycle for the next few years. There’s the Premier12, U23 World Cups, a World Baseball Classic and Olympic qualification. This age group is part of a larger group who will be playing important games for Australia leading up to the 2028 Olympics and beyond,” he says.

Teichmann says he is looking forward to seeing Australia compete with some of the best professional players from Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei.

“This playing group is a good mix of guys who have been part of World Baseball Classics and World Cup squads. We’re also excited to see new players make their debut at this level,” he says. “The expectation is that we are going to perform well, with our constant objective of being the best tournament team in the world.”

The tournament gets underway for Team Australia with clash against Korea on November 16 – a thrilling rematch of the game won by Australia in the WBC Group Stages.

Australia will follow with a game vs Chinese Taipei the next day. The pool stage culminates with a colossal match against reigning champions and world number one ranked Japan, on November 18. The top two teams from round robin play will advance to the Gold Medal Game on Sunday.

“Our objective is to win every tournament we play in,” says Teichmann.

There are eight members (five position players, three pitchers) from Australia’s World Baseball Classic side that reached the quarterfinals at the 2023 event in March. There are seventeen players who have experience playing professional baseball in the United States.

Aaron Whitefield is one of the three overage players on the squad, and the only one with Major League game time. He is joined by Dan McGrath and Sam Holland as the other overagers of the group.

Briley Knight and Billy Parsons will make their Team Australia debuts.

“We pick these guys because we believe they could play a big part in our success,” he says. “They’re here for a reason.”

Dave Nilsson will remain the head coach of the program. In Tokyo he will be joined by assistants Graeme Lloyd, Trent Durrington, Jim Bennett, Shayne Watson and Damian Shanahan.

Nilsson says there is a list of over 130 Australian players that is constantly evolving and being evaluated. But when it comes to roster construction, there is one thing in mind.

“This program is not about participation – it’s about winning,” Nilsson says. “Every event we go to we have that in mind. Young players will learn that by being part of events like this.”

For the latest updates, comprehensive coverage, and an insider’s perspective on Team Australia’s journey to the Championships, stay tuned to the official Baseball Australia website.

16 October 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Baseball's Olympic inclusion at LA28 means big things for national program

It’s official: Baseball is back in the Olympic games.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed Monday that Baseball & Softball – along with Flag Football, Squash, Cricket and Lacrosse – will be included on the roster of sports for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Baseball Australia Chief Executive Officer Glenn Williams – a two-time Olympian and 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist – says he believes this could have major implications for the sport in Australia.

“We’re obviously excited,” says Williams. “We’ve been working under an assumption that baseball will be included but there was still an element of uncertainty.

“It makes planning for our next tournament cycle real and tangible. All the hypothetical plans are gone – they are now concrete.”

Inclusion in the Olympics not only means increased visibility for the sport, but a chance for the national program to deliver against a lofty national high-performance strategy set by Baseball Australia.

Baseball had a 12-year hiatus from the Olympics after it appeared in the 2008 Beijing Games. It was in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games but Australia was unable to get to their qualifiers due to pandemic travel restrictions. It is not on the bill for next year’s games in Paris.

“Team Australia is a tournament team,” says national team head coach David Nilsson. “Our objective is to be the best tournament team in the world.”

Tournament play – like what would happen at the Olympics – is much different than your traditional baseball season format where teams can play upwards of 162 games in a season. It happens fast, with a series of critical elimination games and on-off showdowns against baseball superpowers.

The news comes exactly one month before the Australian Baseball League, the competition where the best Aussies play, is set to begin.

“We may not have the overall depth of other baseball super powers, but we have a lot of good players who battle hard and understand that tournament baseball is different,” says Williams. “It’s about being prepared, having a strategy, and being able to execute it on the day.”

Australia’s goal of being the “best tournament team” in the world isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. There’s a track record of success.

The senior men’s squad is coming off a historic quarter final appearance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, a sixth place showing at the 2019 Premier 12 (World Championship), and a Super Round finish at the 2022 U23 World Cup.

In that stretch, Australia has toppled traditional baseball powerhouses like South Korea, the United States and Canada. They lost their quarterfinal World Baseball Classic game vs Cuba by just one run.

There’s an Olympic silver medal in 2004 and an Intercontinental Cup in 1999 in Australia’s sneaky history of success on the world stage.

“At the highest level, the Team Australia program is not about participation – it is about winning,” says Nilsson. “Every event we go to we have to have that in mind.”

Australia had over 30 players play professional baseball in the United States in 2023. This includes two major leaguers – MLB All-Star Liam Hendricks and 22-year-old rookie sensation Curtis Mead.

There are also 100+ players in the USA college system.

That number is expected to grow in the coming months, with the International Signing period opening and college recruitment in full swing.

Travis Bazanna, a NSW standout at Oregon State, could become the first Australian selected in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft in 2024.

Williams says Australia has been achieving goals against their high performance pathways strategy set in 2020, including a relationship with the Australian Institute for Sport (AIS).

“The AIS has supported us, knowing that baseball in 2028 was always a prospect,” says Williams. “We’ve been delivering against the strategies. We’re excited to keep working with the AIS and to enhance our relationship to see if we can make our ambitious goals a reality.”

The visibility of an Olympic Games can do wonders for the sport, too. It’s a chance for Baseball to be included in the mainstream sports and media discussion.

It also puts baseball in the conversation for inclusion at the 2032 Olympic games on home soil in Brisbane.

The allure of playing in such a prestigious event keeps high performance players engaged in the game for a little bit longer, says Williams.

“As a former athlete who played in two Olympic games, I’m grateful for the experience,” he says. “I was in a similar boat where I tried to go for a third at the 2008 Beijing Games. It kept me and some of the veteran guys in the game longer trying to push for that goal.”

The inclusion of baseball in the Olympics cements a busy tournament schedule for the next five years.

Australia is expected to play in the 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championships, the 2024 Premier12, the 2024 U23 World Cup, the 2026 World Baseball Classic, and now seek qualification for the 2028 Olympic games.

13 October 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Aussies Abroad - Team Australia

David Nilsson accepts role as Head of Athletics for USA-based high school

Baseball Australia would like to offer congratulations to National Team Head Coach David Nilsson, who has accepted a role as the Head of Athletics for Briarwood Christian High School.

Based in Alabama, USA, Nilsson will oversee the athletic department, with a heavy focus on baseball, mentoring and workiing with coaches across the program. He will take up this post and move to Birmingham in January 2024.

This will be Nilsson’s second stint based in the USA throughout his tenure of being the National Team Head Coach. It aligns well with the proximity and access to Australians in collegiate and professional baseball.

In 2023 alone, over 30 Australians played professional baseball in the USA. There are over 100 Australians playing collegiate baseball across the USA.

Being US-based presents a range of advantages for David and the Team Australia program – from communications, travel to spring training sites and MiLB teams, travel to collegiate programs, access to training and development methodology and the solidifying of contacts with MLB clubs and collegiate programs that host our players.

Nilsson has overseen the National Men’s Program since 2018. He has lead Team Australia to a Super Round finish at the 2019 Premier12 and a historic quarterfinal appearance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

He also famously coached the Brisbane Bandits to four straight Claxton Shields from 2016-2019.

Nilsson will regularly travel back to Australia. The role provides the flexibility for him to perform and prioritise the role of National Team Head Coach.

Team Australia’s next tournament is the 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championships in Tokyo. They look in line to participate in the 2024 Premier12 and the 2024 U23 World Cup.

Congratulations to David and best of luck to he and his family as they embark on this move.

05 October 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Baseball5

Meet the Australian team playing in the Inaugural Baseball5 Youth World Cup this week in Turkey

with excerpts from Baseball NSW story published here

Australia will make history with eleven other countries when they take part in the inaugural Youth Baseball5 World Cup next week.

The event will be held next month in Ankara, Turkey from 10-15 October. Australia will battle in Group B vs Korea, France, Taiwan, Ghana and Mexico.

The team is a mixed-gender squad with players from New South Wales and Victoria combined to form a team for this historic occasion.

Australia’s participation in this event is a great opportunity to promote the growth of Baseball5 across the country. This team will be the first Australian side to partake in a WBSC Baseball5 World Cup since its inception, which has created a unique pathway for our athletes into future World Cup and Youth Olympic teams.

Baseball5 is effectively the ‘street’ version of baseball. It is played with many of the same rules as baseball and governed by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

The game is played with two teams of five players. Instead of bats, you use hands. Instead of a baseball, it’s a rubber ball. It’s a lot of fun and very accessible.

What is Baseball5? Click here.

The team will be coached by NSW Baseball5 Director Adrian Medina Scull – a Cuban native who grew up playing the original version of the game from a young age.

Medina has been working tirelessly in New South Wales developing the sport of Baseball5 under the NSW Sporting School’s program, running programs for Disability Sports Australia ‘Activate Inclusion Day’s’ and recently launching Wheelchair Baseball5.

“The 5 B’s of Baseball 5 are: “Be Active, Be Heard, Be Included, Be Fun, Be a Community,” says Medina. “Baseball5 is a lot more than a game.”

Emeralds star pitcher Allie Bebbere will join Adrian as the Executive Officer. She brings a wealth of international and national tournament experience to the squad of Australian youngsters.

“I’m excited to help create a memorable experience for this team and to start giving Australia a name in Baseball 5,” says Bebbere.

International baseball scorer Gil Reyes – who has worked with the Venezuelan professional league – also joins the staff.

The players were selected after a couple Baseball5 showcase and trial events.

Click here for all the schedule details.

To follow along the World Cup, head to the official WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup page via this link.

You can watch the game via WBSC’s official broadcast platform Gametime.Sport.

04 October 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad

MEAD-IA FRENZY: All the wonderful Curtis Mead stories in one place

It’s not every day baseball gets this sort of media attention in Australia. Or should we say…Mead-ia attention.

When it happens, you have to make the most of it.

Curtis Mead did the hard yards today in promoting Australian baseball.

The 22-year-old South Australian made history this morning, twice. He became the first Australian positional player to appear in an MLB postseason game. He also became the first Australian to record a hit in the MLB playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Rays may have lost Game 1 of the best-of-three series to Texas Rangers, but Curtis generated quite the buzz with stories appearing in podcasts, radio bulletins, major news outlets, print, online and digital.

Here are all the stories in one place. Happy reading!

The Rays are back tomorrow morning vs the Texas Rangers in Game 2. They’re trying to stave off elimination. You can watch on ESPN / Kayo.

ONLINE / PRINT

CODE SPORTS – Curtis Mead was living the ‘Bull Durham’ minor league experience two months ago. On Wednesday, he made MLB history, writes SHANNON GILL. An incredible story touching base with Curtis’ home club.

NEWS.COM.AU – ‘Aussie Gun makes MLB History.’ Read here.

AAP – Mead makes baseball history twice on bleak day for Rays

FOX SPORTS – Curtis Mead becomes first non-pitching Australian to play in MLB Playoffs

COURIER MAIL – Rays’ Mead poised for post-season in debut MLB year

COURIER MAIL – Aussie Mead makes history twice

It was even on Yahoo!

Stories of Curtis appeared in newspapers around the country the next morning.

RADIO / PODCAST

Local Adelaide radio stations had Curtis Meads’ names mentioned regularly on news bulletins throughout the day.

We have to highlight a wonderful interview with ABC’s Poppy Penny. If you need to listen to something before bed – it has to be this.

TV

We will post links when we get them, but we have confirmed stories of Curtis Mead in:

– Channel Nine
– ABC: Click here (at 24:00), also on National Services.
– Channel Seven: Click here (at 38:00)

04 October 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad

Mead becomes first Australian with hit in MLB postseason game

You grow up dreaming of fighting for a World Series on a Major League Baseball team.

That dream became a reality today for South Australian Curtis Mead.

The West Lakes Shores resident was sensationally named to the starting line-up Game 1 of the Tampa Bay Rays’ playoff run on Wednesday morning.

When he took the field in the first inning, he became the first Australian position player to appear in a modern-day MLB playoff game, and the first South Aussie.

To make things better? He got a hit in his first at-bat. He is the first Australian to record an MLB playoff hit.

He finished the game going 1-for-3 while playing second base in the 4-0 loss for the Rays.

Two other players with Australian connections took part in this game. Junior Caminero (Perth Heat, 2022-23) entered mid-game for Tampa Bay. Andrew Kittredge (Adelaide, 2012-13) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Rays.

The Tampa Bay Rays play the Texas Rangers in a best-of-three Wild Card Series. The MLB playoffs begin this week with four Wild Card series across the league.

Mead (West Torrens / Adelaide Giants) grew up in the South Australian baseball system,

Mead got his first MLB call-up in August. He made national headlines when he got his first Major League hit on the very first pitch he saw.

He’s been in the Rays’ starting lineup the last two weeks of the season, hitting .259 with a home run and 3RBI over the last 15 games. He’s played a mixture of second and third base.

He is the sixth Australian to play in a modern-day MLB playoff game. Graeme Lloyd, Damian Moss, Grant Balfour, Peter Moylan and Liam Hendriks all played in postseason games but they are all pitchers.

Joe Quinn played in a National League playoff game all the way back in 1892 for Baltimore. This was before MLB was officially formed in 1903.

Mead made his Australian Baseball League debut with the Adelaide Giants as a 16-year-old in 2017. He has a career .302 batting average in 115 ABL games. Mead remains under contract with the Giants and trains with the club in his MLB off-season.

The schedule for Tampa Bay’s Wild Card Series is below. You can watch the games on Fox Sports via Kayo.

Game 1: Wednesday 4 October – Texas 4 def Tampa Bay 0
Game 2: Thursday 5 October, 5:38AM Adelaide time
Game 3: Friday 6 October, 5:38AM Adelaide time (if necessary)

If the Rays win this series, they will advance to play the Baltimore Orioles in the second round.

Mead is one of a dozen ABL players who could play in the postseason.

23 September 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Here are the 39 players at Baseball Australia’s National Under 16 Camp this week

Many of Australia’s best junior players will descend upon Canberra this week for Baseball Australia’s National U16 Camp.

39 players from states across Australia will head to the nation’s capital for a unique experience focused on development.

The players will stay on campus at the Australian Institute of Sport from September 24 – 30. They’ll play baseball everyday at Narrabundah Ballpark – home of the Canberra Cavalry.

The camp will see a combination of on field skill development, workshops with the world-renowned staff of the Australian Instute of Sport (AIS). and the ability for players to measure up against other from around the country.

In the mornings, players will have training sessions, where they will also have individual defensive work with positional coaches.

After a lunch break, players will play games in the afternoon.

39 players are divided in two teams.

The camp is meant to provide further instruction for the fundamentals and an introduction to the Team Australia culture.

Many of these players will be eligible for the Under 18 World Cup in two years’ time.

Here is the list.

TEAM 1

Riley Cooper (NSW) – Infielder
Roman Coote (VIC) – Outfielder
Will Couzner (SA) – Infielder / Outfielder
Jordan Ellis (VIC) – Catcher
Mitch Evans (SA) – Pitcher
Lenny Golding (WA) – Infielder / Outfielder
William Hardy (VIC) – Infielder / Outfielder
Tyler Howarth (SA) – Pitcher
William Kent (VIC) – Infielder / Outfielder
Liam Kiddle (QLD) – Infielder / Outfielder
Kason King (SA) – Catcher
Mason Malkoun (NSW) – Outfielder
Austin Moyle (WA) – Infielder
Ben Nesbit (WA) – Infielder / Catcher
Hudson Pallay (VIC) – Infielder / Pitcher
Nathan Rumbelow (VIC) – Pitcher / Outfielder
Robinson Smith (VIC) – Pitcher
Adam Taylor (WA) – Pitcher / OF
Lachlan Vella (NSW) – Infielder
Kobi Wise (QLD) – Pitcher / OF

TEAM 2

Ethan Bickel (NSW) – Pitcher
George Calverley (WA) – Infielder / Catcher
Sam Davis (NSW) – Outfielder
Caleb Duke (QLD) – Infielder / Pitcher
Quinn Fatai (WA) – Infielder
Lucas Gallardo (NSW) – Catcher
Caesar Gardiner (QLD) – Infielder / Pitcher
Lincoln Gruppelaar (NSW) – Infielder
Campbell Harris (NSW) – Catcher / Outfielder
Andrew Land (VIC) – Infielder
James Lander (NSW) – Pitcher / Outfielder
Mitch Langworthy (VIC) – Infielder / Pitcher
James McFarlane (SA) – Outfielder
Liam Overlack (QLD) – Outfielder
Zak Stafilis (VIC) – Infielder / Outfielder
Bailen Thomas (SA) – Infielder
Wesley Wilford (QLD) – Catcher / Pitcher
Jax Williams (WA) – Pitcher
Damien Wilson (NSW) – Pitcher

21 September 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

ABL

Barclay Cup brings young female baseballers from across country together to honour Aussie baseball legend

The second annual Barclay Cup is less than two weeks away. This year, one of the most engaging community baseball displays of the year is heading to Perth.
Named in honour of Emeralds legend Jacinda Barclay, the participation tournament is for youth girls aged 13-16.

Perth baseball club Carine Cats will host the event from October 1-7, 2023.

“We can’t wait,” said Baseball WA participation manager Dayid Hayes in a statement earlier this year. “This tournament gives junior girls the chance to shine on the national stage and play with their peers from around the country. We had great feedback from the first tournament and look forward to an even bigger and better event later this year.”

State bodies from across the country will enter teams in the tournament. New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, WA and SA all have teams entered in the event.

Rather than a state team v state team event, this tournament will encourage participation by welcoming multiple teams from each state depending on interest levels – each State and Territory Association is invited to send two teams.

You can check out the team names below.

The event was started in a collaborative effort from state associations in honour of Jacinda Barclay, who sadly passed away in 2020.

The inaugural event was held at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club in 2022.

Scott Pratt, a father of one of the players and coach of the Adelaide Seahorses team, says he’s never seen an event like this before.

He sang the event’s praises in an interview with BaseballSA last year.

“The spirit with the girls was outstanding,” says Pratt. “The camaraderie it created was second to none. It’s great to be part of and builds a great community.”

Jacinda’s mother, Deb Barclay, told Baseball Queensland that her daughter would be so proud of this tournament and the continued success of women’s baseball in Australia.

“Jacinda lived her life with an open heart. She would be tickled pink and absolutely humbled by this auspicious honour bestowed upon her. Jacinda always strived to inspire girls and women from all walks of life to participate in one of the sports she loved, that being baseball,” she says.

“What made a tournament stand out next to none for her was the desire to challenge yourself, weaving in camaraderie, friendships and creating incredible memories. Something Jacinda would live by is it’s better to look back on life and say, ‘I can’t believe I did that’ than to look back and say, ‘I wish I did that’”.

Action begins on October 1. Follow Barclay Cup on Facebook for full information and to find links to relevant teams.

The performance arm of Junior Women’s Baseball will once again be served at the Australian Youth Women’s Championships held over Easter Weekend in 2024.

—

TEAM NAMES

POOL A
Queensland 1 Crocodiles
NSW Sky Cinda Spirit
West Coast Gold Rays
Vic Dingoes

POOL B
NSW Navy Barky Ballhers
Vic Hornets
Adelaide Seahorses
West Coast Blue Rays

21 September 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Aussies Abroad College Baseball

10 Australian teenage baseballers named to prestigious MLB Select squad; will play in Arizona Fall Classic

Ten young Australian teenage baseball players have an opportunity of a lifetime this month when they get to showcase their talents vs professional players at a prestigious and exclusive Major League Baseball (MLB) event at the end of September.

All ten of these athletes, with wide representation across Australia, have been named to the ‘MLB World Select’ team for the upcoming Arizona Fall Classic in Phoenix, Arizona from September 26 – October 6, 2023.

The players on the MLB World Select Team, made up of the best players from outside the USA, will play in games against minor leaguers and college players in the United States, including a game vs KC Royals professional.

In 2022, the World Selects played on Major League Spring Training Fields vs college clubs, recruits and MLB Academy players.

They receive instruction from international coaches and try to get noticed by college recruiters and MLB scouts. Players also visit schools.

“This trip is the pinnacle event of the year for junior baseball players outside of the U18 World Cup,” says Baseball Australia Player Development Manager Andrew Riddell. “The players are selected by national coaches with input from scouts from MLB clubs that get an opportunity to live life as a pro or a college athlete for two weeks.”

Riddell says the opportunity for these players to showcase their abilities in front of a different audience is invaluable.

The exposure to universities and professional teams is second to none and really shows our players what the next level of baseball looks like in the U.S.

The players selected for the event are:

INF Josh Nati (NSW)
INF Jayden Kim (VIC)
INF Max Durrington (QLD)
INF Zach Altamura (SA)
OF/INF Nic Paparella (SA)
RHP Alistair Tanner (SA)
RHP Jai Hewitt (WA)
RHP Ben Karakasis (NSW)
LHP Lachlan Rosser (CNSW)
LHP Jacob Palmer (NSW)
Coaches: Shayne Watson (QLD) and Andrew Riddell (NSW)

This event has a track record of success.

Australian senior men’s national team members Jarryd Dale, Rixon Wingrove and Kyle Glogoski as well as U18 national team alumni and current professionals Solomon Maguire, Clayton Campbell and Kai-Nao Wynyard are among notable players who used this event to sign an MLB affiliated contract.

Other Australian players, like potential Top 10 MLB Draft pick Travis Bazzana and 2022 commits like Nick Bertucci or Max Stagg, used this opportunity to commit to prestigious US colleges.

“For these players to come over to the USA and experience and play against the best players in the world is something they can’t replicate anywhere else,” says Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams, a former instructor at this event, told ESPN in 2017. “Hopefully, they will leave with the context of what they actually have to do to reach the next level.”

The World Select team is made up of eleven countries including Australia, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic, France and Brazil.

The team will be playing multiple games in Arizona in the leadup to the Arizona Fall Classic.

They begin on September 26 with a practice in Surprise, Arizona. They play games vs IMG Academy, MLB Urban Academy and GBG Vegas from September 27-29.

On October 2 they have a “pro day” in front of MLB and college scouts.

On October 4 they play a game vs the KC Royals minor leaguers and October 6 they play a strong college outfit in Grand Canyon University.

Make sure you keep up with the progress of the Australians in the MLB World Select Team via the Team Australia Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

15 September 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

ABL

Baseball OnDemand evolves into Baseball+

Baseball Australia has announced the rebranding of ‘Baseball OnDemand’ to ‘Baseball+’ ahead of upcoming seasons across Australia.

With the rebrand, comes evolution.

Baseball+ will introduce an application (app) fans around the world can download on their phone or tablet from early October. Fans will be able to watch games live through Baseball+, including the Australian Baseball League and Team Australia games.

The app will also feature stat and schedule integration and casting capabilities to Apple and Android Devices.

“It’s the next step in the journey of Australian Baseball in the digital world,” says ABL General Manager Paul Gonzalez. “Last year we invested in bringing Australian Baseball broadcasts to one home, on an OTT platform. We’ve heard a lot of feedback from fans and wanted to ensure a better experience for the upcoming season.”

The platform, formerly called Baseball OnDemand but now called Baseball+, brought in nearly 30,000 registrants over the course of the ABL and local Australian baseball seasons.

Baseball+ will house Australian Baseball League competition games, the ABL Finals, Team Australia games and national tournaments.

The app will have baseball, plus a lot of other exclusive content and exclusive pieces.

Team Australia’s tournament games in the upcoming Asian Professional Baseball Championships will also be broadcast exclusively with English commentary on the app.

The American Association of Professional Baseball broadcast a game-a-week exclusively and free on the platform through the American baseball season.

Gonzalez doesn’t rule out more international broadcasts and content pieces.

“We see it as a home to baseball in Australia plus a lot of other great stories. There’s a lot we can do. The plan is to work with other competitions and events around the world to bring baseball content year-round on the platform,” he says.

Baseball+ has backend capabilities to house video chats, interviews, behind-the-scenes content and highlights.

Local league competitions will have the ability to broadcast their games, too.

“We’re obviously still in the early stages of this, but I think it’s really exciting for Australian baseball to have a home for all of this. There’s a lot of capacity for growth and the ability to channel new ideas into this,” he says.

Baseball+ is scheduled to hit your local Application Store in early October, well in advance of the season.

14 September 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad Aussies Sign Pro

"A lifelong dream" - New South Wales teenager Adam Bates signs with MLB's Boston Red Sox

Add another player to the list of Australians playing professional baseball in the USA.

New South Wales teenager Adam Bates has just signed a professional baseball contract with famed MLB club Boston Red Sox.

Bates, an 18-year-old pitcher, just competed for Australia at the Under 18 World Cup where he posted a 3.00 ERA in three appearances for the Green & Gold. He also played in the 2022 World Cup where he had a terrific sub 2.00 ERA.

Bates grew up in the Sydney-area, playing at his club baseball at MacArthur Orioles growing up. He was also a Sydney Blue Sox development player in the 2022-23 Australian Baseball League season.

The Red Sox have kept a close eye on the development of Bates and other Australian prospects. They visited Adam at the Under-18 National Camp on the Gold Coast in August, that’s when negotiations really started to heat up.

“They had been following me and watching me develop for a few years,” says Bates. “They spoke with my mum and I about professional life vs going to college.”

Bates (above) has been terrific for Australia at the past two U18 World Cups. He went toe-to-toe with powerhouse Taiwan, allowing just one run in five innings. Photo: WBSC.

Bates had a couple opportunities to explore, including going to college. Earlier in 2023, Bates expressed a commitment to attend Xavier College.

In the end, he landed on becoming a professional baseball player now.

“This offer was the deciding factor to head straight to pro ball. The Red Sox have a reputation for producing high class athletes and they are very well known. It’s a lifelong dream,” he says.

Bates is now one of 34 Australians playing professional baseball in the United States.

He will likely report to Boston’s “Instructional League” later this year – sort of a crash course for new signings and young players in the organisation.

He will then join the Red Sox each March to October for the USA baseball season where he will try to work his way up the various levels of the minor leagues with the dream goal of making it to the Major Leagues.

Bates says his family, friends and baseball community have played a massive influence on his career.

“They’ve pushed me to be better in every aspect of my life,” he says. “They are there in the good and bad times and push me to be the best version of me.”

“The MacArthur Oriole family also need a lot of thanks,” he added. “They have made sure I’ve been able to go and work on my craft any time and receive this opportunity.”

You can follow along all our professional Aussies at www.baseball.com.au/AussiesAbroad.

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