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11 August 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Emeralds keep World Cup hopes alive with thumping win over South Korea

Australia kept their hopes of advancing to the World Cup Finals alive with a dominant 10-3 win over South Korea on Friday morning.

Needing to win their last three games to have a shot of advancing from World Cup Group A, the Emeralds took care of business in emphatic fashion.

Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW) led the Aussie offensive onslaught. She went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs batted in, three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.

Pitcher Claire O’Sullivan (NSW) was sensational in her start. The savvy veteran arm went 5.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out six.

The Emeralds scattered nine hits and worked four walks across the team. Eight different Australians had base hits in a total team effort. Ten different players reached base.

This is Australia’s first win at this year’s World Cup. They are hoping to make a late surge by winning their final three games in hopes of advancing to the final round in 2024.

Their record is deceptive – Australia lost a nail-biting opener to powerhouse USA 3-2 and an extra innings heartbreaker to Mexico earlier this week. They had the winning run in scoring position during both these games.

Scroll down for the game recap with highlights.

BOX SCORE: Australia def South Korea.

The Emeralds likely need to finish in the Top 3 to secure one of six spots the World Cup Finals in 2024. The explanation on how the system works and Australia’s pathway is at the bottom of this article.

For media enquiries contact Eric Balnar at eric.balnar@baseball.com.au.

Full Game Recap

Australia got a jolt of energy from a nice defensive play in the top of the first inning. It set the tone for the afternoon.

After conceding a hit to the first batter of the game, starting pitcher Claire O’Sullivan struck out Minhee Choi and threw a runner out at second for a defacto double play.

The Emeralds aggressive intent continued during their first opportunity with the bat.

Lead-off hitter Ticara Geldenhuis swung at the first pitch and knocked a single to centre. She stole second. She stole third. She scored, thanks to a Morgan Doty sacrifice fly.

Australia brought eight batters to the plate in the first inning but only scored two runs. Catcher Maddi Heath had the other RBI on a hard-hit ground ball up the middle.

South Korea hit back in the second. Nuri Shin fabricated a run off a lead-off single, a stolen base, and hustle off a grounder to cut the lead in half. 2-1.

Australia responded a la Ticara Geldenhuis. The New South Wales native continued her impressive tournament with a huge two-run home run to increase the Emeralds lead. It improved her batting average to .500 and OPS to 1.511.

Kelsey Brennan kept the aggressive mojo flowing.

She followed up the Ticara homer with a base-hit and a stolen base. She scored from second base on a ground ball and a tight, diving play at the plate.

5-1 Australia after two.

The Emeralds padded their lead in the fourth. Morgan Doty’s two-bagger scored Ticara Geldenhuis for a third time of the day.

Meanwhile, Claire O’Sullivan kept doing her thing. The veteran arm from NSW was poised all afternoon, keeping South Korean bats off balance.

She had a 1-2-3 inning in the third and fourth frames and at one point sat down eight in a row.

When O’Sullivan did allow a baserunner, she immediately got help. After Korea reached on a single, catcher Maddi Heath threw her out while trying to steal second.

O’Sullivan’s final stat line: 5.0 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 6 strikeouts.

16-year-old Western Australian Leah Cornish came in relief. She worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning thanks to a slick 5-4-3 double play.

The Emeralds ran away with the game in the fifth and sixth innings.

Abbey McLellan had a fifth inning RBI double and later scored off an error. Australia added two more runs off a couple Korean defensive miscues in the sixth.

16-year-old ACT pitcher Ash Patton closed the game out for the Emeralds, allowing two late Korean runs.

It was a total team effort for the Emeralds. Nine different players had hits and ten different players reached.

Standings

  1. USA 2-0
  2. Canada 2-0
  3. Mexico 2-1
  4. Australia 1-2
  5. Hong Kong 1-2
  6. South Korea 0-3

Remaining Emeralds Games:
August 12 – vs Hong Kong @ 1:30AM AEST
August 13 – vs Canada @ 9:30AM AEST

For full schedule and tournament information, visit www.wbsc.org.

How The Emeralds Can Advance

The Women’s World Cup of Baseball currently has twelve teams remaining. Here’s what you need to know:

  • The 12 teams are divided into two groups with all group games played in 2023
    • ‘Group A’ is currently being played in Thunder Bay with Canada, USA, Mexico, Australia, Korea and Hong Kong.
    • ‘Group B’ will be played in Japan in September with Japan, Taiwan, Cuba, France, Puerto Rico and Venezuela
  • The Finals Round, made up of the top six teams, will be played in Thunder Bay, Canada in 2024. Canada has automatic entry to the final six teams.
  • The six teams in the World Cup Finals will be:
    • The Top 2 teams in Group A
    • The Top 2 teams in Group B
    • Two Wildcards
    • Canada will gain automatic entry, meaning if they finish in the Top 2 of Group A, a second spot will be awarded to the third place finisher in Group A

This means there are three ways for Australia to advance:

  1. Finish in the Top 2 of the Group. At 1-2, this will be difficult but still mathematically possible.
  2. Finish third, and Canada finish in the Top 2. If Canada finishes in first or second, and Australia finishes in third, Australia will advance to the finals round because Canada has automatically qualified.
  3. Earn one of the two wild card spots. The wild card spots will be given to the next two highest placed teams across Group A and Group B who finish outside the Top 2. If there is a tie, it goes on standing of the last Women’s World Cup as the tiebreaker. The final rankings were:
    1. Japan
    2. Taiwan
    3. Canada
    4. United States
    5. Venezuela
    6. Dominican Republic
    7. Australia
    8. Cuba
    9. Dominican Republic
    10. South Korea
    11. Hong Kong
    12. Netherlands
Tag Cloud:
2023 Women's World Cup

10 August 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Mexico explodes for eight extra-innings runs to hand Australia second World Cup loss

all photos via WBSC

Mexico won a wild one. In extra innings, nonetheless.

The Mexicans scored their first ever Women’s Baseball World Cup victory defeating Australia 16-8 in bonus innings in Group A action.

The scoreline is deceptive. The game was decided in a tiebreaker, after all.

The Emeralds trailed 5-2 and 8-5 during the game. They erased both of those three-run deficits in a plucky comeback attempt. Mexico just could not be contained in extras.

There was a dramatic moment to get there. Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW) forced extra-innings by delivering a two-out, two-RBI base hit to lock the game at eight.

It wasn’t meant to be. Errors and walks cost Australia in the tie-break inning, with Mexico scoring eight-runs off just two hits, including a massive three run homerun.

In the game, only eight of Mexico’s runs were earned. Australia allowed eight unearned runs in the loss.

To be fair, Mexico seemed to deliver in the moments that mattered the most. A two-out, two-RBI double in third inning, and the same again in the fifth, scored four of Mexico’s runs in the win. The three-run homer in extras was also handy.

Australia didn’t help themselves. They made five costly errors during the game.

Mexico outhit Australia 9-7.

Morgan Doty and Kelsey Brennan each had two hits for the Emeralds. Gen Beacom had two RBIs.

Ticara Geldenhuis reached three times and had two RBI.

It’s now desperate times for the Emeralds. They need to finish in the Top 3 of their group to have a chance at advancing to the World Cup Finals Round in 2024.

Australia has three remaining games this week – vs Korea, Hong-Kong and Canada. They will need to win all of them – and get a little bit of help. It is still very possible.

The Emeralds have been in position to win each of their games.

Australia’s next game is tomorrow morning at 1:30AM AEST vs Korea. The loser is likely eliminated.

BOX SCORE: Click here.

Game Recap

Australia jumped Mexico early with two early runs off backs of an aggressive approach.

They scored their first run of the game off a perfectly executed double-steal. Morgan Doty applied the pressure at home and Ticara Geldenhuis snuck in at home. 1-0.

Gen Beacom swung early in a count and drove a ball to right to score Doty and record Australia’s second run of the inning.

Defensive miscues got the better of Australia in the third inning. Australia made three errors and hit a batter in the inning, allowing Mexico to score five runs on just one hit.

That ‘one hit’, however, was damaging. Daniela Aguilar hammered a ball off the wall with two-outs and bases-loaded to put Mexico up 5-2

Australia wasted no time issuing a response.

A Shae Lillywhite walk, and Morgan Doty single, put two runners on for Abbey McLellan. The Victorian slugger drilled a ball to left field to score one.

Gen Beacom followed with her second RBI of the game. 5-4. In her first World Cup game, Carly Moore leveled the scores at five during the next at-bat with a rocket off the bat, an RBI double to left.

Mexico regained the lead in the fourth on a fielder’s choice.

Mexico added another clutch punch in the fifth inning. Marcela Diaz delivered a two-out, two-RBI double to plate a pair of runs and increase the lead to 8-5.

The Emeralds pressured in the sixth. With two-outs, Australia managed to squeeze a runner on first and third but couldn’t find a clutch hit.

Morgan Doty pitched a crucial 1-2-3 seventh, holding Mexico off the scoreboard.

It was important. Australia had a magnificent bottom of the last.

Early hits and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Another walk cashed in a run to cut the lead to 8-6.

Then, with two outs, enter Ticara Geldenhuis.

The New South Wales-native delivered a dramatic two RBI base hit to tie the game at eight and force extras.

Australia had a chance to win it the next at-bat, but the Mexican pitcher got Shae Lillywhite to strike out swinging.

Mexico seized back momentum in extra innings. With tie-breaker rules in effect (runners on first and second to start the inning), Mexico laid down a bunt. A throwing error by Doty cashed in two runs. And it piled on from there.

Trademarked by a three-run homer by Dianna Ibarra, Mexico made a statement.

Mexico scored eight runs off two hits in the eigth inning.

A heartbreaker for Australia, but there is still hope.

BOX SCORE: Click here.

Tournament Standings (as of conclusion of day)

  1. United States of America – 2-0
  2. Canada – 2-0
  3. Hong Kong – 1-1
  4. Mexico – 1-1
  5. Australia – 0-2
  6. Korea – 0-2
Tag Cloud:
2023 Women's World Cup

09 August 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Australia comes agonisingly close in World Cup opener vs USA

Australia pushed powerhouse baseball nation United States to their limit, but ultimately fell 3-2, in a high-drama opening game of the Women’s Baseball World Cup.

The USA tagged out the tying run in a dramatic play at the plate in the penultimate inning during a game that had a bit of everything – including a wild thunderstorm.

The Emeralds left it all out on the field. They clawed back from a 3-0 deficit to get within one run heading into the last inning. Australia even had two runners in scoring position – including a potential game winning run.

Australia out-hit and out-chanced the favoured Americans. Unfortunately, they couldn’t outscore them.

One of the big reasons why? A masterful pitching performance from American starter Elise Berger.

From the moment the umpire said “play ball”, her stuff was on.

Her breaking ball was dancing, her fastball filled up the zone, and she induced tons of soft contact to stymy the Emeralds’ bats. She even survived a one-hour rain delay after the first inning.

She left the game allowing just one run and two hits through 5.2 innings of work.

A five-walk third inning was Australia’s downfall. The blemish accounted for two of America’s three runs.

Let’s not mince words: the United States team is loaded. The squad features superstars of the game including men’s league professional player Kelsie Whitmore, the first woman to play NCAA Division I men’s baseball Olivia Pichardo, and 2015 Pan-Am Games gold medalist Anna Kimbrell.

The Emeralds got solid pitching from starter Genevieve Beacom and reliever Allie Bebbere.

Beacom (VIC) pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two runs off no hits and four walks. Bebbere (VIC) pitched the remaining 3.1 innings, conceding just one run and allowing two hits.

Ticara Geldenhuis (NSW), Morgan Doty (VIC/WA), Abbey McLellan (VIC), Claire O’Sullivan (NSW), Caitlin Eynon (WA) and Jordan Richardson (NSW) combined for Australia’s six hits.

Eynon and McLellan had the runs batted in for the Emeralds.

Catch up Emeralds’ news, stories and media from across the country at our International Hub.

Next up for Australia (0-1) is a date with Mexico (0-0). They play at 5:30AM AEST in a crucial Group A clash.

The Top 2 finishers in Group A and B advance to the Championship Round, held in Canada in 2024. Two wild card spots will also be awarded.

The Emeralds have run of games vs Mexico, Korea, Hong Kong and Canada over the next four days. They’ll likely need to win three of them to advance.

Game Recap – As It Happened

Above: Allie Bebbere in relief for Australia. Photo: Brendan Beacom.

When the first pitch of the game cruised over the plate you could tell it was going to be a day for the pitchers.

The weather was a factor, too. A local storm to Thunder Bay brought heavy gusts of wind – hitters would always have trouble driving the ball deep into the outfield.

Emeralds’ starter Gen Beacom and American starter Elise Berger went toe-to-toe in the first two innings. Neither pitcher allowed a hit.

A thunder, lightning & rainstorm swept across the diamond after the first inning, delaying the contest for an hour and knocking over the right field fence. When we returned, the pitchers picked up right where they left off.

Beacom sat down the first seven batters she faced, mixing in three strikeouts along the way – all of them looking.


Her sizzling start came to a halt in the third. The United States worked four walks off Beacom in the third, including three-straight. The Americans scored a run off of a wild pitch to take the early lead.

The final line on Beacom: 2.2 innings, two earned runs with no hits and four walks.

Allie Bebbere entered the game in the bottom of the third inning with bases loaded and two outs. She walked in one run and got a shallow fly ball off the dangerous Olivia Pichardo to limit the damage.

2-0 USA after four.

Australia had a base-runner in three of the first four innings but struggled to find that one decisive blow.

The woman behind the Emeralds’ frustrations was starting pitcher Elise Berger. The right-hander’s breaking ball was on point, mixing it well with her fast ball. She induced a lot of soft-contact ground balls and allowed just one hit with no walks through her first five innings.

Berger’s final line: 5.2 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk and 1 strike out.

The USA’s defense was on song, too.

USA added a crucial third run in the bottom of the fourth.

But Australia made a move in the fifth inning.

Ticara Geldenhuis had a lead-off walk. With two-outs, Abbey McClellan’s two-out infield RBI scored the Emeralds first run and chased Berger from the game.

The Emeralds promptly the bases after the pitching change. With two outs, Caitlin Eynon lined a ball to left field which scored one run, but the USA tagged the tying run out at the plate.

Bebbere continued her excellent form in the bottom of the sixth, tallying a crucial strikeout with an American insurance run standing in scoring position.

The final line on Bebbere: 3.1 innings with 3 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks and 2 strike outs.

It allowed Australia to pressure in the seventh and final inning. The Emeralds managed to bring two base runners to the basepaths with just one out.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t find the knock out blow.

Australia will reset and play tomorrow vs Mexico in a game the Emeralds need to win.

BOX SCORE: Click here.

Photo: Brendan Beacom

Tag Cloud:
2023 Women's World Cup

09 August 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Community

Vale Phil Alexander - a tribute to Australia's "Mr. Baseball"

submitted by Robert Laidlaw

Mr. Baseball is a name earned by very few but one that suits Phil Alexander to a tee, which leaves big shoes to fill after his passing last week after 73 years on this earth, with 60 of those associated with the game he loved.

From a young boy playing the game through his heyday as a player, then coach, not to mention his long association with the media, Phil definitely is one name in South Australian baseball that is well known and well respected.

Although associated with Glenelg Baseball Club, Phil actually originally suited up with East Torrens in the winter league and Norwood Redsox in the Night Baseball League in the summer, from 1965 – when just a teenager.

He was soon enticed back to his hometown Tigers, with Glenelg for the 1966 winter and Sturt Tigers in the Night Baseball League – where he tied for the Shipway Medal as the competition’s best player.

On 1967 Phil was selected on South Australia’s team for the Claxton Shield and continued to be a top-level player at this level until 1983, creating the unique record of being the only player to field in every position on the diamond, including pitcher.

While the Claxton Shield returned to South Australia for the first time since 1980 earlier this year, Phil played in four winning Claxton Shield teams – 1967, 1970, 1071 and 1976.

In the early 1970s, Phil was a regular in the Australian team, gaining selection in 1970-72, including in the Aussies first Asian Series, held in Korea in 1971. He showed off his versatility, playing every position for the Green & Gold.

Before Phil started playing for Glenelg, the Tigers only won one A grade premiership (1962), but in his reign (400-plus games) they played off in nine grand finals from 1970-86, winning four flags – two as coach – which had a lot to do with his leadership capabilities.

Although a veteran of the game, in 1982 Phil Alexander won the Capps Medal, and proved to be the ‘King of the Catchers’, with equal runners-up Mal Loveday from Port Adelaide and West Torrens’ Phil Burgess also playing the backstop position.

In a strong year Phil proved he was, even for one shining season, the best catcher in the competition with 29 votes, seven ahead of Loveday and Burgess – although Glenelg went down 6-5 to the Magpies in one of the best premiership deciders seen at Norwood Oval.

It was obvious early in his formative years Alexander was going to be a star, winning the Pomeroy Cup as the most outstanding high school player in 1966 while at Brighton High.

At under 16 and under 18 level Phil made South Australian State teams, which was a precursor to his glittering representation career in the sport.

Phil was a real character on and off the diamond, which led to his being known in baseball circles as ‘Big Phil’, a name he carried with pride and used to promote the game in the media, through his column in the daily press and as a TV baseball commentator, or when reporting on the radio with ‘KG’ Cunningham.

When the original Australian Baseball League began in 1989, Alexander was appointed the inaugural coach, another major honour in an outstanding baseball career.

When the 75th South Australian Claxton Shield Diamond All-Star Team in 2009, Phil was selected as the utility. In 2014 he was selected in the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame, and last year was elected to the inaugural SA Baseball Hall of Fame.

Dearly loved partner of Trudy, adored father and father-in-law of Vanessa and Chris, Ben and Kate, Todd and Pip, and proud grandfather of Kyle, Finnley, Ollie, Ruby, Jack and Zara. Beloved son of Ray and Dulcie Alexander (both deceased), and brother of Gloria and Colin.

Phil Alexander’s funeral will be held in the Ian Mclachlan Room, Adelaide Oval, War Memorial Drive, North Adelaide, on Friday, August 11, 2023, from 10.30am.

VALE PHILLIP CEDRIC ALEXANDER, 1949-2023

07 August 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Emeralds in the Media: Australian women appearing across Australian news as World Cup is ready to begin

The Emeralds have touched down in Canada and are ready for the Women’s World Cup of Baseball.

It’s a huge moment for these 20 players and the staff. They have five ‘Group A’ games of baseball to play vs fierce international opponents between August 9-13 in Thunder Bay, Canada.

If the Emeralds finish in the Top 2 in their group, they will advance to the 2024 Championship Round in Canada. If the Emeralds finish third, they are still in good position to gain a Wild Card entry to the 2024 round. Anything lower? Their campaign comes to an end.

You can learn about the team and each of the players + how the roster is constructed by clicking here.

The Australian media is starting to pick up on the Emeralds and their stories too.

We will be updating an ongoing list at our International Hub but have provided a list below.

Make sure you follow Team Australia Baseball for up-to-date stories, news and behind-the-scenes content.

Baseball.com.au

  1. “Our Why” – Emeralds share their “why” as they prepare to take on the world
  2. The Emeralds – Meet the Members of the Women’s World Cup Team
  3. Roster Construction Strategy – Why Australia is focusing on versatility at the Women’s World Cup

Online / Print News

  1. Herald Sun: Herald Sun – Meet the 20 Women representing Australia at the Women’s World Cup
  2. National News: ABC News – Carly Moore is the first South Australian to make the Women’s World Cup
  3. ACT in Canada:  Meet the two ACT players going to the World Cup
  4. Magazine Story: CITYMAG – Profile on Emeralds’ catcher Carly Moore
  5. Meet Gen Beacom: Hard throwing Australian making International News.

Radio / TV

Tag Cloud:
2023 Women's World Cup

07 August 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad

Travis Bazzana wins MVP of Prestegious Summer League; featured on MLB.com

Australian baseballer Travis Bazzana is truly remarkable.

Bazzana was named the MVP of the prestigious summer ball competition the Cape Code League after putting up video game numbers.

The Cape Code League is meant for college students and baseball players. It’s arguably the best college level competition in the world, with over 1000 players moving on the the Big Leagues.

Normally, he plays full-time baseball at the Oregon State University (OSU) in NCAA’s Division 1.

Bazzana had a .375 average for the Falmouth Commodores, with a 1.037 OPS, six homers, 31 RBI, 14 stolen bases and one cycle.

It’s that sort of performance that is gaining serious draft traction. Some reports have him going #1 overall in next year’s MLB draft. MLB.com’s Michael Clair did a wonderful feature on Bazzana’s Australian roots and his draft hype here.

Last week, Bazzana went 12-for-18 with four doubles and two homers. He also had a six-hit game.

The New South Wales-native has reached safely in his last four games.

He was just named the league’s batting champion, after hitting .375 during the year.

He is coming off a historic season, and certainly one of the best of all time for an Australian.

It’s earned the attention of baseball scouts and blogs.

Bazzana broke the OSU single-season record with 36 stolen bases in 2023. He also was tied for the Pac-12 league lead with 59 walks.

Want more? Okay. He led OSU with a .374 batting average, 20 walks and three triples.

Bazzana finished the season second on the team with 55 runs batted in and was third with 11 home runs.

He was a first-team all-star.

That kind of performance gets you all kinds of recognition. One blog even has him as the favourite to be selected first overall at the 2024 MLB Draft.

Prospects Live has him at 21.

Baseball America gives him a high ranking, too.

Now look: it is WAY too early to speculate who will go #1 overall in a June 2024 draft.

Travis has a whole other season to play through – as well as all the other prospects.

But the fact that an Australian baseball player out of New South Wales is being mentioned as a potential top draft pick is pretty cool.

By the way, this year’s #1 overall pick in the MLB Draft just signed for 9.2 million USD.

Happy speculating.

Let’s go Trav!

05 August 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Czechs blank Aussies in tightly fought finale to U12 World Cup

Australia came out on the wrong end of a closely fought battle with Czechia in their final game of the Under 12 World Cup.

Czech slugger Max Major had all four Czech runs-batted-in during the 4-0 victory.

Australia pressured throughout the game. They had the bases loaded in the sixth inning, and two runners on in the fourth and fifth. They just couldn’t land the decisive blow.

Oliver Allen gave Australia every opportunity to stay close in this game with a tremendous start on the mound. He went 3.0 innings, allowing just three hits, strikeout out four and conceding a pair of runs.

Zavier Leigh and Toby Kelman pitched well in relief.

Frantisek Fiser had his best game of the tournament for the Czechs on the mound. He kept Australia off-balance, allowing only four hits and no runs in 5.1 innings pitched.

Australia pressured on multiple occasions but were stonewalled by some staunch Czech defense.

The main culprit was slick second baseman Daniel Horak.

He was the centre of a tremendous double-play the Czechs turned to get out of the fourth inning. Australia had two runners on and just one out. That play surely saved at least a run.

Then, in the fifth, Horak made a nice catch on a hard-hit ball to end the inning. Once again, Australia had two runners on.

That allowed the Czechs to score two getaway runs in the sixth inning.

This concludes the Under 12 World Cup for Australia. They finish 11th at the event.

BOX SCORE

Tag Cloud:
2023 U12 World Cup

05 August 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad

Amazing Aussie Debut! Curtis Mead records first MLB hit on first MLB pitch he sees

This Curtis Mead kid is special.

Just hours after his historic call-up which made him the 37th Australian to make the Big Leagues, the Adelaide-native Mead got his first at-bat.

Standing at the plate, as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, Curtis did what he does best: MAKE. MAGIC. HAPPEN.

He swung on the first pitch he saw. And got a hit.

Mead was subbed into the game for the Tampa Bay Rays in the bottom of the seventh inning at third base.

That moment made him the first South Australian position player in MLB history to appear in a Big League game. He is the first Adelaide player in the MLB since Luke Prokopec in 2002.

His at-bat came in the eighth.

He also made a defensive play at third, fielding a ground ball and firing across to first for an out.

He will make his first MLB start tomorrow – Sunday morning at 2:30AM Adelaide time.

For any media information please contact Eric Balnar at eric.balnar@baseball.com.au.

05 August 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad ABL

Curtis Mead called up to Tampa Bay Rays; will become 37th Aussie to play in MLB

South Australian baseball player Curtis Mead has made history today by being called up to the Major Leagues by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mead, 22, joins an exclusive list of Australian players by becoming the 37th from Down Under to make it to the world’s top baseball competition.

He is just the fourth South Australian to make it to Major League Baseball.

It’s particularly significant because Mead is the first position player (batter) from South Australia to make it to the world’s best competition.

UPDATE – 10:45AM: Curtis Mead got a hit in his first at-bat of his first game off the very first pitch. He also made a nice defensive play. He entereed the game in the seventh inning a substitution.

WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/_0jvL20Yqew

Curtis will join the Tampa Bay Rays in time for their three-game series vs the Detroit Tigers starting on Friday night in Detroit. He is not expected to be in the starting lineup for Game 1 of the series (Friday @ 6:40PM Detroit time / 8:40AM AEDT).

Curtis is expected to make his first MLB start on Saturday 5 August in a 1:10 EDT game vs the Tigers – that’s 3:10AM Sydney time on Sunday morning.

He could make an appearance from the bench, however, on Friday. You can watch Friday’s game on AppleTV+ and the rest of the games on MLB.TV.

“It’s surreal,” says Curtis Mead. “When I found out, it was obviously a really special moment that I’ll never forget. The best part was getting to tell the people I love and share the moment with them.”

He joins Liam Hendriks as Australia’s only current Big Leaguer – and the only Aussie who is an ‘every day’ player in the Bigs.

Curtis signed a five-year contract with the Adelaide Giants in 2021. He has played four seasons in the ABL and appeared for Team Australia.

If you would like more information or you are looking for a media contact, please email us at eric.balnar@baseball.com.au

The Curtis Mead Story

Mead started playing baseball at West Torrens Baseball Club and quickly rose the ranks. Mead was part of three state representative teams that broke long baseball droughts – the Under 16 State Team (2016), the Under 18 State Team (2018) and the Senior League Championship with the Adelaide Armada (2017). He was a key contributor to the West Torrens 2016 Premiership as a 16-year-old.

He made his Australian Baseball League debut with the then-called Adelaide Bite in the 2017-18 season. In four seasons of ABL action, Mead has a .302 career average with 12 home runs in 124 games for Adelaide.

Mead was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017 but traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in November 2019.

His ascent from a relatively unknown international baseball prospect to a blue-chip prospect was staggering. Entering this season, Mead was in the Top 30 prospect rankings by MLB.com and considered the #2 prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays system.

In 276 minor league games, he has a career .302 average with 35 home runs and 170 RBI. He was an All-Star in the 2021 Arizona Fall League – a post-season competition meant for the best prospects in the game.

Mead started the 2023 season with the Durham Bulls – the ‘Triple A’ affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. He did not participate in the ABL season because of an elbow injury sustained at the end of the 2022 minor league season.

He also missed two months of action with a hand injury at the start of this year’s minor league season. Mead returned to the Durham Bulls’ line-up in late-June and put-up outstanding numbers.

05 August 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Little League - Team Australia

Mexico's pitching masterclass eliminates Australia at Senior League World Series

Ryde Hawks run at the Senior League World Series run has come to an end.

The North Sydney charter, representing Australia at the major U-17 international event, fell 4-0 to Mexico overnight in the tournament quarterfinal.

Fernando Altamirando’s two-out bases clearing double in the fifth was the deciding blow in the win.

Mexico’s pitcher Leonardo Laverette looked invincible at times. He put on a masterclass, striking out xx batters and allowing just two hits in 7.0 innings of work.

The loss eliminates Ryde from contention at the World Series event. They certainly made everyone proud.

Ryde went undefeated through both the New South Wales State Championships and the Australian Senior League Tournament.

Game Recap

Mexico placed some early pressure on Australia by scattering four hits across the first two innings. But much like in their first encounter, the Aussies bent but didn’t break.

Mexico was only able to bring home one run in the second despite having two runners on base.

Dan Thwaites was solid again. He settled in nicely as the game went on, at one point sitting down 8-of-9 Mexican batters.

Mexico finally broke through in the fifth. Fernando Altamirando had a two-out bases clearing double to push his team’s lead to 4-0.

Mexico’s pitcher Leonardo Navarrete was sensational. He struck out nine through the first five innings. Australia only had three baserunners.

His final stat line read 7.0 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and just two hits.

Australia had a huge defensive highlight in the seventh when Brad Dalton made a sensational diving grab in the outfield.

BOX SCORE

LATIN AMERICA (MEXICO):  4 runs, 6 hits, 1 error
0-1-0-0-3-0-x

AUSTRALIA REGION (BRISBANE NORTH):  0 Runs,  2 Hits, 1 Error.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Hits: Simon Slapeta, Lincoln Stead

Pitchers
Dan Thwaites: 4.2IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts
Simon Slapeta: 1.1IP, 0hits, 0 runs, 1 strikeouts

Tag Cloud:
2023 Senior League World Series

05 August 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Australia falls to Panama at Under 12 World Cup

report via WBSC

Panama cruised to a five-inning 13-3 win against Australia. They are now 3-1, on track for an eighth place finish.
Tag Cloud:
2023 U12 World Cup
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