Baseball Australia announces three new directors to the Board

14 February 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Baseball Australia announces three new directors to the Board

The future of Australian Baseball is in good hands after Baseball Australia’s Annual General Meeting in late 2023.

Baseball Australia recently changed its Constitution to move more in line with Australian Sports Commission governance principles. Among the changes was the make-up of the directors of the board, which now constitutes six elected by the Members of the Australian Baseball Federation, and a further four appointed by the Board.

Three (3) new directors were appointed to the Board:

– Paige Ridgewell: Senior Queensland Government Executive and former Deputy Director General of Queensland Sport and Recreation.

– Catherine Beachley: Highly experienced Government Relations and Communications consultant.

– John Boultbee: Former CEO of the Australian Institute of Sport, CEO of World Rowing, Head of High Performance for FFA and Volleyball Australia and CEO of the Australian Sports Tribunal.

Longtime Australian MLB pitcher (and Harvard student) Graeme Lloyd, former Wallabies star and international lawyer Ian Williams, investment banker Anthony Brasher and senior NRL executive Jess Goddard were also re-elected to their director positions.

These directors join former MLB pitcher and baseball administrator Shayne Bennett, Guzman y Gomez co-founder Robert Hazan and longstanding President David Hynes AM on the BA Board.

Hynes says Baseball Australia’s stakeholders should be proud of the calibre of its directors.

“They bring a lot of passion and experience to our sport,” he says. “You would struggle to find a sporting board in Australia with directors of this calibre and with a common and united vision to grow our game’.

For more information on our board members, please click here.

Watch Team Australia play top-tier Korean club Hanwha Eagles on Baseball+ this weekend. Details here.

07 February 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Team Australia names U18 National Junior squad to play in USA in 2024

Team Australia has announced its Under 18 National Junior Squad.

The squad will head to the USA from September – October to play games in front of a big audience of scouts and college recruiters, with it being an off-year for the U18 World Cup.

Selected off the back of the recent U18 Australian Youth Championships, the national squad will head to Florida to play in the highest level tournaments outside of World Cup events.

The training sessions and games will be played in front of professional scouts and college recruiters, while coming up against the best high-school players in the USA who are already committed to top Division 1 schools. There are many potential high MLB draft picks.

“This is a great opportunity to play in front of all the top junior colleges, universities of every level and professional organisations,” says National Player Development Manager Andrew Riddell. “Experiences like this provide a chance to represent your country, wear that green and gold, and face tough opposition.”

While there is no U18 World Cup this season, there is still plenty of Team Australia action to come. Australia will play in the U23 World Cup in China in October, and the Premier12 in November. The senior men’s team will play an exhibition game at home vs Hanwha Eagles from February 17-18 in Melbourne. You can watch those games on Baseball+.

Congratulations to all the players who will represent their country:

06 February 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Little League National Participation Plan Women's Baseball

Australian Little League Girls Tournament to take place in May 2024

Australia’s junior female baseball players have a Little League Championship to call their own.

From May 8-12, at a location to be confirmed soon, teams from across the country will participate in the 2024 Australian Little League Girls Championship.

The event is targeted at female baseball players aged 12 & under.

It’s a concept and tournament borne out of a fantastic collaborative effort from the state associations. The girls’ division was an initiative of the Little League Advisory Panel which is made up of all the state district administrators.

The newly formed championships drew inspiration from one all-female team in 2023 in particular. Last year, Baseball Victoria sent an all-girls team called “The Belles” to compete in the Little League Division 2 Championships. The team was such a hit across the country, states have decided to submit their own teams in 2024 to create this tournament.

Based on interest, there will be a six-teams competing in the first event. There will be a team from Queensland, Western Australian and Victoria, two teams from New South Wales and a combined squad of Northern Territory and South Australia.

Baseball Australia Little League District Administrator David Hayes says this is an exciting step in the development of girls baseball in Down Under.

Adding another step in the journey for our female players is an exciting new development for Baseball in Australia,” says Hayes.

“By continuing to grow the number of girls in our tee-ball programs, and then providing them with great experience in their junior baseball years, we are increasingly providing opportunities for our female athletes to grow and develop both as players as people.

This is the third all-female event on the annual Baseball Australia calendar. The Australian Women’s Championships and the Australian Junior Women’s Championships are scheduled for April, 2024 in Melbourne.

If you are interested in competing or participating at the Little League Girls event, please contact your state’s baseball head office for more details.

27 January 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

ABL

Lachlan Wells wins Helms Award as Australian Baseball League MVP

Adelaide Giants’ pitcher Lachlan Wells has won the 2024 Helms Award for the Australian Baseball League’s Most Valuable Player.

The left-handed pitcher from Newcastle was dominant all year.

He led all qualified starters with a 6-0 record in his nine appearances, with 63 strikeouts in 47.1 innings pitched. He had a sparkling 0.94 ERA and 0.73 WHIP.

Wells did not concede an earned run until after Christmas.

When he started in the regular season for the Adelaide Giants, the team did not lose. What’s more valuable than that?

His stellar performance earned him a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, and was named to Team Australia for a home series vs Hanhwa Eagles next month.

He extends the streak of Australians winning the award to five years in a row.

Wells becomes the second pitcher in the modern-day ABL to claim MVP honours. He is the fifth Adelaide player to win Australian baseball’s individual top prize.

The ABL Awards were voted on by three members of each ABL club plus league officials.

All the winners can be found here.

26 January 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Corporate News

Baseball Australia president David Hynes receives appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

A hearty congratulations to Baseball Australia’s President David Hynes on receiving an appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

It’s a well-deserved recognition from a man who has made a lifetime commitment to sport administration and in particular baseball.

The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service.

David has been the chairman of Baseball Australia’s board since 2012 and a director since 2007. He’s been a member of the University of Sydney Baseball Club since 1990. He’s served as a director on multiple boards including Wests Tigers.

David was a member of the Australian Olympic Baseball Team at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

There’s a lot more we could write about David, but he is someone who cares for his community, passionately tries to grow the game, and has dedicated his life to a sport we all love.

Congratulations again, David!

19 January 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Team Australia to name a U16 and U18 national squad to travel to USA

Baseball Australia – in partnership with Perfect Game – will be touring the USA with the Under 16 and Under 18 National Junior Squads in September and October 2024.

Australia will name an Under-18 and Under-16 national squad to play in Perfect Game-run events in America.

The Under-16 event will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in September.

The Under-18 event will travel to events in Florida – in Jupiter and Port St. Lucie – from late-September to early October.

The tour will be 12 days-long and see these players battle against some of the best American talent of the respective age groups.

The squads will be named in the coming weeks. This comes after the Australian Youth Championships last week in Sydney.

The international events will be played in front of an audience filled with scouts and colleges. It is run by well-known international baseball organisation Perfect Game.

“This is a great opportunity to play in front of all the top junior colleges, universities and professional organisations,” says National Player Development Manager Andrew Riddell. “Experiences like this provides an opportunity to represent your country while facing tough opposition including top college commits, all while representing our country in a non-World Cup year.”

Riddell says the teams Australia will play are all made up of players who have already committed to top schools.

“It’s about providing our players with a glimpse into what facing future college competition may look, while also helping create exposure for scholarships and college opportunities for our players as they graduate out of high school.”

Perfect Game is the world’s largest baseball scouting service. They host high-quality travel team tournament and individual showcases across the world. It offers major scouting, signing and MLB draft opportunities for players.

The USA-tours will be preceded by the hard work players do in their respective states through the Baseball Australia endorsed ‘State Performance Pathways Program.’

Baseball Australia’s General Manager of Performance Pathways & Player Development Michael Crooks says states are critical in developing Australian talent.

“We saw first-hand the talent from states across the country this week at the Australian Youth Championships. These are the principal environments for talented played across the country to work on and develop their skills for transitioning into places like college, the ABL and professional baseball,” says Crooks of the state-based Performance Pathways Programs.

The national team’s selection panel is concluding the player assessment process, with the National Junior Squads to be announced prior to the end of January.

Please visit one of our event hubs for recaps of the 2024 Australian Youth Championships.

U18 Event Hub: 2024 U-18 Australian Youth Championships (U18 AYC)
U16 Event Hub: 2024 U-16 Australian Youth Championships (U16 AYC)

18 January 2024 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad Aussies Sign Pro

18-year-old South Australian pitcher Jack Bushell signs contract with Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers

18-year-old Adelaide pitcher Jack Bushell wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to become a professional baseball player.

“I had the opportunity now, and if I didn’t take it I couldn’t live with myself – I had to take it,” says the South Australia, who just signed with the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. “It’s been my dream for a while now.”

The contract Bushell inked on Tuesday puts a nice bookend to a wild 12-months.

He’s put in some serious work – and hardcore air mileage – since January of 2023.

In started in January, 2023 when Bushell impressed for South Australia at the U18 National Championships.

“That’s when the conversations started with the Tigers,” says Bushell, who says he also chatted to other MLB outfits.

The rest of 2023? Buckle up.

He graduated high-school. He trained “six to seven” days a week. He attended a national junior camp.

AUSSIES ABROAD: Read stories on all the latest Aussies to sign pro.

He played Division 1 for Goodwood in the South Australian State League. He went to an U18 World Cup. He made his Australian Baseball League debut with the Adelaide Giants. He pitched for Team Australia at the Tokyo Dome vs Japan at the Asia Professional Baseball Championship.

Bushell is also a newly turned 18-year-old with friends, family and a social life to balance.
The life of a baseball player with professional ambitions.

“Honestly, it’s been such a whirlwind. It’s stuff you think about but you don’t imagine would actually happen. I just try to take a step back and enjoy everything as it comes,” he said in an interview in Tokyo last year.

Bushell has been on the radar of baseball folks in South Australia for ages. He was a star Little League and junior player with Goodwood Baseball Club, winning multiple MVPs while rising the system as a two-way player.

In the last 18-months Bushell has been tinkering and enhancing his pitching arsenal.

While he can hit 91-92mph on the radar gun, Bushell says he’s been working hard at his sinker and change-up to baffle opponents.

“About November last year I started pitching last year with [former Team Australia pitcher Josh Tols,” he says. “We figured out my fastball didn’t have as much spin as I’d like. We tinkered with a sinker which has been working well for me alongside my changeup, which is probably my best pitch.”

Those pitches baffled opponents internationally.

Bushell was the star of Australia’s U18 squad at the 2023 World Cup in Taiwan, leading the team in innings pitched, strike-outs, ERA (1.40) and wins.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) even called an athletic play of his the #3 overall play of 2023 in a World Cup event.

“I think that tournament was great for me. It sort of showed me I belong,” said Bushell in an interview in Tokyo late last year.

He is now one of five members of that U18 team who have signed professional, joining Declan Speirs, Adam Bates, Drew Davies and Jayden Kim.

Bushell’s World Cup performance was strong enough to become the youngest player selected on Australia’s Asia Professional Baseball Championship squad. Bushell started a game in front of nearly 50,000 singing fans at the Tokyo Dome and struck out the #2 home run hitter in the Japan professional league.

“My experience at the Tokyo Dome was crazy. Pitching in front of that many people was wild – I was so nervous, I was so pumped up. Crazy,” he says.

Things are about to get crazier for Bushell. The grind is about to begin.

Bushell will likely report to Florida for spring training. He’ll then attempt to work his way up a rigorous and ruthless minor league system in an attempt to make the Major Leagues.

Bushell will remain with the Adelaide Giants in the Australian Baseball League as they attempt to win their second straight Claxton Shield.

“I really have to thank Mum and Dad,” says Bushell. “I had a glove and bat in my hand before I could walk. I played at Goodwood so I need to thank everybody there – that’s where Dad played. I started playing juniors, then seniors and now the Giants. It’s been good for me with the Giants to see the pro guys here and give me a big taste of what’s to come.”

18 January 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

21-man roster revealed for Team Australia’s first games on home soil in four years

It’s been a while since Australian baseball fans have been able to watch the senior men’s national team on home soil.

When Team Australia takes the field at Melbourne Ballpark on February 17 for the first game of a two-game series vs Korean baseball giant Hanwha Eagles, there will be no shortage of talent with international experience at the highest level.

All 21 players have played in at least one World Baseball Classic.

“After having success at the World Baseball Classic last year, it’s important we continue to win as a team,” says Team Australia’s head coach Dave Nilsson. “This group has the experience and the talent to do that.”

19 of the players on the list played in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, where Australia reached the quarterfinals for the first time. Two others – Tim Atherton and Lachlan Wells – may not have been on the most recent WBC quad, pitched in the 2017 version of the tournament.

SELLING FAST: GET YOUR TICKETS TO SEE TEAM AUSTRALIA AT HOME

The two-game series from February 17-18 at Melbourne Ballpark gives fans a chance to see their heroes in action. It’s the first time since 2020 the senior men’s squad has played a game in Australia.

It also launches a massive 2024 for the Australian national team. Team Australia will compete in the ‘Premier12’ in November 2024 – it’s effectively a World Championship for the planet’s Top 12 ranked baseball teams run by the World Baseball Softball Confederation’ (WBSC).

Watch all the action this weekend on Baseball+. Click here for download links and how to cast to your TV.

“If this group stays healthy, I expect them to be together for the Premier12 later this year,” says Nilsson.

The two games are supported by the Melbourne Aces and the Victorian Government. Australia will play two games vs the Hanhwa Eagles – a team which plays in the top professional competition in South Korea.

You can get tickets by clicking this link. Some sections have already sold out.

The Eagles are in Melbourne for Spring Training ahead of the 2024 KBO season. They are home to the KBO’s 2023 home run champion Si Hwan Roh. Team Australia co-captain Warwick Saupold played for Hanhwa from 2020-21.

Here is the roster:

UPDATE: Jordan McArdle has replaced Lachlan Wells on the roster.

OF – Tim Kennelly
OF – Aaron Whitefield
OF – Ulrich Bojarski
3B – Darryl George
SS – Logan Wade
INF – Jarryd Dale
1B – Rixon Wingrove
1B – Jake Bowey
C – Robbie Perkins
C – Alex Hall

LHP – Lachlan Wells
LHP – Steven Kent
LHP – Jon Kennedy
LHP – Dan McGrath
RHP – Tim Atherton
RHP – Sam Holland
RHP – Warwick Saupold
RHP – Coen Wynne
RHP – Josh Guyer
RHP – Luke Wilkins
RHP – Todd Van Steensel

16 January 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Australian Youth Championships

Champions and Award Winners of the U18 and U16 Australian Youth Baseball Championships

Congratulations to our national champions and award winners from the 2024 Australian Youth Baseball Championships in the U16 and U18 age bracket.

For game recaps, click here: The Gold Medal Decided: Scenarios, Updates and Results on the final day of the U18 Championships.

Under 16

Congratulations to New South Wales, our 2024 National Champion.

They fired right out of a cannon. New South Wales rattled off a dominant 6-0 record in the first round and were a perfect 2-0 in the second round.

In the first round they scored at least 10 runs each game. No opponent finished within six at the end of the game.

Things tightened up in the second round. They trailed Queensland by one in the penultimate inning before coming back to win 7-4.

A gritty 5-1 over Western Australia which featured two rain delays, a tarp pull, and some nervy moments was a fantastic final game.

They hit .400 as a team with a .529 on-base-percentage and outscored opponents 97-28. 12 different players had 4+ hits. No pitcher allowed more than four runs.

New South led the tournament in fielding percentage. A team which consisted of the eventual tournament MVP Fletcher Willard, Golden Arm Kobe Cusbert and Golden Bat Tahlan Cavill was so much more than that.

Congratulations to New South Wales.

AWARD WINNERS

Golden Glove – Quinn Fatai (Western Australia)

Golden Arm – Kobe Cusbert (New South Wales): 10.0IP, 3H, 8S0, 0ER

Golden Bat – Tahlan Cavill (New South Wales): 9-for-13, 2 doubles, 5RBI, 4BB

MVP – Fletcher Willard (New South Wales): 8-for-14, 2BB, 3 XBH, 5.0IP with 1ER

Under 18

Congratulations to Victoria, our 2024 U18 National Champion.

Victoria won in dramatic fashion. They were the only team to win all their second round games, to finish with a 3-0 record in that stage. They no-hit New South Wales 5-2, and then beat South Australia in extra-innings 1-0 in a dramatic game on the backfield.

In the first round, they finished 5-1. They are the only team in the U18 age group to beat every opponent.

The wildest came on the final day. Needing to beat Western Australia to win tournament gold, the Victorians stormed back from four runs down to win.

A plucky, resilient, and strong defensive team who never wavered.

AWARD WINNERS

Defensive Player – Josh Nati (New South Wales)

Golden Arm – Ryder Wilson (Victoria): 3GP, 14.1IP, 12SO, 0ER, 1BB

Golden Bat – Flynn McKee (SA): Tournament leader with 13 hits and 8RBI.

MVP – Jack Ratcliffe (Victoria): A back-to-back MVP. Ratcliffe went 7-for-20 with 7 RBI at the plate. He pitched five scoreless innings with two hits and 7 strikeouts.

16 January 2024 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Australian Youth Championships

Victoria claims Under 18 gold on dramatic, rain-affected, final day of AYCs

by Eric Balnar

A final day for the ages. Rain-affected days meant the final two games of the second round would determine the national champion. Here’s how it unfolded.

15 January 2024 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Australian Youth Championships

FIELD CONDITION UPDATES: Gold Medals to be decided on the Final Day of Australian Youth Championships Announced

We crown a U16 and U18 national champion on January 16 on the final day of the 2024 Australian Youth Championships.

However, more rain and unplayable field conditions have made things tricky. Updates are below.

After assessment of Diamond 1, it has been determined that we will be unable to schedule more than two games on the final day of the AYCS on Tuesday 16 January.

Therefore, the decision has been made to call off the final U16 games of the second round. These games are Victoria vs New South Wales and Western Australia vs Queensland.

Under championship rules & regulations, if a round is unable to be completed, records from the previous completed round determines the national champions.

In this instance, the records revert to the end of Round 1, where all U16 games were completed.

The 2024 National Champions of the Under 16 age-group are New South Wales.

We are now making every reasonable effort for the best interests of all parties to complete the second round of the Under 18s.

The new schedule is

U18 Second Round – 4:30PM – SA v NSW
U18 Second Round – 7:00PM – VIC vs WA

Watch on Baseball+. For download links and casting instructions, visit www.baseball.com.au/baseballplus

UPDATE (12:30PM):

The 12:00PM assessment is there is still no definitive start time. The next assessment will be at 2:00PM.

Thank you to the grounds staff who have been working since the early hours of the morning, and the teams who have come in for a tarp pull. You’ve been great throughout the tournament.

UPDATE (10:20AM): Our assessment is that there is still no definitive start time for Diamond 1.

Diamond 2 and Diamond 3 are unplayable and no games will be played on them. The next Diamond 1 assessment will be at 12:00pm.

Unfortunately, the 16U game between WA and QLD will not be played.

UPDATE (8:30AM): Day 7 of the Australian Youth Baseball Championships is under delay after more rainfall last night. The fields are currently unplayable but the tarp is off. We will re-assess the field at 10AM and advise after that.

We will let you know as soon as we know.

Original story below.

—–

Unfortunately, rain & weather washed out play on Day 6, following a thrilling Day 5.

Therefore, the Gold Medal and Bronze Medal Games will not be played due to the weather conditions.

The national champion will be the team that finishes top of their second-round group.

The schedule of play will be as follows:

10:00AM – Under 16 – Diamond 1 – New South Wales (2-0) vs Victoria (2-0)

12:30PM – Under 18 – Diamond 1 – Victoria (2-0) vs Western Australia (1-1)

3:00PM – Under 18 – Diamond 1 – South Australia (1-1) vs New South Wales (0-2)

CALLED OFF DUE TO RAIN (Originally scheduled 5:30PM) – Under 16 – Diamond 1 – Western Australia (0-2) vs Queensland (0-2)

These games will be played as seven-inning games with no new innings after 2:05.

This schedule is subject to change, based on field conditions.

We will assess Diamonds 2 and 3 in the morning. If they become playable, we will work on scheduling other games.

You can watch the games on Baseball+ tomorrow, when a national champion will be crowned.

CLICK THE BUTTONS BELOW TO DOWNLOAD ON YOUR DEVICE

Or, watch on your desktop at plus.baseball.com.au.

Group Standings – Second Round

Seven teams played each other once in Round 1. The Top 4 qualified for the Second Round, also known as the “Medal Round”.

Under 16
1. NSW (2-0)
2. VIC (2-0)
T3. WA (0-2)
T3. QLD (0-2)

NSW def QLD 7-4
VIC def WA 4-3 (extras)
VIC def QLD 3-2
NSW def WA 5-1

Under 18
1. VIC (2-0)
2. SA (1-1)
3. WA (1-1)
4. NSW (0-2)

VIC def NSW 5-2
SA def WA 3-1
VIC def SA 1-0 (extras)
WA def NSW 5-4

OTHER NEWS

Rainy weather washes out Day 6 of the Australian Youth Championships

Drama on Day 5: Recapping a truly special Medal Round at U16 + U18 Championships

News