News

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Dan Cohen

A trip to the Intermediate League World Series in the USA is on the line in addition to the title of ‘National Champion’, as the 2024 Australian Intermediate (U14) League Championships launched this morning in Lismore.

And what a start we had! Two teams flirted with no-hitters, and a player from Gold Coast Cougars, Hills and Central Firebirds each hit a homer! You’ll have to read to find out more.

About the tournament: Eight teams from across the country are divided into two groups. Over the first three days of the tournament, each team will play each other once in the group, with the top 2 advancing to Thursday’s semi finals.

Here you will find scores, results, recaps and standings. If you’re looking for something, just keep scrolling.

We will be logging all results and information at the Intermediate League Hub.

The Junior League event is running at same time. You can find details here.

Daily Results

LIVE SCORING & GAME CHANGER: Click Here.

Current Standings

Top 2 teams advance to Thursday’s semi-finals.

Tomorrow’s Schedule

Recaps

Ryde 11 def Brisbane Metro 0

Ryde scored six runs in the bottom of fourth inning to push themselves into a run rule victory over Brisbane Metro. The Hawks were buoyed by strong pitching, allowing just two hits on the afternoon.

The top of the Ryde line-up was firing. Toby Kelman, Jakob Cruz and Jacob Hackett each tallied two hits. Kelman stared, cashing in the first run of the game and driving in three.

Hackett also had three RBI.

Cruz also dazzled on the mound, to complement his multi-hit performance. He had nine strikeouts in his three innings pitched, and allowed just one hit. Aaron Hsieh faced the minimum in his two innings of work, allowing one hit and striking out four.

In total, Ryde struck out 13 batters in five defensive innings.

Hills 7 def Melbourne Athletics 2

Hills took a no-hitter into the seventh and final inning during an impressive pitching display.

Jet Creamer opened the game, tossing 3.0 innings with eight strikeouts, allowing just one walk and no runs.

Zach Martyn followed, striking out six in his 2.2 innings, allowing just one walk and no runs.

Down 7-0 and staring down the barrel of a no-hitter, the Athletics got on the board thanks to back-to-back hits from Finn Welte and Jacob Tayler.

It was a full team effort with the bat for Hills, who saw eight different players register hits. Isaac Meighan had two RBI.

Adrian Jankuloski went deep for Hills, hitting a solo shot to centrefield in the third.

Melbourne Mets 5 def Central Firebirds 4

The Mets held off a late charge from the Firebirds in a dramatic one-run victory.

The Firebirds had the tying run at third base in the seventh but Lucas Kelly came into the game and slammed the door shut to secure the win. It came moments after Cooper Truong hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 5-4. It was a three run last inning for the Firebirds.

The Mets did all their scoring in the first inning. A Cale Morris RBI single, George Steer 2-RBI double and a pair of RBI singles from Lucas Kelly and Christian Papadopolous pushed Melbourne ahead 5-0.

The Firebirds responded in the second with a run, but were held scoreless until the seventh and final dig. Cohen Van Endel started for Melbourne, striking out five in 2.0 innings.

Sam Crutchett was impressive for the Firebirds, tossing 2.0 innings with one hit allowed and four strikeouts.

Gold Coast Cougars 8 def Southern Titans 5

Eleven Gold Coast hits, highlighted by a Max Arlow home run, helped the Cougars claim their first win of the tournament.

Thomas Hueston led all Gold Coast batters with by going 3-for-3 with 4RBI.  He had an RBI-single in the second, a 2-RBI single in the third, and another RBI in the sixth.

Max Arlow kicked off the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning. They poured four more runs on in the sixth to pick up an early 7-0 lead.

Southern Titans battled back valiantly, scoring two in the third, and one in the fourth, fifth and seventh. They even loaded up the bases in the last inning in a late push to level the score.

Five different Titans had hits.

Tyson Weavell and Brock New also had two hits for Gold Coast, who play the Athletics tomorrow. The Titans will take on the Hills.

There are three Intermediate League games streamed on Baseball+ on Tuesday.

All eyes are on Lismore, NSW from May 27-31 for the 2024 Junior League (U15) and Intermediate League (U14) Championships.

Two tournaments at once is a lot to follow. This page will link you to the right place in terms of event hubs, broadcast and Game Changer scoring links.

You can also visit the respective event pages for a running list of stories.

Tournament Hub Links

Visit these pages for up-to-date scores, standings, and links to daily recaps

Intermediate League: Click here for Hub. | Click here for Event Page | Schedule

Junior League: Click here for Hub. | Click here for Event Page | Schedule

Tournament Medalists

Intermediate League
1. Gold – Hills (NSW)
2. Silver – Melbourne Athletics (VIC)
3. Bronze – Ryde Hawks (NSW)

Junior League
1. Gold – Cronulla Black (NSW)
2. Silver – Brisbane North (QLD)
3. Bronze – Southern Hills Warriors (WA)

Game Changer Links

Intermediate League: Click here.

Junior League: Click here.

Broadcast Links

Download Baseball+ for select game broadcasts. The app is free and available around the world. More info at www.baseball.com.au/baseballplus.

Social Media Links

We will be posting updates on Baseball.com.au. Follow on Instagram and Facebook for highlights, photos, stories and more.

Photos

Photo links will be made available to each EO and coach. Please contact them for imagery.

The 2024 Junior League Championship (U15) is here.

From May 27-31 in Lismore, NSW, nine teams from across Australia fought for the title of national champion. Congrats to our 2024 winner – Cronulla!

Here you will find the schedule, results, standings important links and information on each of the teams.

The 2024 Intermediate League Championship (U14) is here.

From May 27-31 in Lismore, NSW, eight teams from across Australia will vie for the title of national champion and a spot in the Intermediate League World Series in Livermore, California late in the year.

Here you will find the schedule, results, standings important links and information on each of the teams.

The event runs alongside the Junior League Championship and thus share broadcast resources.

BROADCAST & LIVE SCORING

You can watch select games on Baseball+ live, free and around the world. Head to www.baseball.com.au/baseballplus for more information.

GAMECHANGER LINK FOR LIVE SCORING: CLICK HERE.

Single camera feeds will be available through GameChanger of non-Baseball+ games. Please search for your team name + IL in GameChanger (not Game Changer Classic). Example: Brisbane Metro IL. 

SCHEDULE / RESULTS

Congratulations to Hills (NSW), our 2024 Australian Intermediate League Champions!

Gold Medal – Hills
Silver Medal – Melbourne Athletics
Bronze Medal – Ryde Hawks

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE 2024 INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

DAY 5 – GOLD MEDAL – DAILY RECAP | GAME CHANGER

Gold Medal Game – Hills 12 def Melbourne Athletics 0 | Highlights

Bronze Medal – Ryde Hawks 7 def Melbourne Mets 2

Consolation – Gold Coast 7 def Brisbane Metro 3
Consolation – Southern Titans Central Firebirds – 2:30PM

DAY 4 – DAILY RECAP | GAME CHANGER

Southern Titans 8 def Brisbane Metro 4 – Consolation Game
Gold Coast 8 def Central Firebirds 3 – Consolation Game

Semi-Final 1 – Melbourne Athletics 9 def Ryde Hawks 1 | Highlights
Semi-Final 2 – Hills vs Melbourne Mets | Highlights 

DAY 3 – DAILY RECAP | GAME CHANGER

Melbourne Mets 7 def Brisbane Metro 6
Central Firebirds 4 def Ryde Hawks 3

DAY 2 – DAILY RECAP | GAME CHANGER

Ryde Hawks 17 def Melbourne Mets 6

Brisbane Metro 3 def Central Firebirds 1
Hills 11 def Southern Titans 0

Melbourne Athletics 15 def Gold Coast Cougars 5

DAY 1 – DAILY RECAP | GAME CHANGER

Ryde Hawks 11 def Brisbane Metro 0
Hills 7 def Melbourne Athletics 2

Melbourne Mets 5 def Central Firebirds 4
Gold Coast 8 def Southern Titans 5

Final Standings / Semi-Final Schedule

Teams are divided into two groups. The top-two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Scroll down to see who is competing and the groups.

Top two teams at end of Day 3 advance to semi-finals.
*clinched spot in semi-finals
(runs allowed in parenthesis)

Social Media Links

We will be posting updates on Baseball.com.au. Follow on Instagram and Facebook for highlights, photos, stories and more.

Photos

Photo links will be made available to each EO and coach. Please contact them for imagery.

TEAMS

Group A

Ryde Hawks (NSW): A traditional powerhouse charter with multiple trips to the USA to their name.

Brisbane Metro (QLD): No team allowed less runs across the seven games of the qualifiers than Brisbane Metro, who conceded just 42 runs. They went 5-2 in the tournament.

Melbourne Metro (VIC): The metropolitan Vic side won both their games in the qualifier. Their last game, which helped them get here, was a wild one. They beat the Melbourne Rangers 20-19 in a wacky affair to qualify.

Central Firebirds (WA): They won three games on-the-trot to win the Intermediate League state titles. They outscored opponents 51-26. A dominating 10-0 pitching performance over the Carine Cats secured the Firebirds place. Central Firebirds are made up of South Perth, Willetton, Swan Districts, and Victoria Park/Belmont Baseball Clubs.

Group B

Hills (NSW): Hills brings back some players who won the 2023 Little League Championships in Sydney last year? Can they back up their trip to the World Series in Lismore?

Melbourne Athletics (VIC): The Athletics were an undefeated team at the qualifiers. They outscored opponents 43-11 in dominating fashion. The Athletics are made up of Melbourne’s metro-east clubs.

Gold Coast (QLD): They won three-in-a-row to claim the state titles after a 1-3 start and qualify for the tournament.

Southern Titans (WA): A 7-1 semi-final win lifted the Titans to nationals, who went 4-2 in the WA tournament while scoring 51 runs. The Titans are made up of clubs from the southern metro region of Perth, WA.

BREAKING: Hills win 2024 Australian Little League Championships

A trip to the internationally renowned Little League World Series in the United States is on the line as the best Under 13 aged charter baseball teams land in Sydney for the 2024 Australian Little League Championships, proudly supported by the NSW Government.

Twelve Little League (U13) teams from across Australia will compete in the Division 1 Little League event. The winner will represent Australia at the Little League World Series in Williamsport in August 2024. A further twelve teams will compete in the Division 2 bracket.

The 2024 Australian Little League Championships is held over six days, from June 5-10, at Blacktown International Sports Park. The event is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

SCHEDULE + RESULTS + TOURNAMENT HUBS

• DIVISION 1 HUB – STANDINGS AND SCORES – Click Here
• DIVISION 2 – STANDINGS AND SCORES – Click here

Head to your respective Tournament Hub for results, tournament specific schedule and links to recaps.

BROADCAST AND SCORING LINKS

All Diamond 1 games will be broadcast on Baseball+, live, free & around the world. There is also an App available in the Google and Apple stores. Head to www.baseball.com.au/baseballplus for download information and instructions on how to cast to your TV.

You can follow Diamond 2-4 action on GameChanger. Download GameChanger from the App Store to follow (not GameChanger Classic). Search your team name and with ‘LL’ or ‘LLD2′ at the end. For example, “Adelaide Rays LLD1’ or ‘NT Buffaloes – LLD2’. Follow as a fan or family member.

GAMECHANGER LINKS: Division 1   |   Division II

ABOUT THE EVENT

Blacktown International Sports Park houses the newly renovated Blacktown Exercise, Sports and Technology Hub (BEST). The park contains some of the best facilities on offer in Australia and is home to sports like athletics, AFL, Cricket, Soccer, Softball and Baseball.

“We are excited to be hosting the Little League Championships for the next three years. It’s a great opportunity to showcase junior baseball at our preeminent venue, Blacktown International Sports Park,” says Baseball NSW CEO Mark Marino.

A trip to the Little League World Series would be a journey of a lifetime for one worthy Little League team. The kids on the winning team would swap their club colours for country colours, play in front of 10,000+ fans, gain a Major League experience, and play in front of millions of people on ESPN.

It’s also been a journey for the players just to get to this point.

All teams had to qualify through their state championships. With the last qualification tournament done and dusted, the field for the Little League Championships is set.

You can read more about each of the teams below.

The Australian Little League Championship is supported proudly by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

MEET THE TEAMS – DIVISION 1

Here are the 12 teams who have qualified for the event, and how they got there, in Little League Division 1.

GROUP A

Hills Red (NSW): From the Hills Baseball Association, Hills Red dropped their first game at the Little League State Championships and never looked back. They won a few thrillers along the way, picking up a 9-8 win in the Semi Final to punch their ticket to nationals and a 14-8 hit fest in the Gold Medal Game.

Central Firebirds (WA): The Firebirds consist of South Perth, Willetton and Victoria Park Belmont. In the qualifier, they dropped the Gold Medal Game by just one run. It was their qualification clincher that was impressive – a complete 6-0 victory to punch their nationals ticket.

Brisbane North (QLD): Made up of clubs in the Brisbane North Baseball Association. This group of players rolled their way to victory. They won all five games in the qualifying tournament, outscoring opponents 68-19.

Melbourne Athletics (VIC): The Eastern Athletics Baseball Charter manages the growth and development of junior baseball in the Eastern Region of metropolitan Melbourne. The Athletics outscored opponents 41-7 in their undefeated run across four games at the Victorian state titles.

Cronulla Black (NSW): It was a challenge, but Cronulla Black qualified by winning a thrilling bronze medal game 2-0 over Macarthur. They went 3-0 in the group stage. No team scored more and allowed less in the NSW state titles.

Adelaide Marlins (SA): Made up of Adelaide’s Eastern clubs, the Marlins pivotal 3-2 victory over the Seahawks on Day 1 of the State Championships was the difference maker in advancing the side to nationals.

GROUP B

Brisbane South West (QLD): Queensland’s silver medalists won a 9-6 game over Gold Coast in the semi-final to advance to the nationals.

Canberra Rangers (ACT): A side made up of the top kids 13U in The Australian Capital Territory.

Ryde Red (NSW): Ryde Red qualified after defeating previously undefeated Cronulla Black in the semi finals. They finished second in the NSW State Champs.

Melbourne Mariners (VIC): The Mariners are a Baseball Representative Charter based in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. They won two games on the first two days of the state championships to advance, finishing with a 2-1 record overall.

Adelaide Rays (SA): Made up of the western suburb Adelaide club teams, the Rays went undefeated to qualify by winning the state championships.

Eastern Phantoms (WA): The East-Perth based charter went 5-0 in the WA State Championships, outscoring opponents 53-14. That’s the most runs scored and least runs allowed by any WA qualifying team.

The best of the West

A multicultural enclave, Blacktown offers a kaleidoscopic range of experiences for the family. Spend the day channelling your inner racing car driver at a motorsport megaplex or encounter exotic native animals at two different zoos. You’ll also find a diverse arts scene, pretty parklands made for cycling, Sydney’s only drive-in theatre and delicious food night markets.

PLAN YOUR TRIP.

Above: Diamond Tours is a family-owned business providing small group personalised Blue Mountains Tour offering a local experience away from the groups. Tour inclusions are Scenic World Rides, breath-taking lookouts with amazing views and photo opportunities of the Blue Mountains, lunch in a quaint village in the Blue Mountains, Sydney Zoo entry and ferry return to Circular Quay where tour concludes. Children enjoying the animal experiences at Sydney Zoo.Photo Credit: Destination NSW Copyright

WHERE TO EAT

Above: Friends enjoying pre-dinner food and drink at Retro decor at Skyline Drive In Blacktown diner. Photo Credit: Destination NSW

Western Sydney is one of the most diverse places on earth and you can experience that in its cafes, restaurants and street food stalls. From Sichuan to Somalian, discover 50 cuisines to try in the west.

FIND OUT MORE

ABOUT CHARTER BASEBALL

Charter baseball is a pathways program that develops players and local clubs, rather than focussing on just the elite. It is a participation-based competition designed to extend player skills at a higher-level to club ball and exposes athletes to national and international programs.

Teams from each state are divided into different charters (groups) at the little league (U13), Intermediate League (U14), Junior League (U15) and Senior League (U17) level.

The charters are based on club locations. Think of it like regionally based all-star teams.

Teams qualify for the national championship through their state championships. If you win the national title, you go to the world title in the USA.

Many elite baseball players have gone through this pathway.

Baseball Australia will deliver one of 69 projects funded by Play Well participation grants, the Australian Sports Commission announced yesterday.

The Play Well program, aimed at getting more Australians active and enjoying the benefits of sport, will deliver over $10 million in funding spread across many sports around Australia in 2024.
Baseball Australia was successful in receiving a grant which will go towards implementing ‘Little League T-Ball.’ It’s a program for 4-8 year-olds with the aim of introducing them to the great sport of baseball.

Growth and Experience Manager Melissa Achten says Little League T-Ball will be a fun way for kids to learn to love the game.

“It is important for our sport to allow us to attract kids at a younger age, whilst helping them develop their fine and gross motor skills which is not only required for baseball but for many other sports they may participate in throughout their life,” says Achten. “By implementing this program, kids will feel more confident once they reach the level of playing competitive baseball.”

Baseball Australia will now work on finalising dates to kick start the program, with roll-out dates likely to differ from state-to-state.

“We hope people will be able to see benefits of playing t-ball and baseball and the skills which are developed through our sport,” says Achten. “We aim for kids to have fun, make new friends and develop their love of baseball.

The Minister for Sport, The Hon. Anika Wells MP, says all Australians will benefit from the wide range of programs, in a May 21 media release.”

“Indigenous communities, regional and remote areas and people with disability are at the heart of so many of these projects to help ensure sport is fun and accessible for anyone who wants to be involved,” Minister Wells said.

ASC CEO Kieren Perkins OAM said the program will now reach even more Australians after receiving an additional $17.3 million in the 2024-25 Federal Budget to extend the program for a further two years.

“Thanks to the Australian Government, this vital program has already helped more than 500,000 participants and can continue to make it easier for even more Australians to get active. Creating great sporting environments is central to the nation’s first Sport Participation Strategy and these projects will help us in our goal to transform sport participation ahead of and beyond Brisbane 2032 so that everyone feels welcome,” he says.

The Strategy calls on Australians to Play Well and create safe, welcoming and fun sporting environments where people of all ages, backgrounds, genders and abilities can come together to access the benefits of sport.

If you are currently interested in playing baseball, no matter your age, make sure you visit our ‘Club Finder’ to find a ground near you to being your baseball story today!

recaps by Eric Balnar, photos by Field of View Photography

The Eastern Phantoms have won the 2024 Senior League Championships and will represent Australia at the World Series in America!

Here’s how the day unfolded.