Team Australia announces 30-man roster for World Baseball Classic

10 February 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Team Australia announces 30-man roster for World Baseball Classic

Team Australia has announced the 30-man roster that will travel to Tokyo to compete at the World Baseball Classic beginning on the 9th March.

Team Australia will compete in Pool B, which features current world No.1 Japan, as well as Korea, China and Czech Republic.

Pool B will compete in Tokyo from the 9-13^th March. The top two teams from Pool B then advance to the quarterfinals, which will be held in Tokyo on the 15^th and 16^th of March 2023.

Securing a top-two finish in the quarterfinals would then qualify Team Australia to travel to Miami, Florida to compete in the semi-final and championship games, held on the 20^th and 21^st of March.

“It’s been brilliant to see the emergence of baseball within Australia, coming from a challenging 24-month period into an exciting ABL season and now to announce our 30-man Team Australia squad that will head to Japan,” Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams said.

“To go up against Japan, who are sitting at number one in the world, and for our players to face Shohei Ohtani, will mean our team will be able to pressure test all the hard work and preparation we have done before stepping onto the world stage. Every game will be tough, but the team that has been selected is more than ready for the challenge.”

Following the conclusion of the Australian Baseball League Championship Series, Team Australia will begin their WBC campaign in Fuchu City, Tokyo from February 23^rd before heading to the MLB camp in Miyazaki, Japan and then onto the World Baseball Classic.

“Team Australia features mainstays like captains Tim Kennelly and Tim Atherton as well as numerous players with significant professional experience including Warwick Saupold and Steve Kent. Additionally, we welcome members of the victorious Adelaide Giants such as Jordan McCardle (championship series MVP), Rixon Wingrove, Mitch Nuenborn and Todd Van Steensel who’ll bring energy and excitement. ” Williams added.

“On top of this, we have exciting professional talent like Alex Hall, who has served as Australia’s under-23 captain. Ulrich Bojarski and Will Sheriff will join us. They both posted phenomenal seasons for the Perth Heat. And Blake Townsend boasts Triple-A experience with the Seattle Mariners and pitched for Melbourne this season. The future bodes well for Team Australia.”

“Covid put quite a hole in National Team play so an event like the World Baseball Classic takes on an even bigger meaning as get our players back together to represent their country. We have a blend of experience and youth which always holds us in good stead as we continue the development of our program while competing on the international stage” said Team Australia Manager, David Nilsson.

“Our captains Tim Kennelly and Tim Atherton have played at this level for a number of years so there is an understanding of what is required which permeates across the playing group”.

To stay up to date with all Team Australia news, head to www.baseball.com.au or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @teamaustraliabaseball and @teamausbaseball

05 February 2023 By

Women's Baseball

2023 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S EVENTS LOCKED IN

The 2023 Australian Women’s and Youth Women’s Championships will take place at Melbourne Ballpark, Victoria from Friday 7th April until Thursday 13th April.

The event will see the reintroduction of the Australian Youth Women’s Championship, playing for the “Simone Wearne Cup” after two years of the Australian Youth Invitational. This event will run from Saturday 8th April to Tuesday 11th April.

11 November 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

U18 TEAM AUSTRALIA ROSTER ANNOUNCED FOR WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS

A 20-man roster has been announced for the upcoming WBSC Oceania U18 World Cup Qualifiers.

The team will head to Auckland, New Zealand in early December to play against Guam, Northern Marianas Pacific and host New Zealand.

The winner of this tournament will book their spot in the 2023 WBSC U18 World Cup.

There is a solid combination of players from all over the country as the roster is comprised of 2 QLD, 7 NSW, 4 WA, 3 VIC & 4 SA players.

8 of the 20 were selected as first-year players in the 2022 U18 National Junior Squad that were in Florida earlier this year and are back.

The tournament is from 12 December-15 December in Auckland. Follow all Team Australia social media accounts to stay up to date with the results of the games.’

08 November 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia ABL

SPORTRADAR AND BASEBALL AUSTRALIA TO TAKE AUSTRALIAN BASEBALL LEAGUE GLOBAL WITH NEW STREAMING PLATFORM

Sportradar (NASDAQ: SRAD) and Baseball Australia (BA) have entered a multi-year partnership to engage sports fans globally by broadcasting Australian Baseball League (ABL) games live on a dedicated OTT platform for the very first time, the companies announced today.

The new live streaming service, onDemand*, is just one part of a strategic partnership struck between Baseball Australia, Sportradar and the ABL. In addition to powering the new OTT platform, Sportradar will serve as the ABL’s exclusive betting data and audiovisual rights distribution partner, connecting the game through products and services to its global network of sportsbook operators and media customers.

Sportradar has also been chosen as the ABL’s official integrity partner, with the company’s industry-leading Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), an advanced and proven bet monitoring system, deployed to safeguard the integrity of Baseball Australia and ABL competitions.

The first games to be broadcast on the Baseball Australia-owned OTT platform will be Round one of the ABL season, commencing on November 10. The service will initially launch as a Web platform, with a dedicated App to be built by Sportradar for the start of the 2023/24 season.

With national team members returning for Round one of the ABL, the eight-team strong league has a busy schedule of 160 regular season games over ten rounds. The return of the Auckland Tuatara and Geelong-Korea teams this season means fans across the entire Asia region, and around the world, will be able to watch their teams fight down under for the Claxton Shield.

Dave Edwards, Sportradar’s Director of Sports Media and Partnerships – Oceania, said: “We’re pleased to partner with Baseball Australia and the ABL to help them reach and engage new audiences both here in Australia and around the world. By taking an intelligent, technology-driven partnership approach to content distribution, rights holders can directly control how their assets are commercialised, while learning more about their fans in the process. We look forward to assisting BA and the ABL as they pursue their ambitious growth strategy.”

Glenn Williams, Baseball Australia CEO said: “An ability to house Australian baseball content onto the one platform for fans to see is something we are really excited about. This is a one-stop shop for the fans to consume their baseball content from Little League all the way through to the ABL and Team Australia. Partnering with Sportradar, a global company who work with major sports leagues around the world, will be a major boost for baseball in Australia.”

Paul Gonzalez, ABL General Manager said: “We are excited to partner with Sportradar to bring the ABL into the homes of sport and baseball fans across the world. This is a revolutionary deal with the Australian Baseball League that will not only provide a high-quality stream but also integrity and opportunity to the league. We are proud to partner with such a global brand who works with other elite sports bringing the focus back to the Australian Baseball League and its athletes.”

*onDemand can be found at ondemand.baseball.com.au enter the CODE BaseballAustralia to register

06 November 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Community

Greg Jelks Australian Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee

Baseball Australia is pleased to announce that Greg Jelks has been inducted into the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame for 2022

At the height of its popularity in the mid to late 90’s it could be argued that the Australian Baseball League had no brighter star than US import Greg Jelks. Jelks began his ABL career with the Perth Heat in 1993 bringing instant credibility to the league as a former major leaguer with the Philadelphia Phillies. His talent was undeniable, blasting 63 home runs across 282 ABL games while boasting a career batting average of .334.

Following his illustrious playing career Jelks continued his contributions to the game by coaching the Australian National team, including the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and managing at various levels including the Perth Heat, junior state and national teams, and club baseball.

Sadly, Jelks passed away suddenly in 2017 but will always be remembered for the talent and charisma he brought to the game during a period of unprecedented growth and development in Australia. At the time of his passing, Baseball WA chief executive Lachlan Dale said Jelks changed the sport in WA and “put it on the map” during an association that lasted more than two decades.

“He was integral to the success of the Perth Heat and WA Baseball over the past 23 years,” Mr Dale said. “Many people will still remember the days of watching the famous 44 play at Parry Field during the 90s.”

“A true gentleman of the game, Greg will be sadly missed by the baseball community, but his legacy will forever live on.”

Greg’s contribution to the game makes him a worthy and deserving inductee to the Australian Baseball Hall of Fame

“It was obvious his baseball ability was unlike anything we had seen before. Greg adopted Australia as his second home and became part of the baseball family. As dominant as he was on the field, one of his major strengths was the impact he had through coaching at many levels, and his continued promotion of baseball.”
Tony Adamson – Baseball Australia Hall of Fame Inductee 2005

“Just saying that name sends shivers down pitchers and third basemen spines everywhere! Greg was a great baseball player, the most feared hitter in the league swinging the black magic.”
Graeme Lloyd – Baseball Australia Hall of Fame Inductee 2005

Greg Jelks Baseball Biography

Player

A.B.L. PERTH HEAT Team: 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001

A.B.L. MELBOURNE Monarchs: 1996

Infielder / DH
282 Games
.334 Batting Average
.615 Slugging %
63 Home Runs
4 seasons with more than 10 home runs.
21 Home Runs in 1998 (tied for 3rd – all-time single season record)

A.B.L. All Star Teams

1993 [Shortstop First Team)
1994 (Shortstop First Team]
1997 [D/H Second Team]
1998 (D/H Second Team)

Australian Team Member:

1997 (14th Inter/Cup, Spain. BRONZE Medal, World All-Star Team DH)
1998 (4 Nation Tour of Japan – June)
1998 (Haarlem Series, Holland. July)
1998 (33rd World Cup, Italy. August)

Coach / Manager

WA Claxton Shield Team Assistant Coach 2002-2005

Perth Heat Head Coach 2006

Perth Heat Assistant Coach 2007 – 2016

Australian Team Coach:

1999 (versus Japan)
1999 (15th Inter/Cup, Sydney. GOLD Medal)
2000 (Olympic Games, Sydney)
2001 (34th World Cup, Taipei)
2006 (World Baseball Classic)

04 November 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

U-23 BASEBALL WORLD CUP RECAP

Team Australia have concluded their IV WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup with a 3-0 victory over World Number 2, Chinese Taipei in the final game of the Super Round to finish sixth.

In an outstanding achievement Team Australia’s Chris Burke was named in the outfield as part of the IV WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup All-World Team.

The WBSC’s U-23 World Championship was contested over 50 games, with the world’s best young baseball prospects and teams battling it out over eleven days of competition.

Team Australia featured in Group B along with World No 3 and 2014 bronze medallists Korea, No. 4 Mexico, No. 8 Netherlands, No. 9 Cuba who finished fourth in 2022 and No.16 Puerto Rico in what was a tight race for the three Super Round spots.

The tournament followed the usual WBSC World Cup format with the 12 teams being split into two groups of six teams, with the top three finishers of each group competing for the title in the Super Round. The first and second-place teams of the super round will play for the title.

In Team Australia’s final game of the Super Round, Australia took advantage of four walks allowed by Chinese Taipei starter Chen Wei Lin and held on to the lead, delivering a solid performance in pitching and defence to close out their campaign.

In earlier matches Australia kicked off their campaign with a narrow loss to Mexico (3-2) and Korea (4-3) before defeating the Netherlands (5-4) and Puerto Rico (8-0) in a double header after two rain days. They lost their last pool game to Cuba (3-0) which made it an anxious wait to find out if the group had made it through to the Super Round. They eventually went through as the second ranked team after five teams all finished 2-3 but Team Australia had the best run differential of them.

World No.1 Japan was to strong (2-1) against Team Australia in game 1 of the Super Round and a late charge by Team Australia wasn’t enough to get back Columbia, falling in score (8-6). David Nilsson’s men ended the tournament on a good note securing the win against Number 2 ranked Chinese Taipei on the final day.

To keep up with all the action head to Team Australia’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

22 October 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Aussies Abroad

DARCY LONGSTAFF SIGNS PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT WITH THE CINCINNATI REDS

Baseball Australia wishes to congratulate Victorian Darcy Longstaff who has signed a professional contract with the Cincinnati Reds. Longstaff, a product of the Waverley Baseball Club, will head across to Spring Training in 2023.

He will join Queenslander Ben Walmsley within the Reds organisation who has just completed his first professional season. He will also be following in the footsteps of his brother Reece who has just completed his freshman year at Arizona Western.

Follow the hundreds of players Abroad here: Aussies Abroad | Baseball.com.au

18 October 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

TEAM AUSTRALIA'S OPPONENTS & SCHEDULE AT THE 2023 WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC LOCKED IN!

Team Australia’s opponents and schedule at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) has been finalised.

Australia will compete in Group B with some of the best countries in the world including Japan (#1), South Korea (#3), Czech Republic (#14) and China (#21).

Australia, currently placed 10th in the WBSC Rankings, will travel to Tokyo to face their Group B opponents from March 9-13. Each team will play each other once in the tournament’s opening round.

There are four groups of five teams across the tournament with opening round games in Taiwan, Japan and the United States.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the second round in Tokyo from March 15-16.

The championship round will be contested in Miami from March 19–21

The WBC is an international professional baseball tournament featuring the best players from across the globe. The 2023 tournament will be the fifth edition of the WBC after 2021 was cancelled due to COVID-19. The last one happened in 2017.

Australia has played in all four previous World Baseball Classics but has yet to advance to the second round.

This summer is important for Australian baseball players vying to make the roster for the most prestigious baseball tournament in the world.

Coaching staff and selectors will have plenty of upcoming opportunities to scout talent. The first comes next weekend when Team Australia plays the Perth Heat in an exhibition series from October 28-30 in Western Australia.

The best test will come November 9-10 when Australia travels to Tokyo to play Japan in a two-game exhibition series.

The Australian Baseball League starts November 10 with ten rounds of exciting baseball featuring teams from across the country, New Zealand and Korea.

Some of the country’s best young talent is also currently competing at the Under-23 World Cup in Taiwan.

Stay tuned to baseball.com.au for more information as the tournament approaches.

GROUPS AND SCHEDULE

Group A – Contested in Taichung, Taiwan from March 8–13.
Panama
Chinese Taipei
Cuba
Netherlands
Italy

Group B – Contested in Tokyo, Japan from March 9-13
Australia
China
Czech Republic
Japan
South Korea

Group C – Contested in Phoenix, USA from March 11-15
Canada
Colombia
Great Britain
Mexico
USA

Group D – Contested in Miami, USA from March 11-15
Dominican Republic
Israel
Nicaragua
Puerto Rico
Venezuela

TEAM AUSTRALIA SCHEDULE (local time)

March 9 – vs South Korea (12:00PM)
March 11 – vs China (12:00PM)
March 12 – vs Japan (7:00PM)
March 13 – vs Czech Republic (12:00PM)

Written by Eric Balner for Baseball Australia

13 October 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

National Participation Plan

BASEBALL AUSTRALIA TO GROW GAME WITH NATIONAL PARTICIPATION PLAN

Baseball Australia is proud to launch the National Participation Plan 2022 to 2027. This plan has been designed through consultation with our stakeholders and will take us all working together to achieve our goals.

The plan focuses on three main segments those who play the game, those who put on the game and those who facilitate the game. Our success will be based on growth in all three of these segments.

Baseball Australia has worked with the Member Associations to be able to outline the role each of us play in the implementation of this plan and look forward to working with them all.

Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams is excited about launching the plan with those who love the game.

“During the process we have identified the themes and then prioritised them based on what will see us able to provide amazing experiences for everyone participating in Baseball.”

“We have had a collaborative approach to developing the plan, working closely with our State and Territory partners, this plan maps out how we will work together to help the grow the sport we all love”

Baseball Australia is committed to ensuring that the delivery of the plan is supportive and empowering to those best placed to deliver it, that we are all aligned and united to ensure we are working together to deliver, is insight driven by ensuring our decision making is driven by data and insight and are customer focused by putting our customers at the centre of our decision making.

To read more about the National Participation Plan and how you can grow the game CLICK HERE

11 October 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Australian Youth Championships The Perfect Game

SUMMER OF BASEBALL - THE PERFECT GAME AND THE AUTRALIAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS UNITE

Baseball Australia have locked in an exciting summer of baseball for talented young players.

Over the course of late December into early January, in partnership with The Perfect Game, six international teams will be arriving on our shores to play a series of 48 games over nine days against Under 18 state squads in Brisbane, Melbourne, Geelong and Sydney. The games, held from December 29^th to January 6^th will provide additional competition opportunities for players that will be going on to play at the 2023 Australian Youth Championships in mid January.

The Australian Youth Championships will be held a Blacktown International Sports Park, where both the Under 16 and Under 18 events will be held for the first time since January 2020. The revised Championship format will see further innovation from the 2022 U16 AYC’s held in Redcliffe during the July school holidays.

Players will arrive into Sydney on the 9^th of January prior to taking part in Showcase activities and workouts presented by The Perfect Game on the 10^th and 11^th. Teams will then move into six double header days of completion to crown the Australian Champions with the finals being played on the 17^th of January. In all, over 60 games will be played across the six days of competition, with all games of Field one broadcasted and games on fields 2 and 3 also streamed.

The event will see further integration of strategic partners with Synergy Sport once again providing scouting analysis of the event at both age groups, and the attendance of Driveline Baseball at the Championships to provide workshops and coach education for the 50+ coaches who volunteer their time to support the AYC teams.

General Manager – Performance Pathways & Player Development Michael Crooks was excited about the summer ahead: “We have been waiting desperately for not just our country but the world to open up again for key under age baseball events. Over the last two years, we have been working incredibly closely with our state associations, The Perfect Game, Driveline Baseball and Synergy Sport to execute the plans that we have been making to both rethink and revision what a summer of baseball can look like for our talented young players. These plans will come to life in January and we cannot wait for everyone in attendance to see the program that has been set for the teams.

Crooks was especially buoyed by the opportunities created by the inbound Perfect Game teams.

“We have spent close to two years working with The Perfect Game on how we can create opportunities for US based teams to come to Australia at the right time of year to play our state teams. The timing of the games is perfect preparation leading into the AYC’s, and it will provide a fantastic framework of where we can build into South Australia and Western Australia in the summer of 2023/24 then reach down to the U16 age group the following year.

The selection process for State teams is well underway, with squads of 20 players to be announced by State Associations in the coming weeks.

06 October 2022 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

College Baseball

STAGG AND BERTUCCI COMMIT TO THE DEFENDING JUNIOR COLLEGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Max Stagg (SA) and Nick Bertucci (VIC) have both committed to Central Arizona to begin their college baseball careers.

Central Arizona is the defending Junior College National Champions and have won two of the last three Division 1 Junior College World Series.

The commitment to Central Arizona wraps up a huge few months for Stagg who had this to say about his development and the process:

“Committing to Central Arizona means so much to me. To have the opportunity to play at a tier 1 junior college program and be able to continue developing my craft as a baseball player is really exciting. I can’t wait to start working with the coaching staff over there as well as fight for a national championship.”

“It has been a long but very thoughtful process for me. The opportunities of attending Perfect Game National Showcase, the U18 World Cup, and the MLB College Showcase Tour have really exposed me to a much wider range of high-level colleges. I am very grateful for the opportunities Baseball Australia, Perfect Game and MLB have provided me with and I can’t thank them enough.”

“I would like to give a huge thanks to Riley Moore (Baseball SA High Performance Manager) and the West Torrens Baseball Club for playing a huge role in my development and my journey.”

“Committing with Nick is really special. Throughout the World Cup experience, we became much closer as mates and are super excited to continue working together to reach the goals we each aspire to.”

It has been a goal of Nick’s to further his career in the States and that dream has now become a reality for the talented Victorian.

“Having been able to get the chance to come to the States has led to the opportunity of committing with Central Arizona College, an opportunity that I’m very much appreciative for, as prior to coming to America I had my eyes on furthering my schooling and baseball career with Central Arizona and now I get to say I’m a Vaquero.”

“The opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without being able to train with their squad and I have been fortunate enough to showcase my skills, which they were fond of and offered me a scholarship alongside Max Stagg which we both agreed to and will have a successful time with Central Arizona especially with a familiar face around.”

“It is an amazing school with an amazing program and is exactly what I was aiming for. My family and I are super excited that this is the school I will be attending and couldn’t ask for much more. Dreams really do come true when you put the work in.”

Stagg and Bertucci will remain in Arizona to represent Australia as part of the MLB World Select Team in front of colleges and professional scouts.

They become the first players out of the U18 National Team to narrow down their college commitment with others still in the recruiting process and currently deciding their futures.

Baseball Australia would like to congratulate both athletes on their amazing achievements thus far and look forward to seeing them compete in one of the best college programs in the U.S.

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