How Australia deals with culture shock and mass media in baseball crazed Japan

15 November 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

How Australia deals with culture shock and mass media in baseball crazed Japan

Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis just had a completely unnatural experience.

Moments after being named Team Australia’s starting pitcher for Thursday’s massive clash vs South Korea at the Asia Professional Baseball Championships, Vassalakis was told he had to do a press conference.

The 23-year-old Australian, who last pitched on a national team at the Under-18 World Cup back in 2017, turned the corner and found himself in a room, surrounded by 52 reporters asking him questions about the game.

Above: Australia at the Tokyo Dome. Photo – Scott Powick / Team Australia Media

“This just got real, didn’t it?” head coach Dave Nilsson said with a smile.

“Was that your biggest press conference,” I ask.

“It’s my only press conference I’ve ever done,” says Vassalakis. “That was crazy.”

You’re not in Australia anymore, Brodie. But if you want to play for Team Australia, maybe it’s something you have to get used to.

In Australia, you’re lucky if one reporter shows up to your game. Vassalakis, fresh off graduating from NCAA Division 1 school Grand Canyon University, just fielded questions from over fifty of them. His name, his words, his face will be plastered across news stations in Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

He’ll be given the ball tomorrow for a start at the Tokyo Dome in front of a large Asian television audience.

The media frenzy isn’t contained to just the walls of a Tokyo Dome press room.

Sam Holland was featured in Japanese tabloids because he was checking out sweets while trying to buy a meat pie in a Tokyo supermarket.

Some tweets from the Team Australia twitter account are viewed by about 100,000 Japanese people.

That’s normal for baseball in the three baseball crazed countries Australia is playing this week.

Want more Team Australia stories? Click here.

“There could be tens of millions of people watching,” one Japanese reporter at the training day says. “People here really love baseball.”

Six the seven Japan World Baseball Classic games in March posted audiences of over 30 million in their home country, according to Sports Business Journal. These games are on multiple major networks across Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan….and of course streaming in Australia on Baseball+.

This is what it’s about,” said Nilsson in a press conference. “Giving these guys a chance to get used to the big stage.”

If Vassalakis felt like a fish out of water, you couldn’t balme him. Talking to that many people, in multiple languages, with a constant flashing of cameras, clicking of keyboards, and the hum of buzzing journalists is not a normal thing for a human to experience.

Luckily, he’s on a team who can help.

Veteran 29-year-old pitcher Sam Holland, who pitched in the WBC in 2023 and has been part of the senior men’s program since 2019, was quick to debrief the experience with Brodie after the conference.

“Here’s what you can do,” he said, and proceeded to give him advice.

Australia has built a culture of information sharing from one generation to the next, and this tournament is the perfect opportunity for that.

It’s an Under-24 tournament of the best professional players from Taiwain, Japan and Korea. Each team is allowed three players older than 24 to be part of the roster, as well as players with less than three year’s pro experience.

Sam Holland, Dan McGrath and Aaron Whitefield are that for Australia. They, along with their fellow U24 teammates who were at the last World Baseball Classic, are tasked with providing veteran leadership off-the-field and delivering big moments on it.

“Sam is such a big game player and leader. You saw that at the World Baseball Classic in March, right? How many big moments did he have,” says General Manager Russell Teichmann. “Aaron Whitefield played in the Major Leagues and loves the big stage. Dan McGrath has been pitching important innings for us for a long time. They are here to lead.”

A large contingent of this Australian squad has long dreamt of playing at the Tokyo Dome, and this week they get to live it.You only had to look at player’s faces of awe and wonder when they first arrived for today’s official training session.

“As a kid you would stay up late to watch Australia play at the Tokyo Dome in a major international tournament,” 20-year-old Jake Burns said to an Amazon Prime reporter after stepping in the Tokyo Dome for his first time Wednesday afternoon. “You dream of wearing Australia on your chest and be a part of these games.”

This isn’t Blacktown Sportspark, Melbourne Ballpark or West Beach. This is a foreign country, with a different language, in a stadium that fits almost 50,000 people, and one of the most iconic baseball places in the world.

That’s where the veterans come in.

“The off-field experience for these kids is probably the strangest part and it has been for me,” says Dan McGrath. “They’ve played baseball their whole life so on the field they know what they need to do. But the preparation off the field is so different in tournament baseball. Knowing where to eat in a different country, knowing how to prepare yourself hydration and nutrition wise is a challenge.”

McGrath says it’s hard to find places to get what you need, so he is more than happy to help him. He had help as a newcomer to Team Australia from players like Warwick Saupold, Jon Kennedy, Steven Kent and Darryl George. Now he’s paying it forward.

“Just letting them know where to eat, letting them know where to go,” he says. “In tournament baseball it doesn’t matter how you feel, you are naturally going to be uncomfortable, so you have to find a way to get through it. Our job is to help them prepare as much as they can for whatever role they have. Some of these guys haven’t played in front of 10s of thousands of people, our job as a veteran is to help them out so they are ready to go for their at-bat.”

McGrath adds that little moments – like going to a restaurant, showing off some food and talking about your day, can help players feel more comfortable.

“Even if I can help one person this whole tournament – it’s going to be good,” he says.

Off the field is one thing, on the field is another.

Australia is about to face some of the best players in the world. On Thursday, they play 27 Koreans with extensive KBO experience, including eight who played in the World Baseball Classic. Notable names include career .311 hitter Kang Baek-Ho and tomorrow’s starting pitcher Moon Dong-Ju, who just set the Korean velocity record by throwing a pitch 101mph in a league game.

Sam Holland wants to make sure the players know they belong.

“We have some of the best players in the world as well. We are putting out our best players in the country just like them,” he says. “We had more homeruns than anyone in our group of the WBC, two of those guys that hit them are on this team. We have a lot of guys who pitched crucial innings. For these young guys – at no point should you feel outmatched. You have as much success as they do.”

One person Holland is helping is 18-year-old Jack Bushell. In fact, Holland was on the coaching staff of the U18 World Cup training camp back in August.

Now they are teammates.

“We had a chat [in August] about how it won’t be long before our player coach relationship turns into a teammate relationship and here we are two months later playing at the Tokyo Dome,” says Holland.

Bushell agrees.

“It happened quickly. It was only two months ago he was yelling me in the pen,” he says.

Seeing the next generation come through, and helping them along the way, is something that fires Sam Holland up.

“For me one of the best things about being on the team is seeing the calibre coming through in this nation,” he says. “Looking forward to some of these future events some of these guys are going to be the heart and soul of these teams.”

“We’re in bloody good hands.”

Australia’s journey at the Asia Professional Championship starts tomorrow at 12:00PM in Tokyo, and 2:00PM in Sydney. Watch it exclusively on Baseball+ in Australia.

13 November 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad College Baseball

Aussie mates Kyan Wallington and Lachlan Smith commit to college baseball career together at Odessa

Two Australian baseball players have committed to Odessa College – a junior college based in Texas, USA.

Kyan Wallington (NSW) and Lachlan Smith (VIC) – both teammates on national teams – will again link up in Texas next year.

It’s a school with strong Australian connections. Victorian Charlie Collins plays there now, and three others – Liam McDonald, Conor Myles and Chase Diggins – played there in the last two years. All three are at Division 1 universities, now.

Wallington, an outfielder from Blacktown Workers Baseball Club in NSW, says he is excited to play Division 1 Junior College baseball with a close mate.

“The school’s coaching, the location and the opportunity has led me to committing to Odessa,” he says.

Infielder Lachlan Smith (below) is coming off a breakout year where he featured heavily on Team Australia’s U18 squad at the 2023 U18 World Cup.

The Sandringham Royals product was a staple of the infield. He says he hopes Odessa can help lead him to other opportunities by taking his game to the next level, just like the Australians who went before him.

“I’m excited by the program at Odessa with a heavy strength and conditioning focus and a very clear plan on technical and strategic approach,” Smith says. “My exposure to the coaches and facilities at Odessa so far indicate a really great environment to build these tools. The chance to be surrounded by other amazing baseballers and motivated coaches will keep pushing me to be better every day.”

Watch Team Australia at the Asia Professional Baseball Championships on Baseball+, November 16-19.

Wallington also says he wants to get physically and mentally stronger.

“I want to lift big, hit the ball far, throw the ball hard and be able to put my foot in the door to professional baseball,” he says.

Wallington was a member of the 2022 U18 World Cup squad. He says that was an instrumental experience in his development.

“Playing in tournaments like that helped me prepare to play against some of the best athletes in the world and to prepare me for being in conditions I’m not comfortable in,” he says.

Lachlan Smith agrees. He says the tournaments within Australia help, too.

“I’ve participated in many tournaments – like representing Victoria at the Australian Youth Championships, and playing for my country at the U18 World Cup,” he says. “These tournaments help you prepare for the caliber of baseball that needs to be played at a college level. Facing pitching helps me adapt and be ready for anything – it exposes you to higher velocity.”

Both players say they wouldn’t have had this opportunity if it weren’t for their home clubs.

Smith shouts out a wide Victorian community and his Sandringham Club – a team he’s been part of since he was nine.

“Rick Wills was a key part of my baseball development and a huge influence in my baseball journey. He not only taught me the fundamentals of the game but also baseball strategy and really shaped my overall approach to the game,” he says.

“I have also had the benefit of some fantastic coaches at Baseball Victoria including Damian Shanahan and Keli’I Zablan who have helped develop my technical skills throughout the Baseball Victoria Development Program. And lastly, I am fortunate to have Marshall Skinner who is now my Senior’s Coach at Sandringham and has also coached me in the U18 Victorian State team. All of these coaches have played a huge part in my development helping me to become the baseball player I am today.”

Wallington (below) says his mum is among the biggest of his influences.

“She really is my biggest influence on pushing myself to where I want to go,” he says. “The coaching from little league, to state league, and all in between had a really big impact on my development and drive. Nathan Wright (Lefty), Benjamin McGuire, Brandon Bojarski and Jason Pospishil too.”

Both players say their goal is to factor into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic team.

They will report to Odessa in August.

12 November 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

ABL

Meet the Team Australia roster for the Asia Professional Baseball Championship

Learn about Team Australia’s roster at the upcoming Asia Professional Baseball Championships.

Australia will play South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan from November 16-19 at the Tokyo Dome.

日本語訳はこちら

If you’re in Japan, don’t forget to eat a delicious Four’N Twenty meat pie while cheering on Australia at the Tokyo Dome! We can’t wait to see our Japanese friends.

If you’re in Australia, you can watch live and free via Baseball+. There is a mobile app as well as a web platform. Both can cast to your TV. Download and register here.

Our schedule:

Thu Nov 16: vs South Korea, 2:00PM AEDT (12:00PM Tokyo)
Fri Nov 17: vs Chinese Taipei, 2:00PM AEDT (12:00PM Tokyo)
Sat Nov 18: vs Japan, 2:00PM AEDT (12:00PM Tokyo)
Medal Games: Sunday

Australia’s roster features 18 players with minor league experience in the USA. There is one former Major League player, two ABL MVPs, and multiple NCAA college stars.

For this week, rivals in the Australian Baseball League check their state affiliation at the door and become one, unified, Team Australia!

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

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

Let’s meet the team:

RHP – Jack Bushell: An 18-year-old coming off a standout performance at the U18 World Cup where he led Australia in ERA and innings pitched. Currently signed with the Adelaide Giants in the ABL, will soon have to decide whether he goes to college or signs profressionally.

RHP – Kai-Noa Wynyard: 21-year-old Queenslander who is a minor-leaguer with the Texas Rangers. Wynyard is coming off an impressive season at High-A where he posted a 2.38 ERA in 41.2 innings.. Signed with the Brisbane Bandits in the ABL.

LHP – Will Sherriff: Just 21, Sherriff has three year’s of experience in the ABL, where he became a premier reliever for the Perth Heat last season. Sherriff was on Australia’s World Baseball Classic roster, starting a game vs Japan.

RHP – Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis: 22-year-old from Canberra, who just graduated from NCAA Division 1 school Grand Canyon University. He started 18 games with a 3.95 ERA in his senior season. Pitches for Brisbane Bandits in Australia.

RHP – Dylan Clarke: A member of Australia’s U23 National Side, Clarke emerged as a Rookie of the Year contender in his debut season with Sydney in 2022-23. C

LHP – Ben Walmsley: 19-year-old pitcher from Queensland who is currently signed with the Cincinatti Reds. Pitches in the ABL for the Brisbane Bandits.

RHP – Ky Hampton: An U23 National Team member, Hampton just graduated from Northern Illinois in the NCAA where he was a conference All-Star. He pitches for the Adelaide Giants in the ABL.

RHP – Kieren Hall: 22-year-old Western Australian who just finished a collegiate career at Evansville University. Hall pitches for the Perth Heat in the ABL and is a member of the U23 National Team.

LHP – Dan McGrath: One of Australia’s best, and most versatile, pitchers. A former member of the Boston Red Sox organisation, the 29-year-old lefty reached as high as Triple-A. He pitches for the Melbourne Aces in the ABL, and is a two-time member of the World Baseball Classic roster. Can be used as a starter or high-end reliever.

RHP – Sam Holland: A member of Australia’s World Baseball Classic team, Holland has emerged as one of the ABL’s best and most consistent arms. A former affiliate of the San Diego Padres and LA Angels. Holland reached as high as Double-A in his minor league career and pitches in Australia for the Brisbane Bandits.

RHP – Coen Wynne: Had a breakout season in the ABL with the Sydney Blue Sox, that resulted in a last-minute call-up to the national team for the World Baseball Classic. 23-year-old with lots of experience representing Australian internationally.

Read about the Four’N Twenty partnership

RHP – Matt Beattie: 24-year-old with experience in the Detroit Tigers’ minor league system. Beattie pitches for the Melbourne Aces in the ABL.

RHP – Connor Laverty: 24-year-old coming off a rookie season with the Brisbane Bandits in the Australian Baseball League.

C – Alex Hall: The U23 National Team captain had a huge 2023. Hall was named the MVP of the Australian Baseball League while playing for the Perth Heat, and was a key contributor in the line-up of Australia’s run to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. Hall played last season in the Milwaukee Brewers minor leagues.

C – Jake Burns: 20-year-old Sydney Blue Sox player who just spent the last three seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organisation. He has experience on Australia’s U18 team.

C – Mitch Edwards: Just 24-years-old, Edwards is closing in on 150 ABL games. He now plays for the Canberra Cavalry. Edwards played a few seasons in the Phillies’ minor leagues.

1B – Rixon Wingrove: He quickly became a star of Australia’s World Baseball Classic team, hitting a huge homer in the quarterfinal game vs Cuba and leading the team in runs batted in. Wingrove just won the Claxton Shield with Adelaide in the ABL, and is a member of the Phillies minor leagues, reaching as high as Double-A.

INF – Clayton Cambell: The 20-year-old is one of Australia’s best prospects. He is a member of the Detroit Tigers and just got the A-Ball call-up this season. A long history of representing Australia at a junior level ever since he was 12. Plays for the Sydney Blue Sox.

INF – Liam Spence: Spence had a huge 2021 college season with NCAA powerhouse Tennessee Volunteers that saw him get drafted in the fifth round of the MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs. He just won the ABL’s Rookie of the Year while winning a championship with the Adelaide Giants. Spence was part of the World Baseball Classic roster in March.

UTIL – Chris Burke: A former member of the Phillies and Royals system, Burke had a huge 2022 U23 World Cup, and has won a championship with the Melbourne Aces in the ABL.

UTIL – Luke Smith: A Queenslander who was just a key contributor of the U23 World Cup qualifiers in Sydney. He led the team in RBIs. Signed with the Brisbane Bandits in the ABL.

OF – Aaron Whitefield: A two-time ABL MVP, Whitefield is one of Australia’s best. He reached the Major Leagues on two occasions – once with Minnesota (2020) and once with LA Angels (2022). Whitefield has played in two World Baseball Classics and plays for the Aces locally.

OF – Briley Knight: A 24-year-old who was born in Perth, but moved to the USA when he was a kid. He went on to play NCAA college baseball for Utah and Portland. He is returning to Australia to play for the Adelaide Giants, and gets his first national team call-up.

OF – Jess Williams: Four years’ experience with the Perth Heat in the ABL and a former Rookie of the Year. Williams is a former Brewers’ prospect who reached as high as Triple-A in 2019.

OF – Alex Skepton: A Brisbane Bandits local who has impressed at home and gets the call-up. Skepton just featured heavily on the U23 World Cup qualifying roster.

12 November 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia Japan Translated

アジアプロ野球チャンピオンシップ２０２３に向けたオーストラリア代表チームの選手を紹介します。

translated by Rie IIO

アジアプロ野球チャンピオンシップ２０２３に向けたオーストラリア代表チームの選手を紹介します。

オーストラリアは11月16日から19日まで東京ドームで韓国、チャイニーズタイペイ、日本と対戦。

オーストラリア代表は午前9時30分から午後1時まで、府中市の府中市民球場でトレーニングをします。日本のみなさんに会えること、そして東京ドームで応援していただけることを願っています。

11 November 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Women's Baseball

How a Japanese city is helping Australian women's baseball

by Kristin Sims, women’s baseball reporter for Baseball.com.au. Got a story idea? Email us at playbaseball@baseball.com.au.

FORWARD – In August 2023 a partnership between the Fukuoka – a prefecture located on the Japanese island of Kyushu – and Baseball New South Wales was struck, with the aim of developing the women’s game for both countries.

Earlier in November, the first trip of the partnership saw some of the country’s top female players head to Japan to train and play with the Kyushu Honeys women’s team.

Four New South Wales (NSW) players – Ticara Geldenhuis, Jordan Richardson, Maddi Heath and Claire O’Sullivan – were selected to head to Japan to immerse themselves in Japanese baseball culture. All four are members of Australia’s national team, the Aussie Emeralds.

O’Sullivan – one of Australia’s most prominent female players, who represented Australia in the recent Women’s World Cup – was on the trip. She sat down with Baseball Australia to reflect on the trip and what she hopes it will bring for the game in Australia moving forward.

Aussie Emerald Claire O’Sullivan says we can learn a lot from how Japanese baseball players approach the sport.

The New South Wales-based player was one of four baseballers who joined the Kyushu Honeys for a six-day trip in Japan. They took part in their training programs and played exhibition games vs a local boys’ team and a university squad.

Australia is in Japan playing in the Asia Professional Baseball Championships. Watch on Baseball+.

For O’Sullivan, seeing the Kyushu Honey’s training schedule instantly highlighted a stark difference between the two countries programs. It was intense.

“They had a training schedule that was from 8am-12pm every day and it showed that they are more developed and at a higher standard than what we are,” says O’Sullivan.

In Japan, the pathways in women’s baseball have developed to include High School Leagues and strong amateur leagues. The chance for female baseballers to play at University and in a professional league helps make Japan the #1 women’s team in the world.

O’Sullivan hopes the partnership will be able to create a similar system for women’s baseball in Australia.

“For us, it is about what we can do to build up and develop women’s baseball in NSW. While we have a couple of tournaments we can play in during the year, there isn’t a lot of opportunity outside of that,” she says. “It’s about developing that side of it and giving us the opportunity to play against better competition and better players.”

O’Sullivan says she can use some of the highlights of the Japan trip in Australia. She can share knowledge with NSW’s current and next generation of baseball players.

The Honeys had three Japanese national players on their team. O’Sullivan says their training and preparation for games is not what she’s used to seeing. She has already brought that back home to her club.

“Getting to see what those players do every single day, how they go about their training with an intent at a completely different level to what I have ever seen across any other level,” said O’Sullivan.

“They have a completely different vibe to how they respect the game, their coaches and their team. It a different culture to what we have but something that I am already trying to implement at a club level,” she says.

One area she identified is the approach to trainings.

“I feel that intensity is something that can be dramatically improved and by starting small at a club level, hopefully it will flow through to our state team and other levels as well,” she says.

O’Sullivan says she hopes opportunities like these overseas trips will get more women involved in baseball.

O’Sullivan says the experience was eye-opening. She says the wide range of talent in Japan across different age brackets made her identify an area of concern for the game in Australia – player numbers between the ages of 15 and 21.

Although this problem is not isolated to just baseball in Australia, if there are smaller participation rates than the loss of a few players can harm clubs in the long term.

O’Sullivan thinks this is something the partnership could assist with, by showing players that there are a wide range of pathways for the sport aside from the annual national championships.

“I would like to see us send teams over to Japan in the months that we are not training for nationals,” O’Sullivan says.

“We do have a really strong under 15 and 16 program in NSW but we do see a lot of players dropping off in that age bracket who aren’t quite at the state level yet. It would be good to see something available for them to play in whether it is a tournament overseas or a training camp,” she says.

O’Sullivan is already quite active in the women’s baseball scene, outside of her prolific playing career. She is already actively engaging in the 15-21 age group by coaching youth teams – like the NSW squad that went to the Barclay Cup earlier this year. She is active at her club and in the NSW community in giving young women a chance to play.

“If these girls can see that there is something else for them to aspire to, then it will become something that can help keep them in the game.”

Players in New South Wales are about to be exposed to the high-level of Japanese baseball.

The second step in the partnership will see Fukuoka send a team to Australia in December to replicate the Australian’s trip. Orio Aishin High School will be here with a group of players. There will be games and trainings happening throughout the Sydney leg of the tour.

NSW will host the Japanese players and provide accommodation like they received when they were in Japan. The hope is that the NSW state teams will be picked by then and they can use the opportunity to play some exhibition games before the national 2024 championships.

“With them sending over a junior team it would be great to have our train-on squad ready to play against that team in preparation for nationals.” said O’Sullivan.

Keep an eye out Baseball.com.au for more information on Women’s baseball.

10 November 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad - Team Australia Aussies Sign Pro

South Australian pitcher Jack O'Loughlin signs with Oakland As; Invited to MLB Spring Training Camp

South Australian pitcher Jack O’Loughlin has signed a contract with the Oakland Athletics in a deal that includes an invite to Major League Spring Training in February.
O’Loughlin is knocking on the doors of the Major Leagues. He spent the bulk of 2023 as a member of the Detroit Tigers’ organisation pitching in Triple-A for the Toledo Mudhens, the level below MLB.

The invitation to Spring Training means he will be part of the MLB squad’s pre-season, with a great opportunity to make an MLB roster out of camp if he impresses.

“This is the best opportunity to forward my career and hopes of becoming an MLB player,” says O’Loughlin.

Jack, 23, is pushing to become the 38th Australian player to reach the major leagues.

Download Baseball+ to watch the ABL now!

He is a towering left-handed pitcher with a mid-90mph fast ball and strong off-speed stuff. He is considered one of Australia’s top pitchers.

O’Loughlin was second on the Mudhens in ERA among qualified starters with a 4.78ERA in 86.2 innings across 18 starts. He had three starts where he pitched at least 5.0 innings and didn’t allow a run.

He was the starting pitcher for Australia’s pivotal victories over South Korea and Czech Republic at the World Baseball Classic in March.

He also started the Adelaide Giants’ championship winning game three of the 2023 ABL Championship series.

O’Loughlin spent the last seven seasons in the Detroit Tigers’ system after signing as a 16-year-old in 2017.

He is under contract with the Adelaide Giants for the 2023-24 ABL season.

09 November 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

UPDATES: Australia sweeps Guam to qualify for the 2024 U23 World Cup

Australia is going to the 2024 U23 World Cup of Baseball in China.

The Green & Gold swept Guam in a best-of-three series in Sydney from November 9-11, securing their place in the WBSC-run event.

Australia followed up Thursday’s 1-0 game one victory with a massive 15-2 victory on Friday. On Saturday morning, they used strong pitching to win 2-0.

Australia will now fly to Tokyo on Sunday morning in preparation for the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championships against Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei. All games will be broadcast on Baseball+.

Scroll down for match recaps of both games. Photos by Mick Goddard.

DOWNLOAD BASEBALL PLUS: Click here.

AUSTRALIA’S ROSTER: Click here.

Game 3 – Australia 2 def Guam 0

Five Australian pitchers combined for a shutout of Guam on Saturday morning.

Australia’s pitching staff – Zak Elvy, Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis, Kieren Hall, Dylan Clarke and Tom Stancic – tossed 7.0 innings and allowed just two hits. They combined for seven strike-outs.

Elvy pitched the lion’s share of work, going 3.0 innings, allowing one hit, one walk, while striking out four.

Tyson Zamora led the charge offensively. The Queenslander went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

He drove in the winning run in the second inning on a two-out RBI single which drove in Jake Burns.

Liam Bull had the other RBI in the bottom of the fifth.

Nolan Cruz was particularly strong on the mound for Guam. He allowed just two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work.

Yatar pitched the last 1.2 innings for Guam, holding Australia scoreless.

Game 2 – Australia 15 def Guam 2

After a dormant offensive performance in Game 1, Australia had a much more patient approach at the plate.

Eleven different Australians reached base, while the bats delivered in critical early moments. In total, the Aussie attack combined for 12 hits and eight walks in a complete 15-2 victory.

The Green & Gold took advantage of seven Guam errors in the field.

Clayton Campbell had a standout day at the plate. He went 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. Luke Smith was excellent from the lead-off spot, going 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and four runs scored. Bradley Griffin led all Australians with four RBI.

Liam Evans pitched the lion’s share of innings, throwing 3.1 innings of one-hit, one-walk, shutout baseball.

Australia was opportunistic, patient and in a run scoring mood from the get-go.

Luke Smith and Rixon Wingrove opened the game with a walk each, allowing Detroit Tigers’ prospect Clayton Campbell to open the scoring with an RBI single. Alex Skepton drove in a second run to give the Australian’s an early 2-0 edge.

Australia added three more runs in the third inning, thanks to a Luke Smith RBI-double, a Chris Burke sacrifice fly, and another Clayton Campbell RBI-knock.

5-0 Australia, just like that.

Guam pushed back in the bottom of the second inning, when J Pangelinan drilled a two-out, two-RBI triple off of Australia’s starting pitcher Jack Bushell.

Bushell pitched 2.2 innings, conceding six hits, two runs, and three walks.

Australia ran away with it in the fourth inning. Australia started the big inning by extending their advantage to 6-2 off a Guam error.

Then, the explosion.

With two-outs and the bases loaded, Tyson Zamora singled to left-field, scoring Wingrove and Campbell.

The next batter, Brad Griffin quickly turned on a ball and knocked it to score two more runs.

10-2.

Liam Evans kept things settled for Australia on the mound. He pitched the remaining 4.1 innings for Australia in relief of Bushell, with

Australia pressured again in the fifth. They had bases-loaded and nobody out with Clayton Campbell up-to-bat. The Tigers’ prospect had his third RBI at-bat with a sacrifice fly, but Australia left them stranded after that.

Australia blew out the game in the seventh and final inning by cashing in four more runs.

Jake Burns scored Campbell off a sacrifice fly for the first run of the seventh. Brad Griffin had a two-RBI triple, and Daniel Bannon had an RBI single in the big inning.

Tom Stancic closed out the game for Australia pitching a clean seventh inning.

Game 1 – Australia 1 def Guam 0

Australia’s pitching staff nearly threw a combined no-hitter as the Green & Gold edged past Guam in Game 1 of the U23 World Cup Qualifiers in Blacktown on Thursday morning.

Australia’s pitching was brilliant. Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis, Kai-Noa Wynyard, Kieren Hall, Will Sherriff and Dylan Clarke combined for seven innings of one-hit baseball, striking out 10 batters and walking only two.

The five Australian pitchers needed to excellent because Guam’s starting pitcher Franklin Ninete Jr threw the game of his life.

He used a wide pitch arsenal, including a fork-ball, to keep Australian batters off-balance. He allowed just one run in his six innings of work with four hits and one punch-out. Guam also turned two double-plays to take away prime Australian opportunities.

Of Australia’s four hits, Chris Burke’s was the timeliest. With two outs in the bottom of the third, Burke doubled to centrefield, cashing in Tyson Zamora for the game’s only run.

Liam Bull, Alex Skepton and Daniel Bannon had the other hits for Australia.

Guam pressured for the tying run in the last inning. They broke Australia’s no-hit bid with a blooper to left field off Dylan Clarke. One walk later, and Guam had runners on first and second with just one out.

Clarke kept his composure to tie the game.

Texas Rangers’ prospect Kai-Noa Wynyard was impressive in his U23 appearance. He pitched one inning and struck out the side. World Baseball Classic pitcher Will Sherriff struck out four batters in his two innings of work.

Australia’s defense was also on song during the contest. Good pitching and good defense usually paves the way for an big result.

Australia will play Guam in Game 2 of the best-of-three series Friday afternoon at 2:30PM AEDT. Australia is one win away from punching their ticket to the U23 World Cup in China next year.

06 November 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

College Baseball

Aussie teen Ali Tanner commits to powerhouse US baseball college and “MLB Factory” Arizona State University

The term “legend” is a loosely used term in Australian vernacular. The word gets tossed around a lot.

But a 17-year-old South Australian teenage pitcher has just committed to a US college that literally churns out legends. Hall-of-famers, record setters, household names, you name it.

Ali Tanner has just committed to Arizona State University, home of the Sun Devils.

They’re also home to notable Sun Devil baseball alumni including Barry Bonds, Reggie Jackson, Dustin Pedroia, Bob Horner, Paul Lo Duca and one of Australia’s own Big Leaguers Josh Spence.

It’s a powerhouse baseball program that produces baseball stars.

“When ASU reached out to me in July, I was definitely keen to hear more,” says Tanner. “I had introductory Zoom meetings with Coach Gillich (Assistant Coach/Recruitment) and Coach Peraza (Pitching Coach) before meeting Head Coach Bloomquist. All three were unified and super passionate about the baseball program at ASU.”

Why wouldn’t they be passionate? This program has a history of winning on the field and developing Major League talent.

ASU has the highest winning percentage of any Pac-12 Conference team since the Sun Devils joined.

They have been in the NCAA Championship Tournament 17 times since 2000. There are 105 alumni who have moved on the Major Leagues.

If there’s a place to go to develop your baseball skills, ASU might be it.

“Pitching coach Peraza has a great reputation for developing pitchers, which is super important to me as ultimately my goal is to keep improving and be drafted and play professionally,” says the ambitious South Aussie teen.

The team is coached by 14-year MLB player Willie Bloomquist. He’s also an ASU alumnus.

“He has great presence, and everyone describes him as an amazing leader, coach and mentor,” says Tanner. “His past experience playing at ASU and in the big leagues will help give me knowledge about the best steps to put forward in my future.”

Tanner says the recruitment process was a whirlwind.

After contact was made with the Sun Devils in July, Tanner went with other Australians to the MLB International Select Showcase in September in Arizona. He arranged a trip to visit to coincide.

From there, he met everyone in person including the coaching staff and players.

“I got to see the baseball stadium, pitching lab, locker rooms, and tour the grounds,” says Tanner. “Mum and I were also lucky to attend a sellout football game between ASU and Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes where we definitely saw what Div 1 college sport was all about.”

The facilities are rivaled by few. It is one of the envies when it comes to baseball fields.

Tanner’s experience will be the next step in his baseball development. He started playing at Kensington Baseball Club as an 11-year-old.

He’s been through little league charters and played on U16 and U18 state teams. In August, Tanner played for Australia’s U18 squad at the World Cup.

Austin Gallagher, Tanner’s teammate and coach at Kensington and BaseballSA High Performance Manager, says it’s Ali’s love of baseball that has propelled him to this opportunity.

“Every time he goes out there, he gives it his all and you can always see the smile on his face,” says Gallagher. “He loves the grind and embraces the hard work. He is a great kid who speaks to everyone, is respectful, and has all the tools to make it at the highest level he wants to play at.”

He’s currently training with the Adelaide Giants, as he did in the 2022-23 season when the South Australian professional side took home their first flag in 43 years.

“Many people from my community have influenced my baseball journey,” says Tanner. “From my family who encouraged me to start playing, through to my Club, Charter and State team Coaches. I’ve also been lucky to have some great coaching through Baseball SA’s High Performance Programs and more recently with Baseball Australia as part of the U18 Team Australia roster.”

Tanner will remain in Adelaide for now. He won’t head to the USA until May or June 2025 to take part in the college summer program.

Afterall, Tanner is in Year 11 and has to finish his school. He says study is an important part of the journey and is excited that baseball can take him somewhere else in the world.

“Academically, ASU has a great Technology and Innovation focus and I’m keen to pursue a degree in engineering, media studies or entrepreneurship, so that post baseball I have an alternative career path up my sleeve,” says Tanner.

For now, it’s about hard work and getting himself ready for being a Sun Devil.

“I’d like to think that the ASU baseball program can help me improve my mechanics and assist me in developing a greater baseball IQ. I know that I have to improve in all areas and understand that there will be the odd tough time to get through….but I am up for it! To have an opportunity to spread my wings, be independent and keep developing as a person is super important too,” says Tanner.

03 November 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Community

Australian Baseball to be broadcast on Baseball+ | A new app available for download now

Baseball Australia, in collaboration with the Australian Baseball League (ABL), have today launched Baseball+ – an Over-The-Top (OTT) Streaming App platform.

The app is available for download via the Apple and Google stores.

A global baseball audience will be able to watch Australian baseball in one place. They can stream Team Australia, Australian Baseball League, and national tournament games via the platform.

It marks a transformation from ‘Baseball On-Demand’, last year’s web-based streaming option with approximately 30,000 subscribers. But this time, you can stream everything through the App on your phone, tablet or TV.

Fans can use their same logins for the Baseball+ app. Regular season games will be broadcast live, free and on-demand. If you have any questions, check out our FAQ page.

The first official live game on Baseball+ will be Team Australia’s clash in Tokyo with South Korea at the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championships (APBC) on November 16. All of Australia’s APBC games will be broadcast for free via Baseball+.

The app will also include exclusive content, classic games, archived matches, and integrated ABL stats.

Baseball+ is the next phase in the development of Australian Baseball’s broadcast strategy.

The ABL is already a strong standard of competition with players from all over the world. With international players, comes an international audience.

Major League organisations from the USA, Korea and Japan send players to compete with Australia’s best. This includes the likes of the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays in MLB, three KBO clubs, and three Japanese teams.

68 players have advanced to Major League Baseball after playing in Australia, and dozens of others have advanced to the top leagues in Korea or Japan.

ABL General Manager Paul Gonzalez says this platform brings the audience to one place.

“The ABL brings the baseball world to Australia, and it brings Australian baseball players to the world,” says Gonzalez. “We’re already seeing strong social media interest from the US, Korea, Japan and Taiwan for the upcoming season. Baseball+ is the place where everybody around the world can connect to the game here in Australia.”

Baseball+ already has 30,000 subscribers thanks to last season’s streaming efforts. The 2023 Championship Series had larger broadcast numbers than other seasons when it was available on other broadcast platforms.

“Baseball + will enable fans to connect with their favourite players and teams, providing real-time statistics and live broadcasts, from the comfort of your home or device,” says Gonzalez.

The ABL acknowledge the teams for their support in this initiative that will connect their teams to all parts of Australia and the world.

03 November 2023 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Meet the U23 National Team trying to qualify Australia for the 2024 World Cup

Australia will face Guam in a three-game series from November 9-11 in Sydney with a spot in the 2024 Under-23 Baseball World Cup on the line.

Australia, who finished sixth in the 2022 version of the event, will need to win two games to secure a spot.

The roster includes seven players who were on the 2022 team. It also has eight players who have experience as a professional MLB-affiliated player in the US minor leagues.

Of this squad, 14 of them will go to Toyko to play in the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championships from November 16-19.

Many of them have NCAA college experience, and 19 players have played in the Australian Baseball League or are under contract for the upcoming season.

While the games will not be broadcast, fans will be able to follow along the action via game changer and read a game recap on Baseball.com.au following each game.

The game times are:
– Thursday 9 November @ 2:30PM AEDT
– Friday 10 November @ 2:30PM AEDT
– Saturday 11 November @ 10:30AM AEDT

If Australia qualify, they will go to the 2024 U23 World Cup in China.

Let’s meet the squad. The team will be coached by David Nilsson, Graeme Lloyd and Trent Durrington.

RHP – Tom Stancic: A 19-year-old talent who made his debut with the Sydney Blue Sox in the ABL last season.

RHP – Kai-Noa Wynyard: MLB-affiliate player with the Texas Rangers. He had a 2.38 ERA at the Rangers’ Low-A affiliate this season. Wynyard is on Australia’s APBC roster.

LHP – Will Sheriff: A 20-year-old with experience in the Detroit Tigers’ minor leagues, at the 2023 World Baseball Classic and as a three-year reliever with the Perth Heat. He’ll be in Tokyo at the APBC.

RHP – Dylan Clarke: Breakout season with the Sydney Blue Sox in 2023, establishing himself as a top reliever. He pitched in the 2022 U23 World Cup and earned a spot on Australia’s APBC roster.

RHP – Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis: Sensationally made his ABL debut as a 15-year-old out of Canberra in 2017 before flying off to Grand Canyon University in the NCAA college system for five years. He is on Australia’s APBC roster.

LHP – Ben Walmsley: 18-year-old who just finished his first year abroad in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system. He is also on Australia’s APBC roster.

RHP – Jack Bushell: He impressed enough at the recent 2023 U18 World Cup in September to be named to Australia’s APBC roster.

RHP – Kieren Hall: Western Australian returning from college, who will also get a look at the APBC.

RHP – Liam Evans: Part of Australia’s 2022 U23 World Cup Roster, the 22-year-old has pitched previously with the Melbourne Aces in the ABL.

RHP – Zak Elvy: 20-year-old pitching in the US college system. Just finished a summer pitching with the Yakima Valley Pippins.

C/UTIL – Jake Burns: 20-year-old who has a few years experience in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system.

1B – Rixon Wingrove: Rixon is coming off his most successful calendar year to date. He hit a homer in the World Baseball Classic, won a championship with the Adelaide Giants, and got promoted to Double-A in the Phillies’ system. Experience at WBC, U23 World Cup, in the minor leagues and ABL. He’ll be in Tokyo at the ABPC.

INF – Daniel Bannon: An intriguing name coming back from college. He spent time at Cook Community College and Jackson St. In 2022, he hit .407 in 51 games in 2022 with five home runs and 51 RBIs. Bannon also scored 66 runs and stole 18 bases.

INF – Bradley Griffin: Part of U18 programs in the past, Griffin has been turning heads at Blue Sox training lately.

INF – Clayton Campbell: Highly esteemed junior career landed him a contract with the Detroit Tigers. He can play a variety of roles around the diamond. Campbell was on the 2022 U23 World Cup squad and will go with Australia to the APBC.

INF – Luke Smith: Part of past U18 National teams and currently with the Brisbane Bandits, Smith will go to Tokyo in November following the qualifiers.

3B – Liam Bull: 20-year-old South Aussie just finished his rookie season with the Adelaide Giants where he helped them to a maiden title.

OF – Alex Skepton: Queenslander who was on Australia’s 2019 U18 squad and has been training with the Bandits. He’ll go to Tokyo for the APBC.

OF – Tyson Zamora: Brings experience from the 2022 U23 World Cup and with the Brisbane Bandits in the ABL to the fold.

OF/C – Chris Burke: Experience at the U23 World Cup and an ABL Champion. Burke has been affiliated with the Phillies and Royals in the past. He’ll go to the APBC.

02 November 2023 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

ABL

FROM HUMBLE PIES TO HOME RUNS: FOUR’N TWENTY ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH BASEBALL AUSTRALIA

Four’N Twenty, one of Australia’s most iconic food brands, has today announced a brand-new partnership with National Sporting Organisation, Baseball Australia.

Through this partnership, the food giant will be supporting Team Australia in their upcoming Asia Pro Baseball Championship in Japan from 16-19 November, taking the Great Australian Taste overseas.

The iconic Australian snack has been hitting home runs in Japan since 2019, with baseball fans enjoying the classic Four’N Twenty meat pie at the Tokyo Dome.

“We’ve been keeping Aussie sports fans fed and happy for 76 years. Teaming up with Baseball Australia is a whole new ball game for us and we are so proud to be sharing The Great Australian Taste with fans all over the world,” says Anand Surujpal, Chief Marketing and Growth Officer at Patties Food Group.

“We are thrilled to bring the ritual of the game to the baseball community, and to celebrate the all-year-round fan favourite with Team Australia in Japan,” says Surujpal.

Baseball Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Glenn Williams says Baseball and Four’N Twenty make a lot of sense together.

“Four’N Twenty and sport have had a long history. Sport and pies go hand-in-hand,” says Williams. “It’s a quintessential Australian food served in local canteens in baseball clubs all across Australia. We are excited to share Four’N Twenty with the baseball world.”

Four’N Twenty and Baseball Australia are driven by a mutual and strong commitment to grassroot sports.

There are over 40,000 active playing members young and old in the baseball community. Like so many sports, an army of passionate volunteers at the core of the sport. Australian baseball has seen particular growth in the women’s game in recent years, while baseball continues to be an expanded pathway for players to go to school abroad.

The partnership is testament to both sides’ dedication to fans and to community sport. For years, Four’N Twenty has been supporting grassroots footy with the Mark of the Week competition, open to players of all levels and ages.

Both Four’N Twenty and the Australian baseball team have tasted success on the global stage, with this partnership set to take both to the next level. Four’N Twenty has ingrained itself in sports across the world, being sold at basketball games and securing the spot of a true Aussie icon across the globe.

Ranked number 10 in the World and ahead of traditional powerhouses like Puerto Rico and Canada, Team Australia is coming off a quarterfinal appearance at the 2023 World Baseball Classic and have finished in the Top 6 at the 2019 Premier12 (World Championship) and U23 World Cup.

Team Australia’s star catcher Alex Hall said the partnership couldn’t be better matched.

“We’ve all grown up on the classic meat pie, at games as kids and on the way home from training sessions, so the whole team is pumped to have the backing of Four’N Twenty moving forward. Here’s to many more slices of success for Team Australia,” said Hall.

Fans in Australia can watch the English language commentary of the upcoming Asia Professional Baseball Championships on Baseball Australia’s streaming app ‘Baseball+’. The games will be broadcast live, free and on-demand.

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