News

Hot off the back of a successful preseason training camp by the Hanwha Eagles and two games between Team Australia and the Hanwha Eagles at Melbourne Ballpark, the Melbourne Aces, in partnership with the Victorian Government and Baseball Australia, are hosting the 2024 Australian Women’s Championships and Australian Youth Women’s Championships at Melbourne Ballpark from 2- 8 April 2024.

EVENT HUB: Follow the 2024 Championships

Baseball is currently going through a renaissance in Melbourne with record season crowds at the Melbourne Aces home series and nearly 4,000 people attending the 2 games between Team Australia and the Hanwha Eagles.  This will be the second consecutive year the Women’s Championship’s will be held in Melbourne.

The Melbourne Aces acknowledge that events such as this would not be possible without the support of valued partners.

For over 30 years Melbourne Ballpark has been the home of Baseball in Victoria. Proudly built as an addition to the prestigious state sporting facilities infrastructure, the Victorian Government continues to ensure the sport of Baseball has a facility capable of hosting significant events.

The LED lighting upgrade at Melbourne Ballpark was delivered through a partnership with the Victorian Government. In addition, support through the Significant Sporting Events Program, helped provide the opportunity to see Team Australia take on the Hanwha Eagles on home soil, for the first time since 2017.

Victoria’s Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said he’s excited to welcome the 2024 Australian Women’s Championships and Australian Youth Women’s Championships to Melbourne Ballpark next month.

“The Championships is another huge win for Melbourne Ballpark and baseball fans across Victoria, this is elite baseball in our own backyard.

“Spectators from across Victoria and interstate can enjoy the Championships at the upgraded Melbourne Ballpark, showcasing the venue’s latest facilities and everything Melbourne has to offer while you’re here.”

CEO of Baseball Australia, Glenn Williams is excited the championships will be played at one of Australia’s premier baseball facilities.

“Hosting the events at Melbourne Ballpark, with the support of the Victorian government, will make for an amazing experience for the players, staff and the fans. We’re thrilled with the support shown for this event”.

After successful championships in 2023 Melbourne Aces General Manager, Justin Huber, is very happy to be hosting these events again in 2024.

“These are such fun championships to host.  The passion of the players is just contagious. You can hear it their voices in the hallways, in the dugouts, on the practice fields and you can see their passion on the field too, played out against the best players in the country each day.  We’ve been looking forward to this event for months and we can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and make this event the biggest and best yet”.

Both the Australian Women’s and Australian Youth Women’s Championships are free for spectators to attend. The Melbourne Aces will also be conducting a series of community outreach opportunities during the tournament including a ballpark Easter egg hunt, school holiday activities, competitions, giveaways and more.

Don’t miss out on this great celebration of baseball and a chance to give the kids something fun to do this school holidays.  Stay tuned to the Melbourne Aces website and social media channels for more information.

The best young female baseball players in Australia will be in Melbourne from April 3-7 for the Australian Youth Women’s Championships.

It’s a tournament which features top U16 talent from five states – Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

by Eric Balnar

While the rest of Australia will be enjoying an Easter long weekend, the country’s best players are putting final touches on preparation for the Australian Women’s Championships.

And let me assure you – from talking to coaches, players and states from all around the country – there’s a genuine buzz around this tournament.

There’s a bit of a changing of the guard at play. A few members of the 2023 Emeralds World Cup squad were unable to participate, and another group of veteran players decided to step away from game.

It’s time for the “next generation” to shine. Welcome to the 2024 Australian Women’s Championships, live from Melbourne, from April 2-8.

Six teams. Seven Days. One Champion. Mountains of excitement. Hours of great baseball.

Welcome to our 2024 Women’s Preview. Scroll down for team-by-team guides.

“The thing I love most about nationals is a whole week where we get to be ballers,” says Victorian and Team Australia pitcher Allie Bebbere. “Our whole ‘job’/day is to wake up and play baseball, that’s it! No other responsibilities, nothing else, just baseball.”

South Australia stalwart Jess Maslin says it’s a great week to showcase women’s baseball with state pride on the line.

“All of Australia’s best women’s players are in the one place battling it out,” she says.

Buckle up. Passion will be on full display.

PREVIEW: Youth Women’s Championships

Australian Women’s Baseball has seen a big uptake in participation over the past few seasons. Now, the youth who joined the sport when it was gaining more legs are moving through to the senior levels.

For Emeralds Head Coach Jason Pospishil, it’s a chance to see who shines through in advance of the next World Cup window.

“The main excitement for me is going to be identifying who our next generation of future Emeralds will be,” he says. “There is a number of new players who have an opportunity to play and in the showcase in May. We have some work to do and that work will start now by identifying the next core we want to build around for 2026.”

Players will also use this tournament to be scouted for the 2024 Australian Women’s Showcase in Lismore next May. This event will feature the best Australian talent and nine international players from World Cup squads around the world across three teams.

On April 5, teams will also link up to say ‘NO MORE’ to Domestic and Family Violence.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Days 1-4, Round Robin Tournament. Each of the six teams plays each other once for a total of five games. The top four teams advance to the medal rounds.

Day 5-6: Double elimination begins. #1 plays #4 and #2 plays #3. The winners advance to a “winners game” and the losers move to an “elimination game.”

The winners game, on Day 6, sees the victor advance to the Championship Game. The loser of that game? They play the winner of the elimination game.

On Day 7, the loser of the winner’s game will play the winner of the elimination game. The victor moves straight to the Grand Final where they play for gold.

“There’s a distinct advantage to winning your game on Day 5 and Day 6,” says Baseball Australia events manager and one of the tournament organisers Michael Ibbotson. “You win both and you play for Gold and don’t have to play a double-header on Championship Day.”

BROADCAST, SCHEDULE AND HOW TO FOLLOW

The schedule can be found here: 2024 AWC and AYWC Schedules – Combined.

Select group stage games will be broadcast on Baseball+. All second round and medal round games will be broadcast on the free platform, with commentary from ABL play-by-play voices Eric Balnar and Ed Wyatt and Emeralds players Amy McCann, Gen Beacom and Amy Cannington.

The broadcast schedule can be found in the schedule above.

All other games will be streamed and livescored on GameChanger. You can follow at the following links, or by searching AWC 2024 in GameChanger (not Game Changer Classic).

AWC: https://web.gc.com/organizations/o7FR6b0kuXWB

AYWC: https://web.gc.com/organizations/TErCdUHHIQrl

Make sure you follow Baseball.com.au on Instagram and Facebook. We have Trent Schwarz Photography onsite to capture high quality photos and videos (hello, Insta reels!). We will also produce daily game recaps and highlight player stories as the tournament progresses.

BROADCAST, SCHEDULE AND HOW TO FOLLOW

Order official merchandise from the 2024 Australian Women’s and Youth Women’s Championships from the links below.

Cut off date is April 11.

Women’s Championships: https://belgraviaapparelshop.com/collections/baseball-australia-women-championships

Youth Women’s Championships: https://belgraviaapparelshop.com/collections/baseball-australia-youth-womens-championships

TEAM PREVIEWS / GUIDES

ROSTER – | Open Women’s Team | Youth Team |

Western Australia

Head coach: Kurt Russell

The defending champions will have some new faces on their roster but are still buoyed by some savvy veteran players.

For the most part, Western Australia has gone young. Only three players on their roster were born before the year 2000 (Kariss Aquino, Grace Spano and Terralee Hopkins).

It may be the youngest squad in the tournament. They’re also trying to defend a Gold Medal.

Among the youth movement are two star Emeralds players in pitcher Meghan Haggart and two-way dynamo Caitlin Eynon. Their World Cup experience will be replied upon.

“We have a young team this year, says Haggart, a handy pitcher. “All the girls have had to put in a lot of work to condition their bodies and get themselves ready to play at the state level. We are looking forward to seeing some of the young girls grow and shine this year.”

Some of the young girls Haggart refers to are Emilee Hone, Ava Tyson, Chloe Atkinson and Briah Burke. The four are some of the youngest in the competition – all of them just 16-years-old.

Hone is one of the young players who was on the WA Gold Medal squad in 2023.

“Women’s baseball in our state is getting pretty strong,” she says. “Us juniors are really getting the feel on what it is like playing senior baseball and we are developing ourselves to make us better.”

Outfielder Grace Spano plays the game with an edge and should provide an x-factor and leadership, too.

Player to Watch: Caitlyn Eynon – P / SS – Had impressive numbers at the 2023 World Cup in both the field and at the plate. She has two Women’s Showcases to her name and already is a national champion.

“Caitlin has been really working this year,” says Hone of Eynon. “Significant amount of her preparation has been leading to the tournament and she is ready.”

Victoria

Roster – | Open Women’s Team | Youth Team |

Head coach: Samantha Hamilton

Make no mistake about it: the Victorians always send a line-up out with some of the best players in the country.

The Victorian State Women’s League is one of the strongest in Australia. With a stack of national titles to their name, expectations of gold are always dancing through the players’ heads.

This year is another changing of the guard. Like most teams in the tournament, Victoria has gone young.

The squad will be led by Victorian state team veterans like pitcher Allie Bebbere, two-way star Abbey Kelly, Belinda Cannington and Jessica Johnson.

There are three Emeralds from the 2023 World Cup on this squad – Bebbere, Kelly and Lili Cavanagh.

They’re also complimented by two Japanese guns in dual-threat Saeko Suzuki and Kira Kuwamoto.

The rest of the squad are up-and-coming players with high ceilings who will no doubt leave an impression. Australian Baseball fans are about to learn their names.

One of those players is 20-year-old catcher Jamie Bastian, who is already set to appear in her fourth nationals and is a player other states have flagged as one to watch.

“This year our state team has changed a lot, we have a younger team than previous years,” says Bastian. “Every single new player has proven their spot and shown us why they deserve to be there, making veterans or returning players work harder to keep their spot. Our team has such a great comradery that will only strengthen over the tournament.”

Other young guns to watch include outfielder Jasmine Bentley.

“She’s a pocket rocket in the outfield and on the bases,” says veteran pitcher and former Golden Arm winner and 2023 World Cup arm Allie Bebbere. “Small but mighty, with an infectious attitude that is twice her size!”

Returning this season is multiple World Cup representative Abbey Kelly, who won the Golden Arm in 2023.

Player to Watch: Saeko Suzuki – Beyond her infectious personality and incredible skill, Suzuki brings experience. She helped lead South Australia to a medal in 2018 before moving to Victoria for this past season. She is a left-handed bat who can play multiple positions and drive the ball hard.

South Australia

Roster – | Open Women’s Team | Youth Team |

Head Coach: Austin Gallagher

Last year’s bronze medalists are also undergoing some change, with players like Emeralds catcher Carly Moore and top-end pitcher Darna Boers-Veen unable to play this year.

Still, South Australia has a solid core of veterans to compliment some first time players.

Among those is hard hitting Jess Maslin. A veteran of the state team, Maslin has appeared in two Women’s Showcases, had a +.600 batting average in Division 1 play in South Australia, and became the first woman ever to hit a homer over the fences in the SA Women’s League.

Maslin has been part of the return of South Australian women’s state league since Day 1 back in 2016 and says she’s seen a lot of changes.

“We have built SA’s women’s league up in less than 10 years and been able to bring it to states that may have doubted us,” says Maslin.

Outfielder Bianca Ramsey is coming off her best local season, where she was named the Women’s High Performance Athlete of the Year, was a Division 1 All-Star, the Golden Glove winner, and on the team of the year.

She says South Australia are still looking to turn heads.

“We have shocked a lot of people in the last few years. SA has not often been up there with the other states and last nationals I think we became more of a threat than people were expecting which has help us earn more respect from the other states,” says Ramsey. “This year we don’t have the same squad, but we have been training hard and I’m keen to see how we do this year round.”

On the mound, veteran Bianca Smith may have to eat some big innings – but it’s a role she’s familiar with as a leader on the team and in the state community.

16-year-old Amara Quinn plays on her second state team, and will be joined by fellow teenagers Georgia Davis and Lucy Davis who are coming off a Sturt local premiership. Georgia won the league’s best & fairest medal, while Lucy won pitcher of the year.

Lookout for the speed of Gemma Letton, a Giants’ Women’s Showcase player in 2022, on the basepaths.

Player to Watch: Georgia Davis. At 17 years old, Davis just took home her second best & fairest honours in the Division 1 South Australian State Leagues. She is still young and learning, but she will likely be looked to as South Australia’s ‘Ace’ when the tournament roles around. She starred in the local league grand final for Sturt.

New South Wales

Roster – | Open Women’s Team | Youth Team |

After winning gold in 2022, New South Wales took a step back in 2023 finishing fifth.

That didn’t sit well for many of the players.

NSW is a strong team and has high expectations to play well both as players and externally,” says shortstop Lisa Nakashio, who won gold in 2022. “After placing 5th last year and 1st the previous year, the jump was disappointing. So this year as always we aim for the gold, and strive to have the best outcome as a team.”

They have the legs to do it.

2023 World Cup squad pitchers Bri Hosie, Maddi Erwin, Claire O’Sullivan could pitch some key innings for New South Wales. Their joined by explosive positional World Cup players in catcher Maddison Heath and outfielder Ticara Geldenhuis (who hit a homer in the World Cup).

There are eight teenagers on this NSW side, but many of them have already tasted gold. They players yet to turn 20 are Isobel Lambert, Erin Partridge, Cayla Johnston, Alina Hawron Lisa Nakashio, MacKenzie Jackson, Mattea Carn and Hosie.

Heath and Geldenhuis are national champions, Showcase players and World Cup reps, and are only 22 years old.

“We have some youngsters in our team,” says Heath. “But they have a lot of talent and will continue making our team better and better. We have many two-way players and some up and coming pitchers. A number of Aussie [national players are in the team this year to help lead and encourage others.”

Isobel Lambert is certainly one youngster to keep an eye on. She became the first woman to play in the Senior League World Series when she represented Australia with the Ryde Hawks in 2023.

Will the youth movement and two-way players get the job done again for New South Wales?

Player to watch: Ticara Geldenhuis. The outfielder has turned into an international star after belting the baseball at the World Cup. She’s a two-time Showcase player, a national champion, and hit a homer in the World Cup.

“She will put everything in the line for her team and is getting better as she goes,” says Erwin of Ticara.

Queensland Maroon

Head Coach: Lisa Norrie

Queensland are divided into two teams. The “White Team” is the development squad. The Maroon Team will be shooting for gold.

“We have a lot of good young players who have come through the Queensland development programs,” says head coach Lisa Norrie, who also coaches in the Oakland A’s organisation. “If they can be confident and play like they can, I think we’ll be in contention.”

Eleven of Queensland’s 16 players are born in the year 2000 or after. Four of those – Ashley Van Stayden, Hannah Wilson, Molly Paddison and Paula Doherty – were on the U16 Queensland team who won the Youth Championships last year.

There’s also 19-year-old Kya Foxwell – a Women’s Showcase player who can hit the ball hard. 20-year-old Hannah Marshall will look to defend her Golden Glove from the 2023 tournament.

Pitcher Lyndsey Campbell is on the other side – she’s a veteran. This will be her 10th Open Women’s Championships for Queensland.

She has seen a lot of changes in Queensland baseball, including the return of the Women’s State League a few years ago, an U16 Girls National Championship, and a Barclay Cup result.

That means one thing – look out!

“Queensland is starting to catch up with the rest of the country in regard to female development,” she says. That is evident. These young girls are now starting to filter into the Open Program and are making waves. Just because our team is young, doesn’t mean they won’t get the job done! We are seeing more and more often that when given the chance, they thrive!”

Player to Watch: Shiori Hoshino – A two-way star who moved to Australia. Despite now living in Victoria, she still desires to play for Queensland. She is a high-end pitcher and one of the best fielders at shortstop in the country. And she can hit.

“She is an absolute weapon of a player but an even better teammate,” says Kya Foxwell. “As humble as they come and willing to lay it on the line for her team.”

Queensland White

Coach: Neal Ragau

Don’t be fooled by the ‘Development’ tag to this Queensland team. There are some high-end players.

This development team has been running three years. The purpose of the team is to give opportunity to fringe or young players, and make sure they get regular gametime and experience at this level.

“There’s a big jump from juniors to open women’s and even state league,” says head coach Neal Ragau. “We are there to learn, we are there to see what level we are at, and we can bring that all back to the Division 1 competition and make that competition better every year.”

That said, there are some players with serious potential. Shayne-Elise Baker, Emma Tate, Grace White, and Taliyah Paolo move from the Gold Medal Youth squad to the Open Women’s.

Townsville’s Cathy White could make an impact as a starting pitcher, noted as a “real strike thrower” by teammates.

Catcher Britney Finlayson has some of the best exit velo in all of Queensland Women’s Baseball.

This should be a fun team to watch develop.

“We’re a young team with lots of potential,” says Paolo. “And the coaches want to help develop and become better players.”

The White team has been training once a week with the Maroon team, gaining lots of experience from playing the “top” team. Now, they get to see how they stack up against the rest of the country.

Player to Watch: Paris Bastow – This outfielder can fly. A pure athlete making a name for herself in Queensland.

“You need to watch her,” said one opposition player from NSW. “She is quick on her feet and an all-round good player in the field and with the bat. One of the best team-mates to have had the pleasure to play alongside with.”

No More and the best Australian women’s baseball players in the country have once again linked up to say NO MORE to domestic and family violence.

NO MORE day returns to the upcoming Australian Women’s and Youth Women’s Championships, where players will proudly wear NO MORE socks and link up before the game to make a stance against domestic and family violence.
In addition, a ‘Spirit of the Game’ Award will be presented to one player from each team who embodies fair play, teamwork, community, and respect on and off the field – setting a positive example for all.

NO MORE Day will proudly be on Friday 5 April of the event, with players linking up before each game.

Since 2014, Baseball Australia has been a proud supporter of NO MORE.

Here are the official proceedings:
– Orange Socks for the players and coaches, who will sport them throughout the day
– Linking of arms before each game
– Spectators encouraged to wear orange
– Spirit of the Award winners announced at closing ceremonies

For more information or to support NO MORE’s work, visit their Facebook or Instagram pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NOMORE.org.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomore.org.au/

Web: No More | Link up and say ‘No More’ to family violence

#NOMORE #NOMOREFamilyViolence #LinkUp #BreakTheCycle #ZeroTolerance #BaseballAustralia #WomenChampionships #YouthChampionships

Australian pitcher Gen Beacom – one of the most well-known names in international women’s baseball – is heading to the United States to play college baseball.

Beacom announced her commitment to East Central College – a Junior College (JUCO) – in Missouri on Instagram on Friday night.

There aren’t many women playing US collegiate baseball. In 2021, there were only six in 2021. 

Australian pitcher Beacom will add to that list when she attends school later in 2024.

It’s also the same school that MLB star Tim Anderson attended.

Beacom made international headlines when she pitched a professional baseball game for the Melbourne Aces in the 2022 Exhibition Australian Baseball League season.

The left-handed pitcher was also recently clocked at 85mph by Tread Athletics, making her one of the hardest throwing female players in the world.

MLB.com wrote a story on her and her rise to stardom here.

Beacom debuted for Australia at the 2023 Women’s Baseball World Cup in Canada.

She will now head to the USA to further her academic and athletic career where she will be one of the only women playing US college baseball.

Beacom is the second Australian woman to grab headlines in the US college world as of late. Queensland’s Luisa Gauci recently finished her college baseball career in the USA, and is now a coach with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Beacom plays her club baseball in Victoria for Sandringham.

More to come.

For now, congrats to Gen! A massive achievement.

MORE WOMEN’S BASEBALL NEWS

• Best female baseball players in the world coming to Lismore for Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase | Baseball.com.au
• DETAILS, SCHEDULE, ROSTERS: Australian Women’s and Youth Women’s Championships set for April 2024 | Baseball.com.au
• WOMEN’S News | Baseball.com.au

From May 9-12 in Lismore, the Adelaide Giants, Brisbane Bandits and Victorian Aces will play a four-day professional tournament thanks to support from NSW Government.

Emeralds stars, emerging Australian talent, and World Cup players from Canada, Japan and the United States will partake in the four-day tournament.

In an exciting development, The Women’s Showcase will run alongside the Australian Little League Girls Division Championships.

Each day there will be little league games (13U) in the morning, followed by world-class baseball in the evening.

Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams says this event continues to push the calibre of women’s baseball forward.

“As we celebrate the third Australian Women’s Showcase, the thrill of witnessing some of the world’s best female players competing against Australia’s finest will be another great spectacle,” says Williams.

“It’s an exciting event which we hope will inspire baseball players around Australia and across the globe. We are thankful to the New South Wales Government for their support of this event – it will be great to see the Aces, Bandits and Giants battle it out in front our baseball future.”

Minister Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said the Australian Women’s Baseball Showcase will bring great benefits to the Northern Rivers.

“Professional sporting events in regional NSW bring people and fans of all ages together to stay active, connect with friends and fan some fun,” Ms Moriarty said.

“The NSW Government is committed to supporting events that encourage female participation in sport like the Women’s Baseball Showcase.”

State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said hosting the Showcase represents yet another major sporting coup for the city, and would be embraced by sports-loving residents across the region. “

Albert Park Baseball Complex Lismore has always been a great nursery for producing top baseballers and houses the best grounds that allow for competition at national and international level,” Ms Saffin said.

“I’m sure the girls’ little league games will be just as fiercely contested as the elite tournament, so the national championships auger well for the future of baseball is rural and regional Australia.”

The 2024 event builds off the 2020 (Adelaide) and 2022 (Geelong) editions of the Women’s Showcase, while spreading it across the country.

All games will be broadcast around the world via Baseball+. The event was made possible by an investment from the NSW Government.