Author: Greg Bochan

by Greg Bochan

8th annual Hert Futures Tournament – Great Weather – Great Baseball – Great Britain

With teams attending from all over the country; from as far as Halton in the North, Essex in the East, Brighton in the South and High Wycome in the West; Herts Baseball Club hosted its eighth annual futures tournament at their home ground, Grovehill Ballpark, on Saturday 26th September.

With 20 teams between the 4 age groups (U19’s, U14’s, U12’s and U10’s), a record for the futures tournament, a full day of baseball was on the agenda. To compliment this mammoth day the weather was wonderful with clear skies and warm temperatures, ideal for playing baseball.

In the U19’s Herts fought off a resilient Halton team to win its first ever Futures tournament crown, with a walk off win 3-2.

In the U14’s LYBL retain their crown winning both their games in the final series.

The U12’s again had LYBL take the top prize after dominating in the final series taking both games decisively.

London Sports won the U10’s after narrowly beating the Mets in the championship game.

The day was fantastic and massively enjoyed by all, the Herts concession stand recording its busiest ever day and nearly running out of its famous Chilli Dogs. The raffle proved very popular with players and parents alike trying to win some unique autographed baseball memorabilia kindly donated by BSUK.

Herts would like to thank all the teams who participated for making it such a special day, along with the umpires and all the Herts volunteers who worked tirelessly on the day to make it the great success that it was.
Can’t wait for next year!

The Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the British baseball calendar. It brings together youth teams of all age groups from across the country for a day of baseball at one of the best baseball venues in the United Kingdom.

by Greg Bochan

2015 Hunlock Series – Rosters and Schedule


The 2015 Hunlock Series rosters have been set.

The series sees two returning managers and a new face to lead the squads. Ken Pike will return as manager of the Red Roosters. Sony Lama will return as manager but this time of the Black Widows and new to the managers role is Jamie Lang for the Blue Dogs.

After some careful planning and a day of drafting, the rosters for the teams have been set.

Don’t worry if you want to play but haven’t signed up to do so yet. There is still time. All you need to do is register with the Hertsbaseball Clubhouse by clicking here. Once your registration has been confirmed you can fill out your avaialability for the games and the managers will assign you to a team.

Click here to see the Hunlock Teams page.

Red Roosters
Kennet Pike #51
Daniel Bennett #77
Warwick Byrne #66
Jake Caress #75
Mike Cattermole #22
Andy Cornish #7
Michael Cresswell #85
Aspi Dimitrov #4
Glen Downer #48
Jon Gamble #50
Tim Elkins #45
Clive Johnson #38
Michael Johnson #67
Felix Maldonado
Drew Mayhew #2
Rod Naghar #1
Tom Weatherilt
Mathew White
Black Widows
Sonam Lama #86
Akito Bando
Greg Bochan #13
Mark Caress #30
Bruce Dullea
Plamen Georgiev
Tim Lawrence
Lee Manning #14
Charlie Mayhew #41
Gilberto Medina #79
Takaya Miki
Connor Oshaughnessy
Daniela Phillips
Nick Russell #31
Christopher Shefford
Michael Smulczynski
Darrin Ward #66
Blue Dogs
Jamie Lang #93
Emmanuel Banson #94
Ralph Bartholomew #17
Dan Bartram #97
Brodie Caress #25
Joe Court #16
Ilya Dimitrov #21
Matthew Jackson #73
Troy Johnson
Rob Jones #6
Simon Langton
Zack Longboy #47
Ben Marques #18
Darren Priest #9
Andrew Slater #99
Adam White #34
Nick White #54

The 2015 Hunlock Series rosters have been set.

After some meticulous planning, the schedule has also been set for the series.

As stated previously, all games will be played on Sunday and are subject to weather.

Click here to see the Hunlock Schedule page.

DATE TIME VENUE VISITING TEAM HOME TEAM
WEEK ONE
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 13:00 New Blue Dogs Red Roosters
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 13:20 New Red Roosters Blue Dogs
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 13:40 New Blue Dogs Red Roosters
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 14:00 New Red Roosters Blue Dogs
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 14:30 New Black Widows Red Roosters
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 14:50 New Red Roosters Black Widows
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 15:10 New Black Widows Red Roosters
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 15:30 New Red Roosters Black Widows
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 16:00 New Black Widows Blue Dogs
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 16:20 New Blue Dogs Black Widows
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 16:40 New Black Widows Blue Dogs
Sunday 27 Sep 2015 17:00 New Blue Dogs Black Widows
WEEK TWO
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 13:00 New Black Widows Red Roosters
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 13:20 New Red Roosters Black Widows
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 13:40 New Black Widows Red Roosters
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 14:00 New Red Roosters Black Widows
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 14:30 New Black Widows Blue Dogs
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 14:50 New Blue Dogs Black Widows
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 15:10 New Black Widows Blue Dogs
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 15:30 New Blue Dogs Black Widows
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 16:00 New Blue Dogs Red Roosters
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 16:20 New Red Roosters Blue Dogs
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 16:40 New Blue Dogs Red Roosters
Sunday 04 Oct 2015 17:00 New Red Roosters Blue Dogs
WEEK THREE
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 13:00 New Black Widows Blue Dogs
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 13:20 New Blue Dogs Black Widows
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 13:40 New Black Widows Blue Dogs
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 14:00 New Blue Dogs Black Widows
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 14:30 New Blue Dogs Red Roosters
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 14:50 New Red Roosters Blue Dogs
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 15:10 New Blue Dogs Red Roosters
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 15:30 New Red Roosters Blue Dogs
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 16:00 New Black Widows Red Roosters
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 16:20 New Red Roosters Black Widows
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 16:40 New Black Widows Red Roosters
Sunday 11 Oct 2015 17:00 New Red Roosters Black Widows
DATE TIME VENUE VISITING TEAM HOME TEAM

by Greg Bochan

BBF Cup Semi-finals and Finals at Grovehill

BBF Cup Semi-finals and Finals at Grovehill

This Sunday, September 13, the BBF Cup Championship games are coming to Herts.

In semi-final action you’ll see Herts v London on Grovehill’s New diamond and Southampton v Essex on the Old diamond. Games start at 12:30pm.

The Finals will take place immediately following the conclusion of the semi-final games.

All games are 7 inning games. The winner will be crowned BBF Cup Champion 2015.

If you’re planning on coming down to root on Herts or one of the visiting teams, you may want to bring a little cash. A concession stand will be running as well as the Herts shop; where you can pick up some smooth Herts kit or a plethora of non-Herts general baseball gear.

by Greg Bochan

The New Era Herts Beenies have arrived

Get em while they’re hot!

The New Era Herts Beenies have arrived.

The Herts shop will start selling the beanies (£10) from tomorrow, Saturday, September 12, at the youth training session at Grovehill. The Herts shop will also be at Grovehill on Sunday afternoon for the BBF Cup Semi-finals.

Also, youth players/parents, be aware that this weekend is the last chance to get kit before the playoffs.

by Greg Bochan

BBF Single-A Championship Saturday

The Herts Hawks are on their way to Farnham park this Saturday, 12 September.

At 12:45 they start the final leg of their journey to the Championship match.

The Hawks are facing Tonbridge. A formidable side whom they just managed to squeak a win out of earlier in the season. The extra inning game was a close one with the Hawks pulling out the victory in the 10th.

If the Hawks are successful in their semi-final match they will go on to play the winner of the London v Guildford game for the 2015 BBF Single-A Championship.

If you’d like to come and support the Hawks, directions to Farnham park can be found here

by Greg Bochan

Hawks Defeat Brighton to Book place in single-A semi finals

Herts Hawks produced a dominant display of offensive power at Grovehill on Sunday to beat Brighton Redhawks by a mercy-rule victory in 6 innings.

The team had started the 2015 season with an unbeaten run of 11 games before stumbling at the final two against their main contenders in the title challenge but a solid win will have helped restore confidence and prove they are a force to be reckoned with in the next round at Farnham Park.

The game started with some nerves for the home team as they let four runs slip past them in the first inning but they responded in style slotting in 6 runs in reply before settling down to a much more solid defensive performance for the rest of the game. With only five errors conceded by the team the manager will be happy to see a return to discipline over the last two games of the regular season.

Starting pitcher and coach Greg Bochan calmly commanded the mound throughout the game while the offense racked up 6 runs in both of the first two innings, and three in the third and fourth as well. Brighton’s third pitcher of the day brought a brief reprieve from the onslaught with a sidearm delivery that took some getting used to before Herts jumped back to life in the sixth with a further seven runs to seal the game.

One of the standout moments of the game included a stylish catch from outfielder Rod Naghar who promptly delivered the ball back to second baseman Ken Pike for a double play on the runner who had jumped the gun expecting the ball to land, while on the other side of the ball Sonam Lama went four for four and Tim Elkins and Ilya Dimitrov batted in three runs each to lead the scoring.

Ultimately there was little to fear for the Hawks after the first inning was done, but despite a sterling effort played in the best of spirits, the young Brighton side will not compare to the challenge the Hawks face in the semi finals next Saturday in the form of Tonbridge. The two sides faced each other earlier on in the year in an edgy and closely fought battle in Kent which was decided only after an extra inning and a margin of one run to Hawks’ favour. Both sides will be keen to come out firing on all cylinders to book a place in the finals so it’s sure to be another epic match-up.

Box Score
  1 2 3 4 5 6   final
BRIGHTON REDHAWKS 4 1 0 2 0 2 — 9
HERTS HAWKS 6 6 3 3 0 7 — 25
by Greg Bochan

Herts U12 team victorious in their YNBC qualifiers

Herts U12 team were victorious in their YNBC qualifiers on Saturday during an exciting day of baseball.

The day started with a tough match up against Horsham, who had already won their first game of the day. As the visiting team, Herts hitters came out swinging with Nicholas Durer leading off with a double. Josh Jones then reached on an error before James Dullea doubled them both in. Although Herts continued to hit the ball throughout the game, with singles from Jonathan Wakelam, Cal McCreavy and Durer, solid defence from Horsham prevented any more runs. James Dullea started the game for Herts and was in masterful form. Dullea pitched 4 and 2/3 no-hit innings before reaching his pitch count for the day, and left having struck out 13! He also made a fine play on a weak ground ball to first base. Durer fielded it cleaning and fed to Dullea who was covering from the mound and bare handed the ball before stepping on the bag. With two outs in the fifth Horsham scored their first run with a based loaded walk and the score was 2-1. In the bottom of the sixth, Durer stepped to the mound and got two quick outs. Horsham then had runners on first and second with their best hitter at the plate. He promptly scorched a line drive to left field, but Josh Jones was there to make the catch and Herts erupted as they took the victory.

With Horsham having beaten Brentwood in the first game, Herts still had to win against Brentwood in their second game to go through. Having thrown only one inning in the first game, Nicholas Durer started the second. Durer was pitching well, but a finger injury meant he had to leave after 2 and a third. Brentwood scored in the first before Herts answered in the bottom of the inning with five runs. Durer again led off the game with extra bases, this time a triple and then scored on Joe Gipple’s single to centre. Josh Jones then walked before singles by James Dullea and Cal McCreavy. Brentwood’s aggressive young team answered with a run in the second before blanking Herts, and then scored two in the third, but that would be all they would get as Alex Trautman stepped to the mound and shut them down for the final two and two thirds innings in a fine relief appearance. Herts then scored five in each of the third and fourth innings to come away with a solid 15-4 victory and advance to the National Championships.

Notable performances

Nicholas Durer went 4 for 5 with a double, a triple and walk.
James Dullea went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and a walk.
Joe Gipple hit the ball hard all day going 3 for 6 and putting the ball in play every time at bat.

by Greg Bochan

Single A Quarterfinal – Hawks vs Brighton

 
This Sunday, 6 September, 12:00 PM, sees the Herts Hawks battle in a postseason elimination quaterfinal game versus the Brighton Redhawks.

The two clubs met in the 2nd week of the season. A close game ultimately being won by Herts.

Boxscore from Sunday, April 19, 2015
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Brighton Redhawks 2 0 3 3 6 0 1 1 1 17 25 1
Herts Hawks 5 1 1 1 0 7 1 6 0 22 18 2

The Redhawks come into the game with a 7 – 7 record. The Hawks roll up with an 11 – 2 record but those 2 loses were acquired in the last 2 games leading up to the post-season.

So come down to Grovehill on Sunday, 6 September and cheer on your Herts team! Game starts at Noon.

Weather looks to be nice. So bring a picnic:

by Greg Bochan

2015 Hunlock Series

The 2015 BBF league season is about to reach its conclusion,  but the best part of the season for everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club is yet to come.

Every year, just when the MLB season enters its most exciting stage, players come to Grovehill Ballpark for a competition in memory of Herts Baseball Club’s number 36, the late Kyle Hunlock.

This is the ninth year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 only two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. Herts Baseball Club has been growing rapidly since then and the number of teams in the Series has been increasing every year. As players sign up over the next few days we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

SERIES FORMAT

This year’s competition will be played over 3 Sundays. The opening games will be played on Sunday, 27 September.  The second round of games will take place on Sunday, 4 October with the final round scheduled for Sunday, 11 October.

After its success in the 2014 we will see the return of “The 9th Inning Weekend” where games are decided over one inning only. This format recreates the tension and drama of the ninth inning. Can the teams manufacture the all important go-ahead run? Can they deliver the walk-off hits? Can the pitchers and defence execute with the game on the line?

THE DRAFT

As in previous years, the 2015 Hunlock Series managers will select their teams via Draft. Who will be the first round picks? How will minor league players perform alongside NBL players?

Over the years we have seen how decisions made during the draft can shape the outcome of the Series before a pitch has been thrown. The managers will have to make carefully calculated decisions if they are to put together a team which can compete for the Hunlock Series title, otherwise they face miserable few weeks.

With all of the club’s managers and coaching staff monitoring these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity to make a claim on the big stage in the coming weeks of the Hunlock Series.

PLAYERS LOOKING TO REGISTER AHEAD OF THE DRAFT

Herts players are currently signing up ahead of the draft. New players and players from other clubs can also sign up by contacting Herts Baseball Club.

There has already been interest from non-Herts players located in other regions of the United Kingdom and overseas. Just like last year, the Hunlock Series could provide a glimpse at players who could be wearing the Herts jersey in 2016.

To be eligible for selection during the live draft, players must register and enter their availability details online by 7pm on Wednesday, 17 September. If you miss this deadline, don’t worry. Players would still be eligible to take part but would be added to teams as free agents. Players who wish to register for the 2015 Hunlock Series should contact Herts Baseball Club. To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2015.

by Greg Bochan

2015 Herts Futures Tournament

It’s time to sign up for one of the biggest youth tournaments in British baseball, the Herts Futures Tournament.

This year’s event will take place on Saturday, 26th September.

Click here to visit the 2015 Herts Futures Tournament webpage.

This competition has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the sporting calendar. It brings together youth teams of all age groups from across the country for a day of baseball at Grovehill Ballpark, one of the best baseball venues in the United Kingdom.

Last year was a record for the HFT with 15 teams entering the competition, and we hope to build on that in 2015. In previous years teams from Horsham, Bracknell, the LYBL Bulldogs and the Northstar Polecats are among those which have come to Hemel Hempstead for the event.

This year, in addition to inviting Under-19, Under-14 and Under-12 teams, Herts is exploring the option of adding an Under-10 division, which would be coach-pitch. There may also be exciting changes to the format of several games in a group stage, followed by finals.

It all depends how many teams sign up, so please register now and final details will be sent to competing teams.

All games will be played at Grovehill. The home of Herts Baseball Club in Hemel Hempstead, it has two purpose-built diamonds with pitching mounds, permanent outfield fences, and dugouts.

Grovehill has frequently hosted BBF postseason and GB Team games. During the Herts Futures Tournament additional diamonds are added to accommodate all the age groups.

The organisers provide game balls and umpires. All you have to bring is your enthusiasm! A concessions stand will sell hot and cold drinks, donuts and hot dogs.

Those who wish to enter a team are kindly requested to email the organisers by 6 September 2015.

The entry fee has been set at £40. Your entry fee must be received no later than 13 September 2015.

More details can be found on the 2015 Herts Futures Tournament webpage.

The 2015 Herts Futures Tournament info pack is available for download by CLICKING HERE.

Please contact Mark Caress at Herts Baseball Club for any further details. He can be reached at mark.caress@hertsbaseball.com