Author: Herts Baseball News Editor

BBF confirms the change of venue and date of the playoff clash between the Hawks and Londoners
by Herts Baseball News Editor

BBF confirms the change of venue and date of the playoff clash between the Hawks and Londoners

The British Baseball Federation has approved the joint application of the Herts Hawks and the Herts Londoners to move the Single-A League Playoff Quarter-Final game between the two teams from Williams Field in Kent to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

The date of the game has also been changed and it will now be played on Sunday, 4 September 2022, with a first pitch at 12pm.

The plate umpire will be Chris Goldsmith. The base umpire will be confirmed in due course.

Admission to the game is free.  Fans are advised to bring their own chairs or other seating as currently there is no spectator seating at Grovehill Ballpark.

Two Herts baseball teams to face each other in the Playoffs
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Two Herts baseball teams to face each other in the Playoffs

The British Baseball Federation (BBF) has announced the Playoff matchups confirming that the Herts Hawks and Herts Londoners will face each other in the quarter-finals of the BBF Single-A League Playoffs.

Single-A (South Central B)

PosTeamWLPctGB
12050.8000
214120.5386.5
312140.4628.5
312140.4628.5
51250.03819.5

The Hawks have dominated their division and booked their place several weeks ago.  The Londoners played their final games of the regular season on 14 August and at that point they were almost certain of a place in the Playoffs regardless of what the reigning Single-A League National Champions, the London Mustangs, did in their remaining games by virtue of a better run differential in the direct games between the two teams.

However, the Herts team had to wait until last Sunday’s round of games involving other teams as there was a scenario where the Mustangs could overtake them due to a peculiarity in the tie-break rules. The Herts Londoners have a better record than the Mustangs in a two-way tie between them, but a worse record than the Mustangs in a three-way tie which would have occurred if the Bracknell Inferno had lost to the London Minotaurs leaving the Inferno, the Londoners and the Mustangs with identical win-loss records of 18 wins and 8 losses.

Herts fans had to endure a tense afternoon on Sunday waiting for game updates as the Minotaurs put up a real fight against the Bracknell Inferno but the division leaders came back late in the game to win it which confirmed Herts Londoners’ place in the Playoffs.

Single-A (South Central A)

PosTeamWLPctGB
12060.7690
21880.6922
21880.6922
47180.28012.5
57190.26913

The Playoff matchups were determined based on the seeding of the teams in the regular season league standings which paired the Herts Hawks and Herts Londoners against each other. The higher seeds are designated as the home teams.

Formosa Islanders (6th seed) @ Tonbridge Wildcats (1st seed)
Herts Londoners (5th seed) @ Herts Hawks (2nd seed)
Kent Mariners (4th seed) @ Bracknell Inferno (3rd seed)

All three games were scheduled to be played on Saturday, 3 September, at the home of the Kent Buccaneers in Hadlow, Kent.

In view of the two Herts teams being drawn to play against each other and given the cost of living crisis which players and fans are facing at the moment, last night Herts Baseball Club submitted an application to the BBF to move the game to Grovehill Ballpark in Hertfordshire and avoid Herts players and fans spending hundreds of pounds on fuel.  The application also requests the game to be moved from the Saturday to the Sunday, 4 September, to avoid a clash with youth baseball events.

The club is awaiting BBF’s decision and will keep supporters updated when a confirmation is received.

Players have started registering for the 2022 Hunlock Series
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Players have started registering for the 2022 Hunlock Series

The 2022 BBF regular season will be coming to an end this weekend but, whether your team makes it to the Playoffs or not, arguably the best part of the season is still to come.

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

SERIES FORMAT

This is the sixteenth year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. The format of the competition has evolved since then. The club has over 120 registered adult players this year and a good number of new players are expected to register to play in the Series. As players sign up over the next few weeks we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

SCHEDULE

It will be played over three Sundays on 2, 9 and 16 October. This is later than in previous years due to BBF adult and youth postseason playoffs being played over all four weekends of September.  If Herts adult teams are eliminated in the early rounds of the Playoffs one of the Hunlock Series game days may be moved to 18 September.

VENUES

Games will be played at both Grovehill Ballpark and Basing Hill Ballpark.

WHO CAN PLAY?
Any players aged 14 and over on 31 December 2022 are eligible to play in the Hunlock Series.

THE DRAFT

As in previous years, the teams will be selected by the team managers during the Hunlock Series Draft. Who will be the first round picks? How will Single-A league players and newcomers perform alongside NBL and Triple-A 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 observing these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity during the Hunlock Series to make a claim to play on the bigger stage in 2023.

NEW PLAYERS

The club has also received enquiries from many potential new members over the last few weeks and this event is the ideal opportunity for them to come and play and help them decide whether to join the club for the 2023 season. .

HOW TO REGISTER

All Hunlock Series players will be drafted into teams. To be eligible for the Draft you will need to update your availability for ALL the Hunlock Series dates in the online Clubhouse by Tuesday, 6 September. If you miss the deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. You will still be eligible to play but will have to be assigned as a free agent after the Draft.

If you already have a Clubhouse account you can update availability by logging on with your existing username and password. Click here to go to the Clubhouse.

If you do not have a Clubhouse account but wish to play in the Hunlock Series, please register here and select “Play Hunlock Series” in the membership category list. After registering you can log on and mark your availability.

To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2022.

ENTRY FEE
2022 Herts club members do not have to pay an entry fee as the Hunlock Series is part of their membership package. If you don’t have a Hunlock Series team shirt, you can buy one before your first game. The cost is expected to be around £8. You can also exchange a team shirt if you are drafted in a different colour team.

New players or players from other clubs can play by paying the £18 entry fee which includes a free Hunlock Series shirt of the team which has drafted them.

ENQUIRIES FROM NEW PLAYERS

For more details about playing in the Hunlock Series, contact us.

Herts youth teams gear up for the National Baseball Championships. Badenhorst and Barrett to manage the U19s.
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts youth teams gear up for the National Baseball Championships. Badenhorst and Barrett to manage the U19s.

Herts is preparing to enter teams in all age divisions of the of the 2022 National Youth Baseball Championships – U19, U15, U13 and U11.  The event is expected to take place on 24 and 25 September.

New players are continuing to register to play for the Herts teams in these games which will give them the opportunity to represent the club and compete with teams from around the UK for the national title.

The majority of these players are playing baseball for the first time in their lives this year so it will be interesting to see how they will respond to the challenge.

The club has also confirmed that Duane Badenhorst and Colin Barrett (pictured above) will be the joint managers of the Herts U19 team. Both bring a wealth of baseball experience having played and coached in South Africa and Great Britain, including at international level with the South Africa U12 National Team, South Africa Men’s Softball Team and, currently, the Great Britain Men’s Softball Team.

Duane Badenhorst (centre) with the Herts U17 team in the Youth NBC

Six members of the Badenhorst and Barrett families have worn the Herts jersey over the years and fans of the club will be delighted to see them back.

For more details about joining the Herts youth baseball teams for the upcoming national youth baseball championships contact us.

Herts receives BSUK grant for the upgrade of Grovehill Ballpark
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts receives BSUK grant for the upgrade of Grovehill Ballpark

Herts Baseball Club has been awarded a grant of £2,851.63 by BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK).  The club has separately raised £3,000 and the total amount of £5,851.63 will be invested into upgrading its Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

The work on the project has already commenced with the installation of the pitching mounds on the two diamonds using clay mound blocks which will provide a more stable and durable structure in line with baseball regulations.

The next steps in the project involve a number of procedures to enhance the grass playing surface including verti-draining, top dressing, aeration and fertilising on both diamonds. The club is consulting with the contractor to determine the optimum time to implement these procedures – either in the autumn after the end of the baseball season or in the spring for the start of the 2023 season.

Grovehill Ballpark was opened in the early 1990s. The facility expanded its capacity with the building of the second diamond in 2010 enabling it to host high-profile events such as the National Baseball Championships, Herts Spring League, Herts Futures Tournament, Hunlock Series, and others. This year over 100 adult and youth league games are scheduled to be played at the ballpark and this project will make the ballpark even better.

Herts is one of seven recipients of the 2022 Facilities Fund, with £10,558.24 being directly invested in grassroots facility development projects this year.

As part of BSUK’s Two Sports, One Ambition Strategy launched in August 2020, BSUK reaffirmed its commitment to help grassroots baseball and softball organisations across the UK to become stronger, safer and more sustainable. A key part of the commitment was creating the Facilities Fund to support Chartered clubs and leagues to develop and improve their facilities, with BSUK committing £50,000 over five years, starting last year, to allow clubs and leagues to use the investment not only to support facility development but also act as a lever to attract further match funding.

Chris Rawlings, Head of Development at BaseballSoftballUK, commented on the submissions, remarking, “This year’s submissions were just as strong as last year’s, and the selection committee had a very tough task in awarding funding. This is a further step towards improving facilities across the United Kingdom, and we are very proud of all the clubs who submitted for the fund this year.”

Coach Monte Brooks is coming back to the UK to work with Herts players
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Coach Monte Brooks is coming back to the UK to work with Herts players

In June 2019 the head coach of The Master’s University baseball team, Monte Brooks, was a special guest of Herts Baseball Club and Herts players had the unique opportunity of being coached by him.

He will be coming back to the UK and he will once again be working with the Herts adult and youth teams at the club’s two branches in Hemel Hempstead and in London. The two events which he will be taking part in are:

  • 6pm, Wednesday, 1 June, Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead
  • 6pm, Thursday, 2 June, Basing Hill Ballpark, London

Brooks has just completed his 26th season as head coach of The Master’s University baseball team in the USA. He is the program’s all-time leader in wins with a record of 790-535. He has led the Mustangs to four NAIA World Series appearances (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017) and three regular-season GSAC titles.

As a player, Brooks was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1987 with whom he spent four seasons in the minor leagues and later coached in the Padres organisation before his appointment with Master’s University.

Players who have developed through The Master’s University have gone on to be drafted by MLB clubs. One of them is Conner Menez (pictured above) who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 14th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Shortly after Coach Brooks’ visit to London in 2019, Menez made his MLB debut for the Giants where he played until last year. This season he was signed by the Chicago Cubs and with rumours going around that the 2023 MLB London Series will feature the Chicago Cubs and the St Louis Cardinals, Herts fans may have the opportunity to see Menez in action at the London Stadium.

Coach Brooks’ area of expertise is working with hitters and infielders so his visit to the club is a fantastic opportunity for players from the various Herts teams.

The sessions are open to all current Herts members as well as new players who are considering joining the club. If you are not a current club member and wish to take part in one of these sessions, please contact us.

Herts Baseball Club looking for volunteers and paid coaches to host the pilot MLB First Pitch school baseball event in Hemel Hempstead
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Baseball Club looking for volunteers and paid coaches to host the pilot MLB First Pitch school baseball event in Hemel Hempstead

As part of Major League Baseball’s investment in the UK and the London Series, a pilot programme in association with the Youth Sport Trust was introduced where a hub of around 15 schools is created in a number of regions to run the MLB First Pitch programme. One of these hubs is in Hemel Hempstead and the surrounding area. 

The programme culminates with an end-of-school-year baseball event bringing all the schools from the hub together.  Herts Baseball Club was approached to host the end of year baseball festival scheduled for the summer of 2021, however that event could not take place due to Covid restrictions in schools.

Grovehill Ballpark has previously hosted baseball and softball events as part of the Herts School Games

Steps are being taken now to stage this event this summer on Tuesday, July 12, at Grovehill Ballpark, the home of Herts Baseball Club in Hemel Hempstead. The event is likely to feature a skills session from 9:30 to 12:00 and games from 12:30 to 14:45. It is expected to cover students aged 9 to 11 – school years 5 and 6.

The club is inviting Herts club members or players and coaches from other clubs who would be interested and available to act as event staff volunteers and as paid coaches on that day. The fee for the coaches will range between £12.50 and £23.75, depending on the role and the level of the coach.  For more details and to express interest contact us.

Saira Smith is the new Eagles manager
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Saira Smith is the new Eagles manager

Saira Smith has been appointed as the new Herts Eagles manager and has also been co-opted to the club’s executive board.

She joined the Eagles as a player at the start of the 2021 season and quickly established herself as a key member of the team.  Smith is originally from Australia where she has played baseball extensively. She will be able to count on assistant coaches Jamie Lang-Richards, Mike Wakelam and Tom Hill who will be part of the team’s coaching staff.

The team had a win-loss percentage of .370 last season and it will be interesting to see if they can improve on that this season. The team caused an upset when they picked up two wins away at the reigning Single-A national champions, the London Mustangs, on Opening Day. That was followed by two losses against a strong Bracknell Inferno team.

Next up for them this Sunday is a trip to the Herts Hawks who are one of the early pace-setters in the Single-A league after winning their last three games.

MLB and London announce long term strategic partnership aimed at growing the game in the UK
by Herts Baseball News Editor

MLB and London announce long term strategic partnership aimed at growing the game in the UK

This evening Major League Baseball and the Mayor of London issued the following press release which Herts baseball fans have been hoping for.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. today announced a long-term strategic partnership that includes Major League Baseball’s commitment to hold major events in London over the next five years including regular season games in 2023, 2024 and 2026. Also announced was the formation of the MLB London Legacy Group which will include members from the Greater London Authority, Baseball Softball UK and other key stakeholders in the UK. The Group will be focused on delivering a wide-reaching and long-term legacy program that maximizes the impact of hosting MLB regular season games in London.

The Mayor of London is in New York City as part of a four-day trip to America to support London’s economic recovery from the pandemic and promote the capital to international visitors and business. Mayor Khan said: “Today is an historic day for London and baseball. I want to continue attracting world-class sport to our city as part of my mission to make London the sporting capital of the world. This long-term partnership with Major League Baseball is ambitious and includes regular season games as well as a legacy program designed to grow the number of Londoners watching and playing baseball at a grassroots level in
London. These games will be a fantastic opportunity to once again showcase the London Stadium as a multi-use venue and a fantastic asset for the capital.”

“All aspects of the inaugural MLB games in London were an overwhelming success,” said Commissioner Manfred. “It was clear that sports fans in London had a great appetite for baseball and that passion was shared by Mayor Khan as well as the business and media community. We are confident in making a long-term commitment to London and are looking forward to returning to the city with more MLB games, special fan events, and other opportunities to play and watch the game.”London hosted Major League Baseball games for the first time in June of 2019 when the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox met in the inaugural MLB London Series. The two-games at London Stadium were the first-ever regular season games played in Europe.

To complement these events, MLB Europe will continue to conduct new London-based fan engagement events, expanded UK-focused content, baseball participation programs, and other city specific media arrangements to help continue the growth of baseball’s popularity across London.

A prime example of this is Home Run Derby X, an electrifying new baseball format which will take place in London’s Crystal Palace Park on July 9, 2022. Home Run Derby X has been designed to frame baseball in a fun and unique way to a new audience, with MLB Legends competing alongside characters new fans trust and care about and integrated into digital platforms and live event experiences that appeal to them.

Fans can register their details at [link] to keep up to date with the latest information from MLB Europe.

Basing Hill Ballpark crowdfunding target reached
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Basing Hill Ballpark crowdfunding target reached

Earlier today, Herts Baseball Club issued the following message to supporters who contributed to the Basing Hill Ballpark (Phase 2) crowdfunding campaign.

With the fantastic support and generosity of club members, Sport England and the wider community, today we reached the Basing Hill Ballpark (Phase 2) Crowdfunding target of £20,068.

This now makes it possible for the club to install the backstop, infield perimeter fence and the infield cutout clay areas around the bases and the pitcher’s mound. We hope that we can replicate at Basing Hill Ballpark the growth and the wonderful programmes which we built at our Grovehill Ballpark branch in Hemel Hempstead over the years.

There were several critical moments over the four weeks of this campaign when there was very little light at the end of the tunnel and the project seemed impossible, but club members and supporters mobilized friends, family, neighbours and colleagues and generated vital momentum for the campaign in those critical moments.

Over the next few days, we will start the process of distributing the rewards which supporters picked up as part of their donations.

The next step is to go through the formalities with Barnet Council and book the contractors to implement the installations. We hope that we will be able to complete it by the end of May. We are relying on contractors and the Council and hopefully we can deliver the project without any major delays.

We will keep everyone updated. 

The crowdfunding campaign is still live in case any other supporters would like to make a donation.  A number of rewards are still available to pick up. Any extra funds that we raise above the original target can be used to add items such as team benches, field equipment and other upgrades around the park.

Thank you for the amazing support.

Herts Baseball Club