Author: Matt Bell

by Matt Bell

Dodgers forge ahead in U11 series

written by hertsbaseball.com correspondent, Chris Jones

Growing up on Merseyside I had only the vaguest idea about baseball. It was one of those sports that took place in other countries, like camel-wrestling or wife-carrying races.

I first saw the game when working in Japan. We would take our seats in the stands at the Tokyo Dome to watch the Yomiuri Giants take on the Yakult Swallows (really), and we would drink Asahi, cheer on the players and bang plastic sticks together at appropriate intervals.

Twenty years later I find myself with two half-American sons. Most Saturdays we come to the ballpark, and I watch, score and act as assistant coach. I know the game a little better now, but retain a somewhat sketchy grasp of the rules. Luckily at under-11 level, the intricacies of the dropped third-strike or the infield fly are not central to our games.

Of course, I’ve had to adopt a major-league team. My elder son favours the Mariners, while I cheer on the Boston Red Sox, for no better reason than that they share an owner with Liverpool Football Club. My morning ritual at the office includes dropping in at mlb.com to check the overnight scores; as it happens the Sox are on the road in Seattle as I write. Sometimes the overnight game has been a high-scoring affair, 15-4 or 13-12 after extra innings. Other times, the pitchers have prevailed: 1-0 or 2-1.

But in the Herts Dodgers matchups against the Herts Giants, we leave those pitching duels to the professionals; we believe our crowds turn up to see a festival of hitting. And so it was on Saturday at Grovehill.

The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead into this game, and the Giants were looking to restore parity after narrowly losing to their rivals last week. After some training, including a competitive game of ‘hit the lawn chair from twenty yards’, it was time to play.

The Dodgers fielded essentially the same team as last week, while the Giants rang the changes: the Lynches and Trautmans were unavailable for selection, but back in came Lewis Auchterlounie and Rory Vangundy. The Giants also welcomed Ben Jackson-Preece to the lineup. Both teams also acquired a temporary player from the U14s; Bai Frisby for the Giants and Blake Edwards for the Dodgers.

Unlike the tense encounter of a week ago, this game was one-sided. The Giants were scoreless in the first, while the Dodgers replied with the maximum five runs with no outs. In the second, the Giants picked up a run, but were undone after some good infield play at third base disposed of base runners in two successive plays.

At the bottom of the second, the Giants made two outs, but then allowed a further five runs to end up 10-1 down after two.

The bleak situation brightened up for the Giants in the third: it was their turn to score five runs. But anything the Giants could do, the Dodgers could do just as well, as they batted around and scored another five to take the game to 15-6 after three innings.

In the fourth, the Giants could do nothing to respond to the Dodgers’ clinical fielding, as Oliver struck out and Rory and Alex both grounded out at first. The Dodgers added a run to leave the Giants with the daunting task of hitting ten runs to make the Dodgers bat again. Despite good hits from Bai Frisby and Cameron Manning, this was too big a margin, and the Giants succumbed 16-9.

The coaches feel we are continuing to see signs of improvement in all areas of play. Plenty of batters in this game hit the fences: Cameron, Rory, Bai, Nicholas, Katie, Ozan and Blake. There were a number of neat plays in the infield. And perhaps most importantly, when coach Mike asked if his Dodgers players had enjoyed the game, there was a unanimous shout of ‘yeah!’. You can’t ask for much more.

Picture credit: Aidan C. Siegel

by Matt Bell

Dodgers edge Giants in U11 Thriller

written by hertsbaseball.com correspondent, Chris Jones

Saturday’s skies were clear across Southern England from Penzance to the Wash. Three days on from the summer solstice, the air was hot, heavy, humid. A dog lay on the pavement, motionless but for a pant of the tongue and a flick of the ear. Dragonflies hovered over the river, their faint buzzing the only sound to be heard. In the distance a flag drooped, still, like the pendulum of a long-stopped grandfather clock. The sun was merciless, the black streets baked like the hot charcoal of a barbecue.  Young children took refuge in cool, blue, rippling paddling pools, old women closed their shutters and waited for the cool of evening.

Meanwhile, Grovehill enjoyed its unique microclimate, thick black clouds moving across the sky in a cold force 8 wind with occasional rainfall. Our two teams, the Herts Dodgers and the Herts Giants eyed each other up cautiously. One-one in the series so far. Who would feel the pressure, who would crack, who would emerge with the vital win ?

Team changes. For the Dodgers, no Rory Vangundy, while the Giants were missing Joshua Jones and Lewis Auchterlounie. The Dodgers lent Cameron Manning to the Giants for the day, and for no obvious reason Alex Jones and Jamie Clark swapped sides.

The Dodgers batted first. A ground-out to first, then three singles, a strike-out, and three more singles (RBIs to William Morillo and Katie Everex-Armstrong) before a force-out ends the inning.

Now the Giants. Single! Single! Single! Single! Single! Single! A ground-out and another single, and it’s the maximum five runs for the Giants: a 5-2 lead.

The second innings showed both teams at their defensive best – no runs for either side. Particular kudos to Ozan Martin with a sharp catch at short stop, and Jonathan Wakelam for tagging out Cameron Manning at second.

The Dodgers were now three down at the top of the third. Another string of singles brought three runs home to tie the scores at five apiece. Rose Burgess-Van Dort and Alex Jones had base hits; then Christian Lynch reached first safely, only to see Alex forced out at second. An identical play with the next batter and the Giants were two down. Rose came home for the run but Noah Lynch struck out to close the inning. 6-5 Giants.

The Dodgers squeezed just one run from the fourth inning to level the scores, but we sensed now that the Giants had the measure of this game. They scored two more, the inning ended by a Cameron Manning fly-out to Ozan at short stop. 8-6 Giants.

But the Dodgers weren’t finished yet. Singles from Garton, Durer, Wakelam, Clark, Morillo. Then up steps Ozan Martin… bang!  Line drive to the left field fence for a single. Katie moves him to second, now here’s Thomas Garton… bang!  Another line drive to the left field fence. Four runs for the inning, and the tables are turned. 10-8 Dodgers.

Could the Giants respond in the last inning of the game ?  Not if pitcher Nicholas Durer and first baseman Thomas Garton had anything to do with it. Katie picked up a run, but a trio of 1-3 ground-outs were enough to close the inning and seal the win. 10-9 to the Dodgers to take a 2-1 series lead.

Shivering they may have been, but the spectators knew they’d seen a game today, one they would talk about long after they drove away, back into the heat of Southern England.

Click here for the scorecast, and choose Replay in the top right corner to follow the game.

by Matt Bell

Youth baseball league season opens this weekend at Grovehill Ballpark

The waiting is over. The boys and girls of summer will get the 2012 youth baseball league season underway this Saturday, 14 April 2012, at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Players from across Hertfordshire, London and as far as East Anglia will be putting on the Herts jerseys as the race for the championships begins.

The season will open with several mouth-watering match-ups. In the British Under-17 League Herts will start their season against the Harlow Stars at 11am. The Stars will then play against the Forest Glade RedBacks, and the final U17 game will see the Herts All Stars meet the RedBacks in a repeat of the heart-breaking playoff game which Herts lost 11-10 in extra innings last season.

In the Under-14 League Herts welcome the RedBacks’ U14 team. First pitch is at 11am. Both teams reached the National Baseball Championships last year. The RedBacks finished in third place overall while Herts were the runners-up after losing in the final to LYBL. In the second U14 game the RedBacks will face the Bracknell Wildfire and in the third game Bracknell will play the Herts All Stars.

Under-11 League opens up with the Herts Giants and Herts Dodgers playing against the RedBacks U11 team which means that there will be a Herts-versus-RedBacks rivalry in every age group on Opening Day. In total nine teams will be on show with baseball from 11am to 6pm.

As always, at the start of every season, there will be many new faces with free agents joining the League and players moving to a higher age group, so it will be a fascinating opening day.

It will be the first opportunity for the Herts youth teams to play at their home, Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, after the recently announced upgrade funded by BSUK as part of the long-term project to turn it into the best baseball venue in Great Britain.

There isn’t a better way to spend Saturday then at the ballpark enjoying a hot dog and all sort so of other snacks and drinks which will be on offer. The games begin at 11am. Free admission for all.

NEW PLAYERS CAN JOIN AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR

Many new players have signed up with the teams over the last few weeks and it is not too late for new players to start playing in the League. Herts Baseball club welcomes new members at any point of the season, boys and girls from 6 to 16 years of age, from complete beginners to experienced players. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

OPENING DAY SCHEDULE – Saturday, 14 April

DATE TIME LEAGUE VISITING TEAM HOME TEAM
14-Apr-12 11:00 BBF (U14) Forest Glade RedBacks Herts All Stars (U14)
14-Apr-12 16:00 BBF (U14) Bracknell Wildfire Herts All Stars (U14)
14-Apr-12 11:00 BBF (U17) Southern Stars Herts All Stars (U17)
14-Apr-12 16:00 BBF (U17) Forest Glade RedBacks Herts All Stars (U17)
14-Apr-12 11:00 U11 RedBacks (U11) Herts Giants
14-Apr-12 13:30 U11 RedBacks (U11) Herts Dodgers
by Matt Bell

Cambridge and Guildford win HSL Championships

Herts Hawks starter Nic Goetz allowed only 1 run in a very effective complete game against HSL AAA Champions, Cambridge Royals

The Cambridge Royals won the HSL AAA Championship while the Guildford Mavericks are the HSL AA Champions as spring training ended for minor league teams and they prepare for the show to begin next weekend.

HSL – AAA

Sunday’s HSL schedule was revised slightly due to the London Mets (U17) absence. The key clash of the day was the game between the two unbeaten teams Cambridge Royals and Essex RedBacks. Four pitches into the game and the RedBacks starting pitcher pulled a groin muscle. He suffered the same injury in the previous weekend of the HSL so this is a major blow for the Redbacks ahead of the new season. The Royals took advantage and won the game 10-2. They did lose their second game of the day against the Herts Hawks 13-1. Hawks pitcher Nic Goetz picking up the win with a strong performance in that game. Despite the loss the Royals knew that they had clinched the HSL AAA title regardless of the score in the other games involving the RedBacks and MK Bucks as they had beaten both teams and in the event of a tie in the standings the Royals would be the winners on their head-to-head record.

The RedBacks won their game against MK Bucks in what turned out to be a game to determine the runner-up of the HSL AAA. Rich Chesterton was the winning pitcher for the team from Essex.

The Sidewinders were winless so far this Spring and despite having a shortage of players on the day they did have enough quality to win both their games to climb up two places in the table. They ended the day with an exciting 6-5 win against the MK Bucks. Tadaki Junior was the starting pitcher picking up the win while Tadaki Senior picked up the save restraining a last-inning rally by the Bucks.

HSL – AA

On Saturday the Guildford Mavericks clashed with the Essex RedBacks II in the HSL AA Final. Both teams stayed unbeaten in the group stage but it was Guildford who came out on top 13-5. In the 3rd and 4th Place game the Kent Mariners dominated against the Herts Raptors winning convincingly 28-10. The second team from Guildford also had a good day beating the London Marauders 13-8. The GB cadets secured 7th place finish with a big win against the Herts Eagles who were missing some key players like starting pitcher Theo Scheepers, Oz Kemal, Will Belbin, among others.

THE SHOW BEGINS

This year’s HSL has proven to be a big success. A record 20 teams took part and with support from very high quality umpires and great venues in Herts and Guildford this felt more like the postseason National Baseball Championships than Spring Training.

Herts Baseball Club President, Aspi Dimitrov said: “We have had fantastic feedback from participating teams, players, coaches and fans” and he added that “the HSL has become a very enjoyable and productive competition in the British Baseball calendar and the best way to prepare for the start of a new season.”

With Spring Training completed all eyes will now turn towards next Sunday’s opening day games of the 2012 season with NBL, AAA, AA and A League teams all in action across the country.

Click to view 2012 HSL Scoreboard

Click to view 2012 HSL Final Standings

by Matt Bell

Clark completes a crazy day of player transactions announced by the Falcons

The Herts Falcons have already announced three player acquisitions today and they have made one more late transaction this evening adding catcher, Phil Clark, from the London Mets, which means that he will be eligible to make his Falcons debut this Sunday against the Bracknell Blazers.

Adding Phil Clark is a major coup for Herts. Clark is considered one of the top catchers and third basemen in the NBL so this is a major player acquisition for Herts.

The 33-year-old Australian made his NBL debut in 2004 with the Windsor Bears. The following year he moved to the Brighton Buccaneers. In 2004 and 2005 he reached the NBL Final but ended up on the losing side on both occasions losing to the Croydon Pirates. In the last 4 seasons he has been a member of the London Mets, including the invincible London Mets of 2008 who destroyed the rest of the league losing only one game all season. In that season he was the NBL leader in batting average (.548) and on-base average (.615), which is an incredible achievement considering the superstars who played for the Mets in that year. His NBL career batting average stands at .341 with 4 home runs in the NBL.

The move from the Mets to the Falcons is intuitive as his family relocated to Harpenden in Herts last year. In fact for members of Herts it does not feel like Phil is a new arrival as, despite being a Mets player last year, he has been a regular at Herts training sessions over the last 12 months and also appeared for the Herts White Sharks last October in the 2011 Hunlock Series. He has also had a very positive influence on the Herts Under-17 players who have been involved in those training sessions last year.

Hertsbaseball.com had the opportunity to chat with Phil Clark earlier today about the upcoming season, MLB coming to London and more.

hertsbaseball.com: What would be the key to a successful 2012 season for Herts?

Phil Clark: Herts have acquired some quality experienced NBL players who most have played in the final fours and know what is necessary to get there, as well as win. Consistency and `heart’ (pardon the pun) is going to be the key to Herts success as there are many strong teams out there who are also biting at the bit to win. Provided we can come together as a team, we should do very well this year.

hertsbaseball.com: Which team or teams do you think go into the new season as the favourites to win the NBL?

Phil Clark: This year is somewhat different to most. Previous seasons have always seen the top 2 or 3 being of equal standard. However this season, there appears to be a fairly balanced player quality amongst the teams which will make for a tight season. I haven’t seen every team, so I can only comment on teams from last season and the spring league, but Nationals, Mets, Lakenheath are always going to be favourites. But I hear Essex played well in the spring tournament and Bracknell have found a couple of players – and they were always a threat. So we’ll wait and see.

hertsbaseball.com: What do you see as a realistic target for Herts this year?

Phil Clark: Herts should aim and achieve Final Four. But, there is also no reason why we can’t be aiming for the final play-off and even a championship. The quality and talent is there, we just have to bring that together as a team.

hertsbaseball.com: There is an increased interest and optimism from fans of Herts. Do you have a message for them ahead of the new season?

Phil Clark: If there is one thing that makes baseball great fun, it’s the fans. Come down at home games and support your teams. Baseball can create a great atmosphere and is a very family orientated sport, but that only helps when fans get involved. Fans help make clubs successful and Herts is unique to have such a fan base and it’ll be great to see everyone down at the field when they can make it and this club can grow that bit stronger.

hertsbaseball.com: You are one of several lefties joining Herts this winter. With the short right-field wall at Grovehill Ballpark how much of an advantage is it to have so many lefties?

Phil Clark: I wish I could say a short porch benefits me… but I’m just not that power hitter. But I’m sure there will be some guys in our team who are busting to get out on the diamond on Sunday and create some havoc down the right side.

hertsbaseball.com: British newspapers have reported that MLB is inspecting the Olympic Stadium as a potential venue to host a regular season MLB game in the next few years. What do you think about the prospect of MLB teams coming to town?

Phil Clark: I think that it’s a long time coming. The NFL have been doing this for years now and turned it into a great spectacle where the sport has now increased its coverage and rekindled an old flame of followers and even picked up some new ones along the way. The MLB should be doing this to help boost it’s credentials and place a bigger spot-light on the sport here in the UK and even the continent for that matter with not just a series played here, but a bunch of games over a period of time. My only concern would be that the UK – as a lot of the current players know, is that we lack any decent facility that could a) closely resemble a MLB quality diamond; and b) hold the crowd capacity they would require. I think that BSUK, if they are serious about the sport – along with Sport England and the Government to be fair, need to consider placing some serious finance into helping to deliver a playing quality pitch as a minimum. It’ll be great to see a game close to home though, that’s for sure!

WILL YOU BE WEARING THE HERTS JERSEY IN 2012?

Herts’ recruitment efforts ahead of the new season continue and in fact new players can join at any point during the year. The club welcomes players from complete beginners to accomplished players. 6 to 16-year-olds play for the Herts youth teams while adults (over the age of 14) play for the club’s major and minor league teams. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

NBL statistics courtesy of projectcobb.org.uk

by Matt Bell

Herts add two more ahead of 2012 Opening Day

With less than 48 hours before the first pitch of the 2012 National Baseball League (NBL) season there does not appear to be an end to the waves of player transactions made by the Herts Falcons this Spring.  They have strengthened their NBL roster further with the addition of infielder, Dave House and left-handed pitcher, George Naumczik. 

GEORGE NAUMCZIK

George Naumczik comes with a wealth of experience which could prove to be very valuable for Herts on and off the field.  He is one of the few players in Great Britain with experience of playing for an MLB franchise.  In 1986 he played for the Idaho Falls Braves in the Pinoneer League.  This was the minor league affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. 

He was out of action last season, but prior to that he had four seasons in the NBL under his belt with the Flames in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010. His NBL career batting average is .317 with 1 home run.

Naumczik is a left-handed pitcher and fans who have followed British Baseball in the last few years will recognise his distinctive wrist action when he delivers a pitch which can be quite deceiving for opposing hitters.  

DAVE HOUSE

 

David House in 2007 with the TASIS Varsity Baseball team

Dave House is a player known to NBL fans.  He has previously appeared for the Windsor Bears and the Richmond Flames.  Last year in the NBL he had an impressive batting average of .314. His primary positions are third base and second base.   

Earlier in his career House spent four years playing for the TASIS Varsity Baseball team, which he later coached in 2006 and 2007. 

House is 25 years old and is yet another addition which is bringing the average age of the Falcons squad down.  Adding players who are about to reach the peak of their physical and baseball development is exciting news for everyone connected with Herts. 

Hertsbaseball.com had a chance to put a few questions to Dave House on the eve of Opening Day. 

hertsbaseball.com: What would be the key to a successful 2012 season for Herts? 

Dave House: The key to success this year will be for everyone on this Falcons team to come together as a cohesive unit.  With so much new talent being combined with the great players that are returning, it will be important for the team to work together to improve upon everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. 

hertsbaseball.com: Which team or teams do you think go into the new season as the favourites to win the NBL? 

Dave House: Just as last year, the Nationals look to be a solid group of players, and the London Mets have added some new talent during the offseason.  But I honestly believe that based on the quality that I have seen on the Herts training ground, the Falcons rightfully deserve to be right up there in the group of favourites – and for those who have not yet seen this Falcons team, I would say look out for the dark horse! 

hertsbaseball.com: What do you see as a realistic target for Herts this year? 

Dave House: Realistically, the Falcons should finish well above .500 in winning percentage and should be competing in the postseason NBC. 

hertsbaseball.com: Do you have a message for fans of Herts Baseball Club? 

Dave House: To the Herts fans, I would say that this is going to be one exciting season!  Based on the talent that I have seen at training, the Falcons look to be very strong competitors in the NBL, and fans should expect to see some top class ball being played at this club.

WILL YOU BE WEARING THE HERTS JERSEY IN 2012?

Herts’ recruitment efforts ahead of the new season continue and in fact new players can join at any point during the year.  The club welcomes players from complete beginners to accomplished players. 6 to 16-year-olds play for the Herts youth teams while adults (over the age of 14) play for the club’s major and minor league teams. For more details contact Herts Baseball Club. 

NBL statistics courtesy of projectcobb.org.uk

by Matt Bell

Herts Falcons acquire Jordan Farkas

 
 
 
 

Jordan Farkas on the mound for the Hornets in the Anchorage Adult League in 2010

 

The Herts Falcons have announced the acquisition of right-handed pitcher, Jordan Farkas. 

The 28-year-old American from Anchorage, Alaska, comes with an impressive CV and experience at a very high level in various leagues in the US. 

Between 2003 and 2010 he played for the Hornets in the Anchorage Adult League. During that period he has proven to be one of the top performers in the league among the leaders in various pitching categories.  In 2009 he had ERA 0.63 (1st), 4 Wins (1st), WHIP 0.95 (3rd), 35 strikeouts (2nd) and to top it all off his team won the Championship in that season.   

 

Farkas (right) with the 2009 Anchorage League Championship trophy

Between 2004 and 2007 he pitched for Division III, Whitworth Pirates(Whitworth College).  In 2006 he played for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, a team which has seen a large number of its players progress to play in MLB.  This includes players like Mark McGwire (St Louis Cardinals), Jacoby Ellsbury (Boston Red Sox), J.T. Snow (San Francisco Giants), Mark Pelfrey (New York Mets) among many others. 

With the unrelenting announcements of new arrivals, Herts is starting to look formidable and Farkas agrees. “I am looking forward to playing for Herts this year.  We have a great group of guys with a lot of talent, and I am looking forward to seeing the great things we will bring to the field as a team” he said.

 

The Falcons now have a star-studded list of potential starting pitchers, but who will be the starting pitcher in the Opening game of 2012?  Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, will have the enjoyable task of finding an answer to that question. It will all be revealed this Sunday as the show begins.

by Matt Bell

AUDIO: BBC 3 Counties Radio talks Herts Baseball ahead of 2012 Opening Day

BBC TV and Radio coverage of Herts baseball club is becoming ever more frequent, including BBC Breakfast who sent presenter, Mike Bushell (left), and his crew to test his baseball skills with the Herts Falcons

BBC 3 Counties Radio presenter, Roberto Perrone, caught up with Aspi Dimitrov to look ahead to the upcoming 2012 baseball season and what fans of Herts Baseball Club can look forward to as we count down to Opening Day this Sunday, 1 April. To listen to audio, press play in the video window below.

by Matt Bell

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see British baseball’s best teams ahead of the 2012 season

The Herts Falcons have been busy during the winter and they will be looking for a solid Spring League performance

The biggest pre-season baseball tournament in Britain is back. Commencing on March 17, the Herts Spring League will see a record 20 teams travelling from as far afield as Torbay and Milton Keynes to compete for the title. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it’s Britain’s very own version of MLB’s Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues currently under way in the US, and it signals that the season is just around the corner.

FORMAT

This is the fifth year of the HSL and for the first time the 20 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers. The top teams in the country from the National Baseball League will play in the HSL Majors. They will play each of their opponents in a league format. The team finishing on the top of the standings wins the title.

The Under-17 National Champions, London Mets, will be the first Under-17 team to play in the HSL

The HSL-AAA is the second tier of the Herts Spring League. It will feature predominantly British AAA-League teams. The teams will meet each other once over the course of the competition in a race to finish top of the league.

The HSL-AA is the third and largest tier in this year’s HSL. Five of the teams are located north of the river Thames and they will play against each other in the first two weeks. Over the same period the four HSL-AA teams located south of the river Thames will do the same in their own region. Despite the geographic separation in the games schedule the teams from both north and south will be keeping an eye on each other as they will be battling for positions in the same standings. The top two at the end of the league stage will meet in the final week to determine the HSL-AA Champions. The third and fourth placed teams will meet in the Bronze Medal game, fifth versus sixth and so on. The “games-back” column in the standings will be critical, but undoubtedly some teams will end up with the same record and so it may go down to the number of runs conceded per game to break the tie.

THE VENUES

The action will take place at two of Britain’s best baseball venues, Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, and Broadwater Park in Guildford. This is the first year in which HSL games are held in Guildford and is a tremendous opportunity for fans of baseball in that region to enjoy some Spring League action. The opportunity to add Guildford to the schedule comes as a relief for the Torbay Barons to reduce their journey slightly in what must be a record 7-hour round trip.

SCHEDULE

Over the four weeks of the HSL a total of 45 games will be played. The reigning champions, Harlow Nationals open up the HSL-Majors with a game against the London Mets at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead on Saturday, 17 March (first pitch 10:50am). On the adjacent diamond the hosts, Herts Falcons, will face the National Runners-up, Lakenheath Diamondbacks. The Falcons have been unveiling star signings every week this Spring and this will be a first opportunity to see how the team is shaping up ahead of the 2012 NBL season.

The Sidewinders open up HSL-AAA with a game against the newest AAA team in the country, the Cambridge Royals on Saturday, March 24, also at Herts.

The opening games in the AA bracket will see the Herts Raptors welcome the Essex RedBacks, while over in Guildford, the hometown Mavericks clash with the rejuvenated Kent Mariners.

Great Britain's Under-15 National Team will play in the HSL and some of its players will end up facing their club team mates

Herts Baseball President, Aspi Dimitrov was delighted with the surge in interest: “We have equalled last year’s record with 20 teams entering the HSL, but Herts Baseball Club would not have been able to satisfy this demand without the Guildford Mavericks who have so generously agreed to host HSL games.” Dimitrov added “Very importantly the HSL has had fantastic support from so many umpires which will mean that games will be covered by some of the country’s best umpires in the first two weeks of the HSL before the start of the NBL season”

EXCITEMENT BUILDING UP

The Herts Spring League adds a competitive edge to Spring training. It’s the time for managers to work out their winning formula going into the BBF league season. It is an opportunity to evaluate existing and newly recruited players – which players will earn a spot in the pitching rotation and who will be batting where in the batting order? Who will make the first team and who will have to work their way up with the minor league teams? Not forgetting, it’s a chance to size up your rivals for the year ahead. It’s the first big challenge and the first big excitement of the baseball year. Don’t miss it.

RELATED LINKS

 Full 2012 HSL SCHEDULE

 Venue details

For more details about the event you can contact Herts Baseball Club

by Matt Bell

Season set by BBF for Hawks, Raptors and Eagles

by Joe Selfe, hertsbaseball.com

With the BBF’s recent release of the league schedule for the AA and A Leagues, Herts Baseball Club is now very pleased to be able to set the season for the Herts Hawks, Raptors and the newly reformed Herts Eagles teams.

Opening Up

The Hawks, retaining their place in the AA league will open up on the 15th April at home against the Richmond Dragons. The fixture last year saw the Hawks triumph as part of their strong finish to the 2011 season. The Eagles, newly reformed in the BBF’s A league, will also entertain a Richmond side, the Dukes, on what should be a fantastic opening day at Grovehill Ballpark. The Herts Raptors, also competing in the A league this season will have to wait until the following week to get their season underway, entertaining the Essex Redbacks which will also take place at Grovehill Ballpark.

The Leagues

The largest tier of British Baseball, the AA league, will this year see a total of 24 teams competing to become national champions. With such a fantastic intake, the league has adopted a geographical split into four sub divisions of North, Midlands, South Pool A and South Pool B. Situated in the southern section of the league, the Hawks season will concern the final two pools where notable changes and additions include the Southampton Mustangs 2 who have moved up from the A league while the Essex Archers drop down. The Latin Tigers are also replacing their affiliated Latin Boys who have stepped up to AAA and there are two new teams in the shape of the London Mammoths and Daws Hill Spitfires. Placed in South Pool B will see the Hawks compete in a 7 innings double header against each of their pool opponents who include the: Essex Redbacks (H); Kent Mariners (A); London Mammoths (H); Brentwood Stags (H); Sidewinders (A) and Daws Hill Spitfires (A). A single 9 innings match will then be played against each member of South Pool A which includes the: Richmond Dragons (H);Croydon Pirates III (A); Latin Tigers (A); Guildford Mavericks AA (H); Thames Valley Bisons (A); Southampton Mustangs 2 (A) and completing their 23 match season at home to the Poole Pirates on 5th August. It is assumed, that as with previous seasons, the most successful of the North and Midlands Pools, comprising of six and five teams respectively, will join those top of the southern pools in the postseason to decide the overall national champion.

With the recent addition of the Herts Eagles, the A League will this season comprise of 11 teams and operate as a straight 11 team league. As well as the Eagles and Archers, the A league welcomes Hove Tuesday to the BBF and the newly formed Richmond Dukes. With no league divide, the Raptors and Eagles will compete against each of their opponents once in a single 9 innings match resulting in a ten match regular season. In addition to the teams stated above, this will include games against the: Guildford Mavericks A; Old Timers; Tonbridge Bobcats; Braintree Rays and the London Marauders. The big A League season date for all Herts fans and both the Raptor and Eagle teams however will be their face off taking place on 17th July, where a strong crowd and competitive spirit will be expected!

Pushing for Success

The BBF calendar also has a London Tournament scheduled for the 15th of July for all the teams to look forward to as well as the chance for further games in the postseason. For now though, Herts will be keen to ensure that both the Hawks and Raptors can build on their strong end to last season and that the Eagles can join them in getting off to a flying start in their return to the BBF. With preparation well underway for the fast approaching new season, we hope to see all three teams soaring high in their respective leagues before long.

This article was written by Joe Selfe, who is the newest addition to the hertsbaseball.com media team. Over the course of the season he and the rest of the team will be bringing you all the latest news from Herts and from around the British baseball leagues. hertsbaseball.com is constantly looking to add to its media roster. If you are interested to join the team, in any role please contact us. Some of the roles include: reporter embedded with one of the Herts teams; blogger for our “Opinion” section; event correspondent; Herts TV and radio host or member of the TV/Radio production staff, MLB correspondent, British Leagues correspondent etc.