Author: Rob Jones

26 September 202526 September 2025 by Rob Jones

Toucans take Herts back into Europe

Every season starts with a blank canvas. For the Herts Toucans, that was especially true in 2025.

The team were newly created for this year, returning Herts to the top level of British baseball, the National Baseball League (NBL). They had no history, but they had goals.

Of course, for every team in every league the ultimate goal is to win it all! And the Toucans pushed their challenge all the way, turning a solid season into an impressive playoff run and a place in European competition in 2026.

They finished third in the NBL, recording wins against every other team – including the defending champions, the London Mets.

Pitching ace Masa Hashiguchi led the entire league with an incredible 82 strikeouts in 67 innings – far ahead of the next pitcher on 54.

Toucans hitters also appeared on the leaderboards. Kazuki Tezuka impressed with a .373 batting average, while Josh Marriott and Shoya Tsutsui each collected 23 hits to power the offense.

Herts took on Sheffield in the first round of the playoffs at Townmead in Waltham Abbey. A big third inning helped the Bruins take what appeared a commanding 9-3 lead after five innings.

But a sudden string of hits from the Toucans turned the tables in the seventh, with 2-RBI knocks by Conner Brown and Pete Wiedmann helping them surge into the lead. Brian Dearing locked it down on the mound, and Herts took an 11-9 victory.

The next game against Essex was interrupted by a very nasty injury to an Arrows player, and had to be postponed. We wish him a full recovery.

The game had to be played on finals weekend instead, and it followed a very different pattern. After early exchanges were tight, this time it was Herts who built a big lead. They were up 9-0 in the middle of the fifth.

Then Essex chipped away, and with the help of some fielding mis-steps, they scored 3 then 4 runs. But Herts tacked on, and fought off the rally. Hashiguchi took the W in an 11-7 victory.

It was straight into Game 1 of the finals series against the Mets, a game which was shortened to fit the schedule. London chased Dearing in the third and took a 4-0 lead. But Herts hit right back through Leo Cedeno and Kazuki Tezuka to tie it up.

Reliever Carlos Torres struck out the first two Mets he saw in the fourth, but the defending champions edged back ahead 5-4. Herts got the tying run to third base in the fifth and final inning but couldn’t quite push it across, and they narrowly lost Game 1.

Mets dominated Game 2 on the Sunday and took advantage of every chance. Their 14-2 win secured the title, but could not take away from the great run the Toucans had.

The team’s progress to the final means they qualify for Europe in 2026, and they will be playing in the CEB Federation Cup. This is the first time since 2019 that Herts has been in Europe, and is the highest level the club has ever played, as the 2019 Falcons were in the CEB Federation Cup Qualifier.

The Toucans’ manager Cole Ryan paid tribute to the way his side had made history: “Every player stepped up to make it a memorable campaign, with standout performances across the roster.”

He went on: “The Club is proud of the Toucans’ achievements and how they have embraced the Herts spirit from winter training through to the national finals. Their debut season has set the stage for an exciting future.”

Our thanks to Davies-Rocker Photography for the pictures from the NBL finals

23 August 202523 August 2025 by Rob Jones

Purple patch for the red, white and blue

What a time to be alive, and to be part of British baseball.

When the GB team had an extraordinary adventure at the World Baseball Classic in the USA in 2023, it was a deserved high point for the sport here. But would it be a springboard to more, or would it be the sparkler that then fizzled out?

Now GB has won two European championships in a matter of weeks – and Herts players were at the centre of the latest victory, so let’s start there.

The GB women’s team had only played in the European Championship once before, in 2022, but they opened their campaign at this tournament in the Czech Republic with a statement 16-1 victory over the defending champions, France.

They were beaten by the Czech team in the next round, but a remarkable comeback victory over the Netherlands in their final round robin game – winning 10-9 after being 9-0 down – put them into the final.

This GB team had a generous clutch of players from the Herts Harriers, our Double-A team based at Grovehill in Hemel Hempstead. It was newly created in 2025 to offer more opportunities to women, girls and non-binary players.

Dani Briggs, Ella Henson, Laura Hirai, Emma Mclean, Natasha Romoff, Jessica Vernon and Stella Veski were all on the GB roster. And all played their part in a bit of history. Mclean took the pitching win in that game against the Netherlands. Hirai brought in the go-ahead run with a sac bunt in the fifth inning.

In the final, Herts players would star again. Natasha Romoff was 3-4 in the game, with 3 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Laura Hirai, in the leadoff spot, was 2-2 with a walk, 3 runs, and 2 stolen bases. In an even game, GB came out on top, 9-7.

Herts baseball club tips its cap to all of these players, and is enormously proud of all of them. As club President Mike Cresswell put it: “Trailblazers. Role models. Athletes. Friends. And now European champions!”

The success of the GB women is the latest cherry to be placed atop the cake. Earlier in August, the men’s Under-23 side won their European championship. You’ll never guess the opponent in the final? The Czech Republic. And the score? 9-7.

According to the British Baseball Federation, the U23s Gold Medal was GB baseball’s first since the 1938 Amateur World Series, the first edition of what would become the Baseball World Cup, in which Great Britain defeated the United States four games to one to become World Champions.

It’s been an amazing run of success this summer. And next up will be the GB senior men’s team in action in September at the European Baseball Championships in the Netherlands.

It’s also worth a shout while we are here to some of the young Herts talent which has been playing baseball on the international stage in August. The London Archers have been representing at the Under-16 Babe Ruth World Series, and the Under-12 Cal Ripken 50/70 World Series.

These rosters included JJ Sanders, until recently a member of the Herts Cardinals, and Charlie Wilkins of the youth programme. The team put in some tremendous performances in Branson, Missouri – and they show that the future looks bright.

The Archers organisation highlighted a first ever win by a UK side at the U12 event, and a first British win over a US World Series side at the U16s – with what they called “a great pitching performance” by JJ.

Our thanks to WBSC Europe for all the stats and some photos; the players for the other pictures; and to Mister Baseball and Herts alumnus Gabriel Fidler for detailed reports on the GB women’s team. Go check out their website!

16 August 202523 August 2025 by Rob Jones

Raptors wrap their season

One final hot Sunday took the Herts Raptors to the Croydon Raiders to end their regular season last weekend (August 10th). They had served a long sentence – waiting seven weeks since their last game to finally write the full stop on 2025.

The Single-A schedule had packed the Raptors games into one long stretch, then a summer break – slightly unconventional for baseball! Would that mean everyone would be well-rested, or rusty, for the finale…..

The visitors loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first inning as they tried to make a statement start, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat. And the home side immediately jumped ahead to a 5-0 lead with a scattering of hits and some aggressive base-running.

Herts were held scoreless again in the second frame, but this time they also limited Croydon to just one run. Starting pitcher Abdul El Hamri’s first strikeout and good defense by Chaks Baiya helped do the job, and in the top of the third Craig Elliot-Davey drove in the first Raptors run.

Herts then held the Raiders off the board for two innings – with the help of a double-play between catcher Rob Jones and first baseman Elliot-Davey, and then El Hamri doing it all himself in the fourth, fielding two grounders and producing another strikeout.

The Raptors were climbing the mountain they had made for themselves.

They were able to take a 7-6 lead in the final inning with runs from Billy Perry and Baiya. And it looked as if they might cling on to it. But with two out, Croydon pinch-hitter Sam Chen agonisingly managed to bring home the winning run on a dribbling infield hit. It ended 8-7.

Herts had travelled to south London with the expectation that they would need to pitch a bullpen game in the second half of the double-header just to make the contest happen. And, like most Single-A teams, they don’t really have a bullpen. Their roster of starters was depleted by injury, surgery and unavailability. But the team’s enthusiasm was exemplified by the decision of several players to put their pride and their arms on the line and to volunteer to pitch an inning each.

Croydon were also stretching their pitching depth for this mid-August match-up and there were plenty of walks in the early exchanges of Game 2. But when Herts’ Lewis Auchterlounie made his first ever start on the mound, he’d been given a 4-run lead by his offense. He picked up his first career strikeout, and performed solidly for his team.

Raptors scored 3 runs in the second to take the lead, 7-5. In the end, it had turned out one established arm was able to make the trip and so Paul Auchterlounie (yes, a father and son double act) took over with Herts still ahead in the second. Croydon tied it up – but that’s all. The stage was set.

So going into the final open inning, Raptors needed to rack up some runs to give themselves a shot at a win. And they delivered. Elliot-Davey and Paul Owen were among those scoring to create a 4-run cushion. And Croydon could only manage to get one run across before a decisive strikeout sealed a Herts victory, 11-8.

The Raptors ended the season on a high note, though they will be disappointed with their overall record of 4-18. It doesn’t really reflect the effort they made or their competitive performances — for example, they lost five one-run games!

Rookie players came on in leaps and bounds, with Paul Owen leading the team in walks (and narrowly missing out on the HBP title!) Rufus Lloyd slugged his first home run, and got a pitching win – while Abdul El Hamri got his first win on the mound, as did Lewis Auchterlounie.

The end of season spoils were shared around. Michael Foyo led the batting average with an impressive figure of .706 – while co-manager Paul Auchterlounie edged out Dave Roberts for the most RBIs, with 14. Abdul El Hamri was the stolen base king, with 37, and the strikeout leader with 34.

It all offers hope ahead of 2026, as players have another year of development under their belts – and we have fingers crossed for fewer injuries next time around. Looking forward to it already!

31 May 202531 May 2025 by Rob Jones

Baseball on the radio

It’s another big year for Herts baseball club. 2025 has seen the adult section expand to seven teams — including a return to the NBL with the Toucans, and the arrival of the Harriers in Double-A.

It will also see the return of our fund-raising Lou Gehrig Day on June 8th at Grovehill Ballpark.

To talk about all of that – and to add another big moment into the mix — we invited the BBC to come on down to Grovehill to try our sport.

Specifically, we invited Luke Ashmead, Miles Blumson and George Litchfield of BBC 3 Counties Sport. They are on a mission to try out new sports this year so this was the perfect opportunity.

You can listen to the first bit of broadcast gold at this link, which will take you to BBC Sounds. Herts appears at 15:00 minutes into the programme, and again at 50:00 minutes past for the finale. This went out on Friday May 30th – you can listen again at any time.

*Miles (in his Cubs jersey) pitching in*

How did the presenters do??

Pete Hogg of the Herts Hawks and Rob Jones of the Herts Raptors took them through some basics of throwing and catching, before they got to try pitching and hitting. And they showed enthusiasm, talent and even potential!

Luke Ashmead was honest about the fact that he had played baseball before — at Herts! He joined the club for a training session when he was a younger man. But it was great to see that he had clearly remembered the lessons he was given, and he excelled with the bat.

*Luke (centre, wielding bat) with Herts in 2013*

Thanks to Luke, Miles and George for visiting us and being good sports, and for helping spread the word about baseball.

If you want to follow in their footsteps, there is a Contact Us link on the front page of this very website. Message us now and you too could soon be hitting and pitching!

12 May 20253 September 2025 by Rob Jones

Weekend roundup: Sharing a split

We are all playing to win, right? But if that can’t be guaranteed, surely the next thing we all want is a close game, a competitive game.

The Herts Raptors’ last four games have been decided by a total of 5 runs. My maths tells me that’s an average margin of 1.25 runs per game. That’s close. That’s competitive.

They managed to have one of the nail-biters end in their favour yesterday, as they took an 8-6 victory over the Richmond Dukes at Grovehill.

The main factor in that was a tremendous performance on the pitching mound by Abdul El-Hamri, who scattered 7 hits over 5 innings, and struck out 8. He kept the ball down in the zone more consistently than on previous showings, and with devastating effect.

The Raptors only took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fourth, showing spirit to rally after falling behind 5-1 early on. Michael Foyo drove in 2, and Dave Roberts picked up 2 hits. El-Hamri closed it out with a scoreless final inning – a groundout, a strikeout, and a flyout.

Game 2 of the double-header saw another cagey start, before Richmond capitalised on some walks to take a 5-1 lead again. But the Raptors rallied again to take the lead, with a 5-run inning keyed by a triple from catcher Nic Hine.

The Dukes retook the lead and as a very hot day in Hemel Hempstead drew to a close, Herts needed 2 to tie and 3 to win. They managed to push across Joe Spiers but couldn’t get the one more, and Richmond took the 8-7 win.

There was similar last gasp drama over at Basing Hill, where the Herts Eagles in Single-A were facing the Finchley Capybaras (who had got the better of the Raptors in those two tight games last week).

The Eagles were out of the gate quickly in the first, keeping the top half scoreless with a double play by Bex Williams, then racking up 5 runs with hits from Jacob Coyne and Chakradari Baiya. Frequent base-stealing, and good outfield work by Andres Hoyos, all added up to a quality team performance.

Finchley fought back, briefly taking the lead and tying it in the final inning. But Herts were able to secure the victory, with Danny Chan taking the pitching win.

Game 2 was a tougher experience, as some new pitchers experimented. But the Eagles had taken a split, and won their second game of the year.

In Double-A, the Herts Hawks fought off a rally by the Essex Archers to win Game 2 by a score of 15-14 and secure a share of their double-header. Ben Peters got the pitching win, striking out 7 across 3 1/3 innings – and backed himself up with 4 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Giuseppe Basilea also went 2-3 and scored 2.

Game 1 was also a squeaker, with Herts leading until the middle of the fourth – with Riley Manning and Sebastian Greenberg among those chipping in – and Essex then rallying ahead. With 2 out in the bottom of the sixth, Ben Peters drove in 2. But the Archers managed to close the door to hang on for victory.

On a weekend of splits, the Herts Ravens notched up another win against Formosa Islanders. Darrin Ward pitched a complete game in the 12-8 win, with Sony Lama driving in 4 runs. They are now 2-6 on the season. The Herts Harriers had a tough trip to the league-leading Cambridge Lancers, where they were swept.

Herts Ravens take their first win of the year

28 April 20253 September 2025 by Rob Jones

Up and running

“Opening Day” in the BBF leagues in 2025 has been more of a marathon than a sprint. But all 7 of the Herts adult teams are now on the track, and are up and running.

The last of them to taste action were the Herts Hawks in Double-A, this past weekend. They were quick out of the blocks with a sweep of their double-header against the Oxford Kings. Lee Manning got the 5-4 win in extras in Game 1, after Ken Pike scattered 5 hits and struck out 4 in his 6+ innings.

Young GB star Ben Peters got the W in a more comfortable 11-5 win in Game 2. He was backed up by 3 RBIs from another bright talent, Seb Greenberg – who had scored the winning run in the first game. The Hawks have a blend of youth and experience which could deliver big things.

Perhaps the biggest drama of the weekend was the Herts Harriers, also in Double-A, getting their second win of the year with an astonishing comeback against Latin Boys. Going into the final half inning of Game 2 they were down 16-6. After getting roughed up in Game 1, you might expect heads to drop. But a string of walks, and hits from Mike Cresswell and Natasha Romoff, set the stage for Lee Dunn to drive a walk-off single and set off cheers and even screaming among the fans.

*Lee Dunn is all smiles after his walkoff*

The Herts Ravens got their first win of the season, taking Game 2 of their double-header at home to the Formosa Islanders. The Ravens had endured a baptism of fire in Double-A after moving up, taking on last year’s defeated finalists Richmond Dragons on back to back weekends. Now on a more level playing field, the Ravens battled in 2 games against the Formosa Islanders. Veteran Darrin Ward got the pitching W, while Sonam Lama keyed the offense, with 3 RBIs.

Herts Toucans, who have marked Herts’ return to the NBL after a year away, continued their solid season with a sweep away at the Croydon Pirates. Josh Marriott hit a home run in Game 2, to follow his triple in Game 1. The Toucans had kicked off their season – on actual Opening Day, three weeks ago – with a win over the Sheffield Bruins and currently stand 3-3. Masa Hasiguchi has 31 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched, and leads the league in both categories.

The last of our teams in action this past weekend were the Herts Raptors in Single-A. They travelled to Milton Keynes to face the Bucks, last year’s defeated finalists. The Raptors made a great showing against such a tough opponent, with 12-7 and 9-6 defeats. Abdul El Hamri gave a gutsy performance on the mound in the second game as he learns his pitching craft, striking out four — and he also got on base 4 times to help his own cause, and drove in 2 runs.

The Raptors had got their win in the bag a couple of weeks ago, taking their first game against the Herts Eagles. But in a happy bit of symmetry for the club, the Eagles then got their first win in the second half of the Herts derby double-header, 18-13. Boran Sahin was their star on that day, and the Eagles get to taste action again next week as they go to Milton Keynes.

Like the Eagles, the Herts Cardinals in Triple-A have also had a slow start to their 2025 schedule. They’ve had just the one fixture, a double-header against last year’s semi-finalists the London Metros. They suffered narrow defeats – including a 14-13 walkoff in Game 2. The Cardinals’ season doesn’t crank into real action until mid-May.

25 September 20243 September 2025 by Rob Jones

Old rivals see off Ravens in nailbiter

Somehow it always felt as if this match-up was inevitable. For two seasons, the Herts Ravens and the Milton Keynes Bucks have traded blows in Single-A, battling for supremacy in their division. They have broadly split their regular season series.

This year, the Ravens locked up the division in a way which meant they skipped all the postseason play-ins and qualifiers, and sat back to wait. Meanwhile, MK went through round after round with their mix of big hitting, solid fielding, and wily strategy – and it just felt as if the face-off against Herts was meant to be.

The Ravens’ ace Nic Goetz got the start in this semi-final at Farnham Park and was, predictably, dealing. The first five batters all sat down, through a mix of strikeouts, groundouts and flyouts. A single did put a runner on in the second, but another strikeout fixed that pretty quickly.

But it was the Bucks who got on the scoreboard first, with a two-out rally in the third inning. A couple of singles and a throwing error and they had scored two, with the Ravens getting one back in reply in their half.

It was in the bottom of the fourth when the Herts bats really sprang to life to seize the lead. Right fielder Dan Taylor got aboard to get it started, and Henry Bell got his second hit of the day. Third base stalwart Greg Bochan drove in two with a triple to centre field. Then lefty slugger Zak Beller promptly managed to one-up him with an inside the park home run.

It was a maximum 5-run inning and a real statement from the Ravens. But these two teams are evenly matched and it was never going to be the last word.

The one moment of controversy and confusion arose in the top of the fifth, and it was a clear setback for Herts. With an MK runner on base, who had reached through an error, a ball was hit down the third base line. The feeling of everyone was that it had gone foul, but it was ruled fair. Once the ball was recovered, the batter was safe and the runner had scored. The Bucks capitalised on the moment, and soon they’d tied the game.

More hits for Gilberto Medina, Taylor, Bell, and a run from Andrew Slater created from a walk and steals, helped Herts get their nose back in front. Goetz had struck out 5 and walked none in another epic performance.

But somehow momentum seemed to be swinging against them. MK took a 9-8 lead and the Ravens were held scoreless for the first time since the second inning.

They would get one more chance in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, and came supremely close.

Dan Taylor got on base again. With two outs, Nic Goetz — who by now had thrown 149 pitches, 100 of them for strikes — helped keep the game alive with a single to bring Taylor home. Matt Lewis pinch-ran and stole a base, and the man who had been the Ravens’ leadoff sparkplug all year, Hunter Devine, singled.

So with the tying runs on base, Greg Bochan drove one high out to right field. A running, shoe-string catch from the Milton Keynes outfielder was all that kept Herts from levelling the score. Maybe those fates who brought these two teams together had decided it was MK who should progress, by a score of 11-9.

*The two teams relaxing together after the game*

All the heroes for the Ravens in 2024 remained heroes – including the co-manager and chief scorer Matt Bell; fan extraordinaire Debra who provided cookies and vocal support; and team mascot Tess.

Everyone was gutted by the result, but delighted by the 15-3 season. Several Ravens were on the BBF leaderboards – Zak Beller for home runs, Hunter Devine for stolen bases, and Nic Goetz for ERA.

The team can be proud of its achievements again, and looks forward to more adventures in 2025.

11 September 202411 September 2024 by Rob Jones

Cardinals go down swinging

“One swing of the bat” has always seemed like a misleading phrase, as nothing in baseball is ever that simple. It’s a bit like saying only the last metre of an Olympic sprint final matters. But that one home run swing felt really crucial in the Herts Cardinals’ first playoff game on Saturday (September 8th).

After a 15-9 season, the Cardinals had reached the postseason. They walked over the Long Eaton Storm to secure a qualifier at Finsbury Park against the Essex Saxons.

By the bottom of the third, Herts were down 1-0. A strikeout and flyout meant they had two out. But there were two men on base. And when catcher Conner Brown connected on a pitch, it was a booming no-doubter towards centre field.

Brown’s home run put the Cards 3-1 up and they didn’t look back. He racked up a fourth RBI in the bottom of the fifth when his groundout brought in Tyler Cote who had reached with one of his two hits. Mike Cresswell drove in the fifth run in the next inning.

And that was enough to back up Cote’s impressive outing on the pitching mound. He yielded only one hit, walked four and struck out nine for the complete game victory.

*The Cardinals in action at Finsbury Park (pic. Mike Cresswell)*

A tidy morning of work for the Cardinals. But in the playoff schedule, that put them straight back into action in the afternoon in a quarter final facing the London Metros.

The first inning was pretty clean for both teams, then Herts threatened in the top of the second. Conner Brown scored the first run, driven in by Bob Laflamme. But the Metros were able to limit the damage to just that singleton, and they scored a pair of two-out runs in reply in their half to take the lead.

Tyler Dale was pitching a gem for the Cardinals, and scattered six hits while striking out three. But London were able to stretch their lead in the third inning to 5-1 and were staying strong. Cardinals bats made good contact but line drives and fly balls always found a fielder.

Going into the seventh and final inning, Herts needed a rally and Vytas Macenas started it off with a single. A hit by pitch got a second man on. But by the time Macenas came round to score there were two out, and a final flyout sealed the Metros’ win.

This has been another another tremendous season for the Cardinals, and a playoff win is a further step forwards. They will return reinvigorated in 2025.

*MK facing London at Grovehill (pic: Rob Jones)*

Over at Grovehill on Saturday, Herts were hosting a round of Single-A playoff games for the British Baseball Federation (BBF). The games were all close, with Milton Keynes Bucks 2, Bracknell Phoenix, and Guildford Millers running out as winners.

The Sunday was due to see Double-A playoffs at the field, but overnight rain and a fresh downpour in the morning threatened to derail things badly. Teams were coming from all over the country, with Bootle Trojans the first to arrive before 8:30.

Rather than see the visitors waste their long trips, the Herts ground crew performed miracles to mop, rake, dry and mark the diamonds ready for baseball. Some sponges and kitty litter also played a part, as did visiting players. The club is immensely grateful to all of them!

Wragby, Richmond, Leeds and London were the winners. The playoffs continue this weekend and beyond.

Cardinals in 2024 action (photo: Herman Ng)

26 August 202425 September 2024 by Rob Jones

Cards start their playoff run; Ravens wait in the wings

The Herts Ravens and the Herts Cardinals now know what September holds for them as they enter the British Baseball Federation (BBF) post-season.

In the Triple-A league, the Cardinals’ 15-9 record put them in the first round of wildcard playoffs. They claimed victory over the Long Eaton Storm on Sunday September 1st because their opponents could not muster a full team and had to forfeit.

The next hurdle is the Essex Saxons, who they face on Saturday September 7th at Finsbury Park. First pitch is at 11am. The two teams split their season series, so look evenly matched.

If they win that, the Cardinals leap straight back into action at 2 o’clock that afternoon at the same venue, facing the London Metros. We are cheering them on all the way!

The Herts Ravens of Single-A ended their regular season with two narrow defeats by the MK Bucks, their closest challenger in their division all year. The two teams split their series of games over the season but the Ravens had locked up the division and take the number 2 seed nationally based on their 15-3 record.

Last year, they had to clock up the miles to play back-to-back playoff games, the last of them in Cardiff.

But in 2024, the Ravens’ seeding means they go straight into the final weekend. On Saturday September 21st they will be the home team in semi-final 1 at Farnham Park. They would be the home team for the final there the next day if they win through, so we are already anticipating some walk-off drama!

Elsewhere in Single-A, the Herts Buzzards closed their regular season with victory in a high-scoring hit-fest against the Essex Redbacks. The teams shared out 30 hits between them, and the Buzzards ended with a 14-13 win and a pitching victory for Declan Carlean.

The Herts Eagles ended with a tough visit to Finsbury Park. They played well, but an injury and admin issues led to an unsatisfactory final day.

*Essex Arrows secure the NBL pennant (pic: Henry Bell)*

There is plenty of activity at Grovehill Ballpark throughout September for anyone wanting to get their baseball fix. Our excellent facilities and fields allow us to host games for a range of other teams – and volunteers are always welcome to help us put on the events!

There were a final round of NBL games there on September 1st, as they wrapped up their regular season and decided playoff placings. Essex Arrows secured the league title. On September 7/8th there are quarter finals for the Single-A and Double-A leagues, and then a further fixture on the 15th.

Our youth players have also returned to action, after the separate summer camps which ran during July and August (which, we are delighted to say, attracted some new talent to the club).

There is training at both Basing Hill and Grovehill on August 31st, with activity combined at Basing Hill the following week. This is all building up to the Youth Baseball National Championships (YNBCs) at Farnham Park. The U-10s and U-12s are there on September 14th, with the U-15s and U-18s following up on September 21st.

*Herts has a long pedigree at YNBCs – this is from 2014*

28 May 202428 May 2024 by Rob Jones

Ravens sweep up in Essex

The Herts Ravens continued their unbeaten start to the season, when they visited the Essex Redbacks in Chelmsford on Sunday (26th May). But it was not all plain sailing.

Herts opened up Game 1 with a single and a steal from Hunter Devine, who was then driven in by a double from Zak Beller. So far, so normal. Beller came around to score, too.

The Ravens ace pitcher, Nic Goetz, was on the mound. He racked up three strikeouts in the first two frames. Again, pretty normal. But Essex also got three hits and a walk in the early innings – pretty unusual. And the Herts bats just weren’t able to get good contact against the Redbacks’ starter Ben Brett.

After four innings, the Ravens led 2-1, and it was time for a manager’s pep talk. The team’s defense had helped keep things that tight – with Greg Bochan at third base making a series of strong throws to narrowly get runners at first.

Now, at last, Herts strung together some hits. Sony Lama drove a triple out to right field – by far the best hit of the day. Zak Beller followed up with a single, and went 3-for-4 on the day. Andrew Slater singled, too, and 3 runs crossed to pad the lead.

Goetz gave up one more walk but also rediscovered the legendary zip on his fastball. He also fielded his position brilliantly and helped prevent any sort of Essex rally. He had gritted through for the win, with the final score 6-1.

Game 2 saw patient at-bats and strong hits from the visitors from the very start, and the first maximum 5-run inning of the day. Slater brought his famous curveball to work, and a groundout, a strikeout and a pop-out expertly taken by catcher, Devine, quickly ended a scoreless first.

Slater was supremely efficient, with the record showing he threw 30 pitches – 21 for strikes. And he was backed up by the Ravens offense. New recruits Lewis Auchterlounie and Matt Lewis worked walks and scored runs, as they blended well with the veterans of the team.

And again the defense stood firm. Zak Beller took an impressive catch when a bloop hit threatened to fall in the dead zone behind shortstop and second. And Henry Bell – who closed out the game with an 8-pitch clean inning – ended it all with a smooth-as-silk snaring of a sharp comebacker, and a throw to first. This one ended 20-0.

Essex were genial hosts on a day which swung from hot sunshine to heavy showers, and the game was played in a good spirit, peppered with one-liners from the umpire. On Sunday the Ravens head to Milton Keynes for the first time this year to face a team which pushed them all the way to the division title last season.