Author: Rob Jones

11 July 201912 July 2019 by Rob Jones

Back in time: Herts young players help mark the dawn of baseball

Among the events featured in this British summer of baseball was one to mark the game’s origins right here in England. Herts’ own Robert Gregory was on hand to witness the day, and sent this report:

On Sunday July 7th a Blue plaque unveiling event was held at Walton-on-Thames to commemorate the first recorded baseball game that was held there. It took place at Ashley Park, what is now Walton cricket ground, in September 1749.

On that day, the Prince of Wales took part. As part of this year’s festivities a demonstration game was played by players that are either on GB team rosters, or are selected for the national development programme. This included players of various age groups, among them 5 from Herts teams – Josh Jones, Pedro Gomez-Jones, Jack O’Brien, Lucas Lebrato and Chris Gregory.

The day began with a wet start with the teams “warming up’ in a constant drizzle. All eyes were on the weather forecast and just before the start of the game the weather obliged and cleared up.

Managed by GB head coach Liam Carroll the players were split into two teams — one ‘Team USA’ and one ‘Team GB’. The former Radio 1 DJ Mike Read made the introductions, the two teams took the field and the GB and USA National anthems were sung.

A good crowd took their positions and it was ‘Game on’.

It was decided that the older players should pitch and catch at a suitable level to provide a balanced game for the range of ages of the players. Chris Gregory of the Herts Londoners pitched first for Team GB.

Some good fielding allowed GB to take a 2-0 lead after the first innings. Team USA then put in two strong innings scoring 6 runs in each, this included strong hits by the younger Herts players.

The game progressed with the crowd enjoying the experience and being provided details of finer points of the game from the announcer, Cris Knoblock. Some young children were keen to play and so soon were playing a game of there own.

The game looked over in the 6th (and final) inning as Team USA stretched out to an 8 run lead. But Team GB came charging back from 18-10 down to tie the game. A final hit deep to centre field by Herts’ Lucas Lebrato provided the winning runs, much to the delight of the crowd.

The players could then relax and enjoy the rest of the festivities with batting and pitching cages run by BaseballSoftballUK. There were also food stalls, entertainment and various performances on the stages. VIP guests enjoyed a buffet lunch in the marquee that was decorated with USA and GB flags and baseball items.

In the afternoon, the blue plaque was unveiled by the comedian Bobby Davro and his father Bill Nankeville, who was a national and record breaker on the track and a two-time Olympian. After that a softball game was held with the celebs and special guests. A great day for promoting baseball in the UK.

24 June 2019 by Rob Jones

An historic adventure: the Herts Falcons in Europe

There were trophies, triumphs, blowouts and rainouts in Herts baseball club’s first ever experience of European competition. And the players and fans lapped it up.

The Herts Falcons, sponsored by Regin Products, took part in the European Federations Cup qualifier in Bulgaria, thanks to their position as runners-up in last year’s National Baseball League. In a history stretching back to 1996, Herts has never before been in Europe, so it was a big step forward.

*Falcons, in new red uniform thanks to Regin*

The first of five games in five days in Blagoevgrad was against the Polish side, UKS Deby Osielsko. They would go on to be the runner’s up in the tournament, and so provided stiff opposition.

Herts took an early lead, with Tetsuro Shinkawa writing his place in history by driving in the club’s first ever European runs. Miguel Sarmiento later hit Herts’ first ever European home run, as the Falcons rallied late in the game. Shortstop Carlos Casal Jr went 2-2 with two walks, but Osielsko won 18-8.

It had still been a solid start from the travelling Herts side. The sport of baseball is far more solidly established in Europe, with professional leagues in countries such as Austria, Italy and the Netherlands – so we knew the challenge would be tough.

Herts were overpowered by Athletic Sofia from Bulgaria on Tuesday – despite a 3-for-3 day at the plate by Gary Davison – and by eventual Swedish tournament winners Solvesborg Firehawks on Thursday.

In between was the most dramatic game, against Atletico Alexandria. Herts led the Romanian side 3-0 going into the fifth inning, behind the superb pitching of Davison. Ryan Trask and Miguel Rodriguez had scored the runs.

Then Alexandria rallied to take the lead on a couple of Herts errors and wild pitches. They scored 5 from only 2 hits. But the Falcons were still in the game.

A cloudy day then brought rain which interrupted proceedings with Herts 6-3 down. Casal had come on to pitch in relief, and struck out three, and the Falcons hopes remained high. But the rain delay became a cancellation and the game was called. Herts were disappointed by a 6-3 loss.

It was frustrating as, inside the camp, the Falcons felt their performance had been their best as a team so far. Manager Cris Hiche put it simply: “We should have won it”. The team had been more relaxed and had more fun.

*Parental advisory – Falcons “showering”*

That strong team spirit showed in the way they washed away their disappointment. Stripped down to their underwear, the team sprinted from the dugout, through the rain, and slid across the outfield.

The moment was memorably caught on camera. It proved a success not only on Herts social media channels, but on a Facebook page covering baseball around the world – where it racked up more than 20,000 views.

On Friday, the Falcons ended on a high when they faced Utenos Titanai from Lithuania. Young Chris Gregory got the start on the mound and pitched a gem. He went the full eight innings, scattering 7 hits and striking out 7.

He was backed up by the bats, with Jarrod Pretorius going 3-for-4 and Tyler Badenhorst and Conner Brown both having a multi-hit game. It ended 13-2 to Herts and they claimed the fourth place trophy.

This had been an epic adventure, for these players and for the club as a whole. Herts veteran Lee Manning – who made some guest appearances as a reliever – said “We’ve left everything on the field every day. After 23 years, making it into Europe has taken us to the next level.”

Falcons’ manager Cris Hiche was proud of what the team had achieved, while club President Aspi Dimitrov hailed it as an historic week for the club.

Generous donations from players, supporters and from the Falcons sponsor Regin Products had made the trip possible. The reaction from the fans and families – and from the rest of British baseball – had made it worthwhile.

17 June 201917 June 2019 by Rob Jones

Eagles twice bitten by Redbacks

Herts had tied the score in the final inning of Game 2. They had put the winning run at third base. A spare runner was at first base as insurance, and there was only one man out.

The Eagles were poised for a glory moment.

After working the count, the hitter lined it up the middle. Off the bat, it looked promising. But then it flew straight into the shortstop’s glove. And he promptly doubled off the runner on third, who was inescapably hung up.

Inning over. Chance missed. Game still tied.

It perhaps summed up a day when the Herts Eagles simply couldn’t get enough good hits into gaps to ever gain any momentum.

Let’s skip back to the start.

The Eagles were hosting the Redbacks at Basing Hill ballpark. The Essex team won both games when these teams met at Forest Glade a month ago. But since then the Eagles had shown consistent improvement and had finally won their first game.

Simon Langton got the start on the mound for Herts and worked around one walk for a scoreless opening inning. He struck out five over the first three frames, limiting the Redbacks to 5 runs.

But the Eagles bats were struggling even more. In those same three innings, they had mustered just one hit and scored no runs.

Redbacks’ pitcher Dennis Rodebush – who had bamboozled the Eagles when they first met – now did the same again. His final line was very different to Langton’s – only one strikeout compared with 8, but – crucially – no runs.

Somehow he induced a consistent series of squibs, dribblers, and pop-ups. Only Kumail Jaffer managed a solid hit, driving a double to centre.

Rodebush helped his own cause, golfing a home run to lead off the fifth inning as the Redbacks finally managed to break open what had remained a tight game despite everything. They brought home 5 runs in that inning, 4 more in the next, chasing Langton.

*Kumail Jaffer – slugger, outfielder, infielder*

Rob Gibson stepped in as relief pitcher, striking out 3 in two innings of work. But he could not close down the Redbacks offense. The game went a full seven innings, but ended with the first shutout the Eagles had suffered all year. 19-0 the final score.

In Game 2, Herts turned to their winner from last week Yasu Ichige as starting pitcher. This was to be a very different type of game. Instead of a cagey affair which turns into a blowout, this was back and forth with good hitting on both sides.

Essex scored 3 in the first, but Herts matched them immediately. Essex hit another homer to give them a 4-3 lead in the second.

For Herts, Gibson – who had hit the ball a long way in Game 1, but always a long way into the air – now got his eye in and drove balls to the outfield. Ichige got vital hits, as did first baseman Max Trautman.

Essex led 10-8 going into the final inning, with no run limit. But they were held to just one, so Herts needed four to walk it off and win.

With three runs in, Kumail Jaffer at third and Adam Collins at first, things looked good. Then that liner off the end of the bat from catcher Rob Jones, and swift work from the Essex shortstop, took it to extras.

This time, the Redbacks were able to pile on some runs, and Herts could not get them back. It ended 16-11 to Essex.

Frustrations came in different forms for the other Herts teams, because of the weather.

The Hawks were able to get under way at Grovehill against Richmond, with manager Michael Cresswell back in place after a trip to Bulgaria playing with the Herts Falcons. As an added bonus, Louis Hare hit a homer in the first.

But a downpour caused a delay then a cancellation. It was the same story for the Herts Raptors, who hope to reschedule quickly against the Essex Archers.

In Triple-A, the Londoners were due to be miles away in Oxford. But the rain wiped them out too.

Next week, the Falcons, Londoners, Hawks — and possibly now the Raptors – are back in action. Then British baseball takes a break from playing to watch the historic first MLB game in London.

2 June 2019 by Rob Jones

Sponsor unveiled for Falcons Euro push

Herts Baseball Club is proud to announce the arrival of Regin Products as a sponsor for this season, in a partnership which offers crucial help to the Falcons as they travel to Europe.

Our National Baseball League (NBL) team will soon be playing in the European Federations Cup in Bulgaria, for the first time in their twenty year history. They will face teams from Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Romania and Bulgaria over a week of action in Blagoevgrad.

One of the missions of the Herts club this year has been to help support the players and coaches on this trip, as baseball receives no funding for international competition. So we are delighted that Regin Products have come on board to help the Falcons make this possible with their generous support.

Regin is a family-run company with 30 years of experience supplying products to heating and plumbing engineers. The firm is based in Cambridgeshire, but has a wide network of stockists.

The firm’s watchwords are pride in its quality and its service, and we share those values at Herts. Our players are always ambassadors for the club, and we are proud that they will be representing not only Herts but British baseball when they play in Bulgaria.

The Falcons qualified for this tournament with their post-season heroics in 2018, in which they dramatically beat the Southampton Mustangs and the London Capitals to reach the NBL final. The London Mets got the better of them in the final series, and the Mets are also playing in Europe this summer, in Moscow.

Another crucial contribution to the Falcons’ efforts in Europe will come from the newly launched Herts Baseball Lottery. This is open to anyone over the age of 16, whether or not they are a member of the club.

Everyone who enters will have the chance to win the monthly jackpot, while the net proceeds will be put towards the trip to Blagoevgrad. In the future, the money raised from the Lottery will go towards major club projects and help recruit more players to the sport of baseball.

Over its history, Herts has developed Grovehill ballpark to become one of the country’s top venues, and it has expanded in 2019 into northwest London.

Falcons players and other members of the club have already been making their contributions this season to raise money for the European Federations Cup..

Herts players have been coaching youth teams, and the club has been matching their fees and paying them into the Herts Euro Fund.

One of our coaches, Marianna Casal – a European softball champion and a participant in the first official women’s baseball game in the UK – took part in a National Geographic television programme about baseball. She has pledged 50% of her fee to the Euro Fund.

Members of the club have also been using the online shopping portal, easyfundraising. This scheme offers donations to the charity of your choice – such as Herts – when you buy goods from a wide range of retailers, including Amazon, John Lewis and Sainsbury’s. It can also be used when you buy your holiday from Thomas Cook or Tui, or your car insurance from RAC and ComparetheMarket.

27 May 2019 by Rob Jones

Last gasp drama as Eagles burned by Inferno

It was an agonising end after a back and forth day of baseball battles, reports Rob Jones from Basing Hill Ballpark.

The Herts Eagles – one of the club’s two new teams – went in search of their first win of the season at home to the Bracknell Inferno. The visitors are putting together a strong year, including a win over the division-leading London Musketeers, but Herts pushed them all the way.

Alex Trautman was given the responsibility of starting on the mound for the Eagles, and he struck out the first two batters he faced. He held Bracknell scoreless for the first two frames, closing out the second with another strikeout when threats were on the bases.

Herts batters started strongly, too. Zack Longboy drove in a run with a double in the first, and Giacomo Zaffalon brought home two in the second.

Defence was solid, as the Eagles continued to improve in this, their first season. Adam Porte turned a double play, and Francois Earp hauled in outfield catches securely.

But walks, strong hits and aggressive stealing in the third inning helped Bracknell fight back. They scored 5 and chased Trautman. The Eagles’ heads didn’t drop though. Longboy led off the bottom of the third with a home run to right field, cutting the deficit immediately to 5-4.

Bracknell made a timely pitching change after surrendering back to back walks, and Herts could not build on their momentum. Jamie Lang went 2-for-2 and Porte got on base for a second time but the Eagles bats could not generate the offense they needed to come back. Game 1 ended 8-5 to the visitors.

Zack Longboy got the start in Game 2 of the double-header. He had already showed his quality, but Bracknell came out swinging and chalked up two early runs. Trevor Clissold and new recruit Yasu Ichige struck back immediately with hits which were converted into runs by Max Trautman and by Longboy, whose hit fell just inches shy of a second homer.

This time around, the Eagles were keeping their noses in front. The team is made up of a mixture of players entirely new to the sport, and a sprinkling of old hands, and the blend was working well. Debutant Lewis Harrison scored a run after being hit by a pitch. Herts still led 7-5 after four innings.

Again, the defense remained solid when it might otherwise have buckled. Mohamed Abdule caught a drive in centre field which had made the bench nervous; Kumail Jaffer, making his debut at second base, secured all three outs in one inning.

But as, perhaps, tiredness set in, the Eagles missed chances to get out of the fifth, and Bracknell were able to take the lead. They were able to score 3 runs on just one hit. They extended their lead to 9-7 in the top of the sixth and the stage was set. Herts had to score 2 to save the game, 3 to walk-off.

After two quick outs, Darren Priest came to the plate. He had garnered headlines in his guest appearance for the Herts Londoners last week, and made his presence felt this time, too. He worked a full count before getting a hit, then Arnie Longboy walked.

Up stepped Kumail Jaffer – without a hit yet in his young baseball career. He delivered in the clutch with a drive to right field that brought home both runners and sparked celebration on that nervous bench. The scores were even at 9-9.

Into extra innings. Yasu Ichige was pitching in relief and had been battling well to contain Bracknell. Priest, Longboy and Rob Jones made plays to back him up. But one double was the key hit for Bracknell as they took the lead.

The Inferno relief pitcher, who had helped close out the first game, now did the honours again. The top of the Herts order couldn’t make another rally, and a groundout ended it. 12-9 to Bracknell.

The Eagles have shown consistent improvement over the first few weeks of the season, moving from blowouts to a narrow, extra innings defeat. Every player could look back on a highlight from the games, and they look forward to the next outing.

20 May 201922 May 2019 by Rob Jones

Herts Londoners feel right at home

Herts Baseball Club passed another milestone on Sunday, May 19th, and did it with a bit of style and drama.

The Herts Londoners, in their inaugural season in Triple-A, played their first game at their new home in north-west London – and came away with a walkoff win against the defending champions.

The Londoners were at home against the Richmond Knights at Basing Hill Ballpark, close to Brent Cross, which was opened this year as Herts expanded to cope with demand. Until now – while final preparations were made – the team has been playing its home fixtures at Grovehill.

Now they were really coming home.

Herts was delighted to welcome local councillor, Anne Clarke, to perform the ceremonial honours and throw out the first pitch. She had a chance to warm up and get some tips from our expert coaches – and admitted she had been practising!

“This is a really positive project”, she said. “It’s great to see the park being used regularly, and to have a sports team make it their home.”

After the teams were introduced, and the national anthem was played, Councillor Clarke — watched by her family as well as a number of spectators – threw a strike to Herts catcher, Andrew Roberts.

So how was the experience of pitching? “It was a lot of fun!”, she said with surprise. “The response from people in the park has been really good, and they have enjoyed stopping by to watch the game”.

Herts baseball club hopes to develop the site in the future, adding a pitching mound and backstop. The club has already signed up a record number of players this season, and it’s expected that the arrival of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in London this summer will see a fresh surge of interest in the sport.

And so, to the games….

Londoners’ manager Wade Lynch was starting pitcher for Game 1, and despite solid work from him, Richmond came out swinging and built an early lead. It was 6-0 in the middle of the 3rd.

Dany Bueno put Herts right back in contention with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the frame. It was one of his 2 hits in the game, and he drove in three. The contest became tight again.

But Richmond blew it open with 10 runs in the sixth, and secured the victory 16-3. Londoners had only 10 on their roster for the day so they could perhaps be forgiven for thinking a long day was ahead.

But redemption was to come …..

There was no score in the early exchanges in Game 2. Chris Gregory was now pitching for Herts, and the Londoners gave him a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third. He drove in one himself, to follow hits from Bueno and Hector Miguel.

The Knights came right back, surging ahead 7-3. But on a day of historic beginnings, Londoners were not going to end up on the wrong end of this result. In the bottom of the seventh, Kimiyoshi Saionji drove in Gregory to tie the game at 7 apiece. Into extra innings it went.

Richmond couldn’t score in the top of the eighth. When Herts’ Dany Bueno came up to bat with one out, he was intentionally walked – he had added a second home run in Game 2, and driven in 2 runs. The Knights were taking no chances.

Instead they opted to face Darren Priest, who had entered the game off the sub’s bench. He normally plies his baseball trade for the Herts Eagles in Single-A, but had stepped up to help the club.

“It’s all a bit of a blur now, but I’m pretty sure the count was 1-1”, he recalls. “The pitcher winds up… the tension is crippling. The ball comes in and I take a swing…CRACK!”

A hard ground ball was driven past the feet of the shortstop, and Priest was heading for second, Bueno off and running to third. Richmond saw the danger of the winning run and threw to third. But the ball hit Bueno and went out of play and he advanced to home. Game over. 8-7.

The Londoners’ victory – their first at Basing Hill – continues their excellent start to their season. It was also part of an exceptional weekend for Herts.

In the National Baseball League, the Falcons leapfrogged the Essex Arrows by sweeping their double-header at Townmead. Manager Cris Hiche credited a great all-round performance by the pitching staff and the defence for securing 8-4 and 9-5 wins.

The Herts Hawks won 2 games – bouncing back from the previous week’s defeat – while the Herts Raptors claimed their first victory of the season in Single-A thanks to a stellar pitching performance from young Nico Durer. He struck out 9 London Mustangs batters – including the first three he faced!

20 May 2019 by Rob Jones

Hawks bounce back, take two from Mavericks

The story of the Hawks is usually one of solid defence, powerful hitting, and regular wins. Last week, they suffered a knock. But this Sunday they returned to their winning ways, writes Brian Morgan, sweeping the Guildford Mavericks 11-1 and 5-3 at Grovehill.

Game one featured excellent pitching by Zack Longboy, despite him getting a black eye in practice before taking the hill. He worked through it and kept the Mavericks off the board after the first batter.

There was excellent defence across the board with a diving play in centre field by Hunter Devine, several plays by Antony Lavender in left, and solid infield play all around.

The offence was led by Jon “Yard” Lewys who smashed one over the left field fence to get the Hawks going. Darrin Ward, Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan all had big hits to put the Hawks well ahead and end the game early.

Game two featured another pitching gem by Ward. The Mavericks hitters could not keep up with the movement on his pitches and he gave up only 2 earned runs over 7 impressive innings.

The Hawks defence was led by a solid infield of Gilberto Medina, Andy Cornish, Brian Morgan and Jon Lewys, with Hunter Devine now behind the plate. The outfield featured Bochan, Longboy and newcomer Michael Long.

The offence threatened throughout, with runners getting in scoring position in most frames. A combination of heads-up base running and key hits kept the Hawks ahead the whole game.

Greg Bochan took over managerial duties this week for the injured Mike Cresswell who, in turn, took over umpiring duties where he could yell at everyone and not just the Hawks!

The Hawks have next week off and then travel to Guildford on June 2nd for two games against the Mavericks. Hawks are now 5-1 on the season and looking very strong.

14 May 201914 May 2019 by Rob Jones

Hawks tour bus hits a bump in the road

Baseball is a fickle game. Momentum can change from inning to inning and the Herts Hawks saw this happen on Sunday, as Brian Morgan reports from Richmond.

The Herts AA-division team had started the 2019 season undefeated, and were hoping to keep rolling when they travelled to the Richmond Dukes.

Clutch hitting, stolen bases, patient batters drawing walks — a total team effort — helped the Hawks jump out to a 9-1 after the top 2 innings.

Bats quieted a little as the game went along, but the Hawks kept threatening each inning, while Richmond batters scratched out additional runs.

Playing excellent error-free baseball for the first 5 innings behind solid pitching from Andy Slater on his return to the team, Hawks took a 9-7 lead into the 6th.

And then the momentum switched.

The wheels fell off the bus and the Hawks gave up 15 runs in the 6th to the home team.

Texas leaguers, swinging bunts, easy balls mishandled by a solid infield, diving outfielders just missing the catch, all combined to make the Richmond team simply tired of batting.

A pitching change to Giuseppe Basilea helped slowed things down and get Herts out of the inning – finally. The Hawks battled in the 7th to add 2 more runs but it was too late and not enough.

Manager Mike Cresswell reminded the team that this needs to be a “one off” and is not “Hawks or Herts baseball”. It was an uncharacteristic inning for the team this season and the team looks forward to getting back on the right road on Sunday against Guildford.

13 May 201914 May 2019 by Rob Jones

Homers help the Herts cause

In a big year for the Herts Falcons, recent weeks have been a bit scratchy. But on Sunday, they bounced back to chalk up their second win of the season. Herts’ National Baseball League (NBL) side came from behind to beat the London Capitals in a dramatic game at Grovehill.

The Falcons, sponsored by Regin Products, were trailing 4-1 going into the late innings. 2019 signing Gary Davison had put in a strong pitching performance but the bats needed to deliver.

Then they saw their new slugger Jarrod Pretorius hit a 3-run home run to tie it up, before Dominic Hill added the exclamation point of a walkoff homer. Robbie Smith closed it out with 2 great innings of relief.

Herts competed strongly in Game 2 of the double-header, but ran out 8-6 losers. Tyler Badenhorst got 3 hits, while Marco Pestana clubbed a double.

Manager Cris Hiche was delighted with the effort his players put in. “I could write a book if I mentioned how great everyone played!”, he said. The Falcons are now 2-6 on the year, and next week need to capitalise when facing the Essex Arrows, who are also below .500.

The Herts Londoners continued their hot start in the AAA division, taking Game 1 against the Oxford Kings 5-3 at Grovehill (the Londoners will be moving shortly to their real home at Basing Hill Ballpark).

Manager Wade Lynch pitched a complete game for the win, while adding in a couple of RBIs to help his own cause.

Sebastian Molina also helped provide the offense with 2 hits, as did Chris Gregory. Gregory pitched Game 2 and continued his impressive year with 10 strikeouts and just 6 hits across 7 innings of work.

However, Oxford’s lefty pitcher in the second game was able to bamboozle the Herts bats. Lucas Lebrato drove in the only run and the visitors won 4-1.

The Herts Hawks suffered a rare setback on the road at Richmond in the AA division. Andrew Slater returned to the pitching mound and put in a solid performance, going 5 innings. But then things unravelled.

Hawks’ manager Michael Cresswell acknowledged they had simply run out of pitching, and a big inning did big damage. Herts went down 22-11, despite good hitting from Brian Morgan – who went 4-for-5 — Hunter Devine, and Cresswell himself.

The Hawks are still well positioned, with a 4-1 record. The Guildford Mavericks are up next.

In Single-A, the Herts Eagles were swept at the Essex Redbacks, but still have a lot to be positive about. For the veteran first baseman, Max Trautman, there was his first career home run! It was a towering blast which helped Herts rally in the final inning of Game 1. But it wasn’t enough to prevent a 19-7 defeat.

Adam Porte perhaps got the best contact of the day, smoking a line drive in Game 1. But, in a sign that luck would not fall the way of the underdog, it was snared in the blink of an eye by the Essex pitcher.

Herts bats actually improved in Game 2, with Trevor Clissold continuing his excellent start to the year and Aspi Dimitrov chipping in a double which fell just short of the fence. Rookie players Adam Collins and Louis Verman also got hits – while young Alex Trautman performed well on the mound.

The Redbacks just had too much experience and too deep a hitting lineup for the Eagles, though. Game 2 ended 14-7.

15 March 201915 March 2019 by Rob Jones

Herts youth operation adds Roberts, seeks more coaches

As Herts baseball club prepares for a big year, it has added another new face to the coaching staff.

Andy Roberts has joined the board as the Head of Under-13 baseball, and will coach a promising side into the season ahead. Herts is still looking for more paid coaches to complete its youth set-up.

Roberts — primarily a catcher — joined the Herts club during the 2018 season, and played for the Falcons in the NBL. He was on their roster at Farnham Park as they took on the London Mets for the title.

This year he is also likely to be helping out the newly formed Herts Londoners in the Triple-A division.

Andy Roberts already has a rich history playing baseball. Growing up in Arizona, he has played in regional teams, city leagues and rec leagues and was set to play college ball before an injury setback. His first experience of coaching kids came with Under-7 coach pitch.

“This year, I really want to instil the fundamentals of baseball”, he says. “Not just on how to hit the ball and field the ball, but about what do with the ball when you get it. And start showing how it’s a game of chess that everyone can contribute to”.

“I believe the U-13 kids are at that crucial age where they really decide how passionate they want to be about this sport. So teaching them these fundamentals – and how to improve on them – will help keep the excitement going and help them aim for higher goals.”

Roberts hopes to set the Herts youth on a path to the NBL team of the future – a goal shared by the Falcons coaches. They have already been monitoring the indoor practice sessions.

“I want the kids to have fun”, says Andy, “but I also want them to learn why so many people love this game”.

Herts is now looking to add the final pieces of its coaching puzzle, and has more paid roles available in the youth set-up. The club is keen to recruit managers for the Under-8 teeball programme; the Under-11 player pitch side; and the Under-15s.

The Herts budget has been modified this year to allow for the recruitment of quality coaches to move the programme forward. Anyone who is interested should contact the club.

Lee Manning, the youth commissioner, says: “It’s a brilliant opportunity for someone to really make their mark on the teams, and help us take the next step up. We want to offer a quality 2019 is a big year for Herts baseball, and the kids are definitely part of that.”

Herts will be fielding a range of youth teams during 2019, from Under-8s to Under-18s. The aim is to offer baseball training and competitive games for as wide a range of boys and girls as possible.

In past years, Herts teams have taken on sides from as far afield as Brighton, Essex, Guildford and Leicester.

Last season, the Herts Under-11 coach pitch side reached the final of their category at the Youth National Baseball Championships at Farnham Park.

One of the veterans of that team, Evan Strong-Anderson, has been chosen for the Team UK coach pitch Under-10 side for the 2019 season. This project draws players from a range of British youth sides to take part in a SuperCup in Prague at the end of May.

Around 30 players took part in selection events in Milton Keynes in recent weeks, and Evan was chosen in the final 12. He has worked hard to develop his natural skills, and shows great potential.

Herts was pleased to see a number of our youth players were involved in the Team UK academy sessions, taking advantage of a scheme which is a great addition to British baseball.

The team’s general manager Matt Crawshaw said the overall quality had been extremely high. He is hopeful this year’s crop of talent can build on trophy wins in 2017 and 2018.

Team UK will take part in a series of fixtures on the Bank Holiday Mondays in April and May before heading to the Czech Republic.