Category: Ducks

21 September 202321 September 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series managers announced. The Live Draft is on Friday night.

We are counting down to the 2023 Hunlock Series Live Draft which will take place this Friday, 22 September at 8:00pm.

For those who are new to the Hunlock Series, in the days leading up to the Draft, the 100+ Herts players (aged 14 and over) and newly registered players mark their availability for the three weeks of the Hunlock Series. The team managers then take turns picking players one by one over the twenty or so rounds of the Draft. It will be interesting to see which players will be picked in the first round and who will be the very first pick. In previous years, that honour has gone primarily to Conner Brown.

Players and fans can follow the Draft picks here as they happen. Participants will also be able to interact and chat about the Draft in WhatsApp groups as the managers make their picks.

The team managers

Five teams go into this year’s competition. The managerial appointments have just been announced.

Black Barracudas – Duane Badenhorst
Blue Buzzards – Danny Preston
Green Cheese Cutters – Callum Ferrier
Big Red Machine – Nick Sanders
Yellow Wizards – Osvaldo Badia

Danny Preston led the Blue Buzzards to the Hunlock Series championship last year and he is back to defend the title this year.

Fans will see some new faces in the Hunlock Series this year who have joined the club in the last few weeks, so there will be an element of surprise in Friday’s Draft. Some of them may be new to Herts fans but they are not new to the game. The Hunlock Series could give us a glimpse at some of the new players who will be wearing the Herts uniform in 2024.

Historically the Herts adult league team managers have used the Hunlock Series games to evaluate current and new players in preparation for the new season, to populate their rosters and positions and to decide which leagues the Herts teams should go into in 2024.

How to regsiter

All Hunlock Series players will be drafted into teams. To be eligible for the Draft players will need to update their availability for all the Hunlock Series dates in the online Clubhouse by 7pm on Friday, 22 September. If you miss the deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. New players will still be eligible to play but will have to be assigned to teams as free agents after the Draft.

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

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

To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2023.

Entry fee

2023 club members, including non-roster club members, do not have to pay an entry fee as the Hunlock Series is part of their membership package. If you don’t have a Hunlock Series team shirt, you can buy one before your first game. The price is £10. Many players already have Hunlock Series team shirts from previous years and, to keep costs down for players, an online group will be set up where they can exchange their shirt if they have been picked by a team wearing a different colour team shirt.

New players or players from other clubs can play by paying the £24 entry fee which includes a free Hunlock Series shirt of the team which has drafted them.

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

15 August 202315 August 2023 by Rob Jones

Eagles celebrate big moment; Ravens, Cards get crucial wins

A win is a win, but some wins are bigger than others. For the Herts Eagles, the victory at the Essex Redbacks on Sunday was special. It was, they said, “epic”. For this was their first win this season, which has been a tough year in which a team made up of largely rookie players battled numbers, availability, and the baseball gods.

The first game of the double-header had ended in a 5-5 tie which was, in itself, a great step forward. Joseph Coulson struck out 7 in a complete game effort, and made a highlight reel catch in foul ground. The Eagles outhit the Redbacks, too.

But even better was to come in Game 2. Jake Spicer turned in a solid pitching performance, and he was backed with an offense which struck early and often. Neil Chilton and Pavan Sunkara delivered key hits in the first inning, Sammy English ran wild on the bases in the second, and the Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead.

Defense, as always, was crucial too. A double play at first base, and a great catch down the left field line by Atena Barani, helped protect the lead. And when Spicer tired in the final inning, Chilton stepped in for the save. He secured the final out with a fielders’ choice at home plate, and Eagles took the game 9-6.

Manager Reece Crawley – who said he was “on cloud 9” after the win – had a long list of shout-outs to every member his squad for giving everything. “I couldn’t be prouder of the hard work and dedication of a team that never gave up”, he said.

There was credit for George Llewellyn Thomas – for keeping the spirits high when energy was low — and to coach Sydney McCall – for helping everyone stay focused, and to move when they had to and stay when they needed to!

A team wins together, and the Eagles were able to celebrate together after a well-deserved victory.

The Herts Ravens took their win streak up to 15 games in their Single-A doubleheader at Grovehill against the Herts Raptors. The Ravens are leading their division, but the post-season rules mean every game is a must-win to be sure of a place and to secure seeding.

Eddie Wang took the win in Game 1, his sixth of the year. He didn’t perhaps have his best stuff and the Raptors offered stiff resistance, working walks and mustering 6 hits – Max Kuszewski with two of them. But Wang battled out of trouble and he was helped by the crucial batting power of Ravens’ lefty slugger Zak Beller. He went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, and drove in 7. It ended 19-8.

Game 2 saw ace Nic Goetz deliver the goods again, striking out 7 to take the win. But again Raptors fought hard, with Jamie Wise and Natasha Romoff among the hits. For the Ravens, Jack Page got two hits to drive the offense. Sonam Lama also racked up his sixth walk and fifth run of the day, and helped nail down the 13-6 win.

On Grovehill’s other diamond, the Herts Hawks of the Double-A league were facing the MK Bucks, who are challenging for the playoffs.

While wins eluded the Hawks in both games, there were some outstanding performances. Jack O’Brien was excellent on the mound, striking out 7 and dominating the opposition in much of the first game. Kobby Darteh drove in a pair and both he and Seth Muirden — recently promoted from the junior leagues – put in huge and successful efforts to adapt to the senior leagues.

Game 2 saw tremendous defence from Harry McMenamin and from Max Farmborough, who put in an excellent shift at shortstop, out of his usual positions. He ended one inning with an impressive double play, making the catch and gunning out an aggressive runner trying to score. Manager Ken Pike felt his team were starting to show their mettle as they tightened their defense and got the bats going – “the Hawks may be newly promoted but they are starting to show that the step up, while it’s a challenge, is setting great groundwork to re-establishing a credible Herts Hemel Hempstead double A presence.”

The Cardinals faced Bournemouth Bears at Basing Hill in Triple-A, and needed to get a result if they were to stay in the playoff hunt. The Bears took the win 7-2 in Game 1, despite a solid outing by Tyler Cote and three hits by Osvaldo Badia.

But the big win came in Game 2. Early exchanges were tight, but then the Cardinals went ahead for good. RBIs by Badia, Cote and Mike Cresswell gave the home side a 5-3 lead. They extended it in the fourth, courtesy of Naohiko Kumagai and Hiroki Fujimoto, who both enjoyed multi-hit games.

Brian Dearing took the 9-3 victory on the mound, surrendering just 3 runs in five innings of work. Stephen Wong recorded the save and the Cardinals stay in the postseason race.

The Ducks were swept by Sidewinders in their doubleheader in Double-A, while the Herts Falcons went out with a bang as they were finally eliminated from playoff contention in the NBL. They pushed the London Capitals all the way, even going to extras in Game 2. But they came away empty handed, and because rained out games against Sheffield can’t be rescheduled they are out of the race.

There was a welcome treat for Falcons fans – and British baseball fans more generally – as the games were streamed online. Viewers checked in from around the world to see the drama, and to see how well the Falcons closed their first season back in the top flight.

1 August 20232 August 2023 by Rob Jones

Around the Herts diamonds July 29/30

The Herts Ravens extended their winning streak in Single-A to 11 games, with a dominant sweep of their double-header against the Herts Eagles.

Eddie Wang took the pitching win in Game 1, striking out 3 in a complete game effort. He was only denied a shutout in the final stages. The offense gave him consistent backing, with Matt Jackson going 2-for-3 and Hang Li driving in 3 runs.

Game 2 saw ace Nic Goetz deliver the goods for the Ravens. 10 strikeouts to just one walk shows how in control he stayed. Pavan Sunkar and Michael Green were responsible for the the home side’s 2 hits. The games ended 15-1 and 19-0.

The Herts Raptors were looking to stay in the race for the division when they hosted the Essex Redbacks at Grovehill. They led after three innings, keyed by an Adam Scales double. But the visitors managed to impose themselves late, and a Herts rally fell just short It ended 14-8. Game 2 was rained out.

There was praise for the Raptors’ Danny Preston and Jamie Berlofsky for stepping into unfamiliar roles – as pitcher and catcher respectively – and putting in outstanding performances. Jack Burkett was also said to have put in “one hell of a shift” in the outfield.

The Herts Hawks travelled to the Essex Archers in the Double-A league. They out-hit their hosts in Game 1 – with spark-plug Harry McMenamin going 3-for-4 with two doubles, and Declan Carlean going 2-for-4. Ken Pike struck out four, but Essex were always able to keep their nose in front and won 9-4. The Archers were able to repeat the feat in Game 2, taking a 13-4 win with their pitchers combining for 8 Ks.

Harry McMenamin had made an impact on Saturday, too, when he made a guest appearance for the Herts Ducks in Double-A. They were at home to the London Musketeers and endured a tough day, but coaches were impressed with McMenamin’s “heart and hustle”. The Ducks lost 29-3 and 18-2, with the bright spots from Game 2 two strong innings from Prime Mencias, and RBIs for Jake Spicer and Bradley Charalambous.

The Herts Cardinals were having a good day in their Triple-A matchup against the Kent Buccaneers. They won Game 1 by a score of 15-5 behind the pitching of Brian Dearing and Osvaldo Badia’s home run and 5 RBIs. But rain washed out Game 2, so that will have to be picked up at a later date.

In the NBL, the Herts Falcons were resting, but other results did go their way. Both the East London Latin Boys and the Sheffield Bruins lost their games, and Herts remain fifth in the standings, hoping for a chance at the last playoff berth.

6 June 20236 June 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Adult and Youth League Roundup: Ducks and Raptors pick up wins. Falcons gain ground without swinging a bat.

Triple-A League

Herts Cardinals almost pulled off The Great Escape in Game Two of their doubleheader away at the Croydon Pirates but came just short with a final score of 12-13. Croydon also won the first game 3-8. The Cardinals drop two places in the standings and are now third, two games back on leaders Bournemouth Bears.

Double-A League

The Herts Ducks shocked the Double-A League leaders, East London Latin Boys, with an 11-7 away win. This was their first win of the season. 15-year-old Prime Mencias was the winning pitcher. Read full report by Kumail Jaffer.

Single-A League

There was an All Herts match-up at Basing Hill Ballpark. The Herts Raptors came out on top sweeping the Herts Eagles 10-7 and 14-6. The winning pitchers were Lee Dunn and Rufus Lloyd. The Raptors are now 4-2 which moves them into second place in the standings, leapfrogging the Herts Ravens who were resting this weekend.

National Baseball League

The Falcons were resting at the weekend but there was drama around the National Baseball League. The Sheffield Bruins were 1 out away from winning at the high-flying Essex Arrows, but the Arrows came back to win it in extra innings. London Capitals caused an upset splitting their series with the league leading London Mets. All this means that the Falcons have gained ground on fourth-placed Sheffield Bruins and are just two games back on them now. Third-placed Capitals stay ahead of the Falcons by 4 games. The top four teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the NBL postseason playoffs in August.

The Herts Falcons are away at the Mets next. Game starts 2PM, Saturday, 10 June, Finsbury Park.

Herts Youth Baseball League

There was just one youth league game on Saturday in the Under-11 division. The Herts Cardinals U11 came from behind to win 6-5 and close the gap on first-placed Herts Londoners U11.

Link to league standings of the various adult and youth leagues

5 June 20236 June 2023 by Rob Jones

Ducks dazzle in breakthrough win

The Herts Ducks have claimed their first win of the season, beating East London Latin Boys 11-7 on Sunday (4th June). Our correspondent Kumail Jaffer was in the thick of it, and has this report:

THE DUCKS are in flight.

Herts’ brand new AA team have won their first game at this level – 11-7 away at the league leaders, East London Latin Boys.

The season so far has involved a series of close losses as many of the Ducks players continue to acclimatise to the AA division. But a fierce team effort in the opening game of Sunday’s doubleheader put Herts on the board against a previously unbeaten opponent.

Evan Robins and Miguel Gibson gave the Ducks a fast start before young Prime Mencias pitched the first of what would be three astounding innings.

Limiting the Latin Boys to just four runs in his outing, he gave the Ducks a platform to launch their offensive game.

The pressure was clearly getting to the hosts as they gave up a couple of unforced runs due to throwing and fielding errors.

In the top of the third, hits from Gibson, Kumail Jaffer and a brilliant double from Mo Abdule brought four runners home.

That gave Herts a 7-4 lead going into the 4th, before Taysir Barakat took to the mound. The wily relief pitcher has been working on his fastball for years – and it came to fruition here as he drew a number of ground balls and fly outs for the disciplined Ducks to gobble up.

It was crucial – the Ducks’ bats were shut down in the fifth, meaning Barakat had to come up with the save.

A grounder to second got the first out. A run came through, but the Ducks remained calm and focused. Outs two and three came quickly, courtesy of some great first-base play from Jake Spicer.
And that was that.

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Rumours of a second game did emerge — in which the Ducks got hammered but discovered that Robins could throw some heat– but they could not be independently verified.

30 May 202331 May 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Adult and Youth League Roundup (27-28 May)

Only 3 of the 7 Herts adult league teams were in action at the weekend.

National Baseball League
The Herts Falcons are back in the playoff race after a win over the Essex Arrows – a team featuring a number of former MLB Minor League players (read full report and box scores).

Double-A League
The Herts Ducks lost narrowly to crosstown rivals the Meteors. They are still searching for their first win of the season.

Single-A League
Similar to their Opening Day encounter, the Herts Ravens and Milton Keynes Bucks produced another two nail-biting games. This time the Ravens came out on top winning 7-6. The other game of this doubleheader was suspended after extra innings with the score tied at 5-5. We will have to wait to find out if the game will be completed when the two teams meet again on July 2nd or whether it will be recorded as a tie under BBF Rule 21.

Herts Youth Baseball League
Only one game in the U11 division which Herts Londoners won 8-6 against the Herts Cardinals (U11). A grandslam home run by Alexis Marriaga on his debut proved to be decisive.

Scores from the weekend’s adult and youth league games involving Herts teams (view)
BBF Adult League Standings (view)
Herts Youth Baseball League Standings (view)
Next games (view)

9 May 202310 May 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Flying together: Ducks lose nail-biter

Formosa Islanders 21-20 Herts Ducks

by Kumail Jaffer

“You guys refused to die.”

One off-hand but sincere comment from the Formosa Islanders manager summed up the tenacity and grit the Herts Ducks showed in their inaugural Double-A fixture on Sunday.

The Formosa Islanders are a formidable outfit, having come through the Single-A ranks with their high-energy approach.

The Ducks were not intimidated at all as they played out this epic fixture at Wormwood Scrubs – but fell short, at the last, of a miraculous comeback.

The home side took on the Ducks’ ace Alex Trautman to score four in the first inning – but the young pitcher locked it down in his remaining innings to limit the Islanders’ hit-and-run approach.

On the other end, the Ducks were going steadily, if unspectacularly. 8-5 down after the fourth inning, the Ducks needed something special to gain control of the game.

The team had done well to drive up the opposing pitcher’s count with every at bat, meaning walks were becoming more regular. Four in a row brought home Kumail Jaffer, Prime Mencias, Alex Trautman, and Max Trautman. Solid hits from Evan Robins scored Bradley Charalambous and Jake Spicer before Alex Trautman returned to the batter’s box with the bases loaded.

On a full count, the ace pitcher launched it well beyond the left field fence to score a grand slam and bring the Ducks’ total for the inning to double digits.

He followed it up by allowing just a single run through in the next inning, putting the Ducks firmly in control. But after a score draw in the sixth, the Islanders got back into the game with a monster 7th-inning rally to put them 18-17 ahead.

But the Ducks never stopped quacking. Three runs at the top of the 9th saw them needing to lock down the Formosa side to take the game to extra innings.

It wasn’t to be.

But the spirit shown away from home against a very solid outfit is encouraging.

Captain Brad Charalambous said: “I am so unbelievably proud of the Ducks for coming together and battling it out with the Islanders.

“They are a well established and respected team and having the opportunity to play them was an excellent chance to test where we are in the pecking order.

“I’m proud of my Ducks for flying together and staying In the thick and thin of such a tough game.

“Like Henry Ford says, ‘Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.'”

29 March 202330 March 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts teams announce preliminary 2023 rosters for the HSL

The seven Herts teams have announced their preliminary rosters for the 2023 Herts Spring League.

We understand that these rosters are not fixed and it is likely that there may be movement between teams over the course of the HSL. Some players may play for more than one team as managers look to evaluate them ahead of the announcement of the 2023 Opening Day rosters.

The HSL games commence on April 1st.

New players are registering every week, therefore some new names may be added to the rosters over the course of the HSL and throughout the league season.

Herts Falcons (National Baseball League)

Alex Deacon
Alexander Paterson
Ben Morris
Ben Moruzzi
Benjamin Sporleder
Cole Nakazawa
Daniel Moran
Dylan Lawler
Eli Belizaire
Fraser Duggan
Harry Quixley
Jack Mccarthy
Jack Warrington
Kaden Horwood
Leo Nakazawa
Leon Gutowski
Matthew Moran
Max Manoff
Michael Cresswell
Nathan Simmons
Nicholas Effingham
Rene Torcato
Samuel Sporleder
Tasuku Ishihara
Tetsuro Shinkawa
Will Clayton

Herts Cardinals (Triple-A)

Andy Cornish
Arik Raviv
Brian Dearing
Chun Hung Wong
Erik Gustafson
Giorgio Ferroni
Hiroki Fujimoto
James Cavanagh
James Hicks
Javier Tomas
Joshua Pines
Naohiko Kumagai
Osvaldo Badia Rivero
Robert Laflamme
Roberto Hernandez
Sean Bennett
Tyler Cote
Vytas Macenas
Will Davis

Herts Ducks (Double-A)

Alexander Trautman
Bradley Charalambous
Bryan Mencias
Danilo Machado
David Mas
Evan Robins
Hang Li
Jake Spicer
John Del Riccio
Kumail Jaffer
Max Trautman
Miguel Gibson
Mohamed Abdule
Paras Patravale
Prime Mencias
Sebastian Cheng
Taysir Barakat

Herts Hawks (Double-A)

Antonio Lourenco
Callum Ferrier
Cameron Schultz
Declan Carlean
Gerrod Taylor
Giuseppe Basilea
Harry Ewen
Harry Mcmenamin
Jack Obrien
Kennet Pike
Michael Johnson
Noah Tabor
Peter Hogg
Thomas Hill
Todd Neville

Herts Eagles (Single-A)

Ahmed Hassan
Boran Sahin
Daniel Gipple
Eleni Xintaras
Francesco Meduri
George Llewelyn Thomas
James Tappenden
Jamie Lang-Richards
Joe Gipple
Joseph Flores
Mark Vidler-Connaughton
Michael Green
Neil Chilton
Peter Wilson
Reece Crawley
Reece Williamson-White
Saira Smith

Herts Raptors (Single–A)

Abdul Elhamri
Adam Scales
Billy Perry
Danny Preston
David Howard
Hamza Chowdhree
Jack Burkett
Jamie Berlofsky
Jamie Wise
John Kjorstad
Jordon Fox
Lauren Dutch
Lee Dunn
Lewis Auchterlounie
Martin Kuszewski
Max Farmbrough
Maxymus Kuszewski
Michael Cunningham
Nicholas Hine
Paul Auchterlounie
Rufus Lloyd
Steve Kis
Swar Panchal
Thomas Browne

Herts Ravens (Single-A)

Andrew Slater
Arnold Longboy
Cory English
Dan Taylor
Ed Moore
Eric Ferng
Gilberto Medina
Greg Bochan
Henry Bell
Hunter Devine
Jack Page
Joseph Field
Matthew Bell
Matthew Jackson
Nicolas Goetz
Norman Peng
Rob Jones
Sonam Lama
Wei Chieh Wang
Zak Beller

Players, from beginners to advanced, are continuing to register for the 2023 baseball season. For more details about how to join the Herts baseball teams in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London or for more details about the HSL or if you are interested to give baseball a try in this competition contact Herts Baseball Club.

Adult and youth players now registering for the 2023 baseball season

24 March 202328 March 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

2023 BBF league lineups and schedules released. Tough Opening Day opponents for the 7 Herts teams.

The British Baseball Federation has published the 2023 line-ups and schedules for the four league tiers.

National Baseball League

The Herts Falcons are making their return to the NBL which will feature seven teams this season. Arrows, Bruins, Capitals, Falcons, Mets, Vetra and the East London Latin Boys who are the other new team to enter the NBL following their promotion as the Triple-A national champions last year.

Each team will play 24 games in the regular season – 12 doubleheaders – facing each of the other six teams home and away. The postseason format and playoff qualification has not been announced yet but it is expected that the top four teams in the regular season standings will qualify for the playoff semi-finals on August 20^th with the winners meeting in the NBL championship best-of-3 series on 26 and 27 August.

The Falcons will make the long trip to Sheffield on Opening Day to face the Bruins on Sunday, April 16^th. Their home opener is a week later on Saturday, 22 April, when they host the reigning NBL champions, London Mets.

We understand the Falcons and the Latin Boys have submitted a request to the BBF to switch their series from June 18^th to Sunday July 23^rd at Grovehill Ballpark to enable the Latin Boys to take part in the Croydon Tournament. If the BBF approves this request, Herts plans to make this a special event. There are no games in any of the four BBF leagues on that weekend and Herts current and former club members and fans are advised to save the date – Sunday, 23 July.

Falcons schedule

As announced back in December, the 2023 NBL season will feel very different for Herts Falcons players and fans as the club is running the NBL Pilot Project and all their home games will be ticketed. Now that the game schedule has been published, ticket sales will be launched in the coming days.

The Herts Falcons go into the season as the rank outsiders but it is difficult to make any predictions at this stage as the roster has not been announced. We may have more information about their chances after we see the team in action for the first time in the HSL next week.

Go to the 2023 Herts Baseball Fan Survey

Triple-A League

Similar to the Falcons, the Herts Cardinals start the season by making the longest trip of the year away at the Bristol Badgers on Sunday, 16 April. Their first home game of the season is on April 30^th when they welcome their cross-town rivals, the London Metros.

Last year the Triple-A league consisted of two pools. This year it has been merged into one pool of eight teams. The Croydon Pirates are the new addition after they won the Double-A national championship last year.

Each team will face their opponents home and away in a regular season with a total of fourteen doubleheaders which will continue all the way into September.

Cardinals schedule

Double-A League

Herts Baseball Club was not represented in the Double-A league last year. This year they will have two teams in that league. The Herts Hawks have been promoted after reaching the Single-A national semi-final last year. They will be joined by the club’s expansion team – the Herts Ducks – who will play their home games at the club’s Basing Hill branch in north west London.

The offseason saw a surge of teams moving up from Single-A to Double-A and some moved down from Triple-A to Double-A so there will be four Double-A pools this year.

The Herts Hawks are in the “Central & East” pool alongside the Cambridge Lancers, Essex Archers, Milton Keynes Bucks and the Norwich Iceni. The Herts Ducks are in the “South” pool where they will compete against the Latin Boys (AA), Formosa Islanders, London Musketeers, London Meteors and the Sidewinders.

The Hawks open their season away at the Archers on 23 April while the Ducks are at home on 16 April against the Meteors. There will be no inter-pool matchups in Double-A so there will not be a Herts derby between the Ducks and the Hawks but they can hope to meet in the postseason.

Ducks schedule

Hawks schedule

Single-A League

With the Hawks promoted to Double-A, Herts will have three teams in the Single-A league this year. The BBF has chosen to minimize travel for teams and has allocated all three Herts teams in the same pool where they are joined by the Essex Redbacks (A) and the Milton Keynes Bucks (A). Surprisingly, the BBF has also decided to remove the inter-pool games from the regular season schedule which will reduce the variety of opponents in favour of less travel.

The Herts Eagles open their season away at the Bucks on 23 April. Raptors’ first game is on 7 May at home against the Eagles while the Herts Ravens will have to wait until 14 May to get their season underway at the MK Bucks.

With three Herts teams in the same pool, there will be nine Herts derbies to look forward to. We have to wait until the postseason format is announced to see whether having three Herts teams in the same pool will reduce the probability of seeing Herts teams in the playoffs.

Eagles schedule

Raptors schedule

Ravens schedule

HSL

But before the BBF league season commences, we will have the opportunity to see 17 of the teams play their first games of the year in the 2023 Herts Spring League which is played over two weeks starting on 1 and 2 April (see HSL preview article).

New players

New players are still able to join six of the seven Herts teams. A waiting list system is in effect for the Herts Raptors, but players can be assigned to the other Herts teams while they are on the Raptors waiting list. For more details, contact us.

13 March 202313 March 2023 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see the teams ahead of the 2023 British baseball season

The biggest pre-season baseball competition in Britain is back. Commencing on April 1, the Herts Spring League (HSL) will see 17 teams compete over the two weeks of the HSL. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it is Britain’s 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

The 17 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers – NBL, Double-A and Single-A.

The organisers considered the possibility of a tournament format, but ultimately adopted a league format in the same way as the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in MLB. “The objective of the HSL is to enable the teams to prepare for the new season and we have noticed that teams are increasingly starting to approach the HSL in the same way as MLB teams approach the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues” said HSL Commissioner, Aspi Dimitrov. He added “we have taken this into account when formulating the schedule putting greater emphasis on the preferences and preparatory requirements of the teams over the format of the competition”.

The teams finishing at the top of their respective division will be the HSL champions.

The Venue

The action will take place at both Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, and Basing Hill Ballpark in north west London.

Schedule

Over the two weekends 27 games are scheduled to be played on the three diamonds. The competition begins on April 1 with a morning clash between the Herts Hawks and the Single-A national champions, Bracknell Inferno. Both teams have been promoted to Single-A this year. At the same time on Diamond 2, there is a HSL Single-A match-up between the Herts Ravens and the Formosa Islanders.

The HSL NBL division teams play their frst games on Sunday, 2 April. This will be the first opportunity to see the Herts Falcons as they prepare to make their return to the NBL. There will be many new faces for Herts fans to meet for the first time as well as some fan favorites from previous NBL seasons. The preliminary Herts Falcons roster for the HSL will be announced later this month.

Some of the HSL NBL and Double-A games will be played at Basing Hill Ballpark, starting with the Herts Cardinals encounter with the Essex Redbacks who merged with the Essex Arrows earlier this year to create a much larger club with three diamonds in three different Essex towns which is expected to make them a major force in British baseball.

Click to view full 2023 HSL schedule

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 through the minor league system? 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.

Get in the Game

Adult and youth players, from beginners to advanced, are now registering for the 2023 baseball season. For more details about how to join the Herts baseball teams in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London or for more details about the HSL or if you are interested to give baseball a try in this competition contact Herts Baseball Club.

Adult and youth players now registering for the 2023 baseball season