Gary Davison, the pitcher responsible for the Herts Falcons’ greatest playoff upset defeat, is now a member of the team.

The right-hander, who also plays first base and third base, is a member of Team GB and was the 2016 NBL MVP.

Davison — seen above pitching for the Southampton Mustangs — cited the Falcons’ strong ethic as his reason for joining the squad. “[The Falcons] play with heart and never give up,” he said. “Hopefully I can make a positive contribution to win the trophy this year.”

“Gary is a great addition to the team” said manager Cris Hiche. “He has a proven record in the NBL…he’s also a great guy to have in the clubhouse.”

As a member of the Division 1 Burgess Hill Colts, Davison was the key factor in Herts’ dramatic extra-innings playoff loss in 2006.

After rallying back from a 10-6 deficit, the Colts took a 12-10 lead in the ninth against the Premier Division Falcons, who would force the game into extra innings. Down 13-12 in the tenth, with no outs and a runner on third, Herts looked poised to tie the game.

Davison single-handedly ended the inning—and the Falcons’ playoffs—striking out the next three batters. His complete-game victory propelled the Colts into the Premier Division, relegating the Falcons to Division 1.

A true two-way player, the 2016 NBL home run leader represented British baseball as one of ten participants in MLB Battlegrounds’ home run derby in July 2017. He competed alongside 14-year MLB vet Carlos Peña, World Series champion and All-Star Cliff Floyd, as well as England cricketers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales.

The event, which took place in Hyde Park, drew about 12,000 spectators. “It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life, by far!” said Davison.

With the Falcons set to make their continental club competition debut in 2019, Davison’s international playing experience, which includes two European Championships in Pool A, will no doubt be an asset.

“I believe [we] have a chance of winning [the Federations Cup qualifier],” he said, “especially if we just play British baseball as a team and a family.”

That new baseball family is eager to see what Davison can do in a Herts uniform.

He feels the same. “I’m looking forward to playing with you guys instead of against you all the time,” he told the Falcons. “I’ve chosen the right team to play for.”

The Herts Falcons are preparing for a massive 2019 season in the National Baseball League (NBL) and the European Federation Cup. They have started their preparations with a bang by announcing the return of two-time NBL Champion, Jarrod Pretorius. The 33-year-old slugger was a member of the Falcons in 2017 but they missed him last year. He is back for what is expected to be an unforgettable year for Herts and British baseball as a whole, which will feature the MLB London Series.

Pretorius was a key member of the Harlow Nationals team which dominated the NBL winning it in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Many would argue that if he was not with the Nationals, the Falcons would have become NBL Champions in 2012. In Game 6 of the NBL Final it was Jarrod Pretorius’ 3-run home run after a memorable at bat versus pitcher Ryan Bird which proved to be the difference in the Nationals’ 6-3 title-clinching win.

In that year the South African was also voted as the NBL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 2013 he was once again instrumental when the Nationals eliminated the Falcons in the NBL Semi-Final at Farnham Park.

A look at the NBL archives from the 2012 and 2013 season shows Pretorius leading in various statistical categories, including best batting average (.500) and slugging average (.760) in 2012, NBL Third Base Gold Glove in 2012 and First Base Gold Glove in 2013.

In 2015 he signed for the Tubingen Hawks in the German Bundesliga. In a key game he suffered an injury. This kept him out of the game, but he made his comeback with Herts in 2017. He marked his Falcons debut with a home run on Opening Day and he also dented the car of one of his teammates. We can’t wait to see what he will do on his second debut for the club.

Adult and youth players, from beginners to advanced players, are now registering for the 2019 baseball season. For more details about how to join any of the Herts adult and youth baseball and softball teams or to try baseball at an upcoming open session, please contact us.

Russtar Arena in Moscow, one of the Fed Cup qualifier venues

The opponents of the Herts Falcons in their 2019 European Federations Cup Qualifier have been announced by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). The majority of them are teams from Central and Eastern Europe, with one each from Scandinavia and the Baltic.

This will be the Falcons’ debut in continental club competitions. They booked their European place after finishing as National Baseball League (NBL) runners-up in 2018, losing to the London Mets in the Final. The Mets are also one of the 12 teams who will be competing in this Qualifier.

The games will be played on June 10 to 15, 2019. The two cities which have been awarded the right to host the Federations Cup Qualifiers are the Russian capital, Moscow, and Blagoevgrad in South Western Bulgaria. Herts have been assigned to Blagoevgrad.

It’s a city 60 miles from Sofia, the cultural centre of its region. There are two universities, so plenty of cafes and restaurants, and it hosts several music festivals. The Blagoevgrad Buffaloes baseball team have won a string of national titles.

While Herts would have welcomed the chance to go to one of the host cities of the very successful 2018 World Cup in Russia, Bulgaria is the preferred option from a financial perspective. The Herts Falcons will be raising money to help fund this amazing opportunity, and fans and players alike will be working hard to do that.

Federations Cup Qualifier Lineup
Pool 1 – Moscow, Russia, June 10 – 15, 2019

1) London Mets (GBR)
2) KS Silesia Rybnik (POL)
3) Apollo Bratislava (SVK)
4) Russtar Moscow (RUS)
5) Sofia Blues (BUL)
6) Kaunas County (LTU)

Pool 2 – Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, June 10 – 15, 2019

1) Herts Falcons (GBR)
2) Athletic Sofia (BUL)
3) Solvesborg Firehawks (SWE)
4) Utenos Titanai (LTU)
5) CS Atletico Alexandria (ROM)
6) UKS Deby Osielso (POL)

 

The home of the Blagoevgrad Buffaloes

If British baseball clubs make progress in these international competitions they can look forward to competing in the Champions Cup and the CEB Cup alongside the highest ranked European clubs.

Champions Cup Lineup
Bologna, Italy, June 4 – 8, 2019

1) Curacao Neptunus (NED)
2) L&D Amsterdam (NED)
3) Unipolsai Fortitudo Bologna (ITA)
4) A.S.D. Rimini (ITA)
5) Bonn Capitals (GER)
6) Ostrava Arrows (CZE)
7) Rouen Huskies (FRA)
8) Deurne Spartans (BEL)

CEB Cup Lineup
Brno, Czech Republic, June 5 – 9, 2019

1) Heidenheim Heidekoepfe (GER)
2) Draci Brno (CZE)
3) Valencia Astros (ESP)
4) Zuerich Challengers (SUI)
5) Montigny Cougars (FRA)
6) KNTU Kropivnytsky
7) Minsk (BLR)
8) Vindija Varazdin (CRO)

Federations Cup Lineup
Karlovac, Croatia, June 10 – 15, 2019

1) Dornbirn Indians (AUT)
2) Vienna Metrostars (AUT)
3) Olimpija Karlovac (CRO)
4) Therwil Flyers (SUI)
5) Leksand (SWE)
6) Borgerhout Squirrels (BEL)

There had been a sprinkling of fairy dust on the Herts Falcons’ postseason run. But there wasn’t quite enough magic to overcome the London Mets in the final at Farnham Park.

This was to be a best-of-three series, with the defending champion Mets looking to lock up a repeat title.

Herts started their manager Cris Hiche on the mound on Saturday’s Game 1. He was credited with the win in both of the Falcons playoff victories the previous weekend, beating the Southampton Mustangs and the London Capitals.

This was to be a tough game right from the off. The London Mets’ bats were hot early, driving in 4 runs in the first and 6 runs in the second.

Rich Minford, the starter for London, was in dominant form and Herts just couldn’t solve him. The defending champions were able to pile on, and prevent the Falcons from scoring.

Late in the game, Cris Hiche blooded some of the young talent the club is developing. One of them, Alex Deacon, provided the defensive highlight of the day with a running catch at second base, and a sharp turn of a double play.

Herts were able to load the bases late on, with relief pitcher Aaron Witter among those getting on. Young Giuseppe Basilea hit a hard ground ball. But the Mets were equal to it, and got out of the inning.

It ended 16-1.

In Game 2 on Sunday, Herts hoped to use the Mets aggressive batting against them. Veteran Wade Lynch started on the mound, using an array of off-speed pitches.

It worked well in the early exchanges, London getting two runners on but failing to score. For Herts, Conner Brown got aboard with a single but couldn’t advance.

It was scoreless after one. The Mets weren’t held for long, though. They made good contact and found holes to score 6 in the second inning. They would keep adding throughout the ballgame.

Mets starter Michael Hoyes was able to hold the Falcons to just the one hit through three innings. But Herts were finally able to break through in the fourth.

Walter Bates led off with a single, and stole second. He was moved to third with a single by Conner Brown – who had come in to pitch in relief — and then brought home on a ground-out by Hiche. But a caught stealing and another ground-out meant the threat was blunted, and the Mets still led 10-1.

Again, the young talent shone. Tyler Badenhorst got the best Herts hit of the day, a booming double into left field which bounced over the fence off the warning track in the fifth.

Shortstop Carlos Casal Jr had made a smart and brilliantly executed play in the top of the fifth to save a run. Fielding a sharply hit ground ball with a runner trying to score from third, he threw home for Phil Clark to apply the tag.

But despite these highlight moments, the Falcons couldn’t put enough together to keep the game alive. A strikeout with two runners on ended the fifth, and gave the Mets an 11-1 victory by the mercy rule.

The Falcons offered their congratulations to London. Manager Cris Hiche said: “it was a tough weekend but all the credit goes to a very good Mets squad.”

He added: “They outplayed us in all aspects of the game and we didn’t come out sharp enough. This is a start of a process for the Falcons and we’ll be back stronger next year!”.

With such great  improvement through 2018, and a crop of young talent which can only get better, that certainly seems a real prospect.