written by Andy Cornish

Herts Hawks ended up losing 3-15 to a better, and undefeated, Daws Hill Spitfires side this weekend, but there were many positives to take away from the game, with good defence and the Hawks first home run of the year.

The Hawks turned up to the game at Daws Hill with only 9 players, and the ever-present Debra Devine. The pitcher for the Spitfires was Nic Stolz, whose reputation is growing with every game. His fastball and dropping curveball kept Hawks off the board until the third, with Daws hill adding 5 runs over that span. In the third, Andy Cornish, leading off the inning sent a 0-1 pitch towering over the left field wall for the first Hawks homer of the year. In that inning, the Hawks used the momentum to score another 2 runs with John Kjorstad and Paul Auchterlounie crossing the plate.

Solid infield defence by the Hawks kept the score at 5-3 until the 5th. 7 Daws Hill runners crossed home plate in the inning, with only a few errors, finding the holes in the field and a 2-run home run down to right field by left-hander Luis Hernandez. Ilya Dimitrov and Bobby Gould were starting to feel the intensity of the game, both picking up leg injuries. Hawks were not able to come back, and often got fooled by the curveball of Stolz for the rest of the game.

Hawks manager, Andy Cornish, commented “I wanted to come into today and show desire and play hard. We were able to do that in the first 5 innings, but I think that the injuries got to us. I am happy with how the infield played in some very tricky bouncing conditions, but think that we have to work on our hitting. The pitcher was good, but we helped him with swinging at a lot of balls outside the zone. It was always going to be tricky, and to Daws Hill credit, they hit well. I want to focus on the next game, and come out and show how we can hit.”

The double header between the Herts Hawks and Guildford Mavericks played on Sunday, 19 May, could have been billed as a replay of last season’s playoff quarter-final that saw the Hawks go through to the National Championships. However, with the expansion of the Herts organisation to five adult teams, it was inevitable that the squad to face the Mavericks would not be the same. Despite missing big guns like Louis Hare, Jon Lewys, Nic Goetz, Rod Naghar and Andrew Fullford, among others, the Hawks came out ready for battle and dead set to make a good showing.

Game 1: Guildford 5 – Herts 6

In the first game, Guildford were able to take an early lead, chipping away and getting a couple of runs in the first 2 innings, Nick Russell gaining more control as the game went on and limited the Mavericks well. The Mavericks pitcher was dominant, and whilst allowing 2 base runners through 4 innings was able to keep Herts to no runs. In the 5th, Herts were able to get 4 runs on the board with Tim Elkins and Ilya Dimitrov coming around before Hunter Devine and Andy Cornish (1RBI) crossed the plate on a 2 RBI hit from John Kjorstad. With the score 5-4 in the bottom of the 7th, with 2 down, Herts brought the house down with a walk off single from Hunter Devine (3RBI’s on the day) between the first and second baseman, scoring Elkins and Dimitrov again. The Herts players went crazy, with celebrations similar to those seen in the playoffs.

Game 2: Guildford 12 – Herts 1

After the elation for the Hawks in the first game, the second game went more to form, with Guildford keeping their tight defence and good pitching that they have become known for. Nick Russell continued on the mound before having to be removed due to the regulation on innings pitched. Herts eventually turned to Andrew Slater, the giant of a man to get outs that had eluded Jose Morillo Jr and Andy Cornish, but by this time it was too late and Guildford had racked up 7 runs in the inning. Herts were able to score a single run in the game. Although disappointing, there was a silver lining in Slater proving once again his ability to throw strikes and get outs, staking a claim for more mound appearances.

After the game, one of Hawk’s co-managers, Andy Cornish, commented: “I think that we should be very happy with the first game. Elkins in particular had very strong at bats, taking pitches, battling off the ones he didn’t want, which set him and the team up for a nail biting finish. The second game was a bit of a let down. I think that after a few experiments on the mound, we found a good pitcher in Andy Slater and he kept the run count down. We are still learning as a team and these games have answered a few questions. I hope that in the next games we continue to develop and can emulate some of the wonders and excitement from today’s first game.” The reaction of the other Hawk’s manager, Greg Bochan, (who had to leave at the start of the second game) to the final outcome was: “Jeez… Well, OK.” This pretty much summed it up.

The Herts Hawks get their season underway this Sunday at home against the London Mammoths at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead (first pitch 12:00pm). We caught up with one half of the Hawks managerial duo, Andy Cornish, to get a sense of the mood in the Hawks club house.

We are just days away from Opening Day. Do you feel ready or has the bad weather in March affected preparations?

Andy Cornish: Yes, totally. The indoor training was great, but there is a certain something that you get from playing games and getting used to the ground. Last weekend, with our first game outdoors, was something that we feel should have happened a few weeks earlier, but that is life, we all have to deal with the same situation, and I look forward to a summer of warmth!

What are your main goals for this season?

Andy Cornish: I think that this season is going to be challenging. Our main goal is to get a few wins, develop a few players and have fun while doing it.

What win-loss percentage would be seen as a successful season for the team and is it realistic to expect your team to reach the playoffs or even challenge for the title?

Andy Cornish: For the hawks, a .500 would be a successful season. We are in a season of re-building at our level, so if we get a few players playing above that, getting called up, then I will be chuffed

Will the entry of the Herts Ravens in the AAA League affect your team’s chances this season by diluting the strength of the Herts rosters across a larger number of teams?

Andy Cornish: As an organisation, we have got stronger. The AAA addition will help get the younger players, and the players with drive to increase their game. It was always going to be tough for our team, going from a post-season type team, a lot of the players were bound to get the call, and I would have been upset if they didn’t. But it does reduce some of our quality, which gives the players coming up the opportunity to shine and develop. I am looking forward to the challenge

Who are the players we should look out for this year?

Andy Cornish: I am looking forward to getting a few guys on the field, Hunter is back, Ben is new to the team, John Kjorstad is always a pro, but I will always have a bit of a moment when Nick Russell gets on the mound. Nick was a class act last year, and with a pitcher of his quality, you always have that little bit more of a chance of winning the game.

Which of your opponents in the league are likely to be the biggest challengers for the national title?

Andy Cornish: Guildford play excellent baseball, but as we found out last year, it is the midland teams that are the ones to beat.

Which league game are you looking forward to most?

Andy Cornish: The first home game. Always.

The postseason playoffs will be played at the brand new Farnham Park. Will this act as an even greater incentive for players to reach the postseason?

Andy Cornish: It is always a pleasure to play at home, and especially for the post season, so I will miss that. Herts has grown so much over the last few years and we would have liked Herts to continue to be the home of baseball for post-season. The new Farnham Park is always going to have a special place from now on, and that additional excitement to go to another field, specially made for baseball in the UK, then of course it is going to have an effect.

What is your message to Herts Baseball fans ahead of Opening day?

Andy Cornish: Hello. Come down, watch some baseball!

Herts Baseball Club is blessed with so many fantastic members and volunteers who generously give their time, energy and apply their expertise to build a truly special club, but there are volunteers like Tim Elkins who take contribution to a whole new level.

Tim joined Herts at the start of the 2006 British baseball season and since then, in addition to being a player, he has acted in many different capacities from team manager, coach and member of the club’s front office to being part of the grounds crew, field maintenance and events staff.

During that period Tim Elkins has persistently been submitting his application to link his work as Herts Baseball volunteer to the Royal Bank of Scotland Community Cashback Scheme. The scheme rewards the work of people like Tim by making a cash contribution to the community groups which they are involved in.

Every year since 2007 Tim’s applications to RBS have successfully been bringing in cash grants for Herts Baseball which have accumulated nearly £2,000. Contributions like this have enabled the club to meet the match-funding requirements of grants such as the recent BSUK facilities grant which saw around £17,000 go into the upgrade of Grovehill Ballpark to make it one of the premier baseball venues in the UK.

Not many know that in addition to his contribution as volunteer and the RBS grants, Tim Elkins, together with his parents, Derek and Josephine Elkins, have made substantial cash donations which have reached a four-digit number.

When people look around Grovehill Ballpark, they won’t see his name but they should know that Tim Elkins has played a major part in building the facility and the community which people see today.

It will not be easy for members and fans to express with words their appreciation for what Tim has done for their favourite club, but Tim should know that, when people tip their cap to say hello, it is intended as more than just a greeting.

2011 Infield Gold Glove winner and Herts Hawks member Ralph Bartholomew has been unable to participate in Spring Training this year as he’s deep into a training programme to prepare to run in the 33rd Virgin London Marathon this April. Although Ralph is not normally a long-distance runner and prefers the slightly less gruelling sport of baseball, he’s taken up the challenge in order to raise funds for the charity Crimestoppers UK.

As you might know, Crimestoppers runs a nationwide anynymous tip line that leads directly to over 20 arrests every day, as well as running outreach programmes for young people in communities across the country. Crimestoppers have set a fundraising target for Ralph, so unfortunately he can’t do it without a little help. If you can make any contribution to support a good cause (no donation is too small), please visit Ralph’s fundraising page.