Category: Hawks

by Rob Jones

HERTS SIDES BLOWN AWAY

The strong winds blowing across Grovehill ballpark on Sunday did nobody any favours, but the Herts baseball teams seemed to suffer the most.

Ball, glove, hatThe Herts Raptors faced their most evenly matched opponent of the year so far in the London Marauders, but the wind quickly played a part. Starting pitcher Phil Gover found his curve ball hanging in the breeze, and the outfielders were outfoxed by a series of huge fly balls.

Six runs scored in the first inning before balls kept on the infield secured the outs. Chris Deacon — returning from injury — made smart plays to retire runners at second base, though the Raptors never quite achieved the double play they were after.

Eight more runs crossed in the second before Raptors could answer back, and by the middle of the fourth the visitors lead was 27-6. Then, at last, the home team’s bats came alive. Hustle and bold hitting got results, Will Belbin and Oz Kemal picked up RBI’s, and the Raptors put 10 runs on the board.

This dramatic comeback included the strangest hit of the day. A mis-hit dribbler went back to the London pitcher, but it got him in the shins and bounced away – after two overthrows the batter was safe at third base and all the runners had scored. Sadly, such good fortune was not to last. In the end, Marauders had too much batting power for the Herts side and ran out 37-19 victors.

At least Herts did put an exclamation mark at the end of the game, as Little League graduate Zach Longboy pitched a 1-2-3 inning in his senior debut on the mound.

The other Herts teams also endured tough days. The Hawks led 6-5 after three innings, and were only narrowly behind after four. But they then suffered a bad inning which has been the hallmark of Herts losses this year. Guildford Mavericks scored 7, and then shut out their hosts to win 21-8.

One bad inning also undid the National League Falcons, at home to the Mildenhall Bulldogs. Ace Darrin Ward was on the mound in the first game but an explosion of 13 runs in the top of the third pretty much settled the matter. Nic Goetz pitched the second game, which went the full seven innings but still ended in defeat for Herts, this time 11-1. Manager Lee Manning said too many mistakes had cost the Falcons in the first match-up, but he was pleased with a better all round defensive performance in the second. “We were just out-hit”, he concluded simply.

by AspiDimitrov

Halleluiah! A win for Herts

Herts is one of the biggest baseball organisations in Great Britain but has had a nightmare start of the 2011 season.  At last, the club’s barren spell has ended and the first league win for a Herts team in 2011 came at the weekend, form an unlikely source.

After four weeks of league action the three Herts teams competing in the senior leagues each found themselves with the unenviable record of four losses out of four games.  In total this translates into twelve unsuccessful attempts to end the losing streak.

All three Herts senior teams were at home this weekend and with the Herts Under-14 and Under-17 teams starting their British League campaigns the Herts baseball family was hopeful that the nightmare run would end.  Similar to Hollywood movies like Major League and Bull Durham, members of Herts prepared for the weekend exercising all kinds of superstitions from wearing unusual type of underwear, or none at all, to continuing not to shave until the losing streak ends.  Some even considered sacrificing a live chicken.  Thankfully the chicken was spared as the Herts Under-14 All Stars won their opening game of the season against their bitter rivals the London Mets U14.  Brodie Caress was the starting pitcher who picked up the win.  Jonathan Fretheim came in to close the game in style striking out all three Mets batters to end the game.  Both Caress and Fretheim delivered the final blow to the Mets each hitting a 3-run home run deep over the outfield wall.   The second game of the double-header was won 21-10 by the London Mets.

The hard-hitting London Mets are the team to beat this season in the British Under-17 League

At the same time on the other side of Grovehill Ballpark the Herts Under-17 team also opened their season against the London Mets U-17.  This season Herts enter a baseball team into the U-17 British league for the first time in its history and with the majority of the players aged 13 and 14 it was always going to be an uphill task as they came up against the reigning Under-17 British Champions who include accomplished players who are 2 or 3 years older than them.  Despite this, Herts put up a brave fight especially in game two.  They may have lost both games, but this was a good opportunity for the future stars of Herts Baseball to see what the target is for them over the next few years.  The final scores of the two Under-17 League games were 19-2 and 23-10 in favour of the Mets.

The Herts Giants had a dramatic come back win against the Herts Dodgers on Saturday

While this was taking place the Herts Giants and the Herts Dodgers clashed as part of the Herts regional league schedule for the Under-12s.  The Giants won it 18-17 with a dramatic walk off hit to extend their lead in the Herts Minor League standings.

On Sunday it was the turn of the Herts senior teams.  The Herts Falcons were missing key players, Troy Linton, Jamie Munn and Liam Green who was resting after pitching in the Under-17 league game 24 hours earlier, but even if that wasn’t the case it would have been difficult to stop the powerful batting lineup of the Mildenhall Bulldogs who won both games deservedly.  Despite the loss there were many positives for the Falcons to take out of the game as they go into a crucial game against the Croydon Pirates next Sunday.

The Herts Hawks were also at home.  This time they welcomed the newly promoted Guildford Mavericks.  Although the Hawks can have no complaints about the loss, it was very much a missed opportunity as the team had a commanding lead halfway through the game and let it slip away from them at the end.

The Bulldogs found Falcons pitcher Nic Goetz very hard to hit

The weekend was completed with the Single-A League game between the London Marauders and the Herts Raptors. The boys from Herts suffered another loss, but that will not dampen the enthusiasm of the team.  Some struggling teams like to approach one game at a time and this principle applies to the Raptors as well.  The team is a work-in-progress but the day when they will be ready to seriously challenge their opponents is not too far away.  Until then, the team may have to approach one inning at a time rather than one game at a time.

Next Games:

12:00, Sun, 29 May, Croydon Pirates @ Herts Falcons (NBL) (Grovehill Ballpark, Herts)

11:00, Sat, 28 May, Herts All Stars U17 @ Essex RedBacks U17 (Chelmsford, Essex)

11:00, Sat, 28 May, Herts All Stars U14 @ Essex RedBacks U14 (Chelmsford, Essex)

by AspiDimitrov

Falcons Game Switched to Grovehill

Fans of Herts Baseball can look forward to two games in Hemel Hempstead this Sunday after the venue for the Falcons vs Diamondbacks game was switched.

Due to a clash at RAF Feltwell, the Herts Falcons’ next league game with the Lakenheath Diamondbacks has been moved to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.  The Falcons will still be treated as the visiting team in the game, but hopefully playing at home will give them an advantage as they seek their first win of the season.  The team has had to sit out without any league action over the last three weekends, so they will be eager to get back to the diamond.  They go into the game with a 0-2 record after their Opening Day defeat against the Southampton Mustangs who have quitely gone to the top of the standings with a 6-0 record. 

The Falcons vs Diamondbacks game begins at 12:45. 

Also playing at Grovehill Ballpark are the club’s AA team, the Hawks (0-2).  They clash with League favorites the Sidewinders.  Game starts at 12:00.

The Herts Raptors (0-3) travel to Single-A League leaders, the Cambridge Royals.

by Rob Jones

SUNSHINE BUT NO SMILES

Although the sun shone on the bank holiday weekend, fortune did not smile on the Herts baseball teams.

The Raptors played host to the powerful Southampton Mustangs on the second week of A-division action. Things did not start well for pitcher, Ken Pike, who struggled with his control and walked batters. Four runs came in. But the visiting pitcher Dave Wrigley also had a poor start, including hitting a batter. Herts struck back with a run, and the game remained quite tight as it developed, with Mustangs slowly inching ahead.

Ken Pike in pre-season action
Ken Pike in pre-season action

The Raptors rookies, including Charlie Williams and Oz Kemal, were putting in solid performances. Ken Pike made good plays at shortstop to keep his side in the game, but the home team missed out on too many close plays. Rusty veteran Rob Jones was on the end of a frustating succession of “nearly plays” from third base.

It was 9-1 to Southampton going into the seventh inning, but then the wheels seemed to come off for Herts. Walks, errors and some good hits helped the Mustangs score 8 runs. Lefty relief pitcher Phil Gover came in and was able to stem the bleeding with his deceptive curve, and give Raptors one more chance to keep the game alive.

At this point, the Mustangs catcher had realised what his pitcher did not – Wrigley was in line for the first no-hitter in his club’s history. And the inning encapsulated the game. The first two Raptors hitters made good contact, but excellent play by the defence kept them off the bases. Then Wrigley’s control failed again and he issued a walk to Rob Jones, one of seven the pitcher gave up on the day. The runner stole second and stole third, but in that time the Mustangs’ starter had struck out the final Raptors batter. It was a convincing 17-1 win.

In the AA-division, Greg Bochan and Andy Cornish took their Herts Hawks to the south coast to face Poole Piranhas. It started badly, with Herts giving up 3 runs in each of the first three innings. Despite that, there were several attempts at a comeback, and Jeff Witter and Nick Russell helped the Hawks chip away.

Coach Bochan was pleased with the way his team performed, and there was “outstanding” work in the outfield by Hunter Devine and Ralph Bartholomew. The Hawks scored two more runs in the final innings, but it was never enough to overhaul the home side. Poole won 9-4.

The Herts club is still winless after two weeks of the season, but the managers are taking positives from what has happened so far. The first opponents have been some of the strongest in the various divisions, and Herts must take the lessons it has learned into fixtures which offer good hopes of a win.

The National League Herts Falcons had to reschedule their games against Croydon, and will instead go in search of their first win against the London Mets next week.

by AspiDimitrov

Opening Day Disaster for Herts

The Herts teams couldn’t have imagined a worse start of the 2011 baseball season.  All four games involving Herts teams ended in defeat.  

  

The Herts Falcons faced the Southampton Mustangs in their home opener and they came into the game with a lot of confidence after a good run of results in Spring Training which included a convincing victory against the Mustangs.  Despite taking the lead in the first inning, the Falcons gradually lost grip of the game.  In the fifth inning the visitors delivered the knockout punch scoring 9 runs.  Southampton’s starting pitcher, Gary Davison, pitched a complete game allowing only 4 hits. He was shaken up only once when the Falcons’ 2009 MVP, Darrin  Ward, launched a towering 2-run home run over the left-field wall, but it came too late for Herts.   

 

The second game of the doubleheader was a much closer contest.  Chuck Truelson picked up the win for Southampton after Rodriguez came in very effectively to relieve him in the fourth inning.  Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, was gracious in defeat: “Southampton outplayed us and they deserved to win today. We need to bounce back now.”

 

The one positive for the Falcons is that they now have a two-week break which should be enough for their freakishly long list of injured players to recover including Jamie Munn (arm), Jon Lewys (ankle), Troy Linton (elbow), Nic Goetz (arm), Mahendra Prasad (hamstring), Aspi Dimitrov (shoulder).  They will face the Croydon Pirates in their next game on May 1, once again at Grovehill Ballpark.

 

The Herts Hawks were brought down to earth by a much improved Thames Valley team who, on today’s performance, should be able to challenge in the race for the postseason.  They have acquired the temperamental lefty starting pitcher, Matteo, from the Oxford Kings.  Despite pitching a blinder, he managed to get himself ejected from the game in the final inning with his team winning 16-5.

 

The Herts Raptors opened their campaign against the newly formed Cambridge Royals, who already look like the team to beat in the Single-A League.  With experienced players like Gary Liston, Adam Brown and Sri Lankan pitcher Raj, who fans of Herts know well, they have the tools to get to the postseason.  They won with a convincing 33-5 score against a Herts Raptors team that will be in much better shape in their next game with the return of some of the team’s big guns Arnie Longboy, Bryan Drummond, Chris Deacon, Phil Crooks, Rob Jones, Stephen Patmore and Tom Green.

 

A disappointing start of the season for the Herts teams, but those who dismiss their chances do so at their own peril.

 

 

BOX SCORES – GAME 1  

Southampton Mustangs at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Southampton Mustangs 1 2 1 1 9 0 1 0 15 18 3
Herts Falcons 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 4 7
Southampton Mustangs 15, Herts Falcons 5
Southampton Mustangs Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
AIZPURUA V. ss 4 2 2 2 PRASAD Mahendra cf 4 0 0 0
(b5) BIBBY R. rf-ss 2 0 0 0 SAIONJI Kimiyoshi 2b 2 2 0 0
DAVIS Ben 1b 5 1 4 3 WARD Darrin p 3 2 1 2
RODRIGUEZ A. cf 5 2 1 2 LINTON Troy 1b 4 1 1 1
SIERRA Oscar c 5 2 2 0 HARE Louis ss 2 0 0 0
DAVISON Gary p 5 2 2 0 LEWYS Jonathon rf 3 0 0 0
TRUELSON Chuck 3b 5 2 2 2 GOETZ Nic 3b 3 0 1 0
ARIETA Ross rf 5 2 2 1 DIMITROV Aspi lf 2 0 0 0
JOHNSON P. 2b 5 2 3 0 MANNING Lee c 2 0 1 0
COOPER A. lf 3 0 0 1 (t6) SHERMAN Perrie c 1 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 44 15 18 11 TEAM TOTALS 26 5 4 3
E: RODRIGUEZ A., DAVISON Gary, TRUELSON Chuck, HARE Louis(3), GOETZ Nic(2), LINTON
Troy, LEWYS Jonathon. LOB: Herts Falcons 5, Southampton Mustangs 10. 2B: DAVIS
Ben(3), DAVISON Gary, SIERRA Oscar, JOHNSON P., MANNING Lee. HR: RODRIGUEZ A.,
TRUELSON Chuck, WARD Darrin. SB: DAVIS Ben(2), TRUELSON Chuck, JOHNSON P., AIZPURUA
V., SAIONJI Kimiyoshi. CS: HARE Louis. SF: COOPER A..
Southampton Mustangs IP H R ER BB SO
DAVISON Gary W 7.00 4 5 2 5 6
Herts Falcons            
WARD Darrin L 7.00 18 15 8 1 2

  

   

 

BOX SCORES – GAME 2  

 

Southampton Mustangs at Herts Falcons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Southampton Mustangs 3 3 1 0 4 0 0 11 12 5
Herts Falcons 2 0 3 0 0 3 0 8 6 5
Southampton Mustangs 11, Herts Falcons 8
Southampton Mustangs Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
AIZPURUA Victor 2b-ss 5 3 3 0 PRASAD Mahendra cf 4 1 2 2
DAVIS Ben cf 5 2 2 2 SAIONJI Kimiyoshi 2b 2 1 0 1
RODRIGUEZ A. 3b-p 5 2 2 0 WARD Darrin 1b 3 2 1 0
SIERRA O. c 4 3 2 6 LINTON Troy 3b-ss 4 0 0 0
DAVISON G. 1b 3 1 1 2 HARE Louis ss-p 4 1 1 2
TRUELSON Chuck p 2 0 0 0 LEWYS Jonathon lf 3 1 1 2
(b4) JOHNSON P. 2b 1 0 1 0 (t6) ARNOTT Jim rf 1 0 0 0
ARIETA Ross rf 4 0 1 0 GOETZ Nic p-3b 1 0 0 0
BIBBY R. ss-3b 4 0 0 0 (b3) DIMITROV Aspi 3b 3 0 1 1
COOPER A. lf 4 0 0 0 NAGHAR Rodney rf-lf 2 1 0 0
          MANNING Lee c 2 0 0 0
          (b6) SHERMAN Perrie pr-c 0 1 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 37 11 12 10 TEAM TOTALS 29 8 6 8
E: BIBBY R.(2), DAVIS Ben, RODRIGUEZ A., AIZPURUA Victor, LINTON Troy(2), HARE Louis,
MANNING Lee, NAGHAR Rodney. LOB: Herts Falcons 5, Southampton Mustangs 7. 2B: HARE
Louis, PRASAD Mahendra, DIMITROV Aspi. 3B: PRASAD Mahendra. HR: SIERRA O.(2), DAVISON
G.. SB: AIZPURUA Victor(2), DAVIS Ben, JOHNSON P.. SF: SAIONJI Kimiyoshi.
Southampton Mustangs IP H R ER BB SO
RODRIGUEZ A. 4.00 3 3 1 1 2
TRUELSON Chuck W 3.00 3 5 1 3 2
Herts Falcons            
HARE Louis 4.67 7 5 2 0 3
GOETZ Nic L 2.33 5 6 3 1 1
HBP: by GOETZ Nic (DAVISON G.). . . . . . . Balk: RODRIGUEZ A.. T: 2:30. A: 89.
by AspiDimitrov

Let the Battle Begin

Richmond won the NBL and AA league titles last year.  Who will it be this year?

 

The grass is cut, the foul lines have been marked out, the baseball gloves are well-oiled and the bats are ready to hit one out of the park.  British Baseball prepares for the opening of the 2011 season.  Clubs around the country have been preparing for this moment for the last six months. The time for talking is over. Let the battle for the league title begin.

 

Just like all the other clubs around the country, the Herts teams are eager to get the show started.  The club’s top team, the Herts Falcons will go into the new season with many new faces in their roster.  They had a promising run of pre-season results against other National Baseball League (NBL) opponents so there is an extra spring in their step. Newly appointed manager, Lee Manning who has been a member of the club since it was founded in 1996, is excited about the team’s prospects. “Everyone is relaxed and excited about the season.  The atmosphere has been great, and we’re really looking forward to it”, said Manning.

 

The Falcons start their 2011 NBL campaign at home against the Southampton Mustangs, a team which made it to last year’s postseason playoffs in their first season in the country’s top league.  The two teams met on Opening Day last year.  The Falcons swept the Mustangs on that occasion but despite this Southampton ended up much higher in the league standings by the end of the regular season, so, whatever happens in these Opening Day series, it will not determine where these two teams will end up in August, but there is no doubt that both of them would want to get off to a winning start.

 

The Herts Hawks open the season away at the Thames Valley Bisons.  The Hawks roster looks much stronger than last year so it is not a secret that the club is very optimistic that the Hawks may have an outside chance of getting into the postseason playoffs. Co-Managers Greg Bochan and Andy Cornish have been preparing and planning meticulously for this day so now it is time to deliver.

 

The Herts Raptors ended last season with one win and twelve losses, but despite this it was a fun season with the team members embracing the underdog spirit.  Herts has once again attracted a wave of new players who are new to baseball so Manager Ken Pike will have the difficult task of turning them into a team which is capable of surprising the league against the odds.  The team had moments of brilliance during the Herts Spring League which included a spirited fightback against the Essex RedBacks only to lose 16-17 in the final inning, so the Raptors’ prospects may not be as bad as some may think.

 

OPENING DAY GAMES FOR THE HERTS TEAMS

Sunday, 17 April 2011

 

National Baseball League

Southampton Mustangs @ Herts Falcons (12:30pm)

Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

 

AA League

Herts Hawks @ Thames Valley Bisons (12:00pm)

Thames Valley

 

A League

Cambridge Royals @ Herts Raptors (14:00pm)

Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead

by AspiDimitrov

BBF releases league structure for 2011 season

51 adult teams will play at four levels and in ten divisions during the 2011 British Baseball season, according to the league structure released by the British Baseball Federation on March 30.

The British Baseball Federation has released the league and divisional structures for the 2011 baseball season that will begin for all leagues on Sunday, April 17.

51 adult teams will play at four levels and in ten divisions during the 2011 season.

The flagship National Baseball League has expanded again this year, to 10 teams in two pools.

The AAA level will have North and South divisions, with four teams in the North and six in the South.

At AA level, there will be North and Midlands divisions with five teams each and two South divisions with seven teams in one and six in the other.

At A level, there will be two divisions, both in the South, and both with four teams each.

The playoff and National Championship structure that will emerge from these divisions will be announced by the BBF shortly.

Meanwhile, here is how the teams will line up for play this season.

NBL

Pool A
Bracknell Blazers
Croydon Pirates
Essex Arrows
Richmond Flames
Southampton Mustangs
 
Pool B
Herts Falcons
Lakenheath Diamondbacks
London Mets
Mildenhall Bulldogs
Southern Nationals

 

AAA

AAA North
Halton Jaguars
Liverpool Trojans
Manchester A’s
Menwith Hill Patriots
 
AAA South
Bracknell Blazers II
Bristol Badgers
Essex Redbacks
London Metros
Oxford Kings
Richmond Knights

AA

AA North
Bolton Robots of Doom
Humber Pilots
Manchester Torrent
Oldham North Stars
Sheffield Bladerunners
 
AA Midlands
Birmingham Maple Leafs
Leicester Blue Sox
Leicester Blue Sox II
Milton Keynes Bucks
Nottingham Rebels
 
AA South 1
Brentwood Stags
Croydon Pirates III
Essex Archers
Essex Redbacks II
Kent Mariners
Latin Boys
Sidewinders
 
AA South 2
Guildford Mavericks
Herts Hawks
Poole Piranhas
Richmond Dragons
Thames Valley Bisons
Windsor Bears
 

A

A South 1
Braintree Rays
Cambridge Royals
Herts Raptors
Old Timers
 
A South 2
Guildford Mavericks II
London Marauders
Southampton Mustangs II
Tonbridge Baseball Club
This article was first published at britishbaseball.com
by AspiDimitrov

RICHMOND AND MK WIN THRILLING HSL FINALS

 

Richmond clinched the 2011 Herts Spring League Championship in the Majors Division, while the Milton Keynes Bucks were crowned Champions of the Minors Division.

 

Twenty teams played 46 games over the last three weekends as part of the annual Herts Spring League competition. This was the final rehearsal for the teams from the British baseball leagues before the start of the new baseball season.

 

Over the years the teams have become accustomed to the unpredictable weather during this Spring competition, but this year, and this weekend in particular, the games were played in weather conditions which we can expect only in the height of summer.  Temperatures were as high as 23oC and the barbeques were out in force around Grovehill Ballpark in Herts.

 

Once the first pitch was thrown it was all about the baseball and we were not disappointed.  Both the Majors and Minors Finals were decided by a one-run difference and everyone was kept on the edge of their seat right to the end. 

 

In the Majors Division the Richmond Flames clashed with the newly formed Southern Nationals.  At the end, the 2010 National Champions, Richmond, came out on top with a dramatic 6-5 win.

 

In the Minors Division Final, we saw a repeat of the 2010 Single-A National Final between the Milton Keynes Bucks and the Guildford Mavericks.  The game was played at exactly the same venue in Hemel Hempstead and again turned out to be a classic match-up.  The MK Bucks were once again victorious, but it took everything they had in their tank to win 11-10.

 

The remaining teams in the competition also played their final games.  Herts Falcons, Lakenheath Diamondbacks and Mildenhall Bulldogs played in a three-way playoff to determine the Bronze medallists in the HSL Majors.  Each team won one and lost one so it came down to who conceded the fewest number of runs in these games.  On the basis of that rule Mildenhall was confirmed as the winner of the 3rd Place Playoff.  Lakenheath finished fourth and the Herts Falcons fifth.  Bracknell finished 6th. Essex Arrows secured 7th Place after an impressive 11-8 win against their old rivals, the Southampton Mustangs.  The Sidewinders beat the Herts Hawks 10-4 to finish fifth in the HSL Minors.  Ahead of their first season back in the British baseball leagues, the Cambridge Royals won convincingly against the Leicester Blue Sox. Finally, despite a late fight back by the Herts Raptors, the London Marauders came out on top 13-10.

 

All attention now turns to next Sunday’s Opening Day of the 2011 British baseball season.  If the Herts Spring League is an indication of what we can expect this year then we are in for one of the most exciting seasons in recent times.

 

For full details of the scores in the final weekend of HSL action visit the official HSL website.

by AspiDimitrov

HSL GROUP GAMES END WITH TIE-BREAKS AND PHENOMENAL COMEBACKS

 

  

The group stage of the 2011 Herts Spring League was completed in dramatic fashion at the weekend with battles for positions in both the Majors and Minors Divisions. 

  

In Majors A Richmond clinched first place after maintaining their unbeaten record with wins over Southampton (5-0) and Herts (1-0).  Herts Falcons’ 18-2 win over the RedBacks secured second place for them.  The Bracknell Blazers finished in third place despite a catastrophic last inning collapse against the RedBacks.  The boys from Essex were trailing 6-0 going into the last inning but came out like mad men with their baseball bats in the bottom of the inning to win 7-6.  Bracknell bounced back with a 4-1 win over Southampton. 

  

Richmond’s opponents in the HSL Championship game required a careful mathematical calculation as three teams in Majors B Division ended up with the same number of wins.  Ultimately the Southern Nationals clinched on the second tie-break rule which states that the team which has conceded the fewest number of runs in the direct games amongst the tied teams will be placed first. 

  

In the Minors Division the Championship game will be between the Guildford Mavericks and the MK Bucks, after both won all of their group games.  This would be a repeat of the 2010 Single-A National Final when the two teams produced an classic pitchers’ duel. 

  

For full list of scores from the group stage and the final group standings you can visit the official HSL website. 

  

This sets up an exciting schedule for the Finals this weekend with games taking place at Richmond and Herts.  Ideally, the Final would be played at Herts but by virtue of Richmond being scheduled to host games at their field this weekend it was logistically difficult to stage the Final anywhere else. 

DATE TIME VENUE FINALS VISITING TEAM HOME TEAM
09-Apr-11 11:00 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Herts Falcons Mildenhall Bulldogs
09-Apr-11 12:45 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Mildenhall Bulldogs Lakenheath Diamondbacks
09-Apr-11 14:30 Herts (Field1) Finals MAJ 3rd/4th/5th Lakenheath Diamondbacks Herts Falcons
09-Apr-11 10:30 Herts (Field2) Finals MAJ 7th/8th Essex Arrows Southampton Mustangs
09-Apr-11 13:30 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 9th/10th Herts Raptors London Marauders
09-Apr-11 10:00 Richmond Finals MIN 3rd/4th Richmond Knights Essex Redbacks II
09-Apr-11 13:00 Richmond Finals MAJ 9th/10th GB Juniors Essex Redbacks
09-Apr-11 16:00 Richmond Finals MAJ 1st/2nd Southern Nationals Richmond Flames
10-Apr-11 11:00 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 7th/8th Cambridge Royals Leicester Blue Sox
10-Apr-11 14:00 Herts (Field1) Finals MIN 5th/6th Herts Hawks Sidewinders
10-Apr-11 14:00 Herts (Field2) Finals MIN 1st/2nd Guildford Mavericks Milton Keynes Bucks