Category: Adult Leagues

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Saturday’s HSL games cancelled

Herts Baseball Club has just confirmed that all HSL games scheduled for Saturday, 23 March, have been cancelled

Two ground inspections were carried out today in the afternoon and in the evening and they have shown that the heavier rain late this evening has flooded the diamonds.

Based on previous experience with standing water at the fields and the current weather conditions, the grounds crew would struggle to make the diamonds playable for Saturday’s games. This is made even more difficult by the fact that continuous rain is forecast for the rest of the night and more or less the whole day on Saturday.

Herts had scheduled a 6:30am ground inspection, but it was decided that this would be pointless given the outcome of this evening’s inspection.

A spokesperson for the HSL said: “We have been very reluctant to cancel these HSL games as we have a responsibility to the paying teams to do everything possible to give them the best possible value for the entry fee which they are paying. However, we have also taken into account the feedback from teams today indicating that they would prefer not to play if the weather conditions are as forecast. We certainly do not want to force teams to play against their will. It will not help their pre-season preparations”.

For the moment, the games scheduled for Sunday, March 24, are still on. There will be further ground inspection on Saturday and we will keep you informed if the HSL schedule is affected further.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

All eyes on the skies

The grounds crew made final preparations at Grovehill Ballpark before the first Herts Spring League games this weekend.

Members of the Dacorum Borough Council Sports Team marked the lines at both diamonds, while five members of Herts Baseball Club grounds crew worked on the infield clay areas of both diamonds topping-up and smoothing critical areas.

When the work was completed the field was in playable condition with no standing water.

It must be noted that the playing surface is soft and to ensure that the diamonds stay in top playing condition over the 3 weekends and 36 games of the Herts Spring League, the grounds crew has set some strict conditions on the use of the diamonds for pre-game drills.

Each team will be allowed up to a maximum of 10 minutes on the diamond for their infield/outfield drills before their first game of the day. At any other time, teams will have to make use of playing areas adjacent to the baseball diamonds for their pre-game drills. No batting practice will be allowed on the diamonds. Separate areas with L-screens have been designated for pre-game batting practice during the HSL.

The new diamond at Grovehill Ballpark after the grounds crew had completed its work today

All eyes are now on the skies and the rain radar. The diamonds are in good condition today and will be able to absorb some extra rain, but any heavier rain over the next 36 hours or on the day of the games could make the fields unplayable.

The weather forecast indicates that it will be very cold but Hertfordshire may miss the heavy rain and snow. The HSL organisers have indicated that it is too early to make any conclusions at this stage. We will keep you updated over the next 36 hours.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

The people who make things happen

Tim Elkins wearing his Herts cap at Boston Red Sox Spring training with the World Series trophy

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.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Preliminary rosters announced by Herts

The five Herts senior league teams have announced their preliminary rosters ahead of the 2013 Herts Spring League which gets underway next Saturday, 23 March.

Since the start of Spring Training Herts players have been pushing themselves to secure a roster spot within the Herts adult team structure. Some have been targeting a move to a Herts team playing in a higher league. Others have been looking to reinforce their place within their current team. It is a moment of trepidation for the players as they learn whether they have met that target, as illustrated in the movie Major League (see video clip).

But don’t worry folks. Herts has room for all its players and no one is going to get cut – everyone plays. The club is continuing to receive enquiries from new players every week and players can be added to the rosters at any time of the year. For more information on how to join the club or to give baseball a try contact the club.

 

Those who were hoping to secure a spot in a higher league team should bear in mind that this is just a preliminary roster. We still expect player movement over the next three weeks of HSL action as the managers will be assessing not only the players in their roster but those in other rosters with a view to promoting them or to assess backup options for later in the season. As always there is bound to be player movement up and down the rosters throughout the season, just like MLB teams move their players up and down their affiliated minor and major league teams.

A quick look through the rosters reveals interesting information ahead of the season. The core of each team remains intact, but there is a visible movement of players upwards, which was expected due to the creation of the Herts Ravens as the club’s fifth team which will compete in AAA. Most of the previously announced new additions such as Carlos Velazco-Carus, Joe Gray, John Blose, Xavier Gonzalez and Dave Westfallen have been added to the NBL roster.

Tom Everex-Armstrong is one of 10 Herts players who are also in the Great Britain U19 or U16 preliminary rosters

But there are some significant reinforcements in the other teams. The club has been joined by Elie Colin who played in the French league last season and he goes into the AAA roster for Manager, Carlos Casal, to have a first-hand look before making a decision. Gilberto Medina has moved up two leagues to the Ravens from the Raptors. Other players moving up into the AAA squad are the club’s U17 prospects Carlos Casal Jr, Jake Caress, Kyle Lloyd-Jones, Tom Everex-Armstrong and the club’s new arrival, catcher Conner Brown. All of these young players are currently in the preliminary rosters of the Great Britain U19 or U16 teams and playing in the AAA league will challenge them to push themselves even harder. An interesting late addition is returning right-handed pitcher, Pete Kikel, announced just a few hours ago.

The Hawks have added to the core from last year’s successful squad, by drafting John Kjorstad and Ben Marques from the Raptors, returning catcher and infielder Hunter Devine and the fastest man on the planet, Ross Asquith, who during fitness sessions this Spring with fitness coach Tony Marshall was discovered to have the extraordinary ability to jump up in the air higher than the average professional athlete. The other two additions are Callum Vangundy, Jonny Compton-Weight and Jose Morillo from the Herts U17 team.

Right-handed pitcher Jeff Witter makes his return with the Raptors. Moving into the roster from last year’s Eagles team is the South African duo, Theo Scheepers and Craig Le Roux, as well as infielder Sonny Lama, pitcher Will Zucker and his younger brother Martin Zucker who looks likely to be pushing up the leagues in the coming years as a catcher. Warwick Byrne is another addition from the club’s U17 team.

The Eagles will be missing Joseph Osborne-Brade as he is on the long-term DL after a serious injury last season. They will look to fill the gap left by Osborne-Brade and the others who have moved up to the other teams by adding Rob Crouch, Manny Banson, father-and-son combination of John and Tom Jansson, debutants Harry Douglas, Jonny Gates, Ashley Hughes and the exciting prospect of Daniela Phillips who joined the club after bumping into the Herts teams during her indoor cricket training session at the same venue as the Herts baseball teams.
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FALCONS (NBL)
Carlos Velazco-Carus
Cristobal Hiche
Darrin Ward
Dave Westfallen
David House
David Tretheway
Jeff House *
Joe Gray
John Blose
Jordan Farkas
Kevin Freeman
Kevin Niedringhaus *
Kimiyoshi Saionji
Lee Manning
Liam Green
Matt Spaulding *
Michael Osborn
Mike Cattermole
Phil Clark
Robbie Unsell
Ryan Bird
Xavier Gonzalez

* – subject to confirmation

RAVENS (AAA)
Aspi Dimitrov
Carlos Casal
Carlos Casal Jr
Conner Brown
Elie Colin
Gilberto Medina
Jake Caress
Jim Arnott
Jonathon Lewys
Kyle Lloyd-Jones
Louis Hare
Matt Johnston
Nick Russell
Paul Auchterlounie
Pete Kikel
Rod Naghar
Seth Lipstock
Tom Everex-Armstrong
Vassil Botev

 

HAWKS (AA)
Andrew Slater
Andy Cornish
Ben Marques
Bobby Gould
Callum Vangundy
Greg Bochan
Hunter Devine
Ilya Dimitrov
John Kjorstad
Jonathan Compton-Weight
Jose Morillo Jr
Kal Dimitrov
Nicolas Goetz
Ralph Bartholomew
Ross Asquith
Tim Elkins

 

RAPTORS (A)
Amit Odedra
Arnold Longboy
Brodie Caress
Charlie Mayhew
Craig Le Roux
Glen Downer
Jeff Witter
Kennet Pike
Mark Caress
Martin Zucker
Rob Jones
Sonam Lama
Theo Scheepers
Warwick Byrne
Will Zucker
Zachary Longboy

 

EAGLES (A)
Adam Landau-Smithers
Adrian Smithers
Ashley Hughes
Daniela Phillips
David Ames
Duncan Hoyle
Emmanuel Banson
Geoff Thomas
Harry Douglas
Jamie Lang
John Jansson
Jonny Gates
Joseph Osborne-Brade
Michael Cresswell
Reagan Wood
Rob Crouch
Serge Plata
Simon Roberts
Takeshi Ashida
Tim Blackman
Tom Jansson-Wright
Tomasz Kosak
William Belbin
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts add homerun power with return of Kikel

photo by Will Baxter

Herts Baseball Club has received another boost with the news that right-handed pitcher, Pete Kikel, will be making his comeback this season.

Kikel joined the Hemel Hempstead-based club in 2003 when he was just 12 years of age. Together with his father, Jake who now plays in the German Baseball League with the HSV Stealers, he has grown up with the club. He was a member of the Herts Falcons team which won the AAA National Championship in 2008 and in 2010 was one of the starting pitchers for the Herts Falcons in the NBL. His ERA in the NBL stands at 4.83 with a record of 4 wins and 4 losses, which is quite impressive in a season when the Falcons had a win-loss record 9-19, well below .500.

photo by Will Baxter

Kikel is a multi-tooled player and he will also bring power to the batting lineup. In 2010 he recorded a batting average of .277 with 2 homeruns from 47 NBL at bats*.

The 21-year-old missed the last two seasons so it is expected that the Herts coaching staff may assess him at the AAA level to ease him back into action.

* – stats courtesy of www.projectcobb.org.uk

photos by Will Baxter

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts signs its first Cuban player

Herts Baseball Club has announced the signing of Carlos Velazco-Carus from the Poole Piranhas. He was born in Cuba making him the first player from that baseball-mad country ever to wear the Herts jersey. During his time with the Piranhas he played mainly at third base and shortstop, but was also a member of the pitching staff.

Velazco-Carus has indicated that he may be moving closer to London which would fit in with his transfer to Herts, but for the time being he will have to make the long trip from Bournemouth.

We had a chance to speak with Velazco-Carus about his move to Herts, Cuban baseball, among other topics.

You are going to be travelling a very long distance from Bournemouth to play for Herts this season. What convinced you to make this big commitment?

Carlos Velazco-Carus: Your club is very well established and from discussions with Xavier Gonzalez it seems that a move to Herts would work well for all.

You have played for the Bournemouth Sharks and the Poole Piranhas over the last few seasons and have played against some tough opponents in the British leagues, but which has been the team which has been most difficult to play against?

Carlos Velazco-Carus: I will have to say that every game is a tough one no matter what your opponent’s game is like. Having said this, there are teams like Herts, Sidewinders, Latin Boys among others who are always difficult to play against. In general, it has been a pleasure to play in the British league.

You started your baseball career in Cuba. Which sports are the most popular in Cuba and where does baseball rank in terms of popularity in Cuba?

Carlos Velazco-Carus: Baseball is Cuba’s national sport, so it is the most popular sport in the country, although its quality has declined in the last decade or so, due to lack of motivation among many other aspects. Cuba is situated only 90 miles from the USA, which makes our choice of sports is similar to theirs.

There have been some fantastic Cuban players playing for the Cuba National Team. Herts Falcons’s centerfielder, Cris Hiche, actually played in Brazil alongside the legendary Cuban player and two-time Olympic gold medal winner, Lazaro Vargas. Who is seen as the most famous player in Cuban baseball history?

Carlos Velazco-Carus: Lazaro Vargas – third baseman – what a player? One of the greatest in Cuban baseball, alongside many other big names like Omar Linares, Orestes Kindelan, Victor Mesa and many more, the list would be infinite if they were all to be mentioned.

Orlando Hernandez is one of the many outstanding baseball players to come out of Cuba. His unusual delivery and ability to change the angle of his pitches kept British baseball fans glued to the TV screen in the late 90s and early 2000s.

We have seen some fantastic Cuban players play in MLB such as former New York Yankees pitcher, Orlando Hernandez “El Duque” and his brother, Livan Hernandez, who played for the Marlins, the Giants and others. Are there any young Cuban prospects who we should keep an eye out for in the future?

Carlos Velazco-Carus: That, I would not know for certain, it’s difficult to follow the Cuban league from this side of the Atlantic, but I am positive that there will always be good natural talent coming from there.

You played for Havana U19 back in Cuba. You have had some experience playing in the UK now. Would you say that the Havana U19 team is at the same level as the British AAA or the NBL or higher?

Carlos Velazco-Carus: Havana U19s can be compared with the NBL, but with higher level of preparation because we train all year round rather than the occasional weekly training.

You are the first Cuban player to wear the Herts jersey. What can Herts do to attract more players from the Cuban community and other Latin American communities in the UK and get them involved in British baseball? Where should clubs look for these communities and how can we attract them to the British baseball leagues?

Carlos Velazco-Carus: There is a vast Latin community in the UK, I think clubs should look for players at colleges, they should also distribute leaflets and related advertisement at Latin festivals and parties which are celebrated in London and its outskirts.

The first chance to see Carlos Velazco-Carus and all the other new Herts signings will come during the upcoming Herts Spring League which starts on 23 March at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Contest to determine Herts team logos

Herts Baseball Club gave names to three of its teams last month and it is now time to create the team logos. The club is running a contest to design a logo for all 7 of the Herts baseball teams playing in the various BBF leagues. They are Herts Falcons, Herts Ravens, Herts Hawks, Herts Raptors, Herts Eagles, Herts Harriers and Herts Cardinals.

Four of the seven teams have existing logos and these will be considered against any new entries which are submitted as part of this contest, therefore some of the Herts teams may retain their current logos.

The Herts Baseball brand is increasing in value and the addition of the individual team brands will further enhance the club’s identity, marketing and commercial opportunities primarily from selling team-branded merchandise at the club shop.

The club is hopeful that its members and fans will come up with logo designs and concepts which can be adopted and become part of a recognisable family of Herts Baseball brands for the next 100 years and beyond. Contestants do not have to be members of Herts Baseball Club. Entries can be submitted by any individuals (see link to full terms and conditions below) including students who may or may not be specialising in art design.

Entries must be submitted by 23:59 on 31 March 2013.

Winning designs will be announced on the Herts Baseball Club website and each winner will receive a Herts baseball cap (adjustable strap model).

For full terms and conditions of the contest and for details on how to submit your entry, click here.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Casal appointed as Herts Ravens manager

Last month Herts Baseball Club confirmed the return of Carlos Casal to the club after a two-year spell at NBL rivals, Harlow Nationals. This evening the club announced that Casal has been appointed as the manager of the Herts Ravens, the club’s newly-formed fifth adult league team which will play in the AAA League this season.

We had an opportunity to speak with the new Ravens manager about the appointment and the season ahead.

This is the first season of the newly-created Herts Ravens. What should the rest of the AAA League expect from the team in 2013?

Carlos Casal: It is difficult to define the right strategy and expectations at this early stage, especially when I don’t know the teams in the division. However, discipline, right motivation and optimism are the main ingredients towards success. I won’t raise the bar too high but our success will be based in individual progress play by play and who knows, there may be a surprise. I had a quick look at these teams in the GB website and noticed some names in Spanish which suggests potential Latin American opponents, and also seems to be a big presence from London with equal international contingent…. As it should be, that isn’t a deterrent for our success. Remember, we are our own biggest enemies!

When the club announced that this fifth Herts team is entering the AAA league, the Board indicated that one of the main reasons for this was to fill the gap at the AAA-league level and help players progress through the leagues and develop. Will the team’s goal in 2013 be to win games, help the development of the club’s upcoming prospects, enjoy playing the game or perhaps all three?

Carlos Casal: Based on the choices given, the answers are in the following order: enjoy playing the game and help the development of the club’s upcoming prospects. However, remember that physical, mental and skills preparation are a key factor to achieve these goals.

What would be a realistic win-loss percentage target for the Ravens this year? Can the team challenge for a postseason spot?

Carlos Casal: Again, difficult to define. Our goal(s) for the AAA team this first season will be all around individual and team performance. As said before, with the right motivation and mindset surprises are possible. Remote, but it would be fantastic securing a spot in the postseason.

Who do you think are likely to be the strongest opponents in the AAA league this season?

Carlos Casal: Each one of us players of the Herts AAA team are our strongest opponents. The opposing team at any given weekend is as strong as our desire to fail.

Your appointment as the first Herts Ravens manager was confirmed this evening and we have less than five weeks before Opening Day. Does this give you sufficient time to assess the players and be ready for the first pitch of the league season?

Carlos Casal: It is certainly a big challenge putting together a team ready for competition in five weeks. However, in conjunction with the managers of the other Herts teams we believe we have sufficient experienced resources to create a good core for the AAA team. All the years I spent in the past with Herts as a player and adult coach helped me realise the potential with this group of players. In relation to the elite youth players added to the roster, I am happy with their inclusion which is a reflection of their improvement as youth players and their long jump towards adult’s standard baseball based on skills, physical and mental conditions in the baseball field. For these youth players and some new adult players added to the roster, the experience will come during the season with a big helping hand from the senior/experienced players within the team, and surely from some other experienced players scattered among the other top division teams in the club. In summary, yes we will be ready for the first pitch of the league season.

We understand that as soon as your appointment was confirmed you had to go straight into the process of determining the preliminary rosters of the five Herts adult league teams ahead of the Herts Spring League. Should we expect any surprises when the Ravens preliminary roster is announced?

Carlos Casal: Surprises are, for every team in the club, all down to players acceptance to join the team they have been selected to play for. The main highlight of the AAA team however, is the large contingent of elite youth players which include players from the Herts U17 team and players who are becoming 17-years-old this year.

You have previous experience of being a player-manager while you were in charge of the Herts Hawks. In football player-managers find it difficult to perform this dual role. Is it easier to do it in baseball?

Carlos Casal: That is right. Baseball gives you the possibility to perform managerial duties while playing. However, despite feeling with enough energy to keep performing at top level in baseball, this year I will reduce playing time as possible to give way to the development of our team.

You have been playing in the National Baseball League for the Herts Falcons and the Harlow Nationals in the last few seasons. Taking the AAA manager role will obviously make it difficult for you to battle for a spot on the club’s NBL roster. How difficult was it to make this decision?

Carlos Casal: I still feel that my experience, abilities and physical conditions allow me to fight for a spot at NBL in this country. However, with the progress of the sport the last few years and the interest created among the youth moving up and international players to come and play in the UK, it makes the life of any NBL manager a nightmare at the time of selecting a competitive team. I can’t deny that deep inside me I would like to face the best of the best in the NBL but I have taken a more pragmatic approach and use that energy to develop and make a successful Herts AAA team.

During the voting to decide the name of the Herts AAA League team last month, did you vote for the name “Ravens” or did you prefer one of the other names?

Carlos Casal: I have to be honest, I didn’t follow this voting poll as, sadly, all my internet time was focused in the current problems currently developing in Venezuela. I would have picked up another name but surely I will get used to this one.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see British baseball’s best teams ahead of the 2013 season

The biggest pre-season baseball tournament in Britain is back. Commencing on March 23, the Herts Spring League (HSL) will see 18 teams compete over the 3 weeks of the HSL. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it is Britain’s very own 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 18 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers. The top teams in the country from the National Baseball League will play in the HSL Majors. The HSL-AAA is the second tier of the Herts Spring League. It will feature predominantly British AAA-League teams as well as an U16 team. The HSL-AA bracket consists of AA and A-League teams and one U17 team.

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 requirements of the teams over the format of the competition”.

The teams finishing on the top of their respective division will win the HSL. The “games-back” column in the standings will be critical, but undoubtedly some teams will end up with the same record and so it may go down to the number of runs conceded per game to break the tie.

SCHEDULE

34 games are scheduled to be played so every possible game slot at the two diamonds has been filled. The competition begins on March 23 with a clash between the London Mammoths and the Herts Ravens in the AAA bracket, and a AA clash between the Herts Eagles and the London Marauders. The Majors division commences 24 hours later.

The final day of each HSL division will see clashes between the top two seeds of each HSL division: Nationals vs Falcons, Royals vs Bucks and Marauders vs Mariners. Will those prove to be the games which will decide the HSL champions or will one of the lower-seeded teams upstage them?

The final day of the HSL coincides with the Opening Day in the National Baseball League as the Herts Falcons will face the South London Pirates so we are expecting a packed venue.

Click to view full 2013 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 with the minor league teams? 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

For more details about the event or if you are interested to give baseball a try in this competition contact Herts Baseball Club.

THE VENUE

The action will take place at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. This will be the first time that HSL games are played since the £17,000 upgrade last season.

 

by Rob Jones

The Summer Search for Silver

Herts baseball fans, you can now plan your summer. The hotly anticipated BBF league schedules are out, and the club’s five adult teams now have the roadmap they must follow if they want to bring a championship trophy back to Hemel Hempstead. Hopes are high that after another winter of strong recruitment — and an experience of “oh-so-nearly” last year — Herts can claim silverware in 2013.

From April 7 through to August 25, a total of more than 600 regular-season games will be played across the country at all levels. They range from the top tier, the National Baseball League, to what the BBF refers to as the “feisty” teams of the Single-A divisions. Herts will be there at all levels. And the finals are set for Farnham Park in September. Keep your diary clear.

Falcons at the NBC in 2012
Herts Falcons in action at the 2012 playoff finals (photo: Will Baxter)

The top level of British baseball, the National Baseball League (NBL) is the first to get going.  On the 7th of April, Herts Falcons will open their account at home to the newly renamed South London Pirates. The Croydon club is a veteran presence on the British scene and is hoping to bounce back from some disappointing seasons. However, Lee Manning and his side will be aiming for a winning start.

Fans don’t have to wait long for the juiciest clash. Just two weeks later, on April 21st, the Falcons travel to the defending champions the Harlow Nationals, who beat Herts in last season’s deciding series. The Nationals come to Grovehill for the return fixture on the last weekend of June, by which point the hierarchy for this year will be well established. What will be at stake at that match-up? Could it be decisive?

Of course, there are plenty of other strong sides challenging for the NBL title. At either end of the season, the Falcons will take on the Lakenheath Diamondbacks, who featured in last year’s playoffs. And the final regular season fixture is at home to the newcomers to the NBL, the Essex Redbacks, who last year challenged all the way to the AAA final. Who knows what they will bring to The Show?

The Herts Ravens are the club’s new team, giving a presence in AAA for the first time since the Eagles lost controversially in the 2010 playoffs. They start off at home on April 14th against the Richmond Knights. The first road trip is two weeks later to Finsbury Park to take on the London Metros, while the London club will also be providing the final opponents on 25th August, when the Mets II come to Grovehill.

The Hawks reached the final weekend of the 2012 playoffs, losing to the ultimate victors, the Nottingham Rebels. The co-managers Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan are looking to take the players all the way this year. There are 13 teams in the AA South division, and the Hawks will kick off at home to the London Mammoths on April 14th.

Herts Hawks at Daws Hill Spitfires, 2012

They have a long home-stand to begin the year — facing opponents incuding the freshly promoted Hove Tuesday and last year’s regular season elite the Guildford Mavericks — and they don’t have to leave Hemel Hempstead until June when they travel to Enfield to take on the Sidewinders. The last scheduled game is on August 4th, against the Poole Piranhas.

And so on to Single-A, which this year features 12 teams split into three pools of four, and also features the mouthwatering prospect of two Herts derbies. The club once again fields two teams in this division, with the Raptors and Eagles both building on good years in 2012.

Then, Arnold Longboy’s Raptors narrowly missed out on the postseason while the Eagles secured an excellent .500 record in their first season in the division. Bragging rights went to the Raptors when the teams met up, with Duncan Hoyle’s Eagles going down 14-5. This year the first face-off is on 12 May, with the return a month later on 16 June. Both promise to be classic matches.

Of course, there are some other teams in the division to be faced, too. Raptors open up on April 21st at the Leicester 2Sox, the first time for years that the southern clubs have taken on the Midlands clubs in league play. The Raptors head off to Milton Keynes to play their new Single-A side the Coyotes on May 19th, while they face last year’s top league  side the Essex Archers on June 30th.

The Eagles make their trips north on Opening Day, April 21st, when they play Milton Keynes, and on June 30th, when they head to Leicester. The 2Sox will also be the final visitors to Grovehill for the Eagles, when they play on August 11th. By then, the height of summer, everyone will be thinking seriously of the playoffs. At this point, we can only speculate and dream.

As Herts knows perhaps better than anyone, British baseball is not just about the adult game. Grovehill Ballpark has become the home of one of the most powerful youth movements in the country, with a national championship being claimed in 2010. Players from the Little League are feeding through into the adult sides with great success, and this season the youth leagues will be watched as closely as ever.

The Herts Harriers — the newly named Under 17 Pony team — are scheduled to play 7 double-headers. They start on Saturday April 27th, against the London Mets at Grovehill. Their regular reason finishes with a trip to the Forest Glade Redbacks on July 6th. The Herts Bronco team, now known as the Cardinals,  travel to the defending champions the London Mets for their opener. They host  the Redbacks as their closer.