Category: Adult Leagues

by AspiDimitrov

METS BATTLE BACK TO SWEEP AGAINST FALCONS. BULLDOGS KEEP 100% RECORD

The follwing article by NBL Special Reporter, Simon Fitzjohn, was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

HITTERS HOLD THE UPPER HAND IN NBL WEEK TWO
Mildenhall Bulldogs are setting the pace after the second week of play in the BBF's National Baseball League, with the only unbeaten record in the division. But both London Mets and Bracknell Blazers moved over .500 after games played on Sunday, April 25. NBL Special Reporter Simon Fitzjohn provides the details:

Richmond Flames @ Mildenhall Bulldogs

The expansion Mildenhall Bulldogs maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a sweep of the Richmond Flames, who ended the 2009 campaign atop the regular standings.

But past history counts for nothing on the diamond, and the Bulldogs eased to 7-3 and 12-2 wins.

Nick Chenausky pitched the win in Game One, with Jason Coffee’s efforts in Game Two backed up by a three-run home run from Jose Perez.

Bulldogs coach Gabriel Macias said: “We are really happy with how we have started, but we still have some things to work on, especially our hitting. The key for us this season is to be taken seriously.”

“I am still not sure we are at the moment, but weekends like this will go a long way to change that,”
said Richmond coach Grant Delzoppo, who has certainly joined the early-season Mildenhall Appreciation Society.

“They have a really good squad,” Delzoppo said, “and if they keep playing like that they will be tough to beat. We only had three hits in each game and you are not going to achieve much with that.

“But we are still missing a few of our key players,” Delzoppo added, “and when we get them back shortly we should turn the corner.”

Essex Arrows @ Bracknell Blazers

The 2009 NBL Champions Bracknell Blazers got back to winning ways, dismissing the challenge of new boys Essex Arrows in a doubleheader sweep.

The 14-4 and 22-6 scorelines were evidence of a big day at the plate for both sides, but with the Blazers easily emerging triumphant in a battle of the sluggers.

Matt Maitland crushed a grand slam in Game One for Bracknell to back winning pitcher Henry Collins, before things went crazy in Game Two.

Brendan Cunliffe launched two dingers in the same inning and Michael Trask and Gordon Shepherd also homered for the Blazers, with Matt Gilbert and Richard Chesterton leaving the yard for the Arrows.

Bracknell’s Rob Rance said: “We came out a bit sloppy at the start but then closed things down. Both sides came out swinging and it was a real sight.

“Last year we started really slowly but the players seem to be taking things on board. We are putting the ball in play and making things happen and moving in the right direction.”

Herts Falcons @ London Mets

The London Mets moved up the standings as they brought Herts Falcons' unbeaten start to the season to an end with a doubleheader sweep.

Two tight games saw the London side emerge triumphant by 5-2 and 9-1 scorelines. Jason Roberts claimed the win in Game One, with Brian Anderson having an easier time on the mound in Game Two.

The Mets’ Carlos Diaz was eager to pay tribute to his side’s pitching staff for moving them to a 3-1 record.

Diaz said: “The pitchers are definitely carrying the team at the moment. We are not hitting the ball well at all but the pitching is enough to get us through. We are progressing quite nicely as a team but we still need to improve to move forward.

“These are two good wins for us,” Diaz added, “and they set us up nicely.”

Croydon Pirates @ Southampton Mustangs

The Southampton Mustangs announced their arrival on the NBL stage, picking up maiden wins with back-to-back victories over the Croydon Pirates.

Game One was a contest for the offensive enthusiast as Southampton prevailed 21-12, Gary Davison clubbing a grand slam to earn Chuck Truelson the win.

Game Two was a much tighter affair, but Lee Ralph producing a dominant pitching display as the Mustangs closed out a 5-3 verdict.

A delighted Ben Davis reckoned Southampton are just getting started.

“We are absolutely thrilled to get our first wins,” Davis said. “The first game went back and forth and it was a real bash game. But the second game was a very good defensive game from both sides and it could have gone either way.

“We have some momentum now,” Davis added, “and it is up to us to build on it and keep moving forward.”

by AspiDimitrov

BOX SCORES: HERTS FALCONS @ LONDON METS (GAME2)

Herts Falcons at London Mets
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 3
London Mets 3 2 0 0 2 2 0 9 13 1

London Mets 9, Herts Falcons 1
London Mets Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
H Player 1 ss 3 3 2 0 GONCALVES Luis ss 4 0 0 0
H Player 2 2b 2 0 0 0 GREENBERG Jason dh 3 0 0 0
(b4) H Sub 7 2b 1 1 1 0 KERRY Dan cf 2 1 1 0
H Player 3 1b 2 1 2 2 CULLEN Marty 1b 2 0 0 0
(b4) H Sub 5 1b 1 1 0 1 CORNISH Andy c 2 0 1 1
H Player 4 cf 2 1 1 1 CASAL Carlos 2b 3 0 1 0
(b4) H Sub 4 cf 2 0 1 1 KIKEL Peter 3b 3 0 0 0
H Player 5 dh 4 1 2 1 MUNN Jamie lf 2 0 0 0
H Player 6 c 3 0 2 1 (b6) SAIONJI Kimiyoshi lf 1 0 0 0
H Player 7 lf 3 0 0 1 MARTINEZ Marc rf 3 0 1 0
H Player 8 rf 2 1 0 0 GOETZ Nic p 0 0 0 0
(t6) H Sub 8 rf 0 0 0 0
H Player 9 3b 3 0 2 0
H Sub 16 p 0 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 28 9 13 8 TEAM TOTALS 25 1 4 1

E: H Player 1, MARTINEZ Marc, MUNN Jamie, KIKEL Peter. DP: Herts Falcons 1, London
Mets 1. LOB: London Mets 5, Herts Falcons 6. 2B: H Player 4, H Sub 7, CORNISH Andy,
CASAL Carlos. SB: H Player 1(2), KERRY Dan.

London Mets IP H R ER BB SO
H Sub 16 W 7.00 4 1 1 3 7
Herts Falcons            
GOETZ Nic L 6.00 13 9 7 3 1

HBP: by GOETZ Nic (H Player 1). . . . PB: CORNISH Andy. T: 2:32. A: 67.
by AspiDimitrov

BOX SCORES: HERTS FALCONS @ LONDON METS (GAME1)

Herts Falcons at London Mets
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Herts Falcons 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 4
London Mets 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 6 4 3

London Mets 6, Herts Falcons 2
London Mets Herts Falcons
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
ANTHONY Rob  ss 3 0 1 0 CASAL Carlos ss 4 0 0 0
LINTERN Will  c 2 2 0 1 GREENBERG Jason c 3 1 0 0
ROBERTS Jason  p 3 1 0 0 CORNISH Andy rf 2 1 1 0
HICKSON Kyle  cf 3 1 0 0 KERRY Dan p-cf 3 0 1 1
ESCALONA Giovanni  3b 4 0 1 2 SAIONJI Kimiyoshi 2b 3 0 1 1
ROSA Hairobdela rf 3 0 1 2 CULLEN Marty 1b 3 0 1 0
(t7) ANDERSON Brian rf 0 0 0 0 DIMITROV Aspi lf 3 0 0 0
DIAZ Carlos 1b 2 1 0 0 GOETZ Nic 3b 1 0 0 0
WILSON Reid lf 1 0 0 0 (t4) MARTINEZ Marc 3b 2 0 0 0
(b5) CRAMMAN Jonathan lf 1 0 0 0 MUNN Jamie cf 2 0 0 0
CASSIETO Alberto 2b 0 0 0 0 (b5) KIKEL Peter p 0 0 0 0
(b4) WILLIANS Daniel pr-2b 0 0 0 0
(b4) MARCUS Jonathan 2b 1 1 1 0
TEAM TOTALS 23 6 4 5 TEAM TOTALS 26 2 4 2

E: H Player 1(2), H Player 5, CASAL Carlos, KERRY Dan, MARTINEZ Marc, KIKEL Peter.
LOB: Herts Falcons 6, London Mets 8. 2B: H Player 6, H Sub 13, KERRY Dan. SB: H
Player 6. CS: CORNISH Andy.

London Mets IP H R ER BB SO
ROBERTS Jason W 7.00 4 2 2 2 4
Herts Falcons            
KERRY Dan L 4.00 3 4 4 8 3
KIKEL Peter 2.00 1 2 0 0 2
by AspiDimitrov

MUSTANGS STAMPEDE OVER RAPTORS

By Raptors beat reporter, Phil Hynes

 

Sunday 18th April, 2010 – the day all of Hampshire had been waiting for. Yes, Opening Day and the mouth-watering prospect of heading down to Mustangs Stadium and cheering on their favourites from the Mustangs II squad and also of the chance of seeing the Raptors rookie line-up they’d heard so much about – short on experience, maybe, but bursting with promise. The day finished with a trouncing of the Herts boys, 31-5, but I fancy if the fixture calendar had allowed the teams to meet again later in the season, then matters would be very different.

 

Raptors and Mustangs by Herts Baseball Club.

 

Played under clear blue skies and, thanks to a distant volcano, free of the noise of nearby Southampton Airport, it really was a great way to start the season. The Raptors, immaculate in their pristine white uniforms, were immediately put under notice that they were perhaps outgunned as the Mustangs piled on run after run in the first couple of innings. It was very obvious to this observer which team had the most experience under their belts. While the Raptors suffered various mishaps the Mustangs profited from a good, strong pitcher – Herts will face few of his calibre in the months ahead.

 

However, in the top of the 3rd the pitching colossus faltered. The Raptors sensed weakness and went to work – all nine of the line-up went up to the plate with Phil Hynes having the pleasure of two appointments at the business end of things. During this most joyous of spells we saw majestic hits from Bryan Drummond, Jeff Witter & Tom Green. We saw the opposition waver and issue five  walks as the Raptors raw pluck threatened to upset their day. Swing away by Herts Baseball Club. We saw Will Belbin take one for the team with a ball pitched straight to his ribs, nary a flinch was spotted as he strode down to 1st base. The Herts baserunners were ever ready to take advantage of pass balls, as well as a speedy steal by Rob Jones. When the smoke of battle had cleared Jones, Drummond, Witter, Green and Jim Arnott had all crossed the plate. At that point, anything seemed possible.

 

Unfortunately that was our moment in the sun, a fleeting pleasure as we were quickly reacquainted with the Mustangs dominance. The rest of the game offers various memories – Jones doing a ‘Hollywood’ diving catch somewhere between his post at 1B and the pitching mound, afterwards he combined with Phil Gover for a pinball-style 'double catch',  Arnott’s easy assurance with a couple of tricky catches and a good hit into the outfield, old veteran Witter urging on his young charges – whose heads never dropped however lopsided the score became – and also giving the ball a good clout a couple of times, the obvious massive potential shown by the unflappable duo of Gover at 3B and Bobby Gould at SS, the natural way Drummond took to captaining the outfield, the almost superhuman endeavours of Green behind the plate who really bust a gut for five innings before being replaced by the equally steady hands of Belbin. I think between those two we have found a fantastic catching platoon. The sun hampered Hynes in left-field but he made valiant efforts to track down fly balls. We also had the pleasure of idly wondering if one of the several foul balls would wing it’s way onto the M27. If you ever fancy adding to your collection of baseballs the undergrowth betwixt hard shoulder and the ballpark will yield a rich harvest.

 

The mercy rule was invoked in the 7th with the Raptors a full 26 runs behind their opponents.  There was a very brief hope that the relief pitcher who came up for the Mustangs might stink — unfortunately the 3 strikeouts he racked up indicate that he doesn’t! I think it’s a testament to the great  spirit of the Raptors that every single one of them would have gladly played on until the end of the full 9 innings and there was not a single show of tension amongst the unit at any point during what many other teams would have found a trying day.

 

At the end we heartily congratulated the well deserved victors and also the plate umpire, who I have to add had a great day, but I suspect we all walked away knowing that sooner or later the Raptors are going to ‘click’. I have no doubt that in 2011 many of  the team will be playing with the Hawks at AA level and when the other talent that we have within the roster becomes available then I confidently predict the Raptors will be winning more than they lose by midway through the season.

 

Next up is Chelmsford at home and I’ll warrant, with the applying of the lessons learnt at Southampton, that the scoreline will be a lot closer than 31-5.

 

 

by AspiDimitrov

THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS

Beatiful spring sunshine; a shimmering green expanse of grass, broken only by the orange slash of a home run fence; the steady background hum of the motorway. This was Opening Day for the Herts Raptors, on the road in Southampton. This is where it starts.

Whatever history shows of the season, I can say that I scored the first Raptors run. And that felt good. Mustangs were clearly a more experienced and powerful side but, after falling behind, Raptors battled back. I led off an inning — maybe the fourth — with a walk and then a steal, before the batter and I telepathically went for a hit and run and I scored on a ground ball bouncing through the infield.

Overall my batting was a rally-killer, so apologies to the team for that. Regular readers of this blog — of which I'm sure there are many — know I spent much of last season moaning about my approach at the plate. It's one area where I feel I should do a whole lot better and I needed to be more aggressive yesterday. I shall console myself that I got better each time I had to swing, going from three watched strikes, to a foul tip, to a ground-out. Had I come up again, presumably I'd have got a hit!

My fielding was more successful. I had a couple of unnecessarily dramatic catches of infield pop-ups, and didn't drop anything that came my way at first base (you can tell I have such high expectations). For rookies, the Raptors were really solid in the field. Tom made an excellent debut behind the plate; Phil and Bobby made tough plays look easy from third and short; and Jim made a really good over the shoulder grab at second base. William was our second debutant catcher of the day and he did a fine job blocking my debut effort off the mound. But more of that another time….

No feeling could have been better than winning, especially winning against the odds, but there were plenty of smiles as the Raptors packed up for the day. We did not beat ourselves and, in fact, we made some really good plays. And perhaps more importantly, we had the same spirit that the team had last year — to play our best, and to have fun doing it.

 

by AspiDimitrov

FALCONS SWEEP IN SEASON OPENER

This article was first published on www.britishbaseball.org

by NBL Special Reporter Simon Fitzjohn

Blowout victories, last-inning fightbacks and the arrival of three new teams highlighted Opening Day of the BBF's National Baseball League on Sunday, April 18.

With Southampton, Mildenhall and Essex making their top-tier debuts, there was an extended schedule of eight matches, with plenty of surprises.

Bracknell @ London Mets

Defending champions Bracknell Blazers locked horns with fellow heavyweights London Mets in the pick of the day's action at Finsbury Park, with both sides forced to settle for a game apiece in a wildly contrasting doubleheader.

Game One saw the Mets sneak a 4-3 verdict, backed by a sterling pitching effort from Jason Roberts, with Henry Collins taking the loss.

But Bracknell bounced back in fine style in Game Two, scorching the Mets to the tune of 15-2.

Truth be told, this was far from a masterclass, with a catalogue of errors peppering both contests. Bracknell committed nine errors in Game One alone and Blazers coach Rob Rance admitted he was happy to take a share of the spoils.

He said: “I am sure the London Mets are going to provide our strongest competition this season, so I am pretty happy. We were missing six starters for a variety of reasons so I am very pleased with how we dug in. They were not great games in any way and we made far too many errors, but to bounce back like we did is very satisfying.”

Mets coach Alex Pike echoed those thoughts: “I think it was a case of ironing out the bugs. We made a lot of errors and we did not really hit well. We got the win in Game One but they were much better than us in Game Two. They were two very ugly games of baseball and we just had to get them out of our system.”

Richmond @ Croydon

There was a surprise in Croydon as the Croydon Pirates, who went the whole of last season without claiming a single win, split their doubleheader with the Richmond Flames.

Even more impressively, the Pirates bounced back from a 23-3 hammering in Game One to record a thrilling 6-5 win in Game Two.

Cody Cain claimed a comfortable win in Game One for the Flames, with Jose Sosa taking a pounding for Croydon.

But all that changed in Game Two as a Michael Azuya two-run home run set the Pirates on their way to a comeback victory, earning Tim Ssali the win with Mike Osborn taking the loss.

Understandably Croydon coach Dave Ward was delighted: “In one weekend we have beaten what we achieved in the whole of last year. I am absolutely over the moon. Everyone has worked so hard over the off-season and in training and this is a reward for that work. Last year was completely dismal but hopefully we can look forward with some confidence this year.”

Mildenhall @ Essex

New boys Mildenhall Bulldogs wasted little time signaling their intentions, brushing aside the Essex Arrows in both games of their opening set at Waltham Abbey.

The Bulldogs cruised to 16-5 and 11-1 wins, with Brandon Blide earning the win and impressing at the plate in Game One (Richard Chesterton taking the loss) and Jason Coffee hurling a gem in Game Two.

Mildenhall coach Gabriel Macias insisted his side were not simply joining the NBL to make up the numbers. He said: “We love competition and we will really be going for it this season. We are really excited to be playing at this level and we aim to make our mark.

“The key for us was hitting,” Macias continued. “We put together a few good innings and scored runs consistently throughout and defensively we were sound. We just had a good day all round and it was pretty rough on Essex.”

pictures by www.hp2photographic.com
Southampton @ Herts

Fellow debutants Southampton Mustangs did not enjoy their opening series quite as much, suffering 8-7 and 12-0 losses at Herts Falcons.

But the new boys will take heart from their Game One performance, where they scored three runs in the top of the seventh and had the bases loaded before a groundout ended their rally.

Chuck Truelson took the loss, with Herts' Dan Kerry claiming the win, while Oscar Sierra clubbed a three-run shot for the visitors.

Things went downhill for the Mustangs in Game Two, with Pete Kikel pitching an impressive complete game shutout for Herts as the Mustangs fell apart.

Despite that, Southampton's Ben Davis saw plenty to encourage him: “We fell short in Game One, which was pretty heartbreaking, but there are plenty of positives we can build on. We did not let ourselves down in any way at all.

“Game Two we will wipe out of the memory,” Davis continued, “and quickly. The key for us this season is to try and compete in every game. We want to prove the BBF were right to bring us into the league.

The Falcons' Jason Greenberg admitted it was a case of job done for his side.

He said: “We won both games and we are very happy with that. I thought Southampton had a good squad and I think it is great they are in the league. Obviously, we will get a better indication of where we are at when we play London next week but we cannot ask for more than two wins on opening day.”

by AspiDimitrov

BBC RADIO TO FEATURE NBL SEASON OPENERS
  The opening of the 2010 National Baseball League season will be covered extensively this weekend by BBC Radio London, who will do live interviews with players and managers during the station's Sunday Sports Show from 2.00-6.00 pm on Sunday, April 18.  
The station will put in calls to NBL teams as doubleheaders are ending at Finsbury Park (Bracknell Blazers at London Mets), Croydon (Richmond Flames at Croydon Pirates), Waltham Abbey (Mildenhall Bulldogs at Essex Arrows) and Grovehill Ballpark (Southampton Mustangs at Herts Falcons), and will carry out post-game interviews on how the games went and how the teams are feeling about their prospects for the season.

A day earlier, on Saturday, April 17, BBC 3 Counties Radio will conduct an interview with Herts Falcons Manager Jason Greenberg around 5.30 pm to preview the new NBL season.

The coverage is part of an ongoing initiative between the BBF and the BBC that should result in good publicity for British baseball as a whole and the NBL clubs in particular.

by AspiDimitrov

2010 OPENING DAY – “THE SHOW” IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

Article by Matt Smith, lead writer at www.baseballGB.co.uk

The 2010 National Baseball League (NBL) season gets underway this Sunday, April 18  British baseball’s premier division contains eight teams this year, including three teams new to the top tier.  Each club will play a 28-game schedule made up of four fixtures each against the other seven teams over a period of fifteen weeks.

The top two teams will automatically qualify for the National Baseball Championships (NBC), a double-elimination tournament scheduled for the weekend of September 4-5.  The teams finishing third to sixth will play single playoff games (3rd v 6th, 4th v 5th) to determine the other two entrants to the NBC.

The NBL promises to be a fascinating competition and there is a real sense of optimism that this season could be one of the most competitive we’ve seen for many years. The mixture of established NBL teams and newcomers should make for many intriguing storylines as the season unfolds.

Time to introduce the eight teams.

Courtesy of www.event-photos.co.uk
Bracknell Blazers (2009 NBL Champions) website

2009 will go down in British baseball history as the year in which the Bracknell Blazers broke their 17-year duck and secured a championship at the highest level for the first time. The Blazers finished third in the NBL regular season with a 14-10 record and stormed into the National Baseball Championships riding a five-game winning streak. A defeat to the London Mets in their opening NBC game meant that the Blazers couldn’t afford to lose again — and they didn’t. The Blazers won three games on the final Sunday, eliminating the Herts Falcons and Mets and then coming from behind to beat the Richmond Flames 16-4 in the Grand Final.

Although they’ve lost an important veteran in former Great Britain player (and Baseball on 5 pundit) Josh Chetwynd, the likes of the Trask brothers remain and having had a taste of success, they are sure to want to get to the NBC again and retain their hard-won title.

Opening Day: a doubleheader away to the London Mets.

Courtesy of www.event-photos.co.uk
Richmond Flames (2009 NBL runner-up and NBL regular season Champion: 17-7) website

Until destiny favoured the Blazers, 2009 looked like being the year of the Flames. Richmond finished the regular season with a 17-7 record after sweeping a doubleheader against the London Mets on the final day. The two wins brought them level with the Mets in the won-lost column, and because Richmond won the season series head-to-head against London, they took the NBL regular season title on that tiebreaker. The Flames then won their opening two games in the NBC to qualify for the Grand Final, only for the Blazers to bring their season to a crushing end.

That made it two straight Grand Final defeats. It’s a disappointing record for the Flames, but also shows that they have been one of the very best teams in the country over that period, a point emphasised by fielding the Most Valuable Batter (Ryan Bird) and Most Valuable Pitcher (Cody Cain) in 2009, as awarded by the Great Britain Baseball Scorers Association. Is 2010 the year that the Flames finally finish off their good work?

Opening Day: a doubleheader away to the Croydon Pirates.

London Mets (2009: 17-7) website

After winning back-to-back NBLs in 2007 and 2008, the London Mets fell just short of making it three in a row in 2009. The Mets lost some key players last year from their title-winning team, particularly towards the end of the regular season and for the NBC. Although it didn’t match up with their recent successes, a second-place regular season finish was still a very worthy achievement and the team based at Finsbury Park will be a threat once again in 2010.

Opening Day: a doubleheader at home against the Bracknell Blazers.

Courtesy of www.event-photos.co.uk
Herts Falcons (2009: 12-12) website

The Herts Falcons had a very creditable first season in the NBL in 2009 following their promotion as 2008 AAA League champions. Nobody knew quite how they would cope with the step-up in standard, but winning three of their first four games helped to settle any nerves they may have had and they ended up qualifying for the NBC with a .500 record. After holding their own and proving they belong in the top tier, the Falcons will try to push on in 2010.

Opening Day: a doubleheader at home against the Southampton Mustangs.

Croydon Pirates (2009: 0-24) website

Nobody likes to see a former great crash to earth with an undignified thump, but that’s the fate that befell the winless Croydon Pirates last year. Back-to-back champions in 2004 and 2005 and losing finalists in 2006 and 2007, the Pirates’ 5-19 regular season record in 2008 had already called time on their excellent run and 2009 put the nails in the coffin. Croydon saw a lot of their championship-winning players depart and struggled to replace them, resulting in the team forfeiting a number of games in 2009 due to a lack of NBL-standard players. The only way is up and the Pirates' organisation will now be focused on laying the foundations for a team capable of emulating the glorious 2004-2007 era.

Opening Day: a doubleheader at home against the Richmond Flames.

Essex Arrows (2009: 25-0 in the AAA South) website

The Essex Arrows are one of three teams making their NBL debuts this season. Their perfect regular season record at AAA level last year made them prime contenders to join the top tier and they duly accepted the BBF’s invitation. But 2009 didn’t end in quite the way the Arrows had hoped. Although they extended their winning streak to 26 games by defeating the Liverpool Trojans at the AAA NBC, they were then knocked out of the event by losing to the Harrogate Tigers and Southampton Mustangs. The end couldn’t mar an excellent season and with over 25 years of history, impressive developments at their ballpark and a flair for publicity, the Arrows should be a great addition to the NBL.

Opening Day: a doubleheader at home against the Mildenhall Bulldogs.

Photo courtesy of SA Images
Southampton Mustangs (2009: 21-5 in the AAA South) website

Like the Arrows, the Southampton Mustangs earned a spot in the NBL by rising to the top of the AAA ranks in 2009. The Mustangs put together a very strong season, making it all the way to the AAA NBC Grand Final before falling short to the impressive Harrogate Tigers (champions of the Northern Conference). Their efforts to prepare for the 2010 season received a slight setback when scheduled games against the Bracknell Blazers and Richmond Flames were cancelled in Week 2 of the Herts Spring League; however, they were able to play a couple of games in the tournament and will return to Herts for their regular season Opening Day.

Opening Day: a doubleheader away to the Herts Falcons.

Photo courtesy of SA Images
Mildenhall Bulldogs (2009: AA Champions) website

The Mildenhall Bulldogs made their debut in the BBF leagues last year and they certainly made an instant impact. Alongside fellow United States Air Force (USAF) team Alconbury Braves, the Bulldogs stormed the Midlands League and made their way to the AA NBC. There, the Bulldogs dispatched the Manchester A’s 10-6 in the semi-final and then defeated the Braves 8-1 to win the Grand Final at their first attempt. The Bulldogs' quality was recognised when they were invited to make the big leap right up to the NBL, by-passing the AAA level in the process. Their 2009 form and 2010 Herts Spring League results, including a narrow loss to the Herts Falcons and a 14-3 victory over the Mustangs, suggest that they will not be overawed by the competition.

Opening Day: a doubleheader away to the Essex Arrows.

Photo courtesy of SA Images
Further details

Full details on the NBL competition can be found on the BBF website. All four of the doubleheaders are scheduled to begin at midday (Game Two in each case is scheduled to start at 14.30) and details of the venues can be found on the websites of the Arrows, Falcons, Mets and Pirates.
by AspiDimitrov

OUTSTANDING PERFORMERS IN THE 2010 HSL ANNOUNCED

 

 

Over the three weeks of the Herts Spring League we saw fantastic baseball, great plays, dramatic wins and explosive hitting. The HSL has announced those players who stood out from the rest.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP)

Shannon Henry (Leicester Blue Sox) – The undoubted star of the HSL delivering in a big way with his bat and also on the mound in the Final against the Sidewinders to pick up the dramatic win and the title for Leicester. His batting stats over the four HSL games were: 3 singles, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 14 RBIs, batting average of .643 and slugging 1.357.

BEST PITCHER – Brandon Blide (Mildenhall Bulldogs) – allowed only 2 earned runs in 13 innings over the course of the HSL (ERA 1.38, K 21).

BEST RELIEVER – Pete Kikel (Herts Falcons) – pitching a no-hitter against the Herts Eagles

BEST CLOSER – Henry Collins (Bracknell Blazers) – picking up the save in the Final against the Herts Falcons.

CATCHER – Jon Mabie (Mildenhall Bulldogs)

FIRST BASE – Tim Elkins (Herts Eagles)

SECOND BASE – Oscar Sierra (Southampton Mustangs)

THIRD BASE –Perez (Mildehall Bulldogs)

SHORTSTOP – John Blose (Mildenhall Bulldogs)

LEFT FIELD – Dan Kerry (Herts Falcons)

CENTERFIELD – Mike Trask (Bracknell Blazers)

RIGHT FIELD – Chris Porter (Essex RedBacks)

BEST PLAY OF THE HSL – John Oliver (Herts Eagles) making a diving catch in right field to stop a Mildenhall rally.

Note: The nominations above were based largely on statistics from the games played at Herts therefore they do not fully reflect the outstanding individual and team performances in the games played at Ham Ground in Richmond.