Category: Raptors

18 March 201629 April 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts announce preliminary HSL 2016 rosters

The managers of the Herts teams which will be playing in the Herts Spring League over the next 3 weeks have announced their 2016 preliminary rosters. We understand that these rosters are not fixed and it is very likely that there may be movement between teams over the course of the HSL. Some players may be asked to play for more than one team as managers look to evaluate players ahead of the announcement of the 2016 Opening Day rosters.

New players are registering every week, therefore some new names may be added over the course of the HSL and into the league season.

HERTS FALCONS

Brodie Caress

Callum Vangundy

Conner Brown

Darrin Ward

Gilberto Medina

Jake Caress

James Hicks

John Blose

Jonathon Lewys

Jose Juan Garcia Santana

Lee Manning

Louis Hare

Mahendra Prasad

Mike Cattermole

Moise Vasquez

Sonam Lama

Takaya Miki

Warwick Byrne

Zack Longboy

HERTS HAWKS

Andrew Bragg

Andrew Slater

Andy Cornish

Arnold Longboy

Aspi Dimitrov

Ben Marques

Bobby Gould

Dan Bartram

Drew Mayhew

Gary Edwards

George Leeds

Greg Bochan

Hunter Devine

Ilya Dimitrov

Jamie Lang

Jamie Warren

Jim Arnott

John Kjorstad

Kennet Pike

Kenneth Bogner

Mark Caress

Matthew Gentry

Paul Auchterlounie

Ralph Bartholomew

Robert Gibson

Rod Naghar

Simon Langton

Tim Elkins

William Belbin

HERTS RAPTORS

Aaron Witter

Ac Masala

Adam White

Alessandro Sansica

Boruch Boudilovsky

Clive Johnson

Darren Priest

Emmanuel Banson

Hosea Liwanda

Jack Kelly

Joe Court

Jon Gamble

Karolis Krutulis

Matt Corran

Matthew Jackson

Michael Cresswell

Nick White

Paul Barton

Phil Cunningham

Rob Jones

Simon Crouch

Thao Chau

Tim Lawrence

Toby Feszczur-Hatchett

Tom Fawcitt

Tom Weatherilt

Wes Moore

13 March 201629 April 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see the teams ahead of the 2016 British baseball season

The biggest pre-season baseball competition in Britain is back. Commencing on March 19, the Herts Spring League (HSL) will see 15 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 15 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers. The top teams in the country from the National Baseball League and Triple-A Leagues will play in the HSL Majors. The HSL-AA is the second tier of the Herts Spring League. It will feature predominantly British Double-A League teams. The third tier is the HSL-A consisting mainly of Single-A teams.

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

The teams finishing at 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.

THE VENUES

The action will take place at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead, the home of Herts Baseball Club.

SCHEDULE

24 games are scheduled to be played on the two diamonds. The competition begins on March 19 with a clash between the Herts Hawks and the Essex Redbacks in the HSL Double-A bracket. The HSL Single-A commences on the same day while HSL Majors division commences 24 hours later and includes the mouth-watering clashes between the Essex Arrows and Herts Falcons, and the Cambridge Royals and the surging London Mammoths.

Click to view full 2016 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.

12 March 201629 April 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

15 teams will signal the arrival of Spring in the 2016 HSL

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that 15 teams have entered this year’s Herts Spring League (HSL). The teams come from all British baseball leagues including the National Baseball League (NBL), Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A Leagues.

The HSL teams will be divided into three divisions as follows:

HSL – MAJORS
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Cambridge Royals	AAA	3
Essex Arrows	NBL	2
Herts Falcons	NBL	1
London Mammoths	AAA	4
Milton Keynes Bucks	AAA	5

HSL – AA
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Daws Hill Spitfires	AA	2
Essex Redbacks	AAA	1
Herts Hawks	AAA/A	4
London Musketeers	AA/A	3

HSL – A
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Cambridge Monarchs	A	2
Herts Raptors	A	5
Kent Mariners	A	6
London Mercenaries	A	4
Milton Keynes Coyotes	A	3
Tonbridge	A	1

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

The HSL will be played over three weeks commencing on the weekend of 19 and 20 March and ending on 2 and 3 April. The HSL format and games schedule are expected to be announced shortly and hertsbaseball.com will bring this and all other HSL news as they happen.

19 February 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts announce 2016 HSL details

The Herts Spring League (HSL) has confirmed the game dates for the 2016 edition of the competition*.

HSL (Week 1)
Sat, 19-Mar-16
Sun, 20-Mar-16

HSL (Week 2)
Sat, 26-Mar-16
Sun, 27-Mar-16

HSL (Week 3)
Sat, 2-Apr-16
Sun, 3-Apr-16

Spring is the time when managers put together their teams and aim to turn them into winning machines ahead of Opening Day. Similar to the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in MLB, the HSL provides a competitive edge to spring training. This is the ninth year of the HSL. Every year this competition keeps growing. The geographic spread of participating teams seems to be expanding as well. For more details visit the HSL site.

LEAGUE FORMAT

Teams will be placed in two or more divisions (HSL Majors and HSL Minors) based on the teams’ ranking going into the new season. The exact format will depend on the number of teams entering the HSL and the availability of venues, therefore full details will be published when the league line-up is confirmed.

TEAMS

Over the years the HSL has featured teams from the National Baseball League (NBL), Triple-A, Double-A and Single-A Leagues, as well as international teams such as the GB Under-19 and Under-16 National Teams and the ASL Eagles.

“The number of team entries has been going up every year. Last year we somehow managed to fit all of the entrants, however in 2016 we have to be mindful of the fact that we may once again reach our full capacity and we may have to restrict team entries when we reach that level again.” said HSL Commissioner, Aspi Dimitrov.

The addition of U19 and U17 league teams in previous years has worked very well. The high standard of most of the BBF U19 and U17 League teams will certainly enable them to comfortably compete at the level of adult teams from the Double-A and Triple-A League teams, or perhaps even the NBL.

Teams from around the United Kingdom will be submitting their entries over the next few weeks and the HSL lineup and games schedule is expected to be published in early March.

* – The HSL dates are based on the indication that the BBF league season will start on April 3 for NBL teams and on April 10 for all other leagues. If these dates change the HSL may make adjustments where necessary.

7 February 20167 February 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors and Eagles appoint managerial duos

At its Annual General Meeting Herts Baseball Club confirmed several managerial appointments ahead of the 2016 season.

CARESS DUO AT THE HELM

The Herts Eagles will have a father-and-son managerial duo in 2016. Jake Caress managed the team last year and this season he will be joined by his father, Mark Caress. Mark is already fully immersed into the role as he has been performing many of the duties supporting Jake in 2015 therefore this appointment formally confirms his role with the team.

The Eagles picked up only 3 in the whole of last year so they will be looking to improve their record this time around. The team is blessed with many young talented players who are just a year or two away from being able to challenge for the playoff places so there is great optimism that this group of young players will become a dominant force in the BBF Triple-A League. The main uncertainty is the likelihood that some of their top performers may receive a call-up from the Herts Falcons and that may affect the team’s competitiveness.

RAPTORS APPOINT CRESSWELL AND BARTON

Michael Cresswell and Paul Barton are the new joint managers of the Herts Raptors. They take over from Rob Jones and the late Kal Dimitrov who managed the team last season.

Michael Cresswell has been a key and ever-present member of Herts since 2012 and has already had managerial experience acting as stand-in co-manager of the team in the second half of last season.

Paul Barton made his league debut for the Raptors in 2015 and his tremendous performances were recognised as his teammates voted his as the Raptors’ Most Valuable Player.

The team ended the 2015 season on a high with a run of four wins in their last six games. If they can maintain this form they would be a major contender for the Single-A League title in 2016.

The managers will take their players through their first Spring Training session of 2016 this Sunday, 7 February.

3 February 20163 February 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts adult and youth baseball league teams start pre-season training this Sunday

Herts Baseball Club published details of its Spring Training schedule. Both adult and youth teams will return to training for the first time in 2016 this Sunday 7 February. The only exception being the Under-8 programme which starts later in the year.

In the first few weeks preparations will take place indoors at JFK Catholic School. On 27 February the adult, under-19 and under-17 teams will have their first outdoor training session at Middlesex University on the 3G artificial grass playing surface. The under-15, under-13 and under-10 age groups will also get their first taste of outdoor baseball on 5 March.

The Herts teams will return to Grovehill Ballpark for the first time on the weekend of 12 and 13 March.

A week later Herts Spring League (HSL) pre-season games commence. The Show begins in April as the Herts teams get their 2016 league seasons underway. The Herts Falcons are expected to open their season on Sunday, 3 April, while the Herts minor league teams are expected to start on 10 April.

As always around the middle of March the Herts adult team managers will announce their preliminary rosters ahead of the HSL. Of course these preliminary rosters are likely to change as we get closer to Opening Day and managers promote those who impress in Spring Training. The movement of Herts players up and down the Herts league teams is usually an ongoing process. We have witnessed players start the season with the fourth team in the Single-A and end up making their NBL debut later in the year. We will follow players’ progress over the course of Spring Training and during the league season.

SPRING TRAINING SCHEDULE (more events may be added)

DAY	DATE	TEAMS	DETAILS	LOCATION
Sun	07-Feb-16	U15, U13. U10	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sun	07-Feb-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sat	13-Feb-16	U15, U13. U10	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sun	14-Feb-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sat	20-Feb-16	U15, U13. U10	Spring Training	JFK Catholic School
Sat	27-Feb-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Spring Training	Middlesex University
Sat	27-Feb-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Batting Practice	Middlesex University
Sat	05-Mar-16	U15, U13. U10	Spring Training	Middlesex University
Sat	05-Mar-16	U15, U13. U10	Batting Practice	Middlesex University
Sun	06-Mar-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Spring Training	Middlesex University
Sun	06-Mar-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Batting Practice	Middlesex University
Sat	12-Mar-16	U19, U17, U15, U13. U10	Spring Training	Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sun	13-Mar-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Spring Training	Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sat	19-Mar-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Herts Spring League	Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sun	20-Mar-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Herts Spring League	Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sat	26-Mar-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Herts Spring League	Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sun	27-Mar-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Herts Spring League	Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sat	02-Apr-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Herts Spring League	Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sun	03-Apr-16	AAA, AA, A, U19, U17	Herts Spring League	Grovehill Ballpark, Herts
Sun	03-Apr-16	NBL	League Game Day	TBC
Sun	10-Apr-16	NBL, AAA, AA, A	League Game Day	TBC

HOW TO TAKE PART?

Existing players who have not reactivated their registration for the 2016 season can do so here. New players can register for the new season here or contact us for more details.

4 December 2015 by Rob Jones

Raptors rookie rewarded with MVP

The Herts Raptors ended a difficult season with a sprint finish, and one of the new players who helped that happen has been rewarded by being named MVP by his team-mates. After a close vote among the team’s entire roster, Paul Barton took the title.

In his first season of competitive baseball, Paul was a crucial part of the batting line-up, hitting an impressive .548. He could be relied on to hit the ball hard against any opponent, and in any situation.

Paul’s credentials also included becoming the team’s main starting pitcher. His calm demeanour and determination on the mound have secured him the title of Raptors Pitcher of the Year. He reliably threw strikes in a way that is crucial to Single-A baseball, worked throughout the season on a pick-off move and adding an extra pitch, and fielded his position consistently well.

The Infield Gold Glove was awarded to another new boy, Nick Shrimpton. He quickly took ownership of the key position of shortstop early in the season, and remained the go-to guy throughout the year. While refining his knowledge of the game he made a series of crucial instinctive plays, fielding hard-hit balls and throwing out runners when it seemed impossible. As an added bonus, Nick also hit .500 for the season.

The Outfield Gold Glove is shared between two winners — Daniel Bennett and Michael Cresswell. Michael — last year’s MVP, when he was mainly a pitcher — moved to be a regular outfielder this year to help the team adjust to an influx of new players. He performed admirably and reliably, occasionally spectacularly.

Daniel mixed his outfield appearances with playing shortstop, and catcher. But he had to be acknowledged for a remarkable game at the Guildford Mavericks. He recorded nine of the 27 outs in left field — including all three of the outs in one inning. And he was part of a bizarre double play with Yue Du at second base, which ended the second inning. Daniel also got two hits and scored four runs in that epic game, which ended in a 25-24 defeat.

The Raptors’ batting title for 2015 went to our much-missed manager and team-mate Kal Dimitrov. The sudden loss of Kal during a game in July was a hammer blow to the team, the club, and to the Dimitrov family. His contribution to the Raptors was often about intangibles — for example, his inspiration and encouragement — but the depth of his contribution was shown by the fact that he quietly racked up team-leading numbers in the first half of the season.

Against the toughest opposition in the league — the Herts Hawks; the Guildford Mavericks; and the eventual Single-A champions, Tonbridge — Kal had a batting average of .615. Taking into account a large handful of walks, his OBP was even higher, and he converted many into runs.

The Raptors’ joint manager, Rob Jones, said: “There aren’t enough awards to repay for what Kal did for us all, but it’s great to see his name on a trophy for 2015, and it shows how he led the team from the front.”

Referring to the awards for the new talent, he added: “So much fresh blood came into the Raptors this year and it gave us a real boost. Paul Barton has been a tremendous addition to the club and was central to what we achieved in 2015. Young players and new recruits really grew as the season went on, as was shown by the series of wins. There’s a lot to take forward into 2016.”

Jones will not be at the helm, he is stepping down after helping manage the Raptors for three years. A new manager — or managers — will be elected at the Herts AGM this weekend, December 6th, at Gadebridge Community Centre in Hemel Hempstead. Details can be found elsewhere on the website.

30 August 201515 September 2015 by Greg Bochan

2015 Hunlock Series

The 2015 BBF league season is about to reach its conclusion, but the best part of the season for everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club is yet to come.

Every year, just when the MLB season enters its most exciting stage, players come to Grovehill Ballpark for a competition in memory of Herts Baseball Club’s number 36, the late Kyle Hunlock.

This is the ninth year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 only two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. Herts Baseball Club has been growing rapidly since then and the number of teams in the Series has been increasing every year. As players sign up over the next few days we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

SERIES FORMAT

This year’s competition will be played over 3 Sundays. The opening games will be played on Sunday, 27 September. The second round of games will take place on Sunday, 4 October with the final round scheduled for Sunday, 11 October.

After its success in the 2014 we will see the return of “The 9th Inning Weekend” where games are decided over one inning only. This format recreates the tension and drama of the ninth inning. Can the teams manufacture the all important go-ahead run? Can they deliver the walk-off hits? Can the pitchers and defence execute with the game on the line?

THE DRAFT

As in previous years, the 2015 Hunlock Series managers will select their teams via Draft. Who will be the first round picks? How will minor league players perform alongside NBL players?

Over the years we have seen how decisions made during the draft can shape the outcome of the Series before a pitch has been thrown. The managers will have to make carefully calculated decisions if they are to put together a team which can compete for the Hunlock Series title, otherwise they face miserable few weeks.

With all of the club’s managers and coaching staff monitoring these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity to make a claim on the big stage in the coming weeks of the Hunlock Series.

PLAYERS LOOKING TO REGISTER AHEAD OF THE DRAFT

Herts players are currently signing up ahead of the draft. New players and players from other clubs can also sign up by contacting Herts Baseball Club.

There has already been interest from non-Herts players located in other regions of the United Kingdom and overseas. Just like last year, the Hunlock Series could provide a glimpse at players who could be wearing the Herts jersey in 2016.

To be eligible for selection during the live draft, players must register and enter their availability details online by 7pm on Wednesday, 17 September. If you miss this deadline, don’t worry. Players would still be eligible to take part but would be added to teams as free agents. Players who wish to register for the 2015 Hunlock Series should contact Herts Baseball Club. To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2015.

3 August 20155 August 2015 by Rob Jones

Homer helps Hawks stay high; Falcons fall

Herts Hawks pitcher Andrew Slater set a new season high for strikeouts as his side beat the Kent Mariners 20-3 at Grovehill ballpark. Slater – also the team’s joint manager – whiffed 7 batters and walked just one in a dominant performance. He now leads the league in wins.

The Hawks remain unbeaten in the British Baseball Federation’s Single-A league, and are looking to secure top seeding for the playoffs.

The offense was again led by Andy Cornish, who had four hits including a triple and a home run. Sonam Lama scored five runs, while Slater himself had a couple of hits. He praised the team effort: “it was a good performance all around.”

Hit 2, scored 2

The Hawks main rivals in the league are the London Musketeers, who are also unbeaten. On Sunday they were taking on the Herts Raptors on Grovehill’s second diamond. Raptors are mainly new players, but fought hard to stay with the unbeaten London side. It was still a respectable 13-6 in the middle of the fifth inning.

Paul Barton on the mound frequently battled out of tough situations as London threatened to surge ahead. He struck out three and walked only one. Matt Corran made his debut for the team, and impressed everyone when he came on to pitch in relief. He ended with a flourish, with a strikeout.

New players hit well, too. In his first start for the team, Matthew White hit 2 doubles and scored 2 runs, while Darren Priest’s first ever hit was a double. In the end, Musketeers had too much power and they piled on runs to win by 25-6 in seven innings.

Earlier in the day, the Raptors won 9-0 over the Haverhill Blackjacks by forfeit.

Raptors manager Rob Jones said: “We played really well against a tough side, and made some great plays. I am really pleased with the progress new guys have made –they will go far.”

At the top end of the club, the Herts Falcons headed to Farnham Park to take on Bracknell Blazers, and the action didn’t disappoint on a great summer day for baseball. Both teams needed the victories; Falcons to stay in 2nd place and more importantly take a big step towards a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, and Bracknell to fight for a playoff spot.

Falcons’ gremlins

The first game started well for the Falcons who scored two runs in the top of the 1st inning and looked poised to take advantage of starting pitcher Jordan Edmonds, who seemed to be looking to find his rhythm in the mound. On the other hand, the Herts starter Jose Sosa — who lately has struggled a bit in the 1st inning — started full steam.

Jordan then settled in and the defense on both teams was playing quite well with a 5-1 lead to Falcons leading into the bottom of the 4th. With 2 outs, Falcons’ gremlins appeared once again and defensive errors allowed Bracknell to extend the inning. Bracknell took advantage of it and became aggressive at the plate and bases to put more pressure to the defense and they succeeded. After the 4th it was tied 5-5.

In the next inning, Bracknell went ahead but Falcons bounced back in the top of the 6th to tie the game. Bracknell responded and again got the lead at the bottom of the 6th. Falcons couldn’t respond this time in the top of the 7th and Bracknell won 7-6 in a very close game.

The 2nd game paired another two aces again with Rei Martinez and Robbie Almanzar starting for the Blazers and Falcons respectively. The game started as a pitching duel with the score 0-0 going into the 4th. Both teams knew the game would be decided by 1 or 2 runs.

However, in the bottom of the 4th Bracknell put a few timely hits together with, of course, some very costly errors by the Falcons, and the score all of a sudden was 4-0. Falcons came back in the top of the 5th with 2 runs and Bracknell added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. Herts wouldn’t give up and scored another 2 runs in the top of the 6th leaving the score now 5-4 for Bracknell.

But in the bottom of the 6th it all went Bracknell’s way — hitting in the gaps, Falcons making more defensive errors, and Robbie running out of gas. Bracknell put up an insurmountable lead 12-4, and although Falcons scored 2 runs in the top of the 7th, it was too little too late. Final score 12-6.

21 July 201525 August 2015 by Rob Jones

Hawks swoop on Richmond

The Herts Hawks continued their march towards the playoffs with a convincing 28-10 victory away to the Richmond Squires in the Single-A league. Joint manager Andrew Slater pitched a complete game for the win, striking out four batters and walking only 2.

The first few innings were evenly matched, with Herts edging into a narrow lead. Tim Elkins scored the first run of the day. The Squires first two batters reached base and the hosts threatened to score — but a double-play on the infield prevented it.

Andy Cornish, slugger, and Andrew Slater, pitcher

Then the Hawks added 5 runs in the fourth inning and piled on 14 runs in the fifth to put the game beyond doubt.

Rod Naghar led the team with 5 runs batted in; Andy Cornish hit three doubles; while catcher Paul Auchterlounie scored 5 runs. The Hawks remain unbeaten on the season, with a 10-0 record, and a postseason slot is now secure. The next few games will help determine their seeding.

The Herts Raptors were also in Richmond for two Single-A games. One was scheduled, the other was a make-up of a rained out game from May.

They jumped out to a big early lead against the Dukes and still led 13-6 after 4 innings. Boruch Boudilovsky and Daniel Bennett each drove in 3 runs. Good fielding helped protect the lead, with Nick Shrimpton at shortstop and Matt Jackson at third base showing excellent defensive skills.

But Richmond staged a dramatic rally, scoring 7 runs to draw level and then 9 to surge ahead. They won 22-14.

The Raptors then faced the Richmond Squires, in the make-up game. Bennett again performed well, getting on base all three times he came up to bat, and scoring the only run. But the Herts offense had gone quiet. Nick Shrimpton had 2 hits and the only RBI.

Richmond had their veteran pitcher John Irving on the mound, and he allowed just 6 hits and 1 run. The visitors couldn’t figure him out, and in a game shortened because it was being played as a double-header, there was no time to recover.

Raptors lost 12-1 and are still searching for their first win of the season. There were no other Herts teams in action this week.