Category: Raptors

by Ken Pike

Raptors win puts them on the brink of playoffs

Baseball teams from across the UK are jostling for playoff positions.

The Raptors top the single A league and stand on the brink of clinching a playoff spot thanks to another big win today. Sadly, having not been there, I cannot report on the game itsself, though the 24-6 drubbing of the contenders for Pool B’s lead is certainly another impressive head to add to recent victories over the Blackjacks and the Marauders. So, with Pool A rivals, the Coyotes, coming to Grovehill next week, just what are Raptors’ chances of making the post season?

To win Pool A and get a first round buy, a win against the Coyotes next week would put the Raptors 2.5 games clear with only 3 remaining after that, so again either 1 win or a Coyotes loss would furthermore seal Pool victory. A loss would put the Raptors only 0.5 games ahead with 3 remaining and head to head results means the Raptors would have to win as many as the Coyotes do or slip behind them.

If that did happen and the Raptors didn’t top the pool, then they would have to go for a wildcard place. The Coyotes replace them at the top of Pool A and would be out of wildcard equations. The Blackjacks and Marauders who top their Groups would also be irrelevant (all coloured blue in tablefor demonstrative purposes).

With that in mind, the table is currently as follows:

Team Wins Losses Games back
Raptors 8 2 0
Marauders 6 2 1
Mavericks 5 3 1
Coyotes 6 3 1.5
Blackjacks 4 4 3
Archers 3 4 3.5
Redbacks 3 4 3.5
Tonbridge 4 5 3.5
Eagles 3 6 4.5
2Sox 2 5 4.5
Old Timers 3 6 4.5
Dukes 3 6 4.5
Key Divisional leaders if Raptors fail to secure Pool pennant
Unable to surpass Raptors

 

The Eagles, 2Sox, Old Timers and Dukes do not have a mathematical chance of overtaking the Raptors now as they are 4.5 games back with 4 games remaining. (coloured grey on chart).

This leaves only the Mavericks, Archers, Redbacks and Tonbridge to go for the remaining three wildcard spots. Currently the Mavericks are only a game back, so even if they finish ahead of the Raptors there are two places left for wildcards.

The Archers, Redbacks and Tonbridge are all 3.5 games back, meaning 1 more win for the Raptors would put all three out of contention of overtaking the Raptors. A loss by any one of those teams would also put that team out.

Thats basically it. One more win and the Raptors are through to the post season as a wildcard or better. Failing that, one slipup by any two of those three teams and they are through as well.

 

The remaining games are:

Coyotes (6-3) @ Raptors

Raptors @ Mavericks (5-3)

Raptors @ Dukes (3-6)

Raptors @ Tonbridge (4-5)

 

 

 

by Ken Pike

Raptors make Blackjacks walk the plank despite downpour

By Ken Pike

What a difference a month makes in baseball. On the third weekend in May the Raptors had just suffered the second defeat in a row levelling their record at 2-2 after what had been a very promising start to the season. Errors had plagued the team, and while part of the damage came from notable absences of the younger members having to undergo end of year exams, the remaining players had to admit at the time that lapses of concentration had cost them dearly. Playoffs still seemed a very long way away and it was clear that no more mistakes could be tolerated if those were to ever become reality.

Fast forward four games and victories against league leading London Marauders, the solid Redbacks, a dominant performance over the 2Sox, and vengeance against their sister team the Eagles had restored their position at joint top of Single A Pool A and revitalised faith in their abilities. What’s more, the manner of victories had also been resounding – four straight mercy rule games, with a significant drop in error rates, and impressive pitching performances.

Yet much more was to come. Despite the continued success there was no light between their Pool opponents the MK Coyotes and the next few games saw them face 2 pool leaders (including MK), a team that could top their pool if they won their games in hand, and a series of teams all with winning records. First up, the Haverhill Blackjacks, a team that had suffered a rocky start to the season before notable acquisitions from the local US Airforce base had significantly improved their fortunes with rumours of a near unbeatable pitching/catching partnership.

The first inning started with a touch of the shakes for Herts. A couple of fielding errors led to three unforced runs scoring for the Haverhill team, but the Raptors had seen far worse starts turn to victory and were barely phased by that. The Raptors offense is rapidly making a name for itsself having outscored every other team in the league by 50 runs over the season. The bottom half of the first saw Ken Pike get on base and test the fabled visiting battery early on with a steal to second. A hit moved him to second before he took his opportunity on a pass ball. In what was a close play the pitcher made the mistake of stepping over the plate into the path of the 13 stone Raptors catcher. The wind promptly knocked out of him, the ball was no-where near a glove and the home team were on the scoreboard. Only one more runner would score to bring the game back to one.

The second inning saw the Raptors defence hit their stride. Young Will Zucker was cutting through the Haverhill lineup and a series of powerful plays saw the side retired without further score. The bottom half of the inning saw a significant change of pace. Perhaps the pitcher had suffered slightly from his collision, or perhaps the batters had taken heart from the fact the battery wasn’t as dangerous as they had heard. Either way they batted around the order nearly twice with 13 runners scoring before the side was retired (not before Haverhill had gone through two pitchers and descended into a full blown on the pitch argument with themselves). No fancy homeruns required for the home team, just a solid on base percentage with the youthful and fast side making the most of any opportunity to advance.

The third inning saw Will Zucker swapped for the equally young Brodie Caress on the mound, but little else changed. One Blackjack came around before the side was retired, barely denting the Raptors lead of 12. Said lead was promptly restored in the bottom of the inning, but not with quite as much aplomb as the previous inning. Three runners scored – a lead of 14 runs. Sadly not without loss of limb (though thankfully not life.) The cursed first base on the old Grovehill diamond had struck again as Warwyk Byrne landed awkwardly on his hand while returning to first on a pickoff attempt adding a broken finger to the long list of Herts players having suffered in the same position (Duncan Hoyle, Ken Pike, Rob Jones, Joe Osborne-Brade etc etc etc).

Brodie’s performance on the mound continued into the fourth too, this time retiring the side in rapid progression, the first two batters departing within 3 pitches. A walk later the fourth batter went for a simple fly out with barely 15 pitches having passed all inning. Again, another 3 Raptors runs were added stretching the team’s lead to 21-4.

With clouds looming the fifth inning proved more exciting. Caress’ arm was clearly tiring and despite him comfortable lead some of the accuracy had departed. Six runs from Haverhill gave them a fighting chance but they still had work to do to overcome the mercy rule which loomed within two innings. Sadly for the away team, their work should have started on defence in the bottom of the fifth. Instead the Raptors went to town again putting the game well beyond doubt, going around the order again plating 10 more runs to extend the lead to 31-10.

As the sixth started an increasing rainfall started to play havoc with Caress’ accuracy before the heavens opened deluging the field sending both teams heading for umbrellas as umpire Adrian Smithers called for a rain timeout of 5 minutes. Those minutes passed without change for the better and the game was called with a result being called and Havehill’s score being pulled back to the end of the fifth. End result 31-10.

Raptors manager Arnie Longboy praised another great performance: “I think our offense had another explosive game against a tough opponent.  I want to be sure though that we can keep up the momentum for our next two opponents.  Sony Lama continued his hot hitting streak with two singles, a double, triple – just missing the cycle by a homerun.  Jim Arnott’s production also carried over with a team season high seven RBI’s . And of course Ken Pike added to his team lead in stolen bases with another 3.”

The Raptors have now convincingly demolished the leaders of both other pools, and thanks to the Coyotes – Marauders game being postponed by two weeks they now sit top of their group by a half game. They face MK in two weeks, and suddenly the resurgence of faith and potential has turned into a serious charge for the end season. No predictions can be made in what is a very close fight to the finish in all the pools, but whoever wins that game will be strong favourites to finish top of their group. That said, that might make little difference the second team in pool A will be very strong candidates for the first of the three wildcard spots. What will matter however is pride, bragging rights, belief, and above all, momentum.

 

Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E L
Haverhill Blackjacks 3 0 1 0 6 10 7 5 3
Herts Raptors 2 13 3 3 10 31 15 4 7

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Surely it’s too late for the 2012 awards

Joseph Osborne-Brade (right) received 3 awards in an outstanding season with the Herts Eagles

The 2012 schedule of events was so hectic and was followed by an equally busy 2013 Spring Training timetable, which left very few dates for the club to fit the 2012 Awards Event. As a result the club’s adult and youth teams have been presenting the 2012 awards at separate events over the last few months.

The full list of award recipients is shown below with the exception of the Herts Falcons who are planning to announce their awards separately.

For the Herts Hawks Louis Hare picked up 4 of the trophies including Most Valuable Player (MVP). Gilberto Medina collected three of the awards in the batting category for the Herts Raptors, while Zack Longboy was voted MVP and also collected the Best Pitcher award. Herts Eagles’ Joseph Osborne-Brade received three trophies including the Outfield Gold Glove and Most Stolen Bases. Theo Scheepers was the MVP, Best Pitcher and Infield Gold Glove for the Eagles in a very successful year for the Single-A League team. Andrew Fulford picked up the Play of the Year award in a very competitive category which included some outstanding plays by all the Herts teams across the leagues. The play was his game-changing Grand Slam home run in the AA playoff quarter final at the Guildford Mavericks. Fulford also received the Herts Hawks Home Run Champion.

...and the Nob-Out Award goes to...the whole Herts Hawks team

For the first time in the club’s history, the dreaded Nob-Out award went to a team rather than an individual. The whole Herts Hawks team was the recipient for their extravagant celebration in their good win against the Daws Hill Spitfires invading the field only to find that there is one more inning left to be played.

In the youth leagues, Zack Longboy received the best pitcher award and was voted as the Herts U17 MVP. Liam Green is now 17 so 2012 was his last season in the youth leagues which he marked by collecting the Home Run Champion and Most Stolen Bases awards. Jake Caress and Kyle Lloyd-Jones also played their last season in the youth leagues and received the Infield Gold Glove and Batting Champion awards, respectively. Tom Everex-Armstrong collected the Outfield Gold Glove and Warwick Byrne was awarded with the Rookie of the Year trophy after an impressive first season with Herts.

Callum Vangundy’s outstanding performances were recognised with 4 awards, including the MVP, Batting Campion, Home Run Champion and Most Stolen Bases. Tom Jansson-Wright was the Rookie of the Year. Drew Mayhew and Tom Adams received the Infield and Outfield Gold Gloves, respectively. Alec Broadbent who is recovering from an athletics injury this year received the Cy Young trophy. He started to be used as a pitcher late in the season and impressed quickly especially in the pressure postseason games.

In the U11 League, Christian Lynch and Ozan Martin were the stand-out players for the Herts Giants and Herts Dodgers, respectively. They each received the MVP and Batting Champion titles. Oliver Durer’s (Giants) and Thomas Garton’s (Dodgers) hard work was rewarded with the Infield Gold Gloves, while Alex Jones received the Outfield Gold Glove. Alex Trautman and Jonathan Wakelam were the Most Improve Players in the U11 League. Slugger of the Year was Lewis Auchterlounie and Katie Everex-Armstrong received the prestigious Coach’s Award. Noah Lynch and William Morillo are two of the smallest players in the club, but they are also the club’s biggest prospects. They received the Rookie of the Year Awards.

HERTS HAWKS (AA LEAGUE)
MVP Louis Hare
Batting Champion Louis Hare (Avg.486 15 RBI)
Infield Gold Glove Louis Hare (F% .833)
Outfield Gold Glove Jon Lewys (F% 1.000)
Best Pitcher Nick Russell (5 W 2.18 ERA)
Most Stolen Bases Paul Auchterlounie (9 SB)
Home Run Champion Andrew Fulford (2 HR)
Most RBIs Louis Hare (15 RBI)
Coach’s Award Nic Goetz
HERTS RAPTORS (A LEAGUE)
MVP Zack Longboy
Batting Champion Gilberto Medina (.608)
Infield Gold Glove Jose Morillo
Outfield Gold Glove John Kjorstad
Best Pitcher Zack Longboy
Most Stolen Bases Ken Pike
Home Run Champion Gilberto Medina (1 HR)
Most RBIs Gilberto Medina
Rookie of the Year Ben Marques
HERTS EAGLES (A LEAGUE)
MVP Theo Scheepers
Batting Champion Reagan Wood
Infield Gold Glove Theo Scheepers
Outfield Gold Glove Joseph Osborne-Brade
Best Pitcher Theo Scheepers
Most Stolen Bases Joseph Osborne-Brade
Home Run Champion Adrian Smithers
Most RBIs Duncan Hoyle
Coach’s Award Joseph Osborne-Brade
CLUB WIDE AWARDS
Play of the Year Andrew Fulford (Grandslam in Playoffs)
Nob-Out Award Herts Hawks Team
HERTS ALL STARS (U17 LEAGUE)
MVP Zack Longboy
Batting Champion Kyle Lloyd-Jones (.421)
Infield Gold Glove Jake Caress
Outfield Gold Glove Tom Everex-Armstrong
Rookie of the Year Warwick Byrne
Home Run Champion Liam Green (HR 2)
Most Stolen Bases Liam Green (SB 10)
Cy Young Award Zack Longboy
HERTS ALL STARS (U14 LEAGUE)
MVP Callum Vangundy
Batting Champion Callum Vangundy (.526)
Infield Gold Glove Drew Mayhew
Outfield Gold Glove Tom Adams
Rookie of the Year Tom Jansson-Wright
Home Run Champion Callum Vangundy (3 HR)
Most Stolen Bases Callum Vangundy (3 SB)
Cy Young Award Alec Broadbent
HERTS GIANTS (U11 LEAGUE)
MVP Christian Lynch
Batting Champion Christian Lynch
Infield Gold Glove Oliver Durer
Outfield Gold Glove Alex Jones
Rookie of the Year Noah Lynch
Most Improved Player Alex Trautman
Slugger of the Year Lewis Auchterlounie
HERTS DODGERS (U11 LEAGUE)
MVP Ozan Martin
Batting Champion Ozan Martin
Infield Gold Glove Thomas Garton
Rookie of the Year William Morillo
Most Improved Player Jonathan Wakelam
Coaches’ Award Katie Everex-Armstrong
by Ken Pike

Raptors rapture at the expense of soaring Eagles

Young Eagles Star Mike Cresswell was an ever present stealing threat despite the attentions of the pitcher and catcher

At the halfway stage of the 2013 single A season both the Eagles and Raptors are still in with a good chance of making the playoffs. The Raptors sit joint top of their group fighting for either an automatic buy through the first round or at least the first wildcard spot. The Eagles sit a game off the last wildcard spot with very winnable games to see out the end of the season hunting for playoffs. While the Raptors wanted to prove that the Eagle’s victory earlier in the season was a one-off, the Eagles were out to prove exactly the opposite. Winning this fixture was about pride, position and bragging rights.

Weather forecasts throughout the week had spelled that this fathers day fixture would not happen, but the British Summer did its part for once and remained dry meaning the game could go ahead as planned.

Both teams unsurprisingly delivered their strongest lineups with the Eagle’s bringing Andrew Slater to the mound while the Raptors turned to their young mainstay Zac Longboy. In a match between two of the biggest scoring teams of the season a high scoring game was assured….

…but…

The last thing anyone expected was for the game to start as a pitching duel. Zac closed out the Eagle’s offense in order for the first inning, and the Raptors could be forgiven for a wry grin appearing at that stage thinking they could crack open an early lead. Nothing of the sort ensued as the fired up Eagles defense turned the table on the usually dominant raptors offense who got the same treatment they had just given the nominal visitors. What’s more, the second and third innings were more of the same with only a run per inning being scored by the Raptors, who had not been held to that low a score over the opening three innings of any game this year. Whether a mixture of nerves, or Andrew Slater’s tantalising looping ball not being as easy to hit as it appeared, or a solid defense that were showing the tenacious attitude that had gotten the relatively inexperienced team to within one game off a wildcard position, no one’s bats were delivering much on either side.

The first score of the day came courtesy of Ken Pike [yours truly] who managed to get himself on base in the second inning and in usual fashion worked himself around the bags in short order to put himself in scoring position. A big pop by young Brodie Caress looked to clear both in and outfield, but Pike sensibly held up just off third for long enough to see it would be caught. He tagged up at manager (and then third basecoach) Arnie Longboy’s franticly shouted commands before taking off for home and opening the Raptors’ scoring account.

Some great plays, notably an awesome diving catch by Sony Llama at third, some well caught pop fly balls, and some sharp plays from the infield meant the Raptors defence stayed strong in the second inning. A dropped pickoff attempt at second even went their way as the runner attempting to capitalise by heading for third got picked off by the backup throw signalling that things were just not going the way of the Eagles.

Some light entertainment came half way through the game as one of the local youths attempting to do tricks on his moped just outside the field managed to overturn the bike on himself, raising rapturous applause from both benches interrupting Slater’s pitch and causing umpire Ben Marques (also chuckling at the youth’s misfortune) to offer a mulligan pitch.

As the innings stretched on and Zac Longboy’s dominance on the mound continued with a total of five strikeouts, closing out the Eagles for four consecutive innings. Meanwhile the Raptors drip-feed of scoring runs managed to prise the narrowest of margins out whilst taking their toll on Slater’s arm. A crushing homerun over left field for Jim Arnott spelled the beginning of the end for the Eagles, scoring himself and Jeff Whitter as part of a four run inning that put daylight between the two sides.

To stem the flow Eagles manager Duncan Hoyle took the mound, but the Raptors offense had already smelled blood. The fifth inning notched up another five runs with a triple for Theo Scheepers. Sony Llama added hitting to his dramatic performances of the day nailing a blast that bounced agonisingly off the fence a bare foot short of a second homerun of the day leaving him with just a double. While the Eagles clawed back three runs over two innings with ever present base stealing that the fast and determined side bring to every game, the Raptors brought in a further seven in the sixth.  Zac Longboy made way for closer Will Zucker, whose dangerous sidearm curveball has been the woe of many a batter, shut down the seventh but for solitary eagles scorer. He also added to the score with a powerful shot down the line and a dash of youthful speed getting him a triple. The Eagles continued with fantastic tenacity throughout ensuring that it was never a done deal (both sides all too aware that comebacks were far from rare), but it was not to be enough on the day.

The final play of the game, with runners on first and third,  Raptors catcher Pike threw a fake pickoff to Zac Longboy who had taken over at short instead of trying to gun down the steal attempt. Eagle Mike Cresswell was fooled into attempting to run home but instead found the ball beating him there on the short throw back. His attempt to run through the well armoured catcher who carried a 4 stone weight advantage didn’t go so well and he found himself hanging in Pike’s arms gazing longingly at the home plate…still a good yard away.  The 15 run advantage was enough to bring the mercy rule into effect allowing the Raptors some solace over their previous defeat and Zac Longboy walking away with another addition to his rapidly growing collection of game balls adding weight to an early but loud call for MVP.

Raptor’s coach Arnold Longboy praised his team’s clinical performance: “I’m really proud of the team and how we executed on the field.  We of course had great pitching but more importantly we had the fewest errors yet for the season.  Combined with great cut off execution and fielding tactics we held an excellent Eagles hitting team to their lowest run production yet.  Also one of the challenges I put to the team  before the game started was to limit base running mistakes.  In this regard we also shined and it made the difference in the early part of the game.  If we continue in this fashion we should do well for the rest of the season.”

Eagles coach Duncan Hoyle meanwhile challenged his side to go on from the encouraging display to fight for a spot in the postseason: “I know the guys tried their guts out to beat the Raptors, and that is commendable, but ultimately we have proven we can get better results and we simply didn’t do that today. We know we can beat teams who are at the top of the tables, the Raptors included, and we need to get back into the groove of doing that for the last few games of the season so we have a real shot at the finals. We need to eliminate the errors that still plague us, as without that we won’t be able to stay in contention for the playoffs.  I will be expecting everyone on the team to redouble their efforts, raise the bar several notches and make sure that whatever the post season brings we do it in a blaze of glory, not rueing what could have been had we applied ourselves fully.”

The record between the two teams now stands at 1-1 for the season. Raptors will point out a preseason win edging the stats in their favour, but with both teams in the hunt for playoffs, could a competetive decider be played under knock-out conditions? Wait and see what August brings.

by Ken Pike

What’s in a halfway point? The Single A playoff scenarios.

by Ken Pike

Halfway through the season for the Raptors and Eagles and both teams are well within the expectations placed upon them at the start of the season. In the Eagles’ case it is fair to say they are well ahead of expectations bearing in mind the number of genuine rookies on the squad. However, the playoff picture is far from clear.

These are the playoff rules: 12 teams in three pools play in single A South. The two best pool winners get first round bye into the NBC. 3rd pool winner (#3 seed) and next 3 best teams based on win %, regardless of pool play wild card round on September 1st, with the Semi Finals and Championship game at Farnham Park on September 7th and 8th. As in all leagues, all teams will be seeded based on win % to establish post season ranking.

Excluding the Leicester – Redbacks result which hasn’t been filed yet the current league standings are as follows:
Marauders 6-2 (fewer runs per game conceded than MK)
Coyotes 6-2 (HTH win v Raptors)
Blackjacks 4-3
——————–
Raptors 6-2
Mavericks 4-2
Tonbridge 4-4
=============
Archers 2-3
Eagles 3-5 (1-0 v 2Sox/Redbacks)
2Sox 2-4 (0-0 v Eagles/Redbacks)
Redbacks 2-4 (0-1 v Eagles/2Sox)
Dukes 2-5
Old Timers 1-6

As you can see, the pool leaders are Coyotes, Blackjacks and Marauders in A, B and C pool respectively.

Pool A

The Raptors are neck and neck with the Coyotes, with only the head to head loss earlier this season between them. Furthermore, the Coyotes go to Grovehill next week where the winner will put daylight between themselves and the rest at the top of pool A. The Eagles are behind in the race for the group, but are well in the running for playoff places, only a game behind the last wildcard spot.

Pool B

Pool B is pretty close with the Blackjacks heading the group but the Archers’ two games in hand able to draw them level. Having won a game each the tiebreaker between them would be down to runs conceded.

Pool C

In pool C the Mavericks can yet tie with the Marauders as they have two games in hand. The rest of the teams will struggle to catch up with the significant lead those two teams have or can build.

The Raptors and Mavericks are in pole position for the wildcards at the moment (or if results go their way, the teams they replace at the top of their pools over the coming weeks). Tonbridge close out the last wildcard spot, but are in shaky grounds due to having forfeited a game, which as I understand it acts as first tiebreaker against a team.

Close behind them, the Archers, having played only 5 games so far can overhaul both Tonbridge and Mavericks if they win those extra ties. The Eagles meanwhile have no games in hand, but are only 1 game back. They have also faced most of the league leaders already so their season run in could certainly be a lot worse.

Behind the Eagles, the 2Sox, Redbacks, Dukes and Old Timers will need results to go in their favour as well as drastic turnarounds to their own seasons to stand any chance of reaching the knockout stages. While Pool B remains close, allowing for each of them to get through by virtue, it is also likely that this pool will not be the source of the wildcard places, while stronger competition at the top of A & B will be the real battlefield.

Furthermore, each of the main contenders has yet to play each other at least one more time meaning that the ultimate destiny for each of them remains in their own hands. Victory across the board for any one team will guarantee finals, but throw in the usual suspects of team availability, the British weather and pure blind luck and you have the ingredients for a perfect British Baseball season.

It may still be far too early to have a clear understanding of what the playoffs will look like, but what is also certain is that the picture will become a lot clearer over the next two or three weeks as the amount of time remaining to catch up reduces.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

80 Miles and 8 weeks make little difference in Raptors v 2Sox fixture

written by Ken Pike

Herts hosted Leicester 2Sox at Grovehill to mark the half way point of the season in a rematch of the opening day game which saw the Raptors walk away with a cricket score win on the longest road trip to start the season. With the home side having seen strong early results undone by a pair of embarrassing defeats, coach Arnie Longboy was not about to let his team take things easy. He insisted on the same clinical professionalism that had dispatched the powerful Marauders and solid Redbacks III in the last two games to bring the season back on track powering the young side to the top of the standings. Furthermore, while the 2Sox had been an easy win the last time round, they had also proven capable of upsets beating the Blackjacks and taking several other games to the wire.

Nerves were settled quickly though when the first inning went strongly in the home team’s favour as they demonstrated a solid defence while new pitcher Matt Kiddie’s powerful arm took some time to knock off layer of rust developed from four years away from the game. Despite walking several players, only 1 scored before the offense got to flex the muscles that have produced the most runs of any team in the single A. They started up where they had left off six games earlier and drove in 10 runners, drawing out an early lead that would never be threatened.

The second innings went briefly in Leicester’s favour as they pulled back two and briefly held the Raptors in check before normal service resumed. On the mound the Raptors starter got his groove back and started to overpower the Leicester side allowing no runs in the next two innings while the home side continued to punish the visitors with 13 Raptors making it round the bags to draw out a 20 run lead.

Having seen well over 100 pitches in his first game back Kiddie conceded another 2 runs in the fifth before giving way to young reliever Charlie Mayhew in the sixth. Having pitched for the youth teams the day before Charlie’s slower delivery proved little more fruitful for the away teams offense who only managed another 2 runs in the sixth, but the end result was still not in doubt as the Raptors had 33 points on the board by the end of the inning. Closer Sony Lama’s first appearance in a competitive game came with a comfortable margin of 15 runs before the mercy rule was even overcome. Despite some wild pitches for the rookie pitcher, and a solitary homerun giving minimal solace to Leicester, the rest of the team did their part with a solid defensive display and the pitcher helped himself by snagging a line drive straight at his face and fielding it to take out a runner. While 3 runs scored the damage was nowhere near sufficient and the mercy rule closed out a short but sweet 3.5 hour game to a decisive close.

“I insist that the guys bring their A game to every inning in every game, and I am proud that they showed real professionalism out there today playing with clinical precision,” said coach Arnie Longboy who made the game winning out with a short throw from second to first. “We keep generating runs thanks mostly to speed and great base running, but as the saying goes ‘defence wins championships.’ That was demonstrated when we lost to the Eagles and Coyotes despite scoring heavily, but now that our young stars are coming to the end of exams our pitching rotation should be complete again which will be a big boost. The big boost today was bringing three new players to the mound for the very first time. We also seem to have cut out most of the errors that troubled us earlier this season and adding that improved defensive aspect to our awesome batting and another 20 stolen bases means we are definitely progressing in the right direction.”

The final result of 10-33 in favour of the Herts Raptors keeps them in joint first with the Coyotes in Pool A, an ominous position considering they achieved that largely in the absence of clear starting pitchers who return to the side over the next few weeks as GCSEs end. Across the league they are also matched by London Marauders in Pool C, and potentially the Blackjacks in Pool B if they win their game in hand. The Raptors team face their sister team the Eagles next where they will look to avenge the loss earlier this year before they host the Blackjacks (June 23) and Coyotes (July 7) in quick succession. Those three games could be decisive in determining the look of the playoffs, with the remaining opposition’s records at a combined 10 wins to 11 losses at the midway point.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

8 Herts teams in action this weekend

SATURDAY

The baseball weekend begins with games from the BBF U17 League and the Herts U11 Series at Grovehill Ballpark. The U17 teams of Herts, Horsham and Leicester will clash in a repeat of their round-robin day played on 18 May.

U17 League: 10:30 Leicester Blue Sox vs Herts Harriers (6 innings)

U17 League: 13:00 Horsham Hornets vs Leicester Blue Sox (6 innings)

U17 League: 15:30 Herts Harriers vs Horsham Hornets (6 innings)

 

At the same time on the Old Diamond the U11 Series between the Herts Dodgers and the Herts Giants continues. After last week’s game, the Giants lead the series by 1 game. This Saturday the teams will play two games, a chance for the Dodgers not only to tie the series but maybe even jump ahead of the Giants.

U11 League: 10:00 Herts Dodgers vs Herts Giants (4 innings)

U11 League: 12:00 Herts Dodgers vs Herts Giants (4 innings)

 

SUNDAY

Rei Martinez (right) is expected to start one of the games against the Falcons this Sunday. He also leads the Blazers in home runs.

NBL

The Herts Falcons (10-4) travel to the impressive Bracknell Blazers (7-7) this Sunday looking to keep their momentum after 4 edge-of-the-seat wins against the Mustangs and the Mets who were ahead of the Falcons in the standings before these encounters. Herts are now tied in first place with London, however they will know that a slip-up could undo all the good work of the past few weeks and give London and Southampton the advantage again.

They are coming up against a Bracknell team which has rebuilt very well after a disappointing 2012 season which they finished with 6 wins and 16 losses (win-loss % .273). Their pitching staff is considered one of the best in the NBL and they have already proven that they are capable of beating anyone. Jordan Edmonds, Rei Martinez and Henry Collins are the likely starting pitchers.

The Falcons go into the game with injury worries once again. Catcher, Dave Westfallen, was added to the list of injured players after he aggravated an old knee injury against the Mets last Sunday.

AAA -EAGUE

There were some heated moments, last time the Leones were in town (photo by Will Baxter)

It has been confirmed that this Sunday’s AAA-League doubleheader between the Herts Ravens and the Leones de Feltham has been moved to Grovehill Balpark. The games was originally scheduled to be played at Glebelands Field near Heathrow (West London), but the Leones have had ongoing problems with their field this season with many of their home games played at the venue of their opponents. The Ravens will still be considered the visitors in this game (i.e. batting first). The first game starts at 12:00 at the Old Diamond.

AA-LEAGUE

The Hawks travel to RAF Daws Hill where they will meet the unbeaten Spitfires (6-0). The last encounter between the two teams in 2012 ended with two wins for the Hawks which secured a playoff spot for them. The tables have turned to a certain extent as Herts expanded into 5 teams with many of last year’s Hawks moving up into AAA, while the Spitfires have reinforced well and have notched up 6 convincing wins to make them the favourites for the AA-League title.

A-LEAGUE

The Herts Raptors come up against the Leicester 2Sox looking to stay top of the table. They won convincingly when the two teams met in Leicester on Opening Day. However, since then the Sox have been playing .500 baseball picking up 2 wins against the Old Timers and a heart-stopper 19-18 win against the Blackjacks. The game starts at 12:00pm at the New Diamond of Grovehill Ballpark, in Hemel Hempstead.

The Eagles travel to the Haverhill Blackjacks with a .500 win-loss record so far. They were outplayed by the Richmond Dukes last Sunday, so Manager Duncan Hoyle will need to pick up his players and get back to winning ways. A win on Sunday could see them go top of the standings depending on other results.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors win but lose key player to injury

Raptors stayed at the top of their division with a 30 to 12 win over the Essex Redbacks this past Sunday. However the win was bittersweet as recently called up Dan Bartram suffered a hamstring injury at the now infamous first base on the old diamond at Grovehill Ballpark.

Starting on the mound was veteran and former Eagles pitcher of the year, Theo Scheepers. Straight from his week long holiday in France, Theo held Essex to just one run despite a Raptors fielding error and some walks. In typical fashion, Raprtors bats started slowly and managed only 3 runs in their bottom half of the first. But Raptors offense erupted in the next two innings scoring both 10 and 11 runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Although Raptors bats came alive, they were assisted by Redbacks fielding errors and aggressive base running. Leading the pack in stolen bases were Dan Bartram with 5 and Charlie Mayhew with 4. Hampered by leg injuries from previous games even Jeff Witter added to the total with 2 steals but led all with 6 RBI’s.

On the defensive front Scheepers blanked the opposition in innings 2, 3, and 4, using a combination of crafty pitching and some smart Raptors fielding. The Redbacks managed runs of 3 and 2 in the next innings. But then in the top of the 7th inning with 8 players on the field due to Dan’s injury and some sloppy fielding Redbacks scored 6 before Raptors once again found their grove for a final score of 30 to 12.

Raptors manager, Arnie Longboy, who led in hits with 3, said “I like the momentum we’re building as we reach the mid-point of the season. We still have Herts rivals the Eagles in two weeks but can’t look past the Leceister 2Sox this weekend. It’s also a shame Dan got hurt as he has contributed greatly in the two games he’s played for us. But maybe his younger brother Andy will be able to step up.”

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Raptors end losing streak and are back in playoff race

BBF A-League, Herts Raptors 18 London Marauders 13

written by Glen Downer

A beautiful morning greeted us as we all gathered in Finsbury Park ready for what promised to be a tough matchup for both teams. Batting first the Raptors made their intentions known straight from the first pitch, hit after hit ensued, and before the Marauders could even get warmed up the bases were full of Raptor baserunners, Brodie Caress picking up the first of his three hits on the day, Glen Downer driving one through the hole in his first AB of the 2013 season. Arnie Longboy stroked a clean hit to straightaway centre, followed by Ken Pike with another signature line drive for a couple of what would be 3 RBI’s on the day! Before we knew it, we had 8 runs on the board, and a lead that would never be lost.

Brodie Caress then stepped up on the hill as the starting pitcher for the Raptors and settled in quickly throwing strikes and making it difficult for the Marauders to hit, sadly a few Raptor errors allowed London to get a few guys on base and score a couple of runs, but we still had a healthy lead going into the second inning. 3 more runs for the Raptors in the top of the second after another great display of hitting created a nice cushion for Brodie to continue his great pitching, allowing only 2 hits on the day and 4 earned runs in 3 innings, he managed to strike out an impressive 5 batters!

Sadly due to pitch count Brodie had to be relieved following the third inning, but up stepped the boy wonder, side armer Will Zucker. Will proved to be a great force on the mound, hitter after hitter failed to make good contact, totally bemused by the great movement from Zucker’s pitches. Unable to contend with a combination of fastballs, sliders and curves the Marauders were limited to just 7 hits from Zucker, who also fanned an impressive 5 batters over 5.1 innings, also allowing just 4 earned runs. Once again the curse of the young pitcher struck and Will had to be relieved, but up stepped the reliable Jeff Witter to close things out for us.

Just requiring two outs to seal a magnificent win against tough opposition Jeff didn’t disappoint. After inheriting a baserunner from an early hit, Jeff allowed a walk and just one hit which drove in a single Marauder run. Then with some fine glove work and a very on-the-ball Ken Pike who put on a great display after relieving the always solid Jake Caress behind the plate, the final out was made at first to end a great ballgame.

Despite a few infield errors, which can largely be blamed on the poor field conditions at Finsbury Park, the Raptors were solid, and put on a fine display of hitting and great base running, with nearly all players picking up stolen bases, Ken Pike once again leading the pack with 3, clearly going for the stolen base award once again! Well done to ALL the Raptors that brought home a much needed victory and keep those post-season hopes alive.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons are back at home this Sunday as Mustangs come to town

We are in the month of May and the title race is rarely decided so early in the baseball season, but with the teams so tightly packed in the standings every game is a must win for every team. A loss could be the difference between an automatic NBC spot and the playoffs or missing out on the postseason altogether.

The top game this weekend is the NBL clash between the third-placed Herts Falcons (6-4) and the Southampton Mustangs (7-3) who are a game ahead in second place.

The Mustangs will be travelling to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead after a defeat against the league-leading London Mets which ended their impressive 6-game winning streak. Despite this they will be in a confident mood as one of the major forces in the NBL this season. Their roster includes Gary Davison who leads the NBL in homeruns (3) and RBIs (14). Davison broke Falcons’ hearts in 2006 pitching a complete game win in extra innings as a player of Burgess Hill to relegate the team from Herts from the AAA down to the AA league. Southampton also brings a lot of speed on the bases with the leader in stolen bases Victor Aizpura (23). The Falcons will face their new signing Czech pitcher, Tomas Zondra, for the first time. He pitched 8 epic innings against the London Mets last Sunday but was unfortunate to end up as the losing pitcher in a classic 1-0 game. Sunday’s game will also see the return of legendary Herts slugger, Kimiyoshi Saionji, who changed the Falcons jersey for that of the Mustangs in the second week of the season.

The Falcons go into the game with some injury concerns. Arguably the best middle infield duo in British baseball of Robbie Unsell and Xavier Gonzalez sustained injuries last Sunday in the game against the Essex Arrows. It is uncertain whether or not they will be able to recover in time for Sunday’s titanic clash. It will all be decided in their last-minute fitness tests. Ace pitcher, Jordan Farkas, has also been unable to pitch over the last few weeks, so he is also a doubt. If they cannot regain 100% fitness, others on the Herts roster will have to step up and keep the club’s title hopes alive. Several players from Herts Ravens – the club’s AAA-affiliate – are on standby and could make an appearance.

Farnham Park - British Baseball's Wembley Stadium (photo by Liam Carroll/BSUK)

The photos of Farnham Park published this week have injected extra excitement in the British baseball community as the brand new purpose-built facility will host its first ever NBL postseason final this September. Herts Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, already stated the team’s goal to get there and try to win the NBL title. If they are to achieve this they will need strong support from their fans in home games like this Sunday’s doubleheader, especially in weeks when the roster is decimated with injuries. It will certainly be good to see the Falcons back at home after a 7-week road trip. First pitch is at 12pm.

CAN EAGLES EXTEND WINNING STREAK

Before the start of the season no one would have believed that the Eagles (2-2) could go top of the Single-A table this Sunday, but that’s exactly what will happen if they manage to overcome the visiting Milton Keynes Coyotes (3-1). The two teams met on Opening Day. The Coyotes came out on top on that occasion but there is a new sense of optimism among the Eagles who will be looking to make it 3 wins in 3 games. Duncan Hoyle’s players will have home-field advantage (first pitch 12pm).

At the same time in Finsbury Park the Herts Raptors (2-2) will be looking to restart their season. After two wins in their opening two games, the Raptors’ campaign has stuttered with two losses in the last two games. Both of these games were lost by the smallest of run-differences, but that will not make the losses easier to swallow. They will face the London Marauders (3-1) who top their Single-A Pool.

HERTS YOUNGSTERS HEAD SOUTH TO RICHMOND

While the Herts U17 players take part in the promotional event in St Albans and others join up with the Great Britain U16 National Team, the club’s U14 and U11 teams will be making the trip down to Richmond for a very special event bringing together some of the best youth teams in those age groups from around London. The hosts have put a great deal of effort to make this a very special event. Apart from the baseball, those who take part can look forward to the gourmet BBQ and pig roast, pastries and more. A great way to start the Bank Holiday weekend.