Category: Raptors

21 October 202221 October 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

2022 Hunlock Series Roundup: Buzzards are the champions

The Blue Buzzards were the favourites to win this year’s Hunlock Series so it was no surprise when they beat the Bears in the Final late on Sunday evening as the sun was going down on the final game day of the 2022 season.

It may have been a stroke of luck that they had the first pick of Free Agents but manager, Danny Preston, certainly hit the jackpot when Conner Brown appeared in the Free Agents’ block when he would usually be a first-round-pick.

They dominated in the league stage during the first two weeks finishing in first place which put them in pole position for the Playoffs.

**Glorious sunshine and clear skies for all three weeks of the Hunlock Series**

At the other end of the standings the Ducks and the Pilgrims finished fourth and fifth, respectively, setting up a dramatic elimination series which the Ducks won 4-2. They had to face the third-placed Black Bears next. Ducks ran out of pitching arms and, despite putting up a good fight, lost the series 4-2.

**Pilgrims manager Mike Cresswell with some unusual headwear, presumably to make himself more aerodynamic**

The second seeded Red Roosters went the distance against the Buzzards ut it was the blue team who won it to clinch a place in the final while the Roosters had to face the Bears in a best-of-3 semi-final series. A walk-off win for the Bears took them to the Final.

The Buzzards had a considerable advantage as the Bears pitchers had gone through two gruelling series earlier in the day and the reds won the Final 2-1.

Hunlock Series Scoreboard

This year’s Hunlock Series saw around 100 players play 64 one-inning games. Many of the players were new to Herts and the club hopes to see them wearing the Herts jersey when the 2023 British baseball season commences.

These were the final games of the 2022 baseball season. The players now take a break over the winter but Spring Training is not too far away and preparations for the 2023 season have already began.

If you are not a member of the club yet, the best way to keep up-to-date is to be added to the club’s mailing list. Contact us for more details about joining the club or to subscribe to the mailing list.

27 September 202220 October 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series starts this Sunday. League and playoff games will adopt the 9th Inning game format.

The 9th Inning game format is back

The game schedule for the 2022 Hunlock Series has been published and it has been confirmed that the “9th Inning” game format is back which means that all games will be decided over a single inning only. This format was first adopted in the 2017 Hunlock Series. It recreates the tension and drama of the ninth inning.

The Green Pilgrims open the competition with a 4-game series against the Black Bears at 10am at Basing Hill Ballpark, followed by four more of these 4-game series with the day ending at around 5:30pm.

The following regulations will apply to the “9th Inning” format.

• The batting order of each team remains unchanged for the duration of the day unless a substitution is made.

• A substituted player cannot re-enter the same game, however that player can re-enter a subsequent game.

• The batter who was next to bat upon completion of the previous game will be the first batter in the next game with the rest of the batting lineup coming up to bat in order.

What is also noticeable from the schedule is that the home team alternates over the course of the 4-game series which implies that the fielding team in the bottom of the inning will remain on the field in the top of the inning of the subsequent game. This scheduling approach was adopted in previous years and it sped-up the games enormously as that halved the number of times teams go in and out of the field. There even was no need for warm-up pitches as the pitchers were ready. The downside is that a pitcher will need to stay on the mound for 6 outs without a break as opposed to the usual 3 outs, which could mean twice as many pitches thrown in an inning. This is where the defence can really help pitchers, by minimising errors and not adding to the pitcher’s pitch count.

League and Playoff Format

The first two weeks of the Series will see a league format where each team will play a total of 16 games, 4 games against each of their opponents.

The difference this year is that there will be a postseason playoff format in week 3 which will also feature the one-inning game format. See playoff tournament tree above.

Other rules

The other rules which differ from what teams are used to in the BBF leagues are:

• Pitching Restrictions. A player can appear as a pitcher in one, two or more games per day, but no player shall accumulate more than 3 innings (9 outs) as a pitcher over the course of the day. It is the responsibility of the opposing team to inform the umpire when a pitcher reaches the limit. Managers must inform opponents of the number of innings pitched by each of their pitchers during the day prior to the start of each game.

• No Mercy Rule will be in force.

• If the game is tied after completion of the final inning, each team is awarded half a win and half a loss in the standings.

The 2022 Hunlock Series Draft took place on Thursday night. See more details here.

If you have not signed up to play in the Hunlock Series, it is not too late. Contact Herts Baseball Club for details on how to sign up.

27 September 202227 September 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Carter, McMenamin, Dearing, Wong and Ferroni are the first round picks.

The 2022 Hunlock Series Draft was completed on Thursday night. The managers of the teams had a plethora of talent to choose from with 87 players drafted over 18 rounds.

THE FIRST ROUND PICKS

It was no surprise that four of the five first round picks were pitchers.

On a toss of a coin, the Herts Ducks had the first pick. Manager, Brad Charalambous, determined to keep as many players from his 2021 roster as possible, selected Kent Bucs pitcher, Chris Carter.

Green Pilgrims manager, Mike Cresswell, was next to pick. He selected one of the top performers of the Herts Hawks, pitcher and third baseman, Harry McMenamin.

Red Roosters boss, Jack O’Brien, chose Herts Cardinals player-manager Brian Dearing whose primary positions are starting pitcher and shortstop.

The Black Bears went for pitcher, Stephen Wong, who has settled very well on the mound in his first season with the Herts Cardinals in the Triple-A League.

Finally, the Blue Buzzards picked another Herts Cardinals player Giorgio Ferroni who will bring a lot of speed on the bases and in the outfield. It would be interesting if we could see him in a race with Herts Falcons legend, Robbie Unsell.

FREE AGENTS AND TRADES

The full team rosters determined at last night’s draft are shown here. Shortly after the end of the draft the Blue Buzzards traded infielders Vytas Macenas and Miguel Gibson to Black Bears in exchange for Giorgio Ferroni and catcher Hunter Devine.

As more players sign up to play they will be able to join the teams as free agents.

One of the players who has just appeared on the Free Agents Block is Herts Falcons and Great Britain catcher and pitcher, Conner Brown (pictured above), who would usually be a first round pick. We will keep you updated about free agent signings and trades over the course of the Series.

New players aged 14 or above, regardless of whether they are members of Herts or another club or completely new to baseball, can be added to the teams at any point. To be added to the teams or for more details contact Herts Baseball Club.

OPENING DAY

The Series commence on Sunday, 1 October. The first games start at 10:00am at Basing Hill Ballpark in north west London. Admission is free. For complete Series schedule click here.

19 September 202220 September 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series managers announced. The Live Draft is on Wednesday night.

We are counting down to the 2022 Hunlock Series Live Draft which will take place this Wednesday, 21 September at 8:00pm.

For those who are new to the Hunlock Series, in the days leading up to the Draft, the 100+ Herts players (aged 14 and over) and newly registered players mark their availability for the three weeks of the Hunlock Series. The team managers then take turns picking players one by one over the twenty or so rounds of the Draft. It will be interesting to see which players among the club’s 100+ players will be picked in the first round and who will be the very first pick. In previous years, that honour has gone primarily to Conner Brown.

Players and fans can follow the Draft picks here as they happen. Participants will also be able to interact and chat about the Draft on the Herts Facebook Page, on Herts Twitter and in WhatsApp groups as the managers make their picks.

The team managers

Five teams go into this year’s competition. The managerial appointments have just been announced.

Black Bears – Matt Bell
Blue Buzzards – Danny Preston
Green Pilgrims – Mike Cresswell
Herts Ducks – Brad Charalambous
Red Roosters – Jack O’Brien

Fans will see some new faces in the Hunlock Series this year who have joined the club in the last few weeks, so there will be an element of surprise in Wednesday’s Draft. Some of them may be new to Herts fans but they are not new to the game. The Hunlock Series could be a glimpse at some of the new players who will be wearing the Herts uniform in 2023.

Historically the Herts adult league team managers have used the Hunlock Series games to evaluate current and new players in preparation for the new season, to populate their rosters and positions and to decide which leagues the Herts teams should go into in 2023.

How to regsiter

All Hunlock Series players will be drafted into teams. To be eligible for the Draft players will need to update their availability for all the Hunlock Series dates in the online Clubhouse by 7pm on Wednesday, 21 September. If you miss the deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. New players will still be eligible to play but will have to be assigned as free agents after the Draft.

If you already have a Clubhouse account you can update availability by logging on with your existing username and password. Click here to go to the Clubhouse.

If you do not have a Clubhouse account but wish to play in the Hunlock Series, please register here and select “Play Hunlock Series” in the membership category list. After registering you can log on and mark your availability.

To be eligible to play in the Hunlock Series, players must be 14 years of age or above on 31 December 2022.

Entry fee

2022 club members, including non-roster club members, do not have to pay an entry fee as the Hunlock Series is part of their membership package. If you don’t have a Hunlock Series team shirt, you can buy one before your first game. The price is £8. Many players already have Hunlock Series team shirts from previous years and, to keep costs down for players, an online group will be set up where they can exchange their shirt if they have been picked by a team wearing a different colour team shirt.

New players or players from other clubs can play by paying the £18 entry fee which includes a free Hunlock Series shirt of the team which has drafted them.

For more details about playing in the Hunlock Series, contact us.

25 May 202225 May 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Coach Monte Brooks is coming back to the UK to work with Herts players

In June 2019 the head coach of The Master’s University baseball team, Monte Brooks, was a special guest of Herts Baseball Club and Herts players had the unique opportunity of being coached by him.

He will be coming back to the UK and he will once again be working with the Herts adult and youth teams at the club’s two branches in Hemel Hempstead and in London. The two events which he will be taking part in are:

6pm, Wednesday, 1 June, Grovehill Ballpark, Hemel Hempstead
6pm, Thursday, 2 June, Basing Hill Ballpark, London

Brooks has just completed his 26th season as head coach of The Master’s University baseball team in the USA. He is the program’s all-time leader in wins with a record of 790-535. He has led the Mustangs to four NAIA World Series appearances (2000, 2013, 2016, 2017) and three regular-season GSAC titles.

As a player, Brooks was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1987 with whom he spent four seasons in the minor leagues and later coached in the Padres organisation before his appointment with Master’s University.

Players who have developed through The Master’s University have gone on to be drafted by MLB clubs. One of them is Conner Menez (pictured above) who was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 14th round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Shortly after Coach Brooks’ visit to London in 2019, Menez made his MLB debut for the Giants where he played until last year. This season he was signed by the Chicago Cubs and with rumours going around that the 2023 MLB London Series will feature the Chicago Cubs and the St Louis Cardinals, Herts fans may have the opportunity to see Menez in action at the London Stadium.

Coach Brooks’ area of expertise is working with hitters and infielders so his visit to the club is a fantastic opportunity for players from the various Herts teams.

The sessions are open to all current Herts members as well as new players who are considering joining the club. If you are not a current club member and wish to take part in one of these sessions, please contact us.

10 April 202213 April 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Opening Day rosters published

After two months of Spring Training and three weeks of Herts Spring League games, the managers of the five Herts adult league teams have confirmed their Opening Day rosters. Just like Major League Baseball, there may be movement of players up and down the leagues in accordance with BBF regulations.

Herts Cardinals (Triple-A League)

Rank	Player	Position	B/T	Ht	Wt
1	Hiroki Fujimoto	P, 2B, SS	R/R	-	-
2	James Hicks	1B, P	-	-	-
3	Sean Bennett	P, 2B, SS	-	-	-
4	Andy Cornish	2B, 3B	-	-	-
5	Osvaldo Badia Rivero	1B, 3B	-	-	-
6	Tyler Cote	C, OF, P	-	-	-
7	Will Davis	IF, OF	-	-	-
8	Joshua Pines	1B	-	-	-
9	Brian Dearing	P, SS	-	-	-
10	James Cavanagh	C, OF	-	-	-
11	Arik Raviv	P	-	-	-
12	“Stephen” Chun Hung Wong	C, IF, OF	-	-	-
13	Robert Laflamme	OF	-	-	-
14	Giorgio Ferroni	C, OF	-	-	-
15	Javier Cardenas Tomas	OF	-	-	-
16	Vytas Macenas	2B, 3B	-	-	-
17	Yves Schwarzbart	IF, OF	-	-	-
18	Michael Cresswell	1B, OF, P	-	-	-
19	Roberto Hernandez	OF, 2B	-	-	-

Herts Hawks (Single-A League)

Rank	Player	Position	B/T	Ht	Wt
1	Giuseppe Basilea	1B, IF, OF, P	-	-	-
2	Elroy Davis	SS	-	-	-
3	Michael Cunningham	1B, OF	-	-	-
4	Harry Mcmenamin	P, 3B	-	-	-
5	Danny Preston	IF, OF	-	-	-
6	Antonio Lourenco	IF, OF	-	-	-
7	Paul Le Guillou	LF	-	-	-
8	Antony Lavender	CF	-	-	-
9	Kennet Pike	C, P, SS	-	-	-
10	Luis Martins	IF	-	-	-
11	Declan Carlean	OF, P, SS	-	-	-
12	Cameron Schultz	C	-	-	-
13	Harry Ewen	IF, OF, 2B	-	-	-
14	Nick Barnaby	IF, OF, SS	-	-	-
15	Pedro Martins	P, SS	-	-	-
16	Todd Neville	IF, OF	-	-	-
17	Charlie Obrien	C, OF	-	-	-
18	Dale Hardwick	CF	-	-	-
19	Laurence Currington	1B, IF	-	-	-
20	Peter Hogg	IF, OF	-	-	-
21	Jack Obrien	IF, OF, P	-	-	-

Herts Raptors (Single-A League)

Rank	Player	Position	B/T	Ht	Wt
1	Callum Ferrier	IF/OF	-	-	-
2	Rufus Lloyd	IF, OF	-	-	-
3	Tom Roker	IF, OF	-	-	-
4	Jamie Berlofsky	OF, 2B	-	-	-
5	Beth Wain	IF, OF	-	-	-
6	Bradley Calvert	IF	-	-	-
7	Joel Eden	IF, OF	-	-	-
8	Marcus Wathew	IF, OF	-	-	-
9	Harry Williamson	IF, OF	-	-	-
10	Jack Burkett	IF, OF	-	-	-
11	Mantas Poderys	IF, P	-	-	-
12	Simon Jackson-Turner	IF, OF	-	-	-
13	Billy Perry	IF, OF	-	-	-
14	Paul Auchterlounie	C, P	-	-	-
15	John Kjorstad	1B, OF	-	-	-
16	Adam Scales	IF, OF	-	-	-
17	Max Farmbrough	IF, OF, P	-	-	-
18	Ellie Page	C, OF	-	-	-
19	Luis Martins	IF	-	-	-
20	Rory Vangundy	OF, P, SS	-	-	-
21	Noah Tabor	CF, LF	-	-	-
22	Lauren Dutch	1B	-	-	-
23	Calum Thompson	IF, OF	-	-	-
24	Jordon Fox	SS	-	-	-
25	Jamie Wise	IF, OF	-	-	-
26	Thomas Browne	IF, OF, P	-	-	-

Herts Eagles (Single-A League)

Rank	Player	Position	B/T	Ht	Wt
1	Michael Wakelam	C, IF, P, SS, 3B	-	-	-
2	Isabella Trautman	IF, OF	R/R	-	-
3	Aishiek Mitra Nandy	IF, OF	-	-	-
4	Reece Williamson-White	IF, OF	-	-	-
5	Dowan Bellerose	C	-	-	-
6	Olo Szostak	IF/OF	-	-	-
7	Errol Jarrett	IF/OF	-	-	-
8	Anders Pettersson		-	-	-
9	Andy Stratford	IF, OF, 2B	-	-	-
10	Max Trautman	1B, OF	-	-	-
11	Peter Wilson	OF	-	-	-
12	Bradley Charalambous	C	-	-	-
13	Paras Patravale	3B	-	-	-
14	Thomas Hill	C, SS	-	-	-
15	Michael Anunobi	1B	-	-	-
16	Kumail Jaffer	IF, OF, 2B, SS, 3B	-	-	-
17	Neil Chilton	1B, OF, P	-	-	-
18	Daniel Gipple	IF, OF	-	-	-
19	Evan Robins	IF, OF	-	-	-
20	Alexander Trautman	IF, OF, P	-	-	-
21	Michael Green	OF	-	-	-
22	Joe Gipple	IF, OF, 2B	-	-	-
23	Saira Smith	C, OF, P	-	-	-
24	Mohamed Abdule	IF, OF	-	-	-
25	Jamie Lang-Richards	C, IF, P, SS	-	-	-

Herts Londoners (Single-A League)

Rank	Player	Position	B/T	Ht	Wt
1	Sammy English	IF, P, SS	-	-	-
2	Sony Lama	C, CF, IF	R	-	-
3	Simon Langton	P, 2B, SS, 3B	-	-	-
4	Jack Page	IF, OF	-	-	-
5	Zak Beller	IF, OF, 2B	-	-	-
6	Aspi Dimitrov	IF/OF, IF, OF, P	-	-	-
7	Rob Jones	C, 1B, IF, 2B	-	-	-
8	Henry Bell	CF, IF, OF, P	R/R	-	-
9	Matthew Bell	IF/OF	-	-	-
10	Arnold Longboy	C, IF, P	-	-	-
11	Greg Bochan	1B, IF, P, 3B	-	-	-
12	Joseph Field	OF	-	-	-
13	Kenny Liao	1B	-	-	-
14	Wei Chieh Wang	IF, P, 2B, 3B	-	-	-
15	Cory English	IF, P, SS	-	-	-
16	Nicolas Goetz	IF, P, 3B	-	-	-
17	Hunter Devine	C, CF, IF, OF, 2B	-	-	-
18	Jason Reynolds	CF, IF, OF	R/R	-	-
19	Dan Taylor	RF, 2B	-	-	-
20	Zephaniah Prime Mencias	C, OF, P	-	-	-
21	Luke Ward	C, OF, 2B	-	-	-
22	Norman Peng	1B, IF, LF, OF, 2B	-	-	-
23	Gilberto Medina	SS	-	-	-
24	Andrew Slater	1B, IF, P, 2B	-	-	-

16 March 20224 April 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts teams announce preliminary 2022 rosters for the HSL

The five Herts teams have announced their preliminary rosters for the 2022 Herts Spring League .

We understand that these rosters are not fixed and it is likely that there may be movement between teams over the course of the HSL. Some players may play for more than one team as managers look to evaluate them ahead of the announcement of the 2022 Opening Day rosters. The Eagles and Londoners rosters are combined for this reason and may split later in the HSL.

The HSL games commence on March 19th.

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

Herts Cardinals (Triple-A)

Alexander Trautman
Andy Cornish
Arik Raviv
Brian Dearing
James Cavanagh
James Hicks
Javier Cardenas Tomas
Joshua Pines
Michael Anunobi
Michael Wakelam
Nicolas Goetz
Osvaldo Badia Rivero
Paras Patravale
Robert Laflamme
Roberto Hernandez
Sean Bennett
Tetsuro Shinkawa
Tyler Cote
Vytas Macenas
Will Davis
Yves Schwarzbart

Herts Hawks (Single-A)

Andy Cornish
Antonio Lourenco
Antony Lavender
Cameron Schultz
Charlie Obrien
Dale Hardwick
Danny Preston
Declan Carlean
Elroy Davis
Harry Ewen
Harry Mcmenamin
Jack Obrien
Jordon Fox
Kennet Pike
Laurence Currington
Luis Martins
Michael Cunningham
Nick Barnaby
Paul Le Guillou
Pedro Martins
Peter Hogg
Todd Neville

Herts Raptors (Single–A)

Adam Scales
Beth Wain
Billy Perry
Calum Thompson
Ellie Page
James Morrell
James Watson
Jamie Berlofsky
Jamie Wise
Joel Eden
John Kjorstad
Lauren Dutch
Marcus Wathew
Mantas Poderys
Max Farmbrough
Neil Chilton
Noah Tabor
Paul Auchterlounie
Rory Vangundy
Simon Jackson-Turner
Thomas Browne
Tom Roker

Herts Eagles / Herts Londoners (Single-A)

Aishiek Mitra Nandy
Alexander Trautman
Andy Stratford
Arnold Longboy
Aspi Dimitrov
Brad Charalambous
Bryan Mencias
Cory English
Dan Taylor
Daniel Gipple
Gilberto Medina
Giorgio Ferroni
Greg Bochan
Henry Bell
Hunter Devine
Isabella Trautman
James Angelou
Jamie Lang-Richards
Jason Reynolds
Joe Gipple
Joseph Field
Kenny Liao
Kumail Jaffer
Kwong yan Li
Luke Ward
Mark Lewinson
Matthew Bell
Max Trautman
Michael Green
Michael Wakelam
Mohamed Abdule
Nicolas Goetz
Norman Peng
Peter Wilson
Rob Jones
Saira Smith
Sammy English
Thomas Hill
Wei Chieh Wang
Yu Tsz Cheung
Zak Beller
Zephaniah Prime Mencias

Players, from beginners to advanced, are now registering for the 2022 baseball season. For more details about how to join the Herts baseball teams in Hemel Hempstead and in NW London or for more details about the HSL or if you are interested to give baseball a try in this competition contact Herts Baseball Club.

Adult and youth players now registering for the 2022 baseball season

16 March 202216 March 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see the teams ahead of the 2022 British baseball season

The biggest pre-season baseball competition in Britain is back. Commencing on March 19, the Herts Spring League (HSL) will see 19 teams compete over the 3 weeks of the HSL. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it is Britain’s 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 19 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers – NBL, Double-A and Single-A.

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 be the HSL champions.

The Venue

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

Schedule

Over the three weekends 40 games are scheduled to be played on the two diamonds. The competition begins on March 19 with a morning clash on Diamond 1 between the London Metros and the Essex Redbacks in the HSL NBL division. At the same time on Diamond 2, there is a Double-A clash between the Croydon Pirates and the London Musketeers.

The Herts Raptors are the first Herts team in action on that day as they meet the Mustangs. The first opportunity to see the Herts Cardinals’ first ever game will be on Sunday, 20 March, when they will meet ACS Cougars and the Sidewinders.

Alongside the deciding HSL games on the final day (April 3), Grovehill Ballpark will host the NBL Opening Day doubleheader between the Lancashire Legends and newly promoted BC Vetra who won the Triple-A National Championship last year.

Click to view full 2022 HSL schedule

Youth Baseball Open Days

In addition to the games, there will be three Youth Baseball Open Sessions for any boys and girls aged 6 to 14 who are not members of a baseball club at the moment. This is a good opportunity for them to try baseball at no cost. Each session is 2 hours long.

For more details and to book a place, please complete this form.

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

Adult and youth players now registering for the 2022 baseball season

14 March 202216 March 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

19 teams will signal the arrival of Spring in the 2022 HSL

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that 19 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 (NBL) Teams

HSL (Double-A) Teams

HSL (Single-A) Teams

Schedule and Format

The HSL will be played over three weeks commencing on the weekend of 19-20 March and ending on 2-3 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.

11 February 202211 February 2022 by Herts Baseball News Editor

5 Herts teams enter the 2022 BBF leagues. Falcons aiming for 2023 return to NBL.

With just a few hours remaining until the deadline for British baseball clubs to submit their league entries for the 2022 baseball season, Herts Baseball Club confirmed that they will once again be entering five teams.

Herts Falcons

However, the Herts Falcons are not among them. The team had a difficult season last year finishing in last place with a record of 1 win and 24 losses. They went into it with a depleted roster of 15 players and suffered further setback when player-manager, Cris Hiche, had to go back to his home country due to a family bereavement. Another three players and the interim manager left partway through the season.

In November, the club started the process of rebuilding the roster. Despite a large number of players signing up to try out with the team, the club struggled with the appointment of a new manager. They came close to securing a highly rated candidate last month but he received a contract offer from an MLB club. The identity of that coach has not been made public yet to enable him to decide when to do so in what is a very positive news story for British baseball.

This morning club president, Aspi Dimitrov, said: “we ran out of time and we have to bear the pain of withdrawing our flagship team from the National Baseball League”.

We understand the club considered assigning the Falcons team name to one of its other teams in the lower leagues in order to continue the team’s record of 26 uninterrupted seasons playing in the BBF leagues, but decided against it. “Our work to rebuild the Falcons continues and our target now is the 2023 season” said Dimitrov.

The club’s other five teams will now have to carry the Herts flag in the playoff races this year.

Herts Cardinals (Triple-A)

The Cardinals are the newest Herts team, unveiled just a week ago. They go into the Triple-A league – the second tier in the British baseball league system. When taking on the role, team manager Brian Dearing did not expect that his team would have the extra pressure of being the club’s highest ranked team but Herts fans hope that the team will thrive on this.

The Cardinals will play their home games at the club’s Basing Hill Ballpark in North West London which is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in late April or early May.

Herts Hawks (Single-A)

The Hawks are one of four Herts teams which will play in the BBF Single-A league. They will be managed by Ken Pike, who was in charge of the Herts Raptors last year. His team is expected to feature many of his 2021 Raptors players but the squad may also feature new faces as the competition for places intensifies. The Hawks will play their home games at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

Herts Raptors (Single-A)

As confirmed at the end of January, Mantas Poderys, is back at the helm. He managed the Raptors in 2020 bringing his trademark enthusiasm but the season was wiped out by Covid so this will be his managerial debut in the BBF leagues. The Raptors will play their home games at Grovehill.

Herts Londoners (Single-A)

Last year Herts Londoners improved on their win-loss record of the previous season but the team still finished far from the playoff places. They hope to climb up the standings further this year. Co-manager Arnie Longboy has taken up the front office role of co-General Manager and Matt Bell takes his place as co-manager. The Londoners will play their home games at Basing Hill.

Herts Eagles (Single-A)

The Eagles finished the season with the best record out of the three Herts teams in the Single-A league last season with some exceptional numbers put up by MVP, Mike Wakelam, including 9 home runs. Will he be back with the Eagles or will he be called up by the Cardinals to the Triple-A team. The Eagles hope to announce their new manager soon.

It remains to be seen if all four Herts Single-A teams will be placed in the same pool which would mean that there would be a plethora of Herts derby games this season. Would this increase the chances of seeing a Herts team reach the playoffs or will the four Herts teams end up knocking each other out? In the next few weeks the BBF will also reveal who they will face. Will it be their old rivals the Redbacks the Minotaurs and the Mustangs who are the reigning Single-A national champions or will the BBF reshuffle the composition of the pools perhaps bringing in teams like the Richmond Dukes and the Bracknell Inferno?

The managers have left some room in the rosters so new players can still join the Herts teams. However, the club reported that the number of players registering to play is higher than on deadline day last season so those available places are likely to be filled quickly.

Herts also announced the tryout dates to play for the Herts Cardinals in the Triple-A league. For more details contact the club.