Category: Raptors

by Matt Bell

(VIDEO) HERTS RAPTORS MAKE LEAGUE DEBUT IN THEIR FIRST EVER SEASON

posted on behalf of Herts Baseball Newswire reporter, ROB JONES

The Herts Raptors learned some harsh lessons in their first competitive game, against the Old Timers of Enfield. The score was tight heading into the bottom of the fourth, but then defensive lapses by Herts, and aggressive base-running by the home team, blew the game open. The Raptors were on the wrong end of several close umpiring calls, but kept their heads up to score some late runs, finally going down 33-8.

There were bright points for the Herts new boys — such as booming doubles from Hunter Devine and Paul Hawes, and a strong performance out of the bullpen by Jon Lewys. Raptors will put defeat behind them and build on the good points in their next match against Essex.
 

Herts Raptors at old timers
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Herts Raptors 0 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 3 8 18 3
old timers 4 0 1 12 2 3 4 7 0 33 27 5

old timers 33, Herts Raptors 8
old timers Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 2b 6 4 5 3 Ilya Dimitrov rf 5 0 1 0
Player 2 c 6 4 3 1 Jonathon Lewys p-lf 3 1 2 1
Player 3 1b 5 4 3 6 Andy Ringrose c 5 2 2 0
Player 4 p 5 5 3 3 Paul Hawes 1b 4 1 2 1
Player 5 3b 5 2 3 4 Andrew Slater 3b 5 0 1 0
Player 6 ss 4 4 1 0 Hunter Devine 2b 5 2 4 2
Player 7 lf 4 3 2 2 Rob Jones cf 5 2 4 0
Player 8 cf 4 3 3 4 Pete Cox ss 5 0 0 0
Player 9 rf 6 4 4 6 Jake Kikel lf-p 5 0 2 2
TEAM TOTALS 45 33 27 29 TEAM TOTALS 42 8 18 6

E: Player 4(2), Player 5(2), Player 7, Jonathon Lewys(3). LOB: Herts Raptors 10, old
timers 13. 2B: Player 2, Player 3, Hunter Devine(2), Paul Hawes, Jake Kikel. 3B:
Player 2, Player 9. HR: Player 9. SB: Player 3(8), Player 6(6), Player 5(6), Player
7(5), Player 4(4), Player 1(4), Player 8(4), Player 2(2), Player 9(2), Hunter
Devine(3), Rob Jones(2), Ilya Dimitrov, Paul Hawes, Andy Ringrose. CS: Jonathon
Lewys.

old timers IP H R ER BB SO
Player 4 W 9.00 18 8 6 3 10
Herts Raptors            
Jake Kikel L 4.00 15 19 18 13 2
Jonathon Lewys 3.00 12 14 11 8 1

HBP: by Jake Kikel (Player 1). . . . . . . . WP: Player 4. PB: Player 2. T: 2:55. A:
41.

by Matt Bell

SIDEWINDERS BECOME HSL2 CHAMPIONS

The Sidewinders won the title in HSL2 with a 19-5 victory over the Herts Raptors.  They scored 8 runs in the top of the first inning.  The Raptors who are a brand new expansion team for the British Baseball League came back strong with 5 runs of their own after singles from Ilya Dimitrov and Nick Russell and a 2 RBI double from 2005 Hawks Batting Champ, Rob Jones. 

 

Unfortunately for the Raptors, these were their last runs of the day as the Sidewinders switched gears to take control of the game.  There were many positives for the Herts Raptors to take from this game.  Jake Kikel who came in to relieve at the end of the game continues to put up good stats as a pitcher.  Starter Mark Hoffman also produced two scoreless innings to end his day on a high.

 

More HSL Photos

 

Sidewinders at Herts Raptors
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Sidewinders 8 3 0 0 8 0 0 19 19 1
Herts Raptors 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 8 6

Sidewinders 19, Herts Raptors 5
Sidewinders Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 3 3 3 1 Ilya Dimitrov rf 2 1 1 0
Player 2 c 3 2 1 2 (t4) Robert Crouch rf 1 0 1 0
Player 3 1b 4 2 3 2 Paul Hawes 1b 1 0 0 0
Player 4 2b 5 2 2 4 (b3) Jonathon Lewys 1b 1 0 0 0
Player 5 3b 4 2 3 2 Andy Ringrose c 4 0 1 0
Player 6 ss 4 3 2 0 Mark Hoffman p 2 1 0 0
Player 7 lf 4 0 1 0 (t5) Jake Kikel p 1 0 0 0
Player 8 cf 4 2 3 1 Pete Cox 2b 0 1 0 0
Player 9 rf 2 3 1 0 Nick Russell sf 3 1 2 0
Rob Jones cf 3 1 2 2
Andrew Slater 3b 3 0 1 0
Steve Nippress lf 3 0 0 0
TEAM TOTALS 33 19 19 12 TEAM TOTALS 24 5 8 2

E: Player 2, Jonathon Lewys(3), Andy Ringrose, Pete Cox, Andrew Slater. LOB:
Sidewinders 6, Herts Raptors 7. 2B: Player 5(2), Player 3, Rob Jones. HR: Player 4.
SB: Player 9(5), Player 1(3), Player 6(2), Player 8(2), Player 2, Player 7, Player 5,
Andrew Slater, Ilya Dimitrov. CS: Steve Nippress.

Sidewinders IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 6.00 8 5 2 4 8
Herts Raptors            
Mark Hoffman L 4.00 16 18 10 5 5
Jake Kikel 2.00 3 1 1 3 0

HBP: by Player 1 (Paul Hawes), by Player 1 (Pete Cox). . . . , by Mark Hoffman
(Player 9). , by Jake Kikel (Player 5). . WP: Player 1, Mark Hoffman(2). PB: Player
2(3), Andy Ringrose(2). T: 2:59. A: 78.

by Matt Bell

RAPTORS, HAWKS AND FALCONS UNVEIL NEW UNIFORMS THIS SUNDAY

After 11 years of wearing the famous Falcons pinstripe jersey and black pants, the club will unveil the new uniforms which will be worn by the three adult teams.  This will take place this Sunday when the Falcons, Hawks and Raptors play in the seond round of games in the Herts Spring League.

The old Falcons pinstripe jersey will still be used by the Herts teams in selected games to celebrate the club's history.

by Matt Bell

HERTS RAPTORS MAKE HISTORY AS THEY PLAY THEIR FIRST EVER GAME

Herts Baseball Newswire Correspondent, Hunter Devine, writes

The first game in the history of the Herts Raptors commenced last Sunday during week one of the Herts Spring League, hosted at Richmond. Raptors’ starter and manager, Jake Kikel, was scored on quickly to open the first few frames, let down by the defence which got off to a slow start. However, he kept the team in the game and eventually got some help from his defence which made some nice plays, highlighted by a stellar catch in Left Field by Ilya Dimitrov.

 

Mark Hoffman, who had already made contributions with the bat (finishing the day 3-3 with 3 stolen bases and 2 RBIs), relieved Kikel in the 4th and pitched well, striking out 4 and giving up 3 runs, 2 earned.

 

Richmond, meanwhile, cruised through the game limiting the Raptors’ bats to 2 runs whilst scoring 10 themselves.

 

Though the game did not end up the way the Raptors’ had hoped it would, there were many positives for the young team to take away from the loss as they hope to make some noise in BBF’s Single-A division this season.

 

Herts Raptors at Richmond Dragons
Score By Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
Herts Raptors 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 8 1
Richmond Dragons 3 4 0 1 2 0 10 12 0

Richmond Dragons 10, Herts Raptors 2
Richmond Dragons Herts Raptors
  ab r h bi   ab r h bi
Player 1 p 2 2 2 0 Ilya Dimitrov lf 4 0 1 0
Player 2 c 3 3 1 0 Jonathon Lewys 3b-rf-1b 1 1 0 0
Player 3 1b 4 1 1 2 Nick Russell cf 3 0 0 0
Player 4 2b 4 3 3 2 Mark Hoffman 1b-p 3 0 3 2
Player 5 3b 4 1 2 1 Pete Cox ss 2 0 0 0
Player 6 ss 2 0 1 2 Hunter Devine 2b 3 0 0 0
Player 7 lf 3 0 1 0 Andrew Slater rf-3b 1 0 0 0
Player 8 cf 2 0 1 0 Kal Dimitrov c 3 0 1 0
Player 9 rf 3 0 0 0 Jake Kikel p-rf 3 1 3 0
TEAM TOTALS 27 10 12 7 TEAM TOTALS 23 2 8 2

E: Kal Dimitrov. LOB: Richmond Dragons 7, Herts Raptors 11. 2B: Player 3, Player 4.
SB: Player 4(4), Player 1(4), Player 2(3), Player 5(2), Mark Hoffman(3), Ilya
Dimitrov, Jake Kikel.

Richmond Dragons IP H R ER BB SO
Player 1 W 6.00 8 2 2 7 9
Herts Raptors            
Jake Kikel L 3.00 9 7 4 2 7
Mark Hoffman 2.00 3 3 2 3 4

HBP: by Player 1 (Andrew Slater). . . . WP: Jake Kikel. T: 2:55. A: 90.
by Matt Bell

HSL MEDIA COVERAGE

The Herts Spring League commences this Sunday and it looks like it is attracting significant interest from the media.  The Hemel Gazette is expected to have an extensive coverage of the 2008 HSL over the three Sundays of the League.  Below you will find an extract from a preview of the HSL published this week.  The article was also published in their online publication HemelToday.co.uk

by Matt Bell

FIRST EVER BRITISH SPRING LEAGUE READY FOR TAKE-OFF

Spring is here, which means that baseball is back.  This year Herts Baseball Club has added a new event to the British baseball calendar with the first ever Herts Spring League (HSL). 

 

One of the most exciting times of the baseball season is Spring Training. After a long and cold winter everyone connected with baseball is eager to get back to the baseball diamond. Teams start to put into action their master plans to win the league. Players are jostling for a position on the roster. Pitchers are competing for a starting spot in the rotation. It is a first chance for managers and players to see new players which have signed up with the clubs. These are just some of the reasons why Spring is a special time for baseball.

 

The 2008 HSL line-up has just been announced and it will certainly provide exciting baseball action over the next three weeks.  The 10 participating teams are split into two divisions, HSL1 and HSL2. 

 

HSL1 includes Hertfordshire’s top team the Falcons, the Burgess Hill Colts, Northampton Baseball Club who impressed at the 2007 London Tournament and the ASL Eagles.  The Eagles will add an element of suspense to HSL1.  They are very much an unknown quantity as they do not compete in the BBF leagues.  The ASL Eagles is a team representing the AmericanSchool in London, which is expected to bring an all-out American baseball mentality to the diamond.  

 

Looking at the HSL1 schedule one game stands out as a must-see clash.  The Herts Falcons meet the Burgess Hill Colts for the first time since the 2006 Premier League Playoff game which the Colts won in extra innings to sink the Falcons down from the Premier League to Division 1.  Revenge will be on the minds of the Falcons after that heart-breaking game.

 

HSL2 includes the Herts Hawks, Sidewinders, Richmond Dragons, Bracknell Blazers, Milton Keynes Hurricanes, and the newly created third Hertfordshire team, the Herts Raptors.  The MK Hurricanes go into the league as the favourites, but, with other teams strengthening their rosters over the winter, it could prove to be a very competitive league with almost all of the teams having a realistic chance of taking the HSL2 title.

 

Over the next three Sundays 23 games will be played at 4 baseball venues in and around London.  Some of the venues will host as many as 6 teams on the same day which is expected to create a great baseball atmosphere.  This is the perfect opportunity for baseball enthusiasts to enjoy a Spring day out watching a game of baseball and having a first glimpse of the teams as they gear up for the 2008 Opening Day.

 

For more information about the teams, game times and venues you can visit the official HSL website.  The HSL website has linked up with the Herts Baseball Newswire to provide extensive coverage of the HSL including game reports, video news, stats and much more so stay tuned.

RELATED LINKS

Official HSL website: www.hertsbaseball.com/HSL