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Category: Club News
BBC RADIO 5 LIVE COVERAGE OF THE 2010 NBC
Fans of British baseball can tune in to BBC Radio 5 Live on Sunday morning during the Weekend Breakfast programme presented by Rachel Burden and Phil Williams for a look back at the games played on Saturday and a preview of the final games of the 2010 National Baseball Championships on Sunday.
The show will feature Matt Smith, who is the founder and editor of www.baseballgb.co.uk , an online publication which is well-known by fans of baseball in the UK. The programme starts at 6:00am and ends at 8:30am. The NBC segment is scheduled around 7am.
Later on Sunday, Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd will report the scores from the NBC games as they come in on Sunday evening, during the regular MLB coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. This week's MLB game is the Texas Rangers at the Minesotta Twins. programme starts at 7pm.
BRITISH BASEBALL SEASON REACHES ITS CLIMAX THIS WEEKEND
British baseball fans are on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the National Baseball Championships (NBC) this weekend. Year-after-year the NBC never seems to disappoint. By Sunday evening we will know the identity of the champions in the four British baseball leagues. But before that we will be going through the emotions and excitement of 14 baseball games with enormous implications riding on every single one of them.
After Saturday’s playoff games, we now know the names of the 12 teams which will be heading to Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead in the hope of making history.
NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE (NBL)
The London Mets and the Bracknell Blazers already booked their places by virtue of taking the top two spots in the regular season standings. Richmond and Southampton joined them in the NBC after their playoff wins against Croydon and Mildenhall, respectively. For more on last week’s NBL playoffs read Simon Fitzjohn’s playoff roundup.
Bracknell Blazers will open the NBC on Saturday at 9:30am against the Richmond Flames on the new diamond at Grovehill Ballpark, followed by the Mets and Mustangs at 12:00pm.
AAA-LEAGUE
The last team to book their place in the AAA NBC were the Herts Eagles after their 14-3 playoff win against the Bracknell Inferno. Darrin Ward pitched a complete game for the win. He was supported by a solid Herts offence which included a 3-run home run by Mahendra Prasad, his second of the year. The Eagles may be seen as the underdogs in the AAA Championship, but they will have the advantage of playing at their home field and in front of the loyal Herts baseball fans.
The other teams in the AAA race are the Liverpool Trojans and the Oxford Kings who finished top of the AAA (North) and AAA (South) divisions, respectively. The Menwith Hill Patriots earned a place in the NBC, but due to their team’s obligations at the airbase, they have withdrawn from the Championships. The Bracknell Inferno will take their place in the AAA NBC as both the Manchester A’s and Halton Jaguars were unable to take the slot due to insufficient time to organise their trip.
AA-LEAGUE
After two weeks of exciting playoff action, we are down to the two best British teams in the AA League. One of them is Leicester after they produced yet another epic one-run win against the Birmingham Maple Leafs. Shannon Henry picked up the win and Richard Hu came in to close the game for the save and a 10-9 win. In the AA Final they will meet the Richmond Knights, who extended their incredible winning streak to 19 after a 11-4 win against the Poole Piranhas.
A-LEAGUE
MK Bucks are through to the A-League Final after a 7-0 win against the Humber Pilots. Pitchers Tom Lloyd and Tom McVay combined for a 2-hit shutout. Starter Lloyd threw 6 innings, recording 9 strikeouts and retiring 8 batters in a row at one point. McVay came in for the last three innings to close the game and he also contributed with the bat going 2-4 with a double, triple and 3 RBI. Last week we reported on Bucks slugger, Barnes, having to miss out on the NBC due to an assignment in Afghanistan. We can now confirm that Barnes will be available for the NBC having been granted extended leave to take part in this weekend’s title decider. The Bucks will meet the Guildford Mavericks after they ended the Chelmsford Clippers incredible postseason. There were no upsets this time as the Mavericks won convincingly 25-7.
A CELEBRATION OF BRITISH BASEBALL
The NBC is a unique opportunity for fans of baseball and those who are new to the sport to get close to the action and witness the crowning of the 2010 Champions. Of course it would not be a true baseball celebration without good food. A variety of food and drinks will be on offer including BBQ Beef and Pulled-Pork Sandwiches (pictured right), Gourmet Sausages, Homemade Coleslaw, Old Fashioned Lemonade and more. A commemorative NBC programme will be available. First 200 fans will receive the programme free of charge, so get there early.
SCHEDULE
NATIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE
Saturday, 4 September 2010
|
09:30 |
Diamond 1 |
Game 1 |
Richmond Flames |
@ |
Bracknell Blazers |
7 innings |
|
12:00 |
Diamond 1 |
Game 2 |
Southampton |
@ |
London Mets |
7 innings |
|
14:30 |
Diamond 1 |
Game 3 |
Game 1 Winner |
@ |
Game 2 Winner |
7 innings |
|
17:00 |
Diamond 1 |
Game 4 |
Game 1 Loser |
@ |
Game 2 Loser |
7 innings |
Sunday, 5 September 2010
|
09:30 |
Diamond 1 |
Game 5 |
Game 4 Winner |
@ |
Game 3 Loser |
7 innings |
|
15:30 |
Diamond 1 |
Final |
Game 5 Winner |
@ |
Game 3 Winner |
7 innings |
AAA League
Saturday, 4 September 2010
|
09:30 |
Diamond 2 |
Game 1 |
Herts Eagles |
@ |
Liverpool Trojans |
7 innings |
|
12:00 |
Diamond 2 |
Game 2 |
Bracknell Inferno |
@ |
Oxford Kings |
7 innings |
|
14:30 |
Diamond 2 |
Game 3 |
Game 1 Winner |
@ |
Game 2 Winner |
7 innings |
|
17:00 |
Diamond 2 |
Game 4 |
Game 1 Loser |
@ |
Game 2 Loser |
7 innings |
Sunday, 5 September 2010
|
09:30 |
Diamond 2 |
Game 5 |
Game 4 Winner |
@ |
Game 3 Loser |
7 innings |
|
15:30 |
Diamond 2 |
Final |
Game 5 Winner |
@ |
Game 3 Winner |
7 innings |
AA League
Sunday, 5 September 2010
|
12:00 |
Diamond 1 |
Final |
Leicester Blue Sox |
@ |
Richmond Knights |
9 innings |
Single-A League
Sunday, 5 September 2010
|
12:00 |
Diamond 2 |
Final |
MK Bucks |
@ |
Guildford Mavericks |
9 innings |
Note: Start times may be pushed back if earlier games overrun. The BBF reserves the right to make alterations to the schedule if there is a change in circumstances (e.g. rain delay etc.).
VENUE DETAILS
The event will be held at Herts Baseball Club, Grovehill Park, Washington Avenue, Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire HP2 6NH (click for map and directions).
AUDIO: BBC RADIO 5 LIVE SX PREVIEWS THE 2010 NBC COMING TO HERTS THIS WEEKEND
British Baseball legends Jonny Gould and Josh Chetwynd took time to preview the 2010 National Baseball Championships during the Sunday evening coverage of the New York Yankees vs the Chicago White Sox on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. The preview included a guest appearance by Rob Rance whose Bracknell Blazers will look to defend their 2009 title when they go out onto Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead on Saturday, 4 September, in the opening game of the NBCs.
EAGLES ONE STEP AWAY FROM THE NBC
The whole club will be getting behind the Eagles this Saturday as they go for glory in the AAA postseason
The postseason playoffs are coming to Grovehill Ballpark tomorrow. With the Falcons dramatic exit form the NBL postseason last weekend, they and everyone else connected with Herts will be right behind the Eagles with the hope that they can keep the Herts flag flying high all the way to the National Championships on 4-5 September.
The Eagles meet the always dangerous Bracknell Inferno. The two teams have been involved in some epic encounters so far this year so this playoff game is a mouth-watering prospect. Can the Eagles do it?
The game starts at 12:00pm this Saturday, 28 August, at Grovehill Ballpark (Directions).
HERTS IN THE NEWS: EAGLES AND FALCONS HOPING TO FLY HOME FOR SHOWPIECE
The following article was first published in the Hemel Gazette
With any luck two Hemel Hempstead-based baseball teams could be back at their Grovehill home for the end-of-season showpiece event.
Herts Falcons and the Eagles will hope to be back for the National Senior Baseball Championships (NBC) on September 4 and 5. The club, which just this season completed its second pitch, has been chosen to host the event much to the delight of president Aspi Dimitrov:
“A lot of people have really got involved with the project over the last few years and it’s great the British Baseball Federation have given us the vote of confidence by awarding the event to us. “Hopefully we will not disappoint.”
The champions of each of the four leagues will be decided at the championships. The NBL division Falcons, the top team at the club, have an uphill task ahead of them. They have just four games left to earn a place in the qualifying rounds for the finals. Their latest result was a double-header split against Croydon Pirates on Sunday.Falcons lost the first of their away games at Pirates 8-2, but came back in the second to win 11-6. They go up against the Essex Arrows this weekend.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are more sure of a spot in the finals, and could by-pass the qualifying round should they finish in top spot come next weekend, when they face league-leaders Oxford Kings. Eagles strolled to two easy victories as they kept up the pressure on the league-leaders on Sunday.The AAA-division side beat the London Metros 15-5 and 11-1, extending their winning streak to nine games. A win this weekend will make sure they finish top of the pile and hence head straight into the final four.
“We really want to make sure the Eagles and Falcons make it,” added Aspi, who also plays for the Falcons.
Elsewhere on the weekend the AA-League Herts Hawks took on the Windsor Bears but lost 19-9 and 18-8. In the A-League, the Old Timers of north London beat the Raptors for the second time this season.
HERTS GLOBETROTTERS
Apart from reporting on the Herts adult and youth teams, the Herts Baseball Newswire also keeps Herts fans updated on news from overseas related to Herts Baseball Club.
This summer Herts was represented in the European qualifiers for the Little League World Series. Herts Little Leaguer, Mikito Ariga, was selected to play for team England. The games were played at the baseball complex in Kutno, Poland. Despite a difficult start losing to Italy (L0-10), England bounced back with wins over Lithuania (W7-1), Belgium (W7-3) and Poland (W10-0). Mikito’s team rounded up their group stage schedule with a loss to the Netherlands (L5-4). England’s 3-2 record placed them third in the group standings and they qualified for the next stage where they beat Ukraine 10-0. This took them to the Semi-Finals where they once again faced Italy and once again the Italians came out on top (L2-9). England came very close indeed to qualifying for the World Series and potential live coverage on ESPN, but it wasn’t to be.
Mikito and his family have now returned and are getting ready for another exciting postseason with the Herts All-Stars next month. Mikito was a member of the 2009 Herts All-Stars who produced the incredible run of 5 consecutive wins to reach the final where they lost 1-0 to the London Mets.
Another player representing Herts overseas is Jesse Reinebold. He and his father, Jonathan, joined the club this year and apart from appearing for the Herts All-Stars Jesse played alongside his father for both the Herts Raptors in the British Single-A League and the Herts Hawks in the AA League. Jesse is now in America where he is the official bat boy (pictured right at work) for the South Bend Silverhawks, which is the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Like Mikito, Jesse is also scheduled to return in time to join up with the Herts All-Stars in the postseason.
NBCs ARE COMING TO HERTS FORTHE FIRST TIME IN THE CLUB’S HISTORY
Grovehill Ballpark has been chosen to host the 2010 National Baseball Championships
The British Baseball Federation has announced that the National Senior Baseball Championships (NBC) event has been awarded to Herts Baseball Club. It will take place on the weekend of 4 and 5 September at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Major development of the venue has taken place over the last few years and this year a second baseball diamond was added to the venue. It is now the only baseball venue in the country with two diamonds and permanent outfield wall on both of them.
The NBC is the showpiece event in the British Baseball season to decide the 2010 champions in the four British Baseball Leagues. The NBL and AAA League NBCs will adopt last year’s double-elimination format with four teams battling it out over a total of six games in each League over the two days. The champions in the AA and Single-A Leagues will be determined over a three-week knockout playoff format with the two best teams in each league meeting in their respective Finals on 5 September 2010.
Some of the teams have already booked their place in the NBC, others are still fighting for automatic qualification or entry via the playoffs which will be played on Saturday 21 and Saturday 28 August at different venues around Great Britain.
The Herts Falcons (Left) and the Herts Eagles (right) have a big battle ahead of them but they must reach the NBCs
This news is fantastic for everyone connected with Herts Baseball. The key now is for the Herts teams to reach the Championships. The Herts Falcons are involved in a dramatic battle with Croydon and Mildenhall to clinch a playoff place in the NBL. Only two out of the three teams will make it.
In the AAA League the Herts Eagles have a 4-game winning streak which has taken within touching distance of the league leaders, Oxford. The two teams meet in the final game of the regular season on Sunday, 15 August. Whoever come son top will go to the NBC automatically. But first the Eagles face the London Metros this Sunday at Grivehill Ballpark.
The Hawks and Raptors may be out of the AA and Single-A races, respectively, but players in those teams may still play a part in the postseason if they are called up by the Falcons or Eagles.
Click here to view full details and schedule of the postseason Playoffs and NBCs.
CROYDON, HERTS AND MILDENHALL CHASE A PLAYOFF SPOT IN NBL
The Croydon Pirates all but booked their top-six spot and Herts and Mildenhall split their crucial doubleheader in the only Week 15 National Baseball League action on August 2.
NBL Special Correspondent Simon Fitzjohn reports:
MILDENHALL BULLDOGS @ HERTS FALCONS
Mildenhall and Herts both have a chance of claiming sixth spot after the teams split their doubleheader in wildly contrasting games.
The Falcons squeezed to a 6-5 win in Game One, Pete Kikel outdueling Barry Wiles on the mound. But the Bulldogs responded with a 19-8 blowout in Game Two. John Blose took the win in this game, with Dan Kerry (pictured right) launching a home run.
Herts’ Aspi Dimitrov said: “We left the field quite disappointed, but after a day or so I think we will look at it differently. We are as we were, but with a round of games less to play, which means that the remaining games become even more important. “We missed an opportunity to move up in the standings” Dimitrov continued, “but we have not lost any ground in the race for the play-offs.”
ESSEX ARROWS @ CROYDON PIRATES
An understrength Essex side was put to the sword by the Pirates, who boosted their record to 9-15 with a sweep of both games. The 7-0 and 17-4 wins saw Croydon pitchers Tim Ssali and Jose Sosa pick up the victories, with Matt Gilbert and Richard Chesteron the Essex losers. With the Arrows struggling for numbers, 64-year-old coach Phil Chesterton was even pressed into playing first base in Game Two. Phil Chesterton said: “The key for us is to get through to the end of the season without forfeiting a game. We knew when we entered this season we were going to face some hard truths and we have not been disappointed. “That may sound negative,” Chesterton continued, “but it isn’t. We are definitely a work in progress and I think next season will be when all the hard work starts to pay off.”
photos courtesy of www.HP2photographic.com
GAME 1 BOX SCORES
| Mildenhall Bulldogs at Herts Falcons | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score By Innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| Mildenhall Bulldogs | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Herts Falcons | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Herts Falcons 6, Mildenhall Bulldogs 5 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herts Falcons | Mildenhall Bulldogs | ||||||||
| ab | r | h | bi | ab | r | h | bi | ||
| CASAL Carlos 2b | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | KLINO cf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| GONCALVES Luis c | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | TYLER ss | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SAIONJI Kimiyoshi rf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | PEREZ Leo 1b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| KERRY Dan lf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | WILES Barry p | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| KIKEL Peter p | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | BERK c | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| MARTINEZ Marc 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | BLOSE John 2b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DEAL Brandon 3b | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | CULVER Kevin 3b | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| GOETZ Nic ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | HOUSE lf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| MUNN Jamie cf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | BERK Brook rf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (t7) PIERCE rf | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 25 | 6 | 6 | 4 | TEAM TOTALS | 26 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| E: V Player 2, V Player 5, V Player 7, V Player 9. DP: Mildenhall Bulldogs 1. LOB: Mildenhall Bulldogs 4, Herts Falcons 6. 2B: GONCALVES Luis, MUNN Jamie, V Player 7. HR: V Player 3. SB: GOETZ Nic, DEAL Brandon, CASAL Carlos, V Player 1, V Player 7. SF: V Player 8. |
| Herts Falcons | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| KIKEL Peter W | 7.00 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Mildenhall Bulldogs | ||||||
| WILES Barry L | 6.00 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| HBP: by V Player 4 (CASAL Carlos), by V Player 4 (KERRY Dan), by V Player 4 (KIKEL Peter). . . . . , by V Player 4 (CASAL Carlos). , by KIKEL Peter (V Player 2). WP: V Player 4(3). PB: GONCALVES Luis, V Player 5(2). Balk: KIKEL Peter. T: 2:05. A: 48. |
GAME 2 BOX SCORES
| Mildenhall Bulldogs at Herts Falcons | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score By Innings | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
| Mildenhall Bulldogs | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 12 | 4 |
| Herts Falcons | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| Mildenhall Bulldogs 19, Herts Falcons 8 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mildenhall Bulldogs | Herts Falcons | ||||||||
| ab | r | h | bi | ab | r | h | bi | ||
| KLINO cf | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | GONCALVES Luis p-ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| TYLER ss | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | DIMITROV Aspi rf | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| PEREZ Leo lf | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | SAIONJI Kimiyoshi 2b | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| WILES Barry c | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | KERRY Dan cf | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| PIERCE 1b | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | KIKEL Peter 3b-p | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| BERK 2b-3b | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | CULLEN Marty c | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| BLOSE John 3b-p | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | DEAL Brandon ss-1b | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| HOUSE rf | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | MUNN Jamie lf | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| CULVER Kevin p-2b | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | MARTINEZ Marc 1b | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| (b3) GOETZ Nic p-3b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| TEAM TOTALS | 35 | 19 | 12 | 8 | TEAM TOTALS | 23 | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| E: V Player 1, V Player 3, V Player 6, V Player 9, GONCALVES Luis(2), KIKEL Peter(2), CULLEN Marty, GOETZ Nic. LOB: Herts Falcons 4, Mildenhall Bulldogs 7. 2B: V Player 1(2), V Player 7(2), V Player 6, V Player 8, DEAL Brandon, MUNN Jamie. HR: KERRY Dan. SB: V Player 6, V Player 5, MUNN Jamie(2), DIMITROV Aspi, MARTINEZ Marc. SF: GONCALVES Luis(2), KERRY Dan. |
| Mildenhall Bulldogs | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Jon BLOSE W | 5.00 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| CULVER Levin | 1.00 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Herts Falcons | ||||||
| GONCALVES Luis L | 2.67 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| GOETZ Nic | 2.00 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| KIKEL Peter | 1.33 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| HBP: by GONCALVES Luis (V Player 3). . . . , by GOETZ Nic (V Player 4). , by V Player 7 (MUNN Jamie). WP: V Player 9(2), GONCALVES Luis(4), KIKEL Peter(3). PB: V Player 4, CULLEN Marty(5). Balk: GONCALVES Luis(2). T: 2:20. A: 48. |
HERTS DRAWN AGAINST HORSHAM IN THE PLAYOFFS
The British Baseball Federation has confirmed the seedings and the format of the 2010 National Under-14 (Bronco) Playoffs the winners of which will progress to the National Baseball Championships.
The Herts fans played a key role on the road to the National Final last year.
Can their support help the All-Stars go one better this time around.
Herts will be represented by the Herts All-Stars team which is selected from among all of the players who are members of the Herts Little League. To determine the Playoff seedings the Herts All-Stars took part in six games against teams from other regions. They won all six of these games and are the only team in the Under-14 League with an unbeaten record so far this season. However, the fact that several of the other teams have played more games has been taken into account by the British Baseball Federation and as a result Herts has been seeded as the third team in the Southern Conference. The team seeded in first place is the London Mets, followed by the Forest Glade RedBacks (affiliated to the Essex RedBacks), Herts are third, Horsham fourth and Bracknell are seeded fifth.
Herts know the top seeded London Mets very well after last year’s dramatic National Final which the team from Hertfordshire narrowly lost and had to settle for a runner-up spot. 12 months have passed since then and the Herts All-Stars will be looking for revenge.
There were tears after the Herts All-Stars narrowly missed out on becoming National Champions
last year in that unforgettable Final against London which ended with a score 0-1
But before that they have to once again do it the hard way through the playoffs. As the third seed they have been drawn to play against Horsham. The two teams met at the same stage of last year’s playoffs when Herts came out on top winning 9-6. Horsham proved to be one of the most difficult opponents which Herts faced in 2009 and they needed a 4-run rally in the final inning to win the game. The draw has not been kind to either Herts or Horsham and the “do-or-die” nature of the playoffs means that the loser will be out of the competition, so there will be a lot of pressure on the players to perform on the day.
If Herts win against Horsham, they will face the loser from the game between London and the Forest Glade RedBacks.
The games will be held at the home of the London Mets in Finsbury Park on Saturday, 11 September 2010 (See full Playoff Schedule below)
2010 National Under-14 (Bronco) League Playoffs (Southern Conference)
Saturday 11th September, Finsbury Park, London
10:00 – Field 1 – Game 1 – #2 Forest Glade @ #1 London
10:00 – Field 2 – Game 2 – #4 Horsham @ #3 Herts All-Stars
13:00 – Field 1 – Game 3 – #5 Bracknell @ winners game 1; winners qualify for NBC
13:00 – Field 2 – Game 4 – Losers Game 1 @ Winners Game 2; winners qualify for NBC
16:00 – Field 1 – Game 5 – Losers Game 4 @ Losers Game 3; consolation game