Category: Events

19 February 2016 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts announce 2016 HSL details

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

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

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

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

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

LEAGUE FORMAT

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

TEAMS

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

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

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

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

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

2 October 201520 November 2015 by Greg Bochan

8th annual Hert Futures Tournament – Great Weather – Great Baseball – Great Britain

With teams attending from all over the country; from as far as Halton in the North, Essex in the East, Brighton in the South and High Wycome in the West; Herts Baseball Club hosted its eighth annual futures tournament at their home ground, Grovehill Ballpark, on Saturday 26th September.

With 20 teams between the 4 age groups (U19’s, U14’s, U12’s and U10’s), a record for the futures tournament, a full day of baseball was on the agenda. To compliment this mammoth day the weather was wonderful with clear skies and warm temperatures, ideal for playing baseball.

In the U19’s Herts fought off a resilient Halton team to win its first ever Futures tournament crown, with a walk off win 3-2.

In the U14’s LYBL retain their crown winning both their games in the final series.

The U12’s again had LYBL take the top prize after dominating in the final series taking both games decisively.

London Sports won the U10’s after narrowly beating the Mets in the championship game.

The day was fantastic and massively enjoyed by all, the Herts concession stand recording its busiest ever day and nearly running out of its famous Chilli Dogs. The raffle proved very popular with players and parents alike trying to win some unique autographed baseball memorabilia kindly donated by BSUK.

Herts would like to thank all the teams who participated for making it such a special day, along with the umpires and all the Herts volunteers who worked tirelessly on the day to make it the great success that it was.
Can’t wait for next year!

The Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the British baseball calendar. It brings together youth teams of all age groups from across the country for a day of baseball at one of the best baseball venues in the United Kingdom.

23 September 201525 September 2015 by Greg Bochan

2015 Hunlock Series – Rosters and Schedule

The 2015 Hunlock Series rosters have been set.

The series sees two returning managers and a new face to lead the squads. Ken Pike will return as manager of the Red Roosters. Sony Lama will return as manager but this time of the Black Widows and new to the managers role is Jamie Lang for the Blue Dogs.

After some careful planning and a day of drafting, the rosters for the teams have been set.

Don’t worry if you want to play but haven’t signed up to do so yet. There is still time. All you need to do is register with the Hertsbaseball Clubhouse by clicking here. Once your registration has been confirmed you can fill out your avaialability for the games and the managers will assign you to a team.

Click here to see the Hunlock Teams page.

Red Roosters

Kennet Pike #51

Daniel Bennett #77

Warwick Byrne #66

Jake Caress #75

Mike Cattermole #22

Andy Cornish #7

Michael Cresswell #85

Aspi Dimitrov #4

Glen Downer #48

Jon Gamble #50

Tim Elkins #45

Clive Johnson #38

Michael Johnson #67

Felix Maldonado

Drew Mayhew #2

Rod Naghar #1

Tom Weatherilt

Mathew White

Black Widows

Sonam Lama #86

Akito Bando

Greg Bochan #13

Mark Caress #30

Bruce Dullea

Plamen Georgiev

Tim Lawrence

Lee Manning #14

Charlie Mayhew #41

Gilberto Medina #79

Takaya Miki

Connor Oshaughnessy

Daniela Phillips

Nick Russell #31

Christopher Shefford

Michael Smulczynski

Darrin Ward #66

Blue Dogs
Jamie Lang #93
Emmanuel Banson #94
Ralph Bartholomew #17
Dan Bartram #97
Brodie Caress #25
Joe Court #16
Ilya Dimitrov #21
Matthew Jackson #73
Troy Johnson
Rob Jones #6
Simon Langton
Zack Longboy #47
Ben Marques #18
Darren Priest #9
Andrew Slater #99
Adam White #34
Nick White #54

The 2015 Hunlock Series rosters have been set.

After some meticulous planning, the schedule has also been set for the series.

As stated previously, all games will be played on Sunday and are subject to weather.

Click here to see the Hunlock Schedule page.

DATE	TIME	VENUE	VISITING TEAM	HOME TEAM
WEEK ONE
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	13:00	New	Blue Dogs	Red Roosters
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	13:20	New	Red Roosters	Blue Dogs
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	13:40	New	Blue Dogs	Red Roosters
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	14:00	New	Red Roosters	Blue Dogs
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	14:30	New	Black Widows	Red Roosters
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	14:50	New	Red Roosters	Black Widows
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	15:10	New	Black Widows	Red Roosters
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	15:30	New	Red Roosters	Black Widows
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	16:00	New	Black Widows	Blue Dogs
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	16:20	New	Blue Dogs	Black Widows
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	16:40	New	Black Widows	Blue Dogs
Sunday 27 Sep 2015	17:00	New	Blue Dogs	Black Widows
WEEK TWO
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	13:00	New	Black Widows	Red Roosters
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	13:20	New	Red Roosters	Black Widows
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	13:40	New	Black Widows	Red Roosters
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	14:00	New	Red Roosters	Black Widows
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	14:30	New	Black Widows	Blue Dogs
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	14:50	New	Blue Dogs	Black Widows
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	15:10	New	Black Widows	Blue Dogs
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	15:30	New	Blue Dogs	Black Widows
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	16:00	New	Blue Dogs	Red Roosters
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	16:20	New	Red Roosters	Blue Dogs
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	16:40	New	Blue Dogs	Red Roosters
Sunday 04 Oct 2015	17:00	New	Red Roosters	Blue Dogs
WEEK THREE
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	13:00	New	Black Widows	Blue Dogs
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	13:20	New	Blue Dogs	Black Widows
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	13:40	New	Black Widows	Blue Dogs
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	14:00	New	Blue Dogs	Black Widows
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	14:30	New	Blue Dogs	Red Roosters
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	14:50	New	Red Roosters	Blue Dogs
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	15:10	New	Blue Dogs	Red Roosters
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	15:30	New	Red Roosters	Blue Dogs
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	16:00	New	Black Widows	Red Roosters
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	16:20	New	Red Roosters	Black Widows
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	16:40	New	Black Widows	Red Roosters
Sunday 11 Oct 2015	17:00	New	Red Roosters	Black Widows
DATE	TIME	VENUE	VISITING TEAM	HOME TEAM

30 August 201515 September 2015 by Greg Bochan

2015 Hunlock Series

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

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

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

SERIES FORMAT

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

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

THE DRAFT

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

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

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

PLAYERS LOOKING TO REGISTER AHEAD OF THE DRAFT

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

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

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

6 April 20156 April 2015 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Arrows, Hawks and Mavericks clinch 2015 HSL titles

Anxious wait for the Guildford Mavericks in the race for the HSL Single-A title

The Essex Arrows won their second HSL Majors title in a row. The Herts Falcons were hoping of overtaking them in the direct clash between the two teams but it was rained out. The London Mammoths took full advantage of this on Saturday beating the Herts Eagles 9-4 which moved them into second place tied with the Falcons. With fewer runs per inning conceded by the Mammoths (Mammoths 0.57 runs per inning and Falcons 1.22 runs per inning) they overtook the Falcons pushing them into third place.

Before the final weekend of the HSL the Herts Hawks had a commanding lead at the top of the HSL Double-A standings with 3 wins and no losses. Only the Haverhill Blackjacks had a mathematical chance of overtaking them. The Herts Raptors were Haverhill’s opponents and they gave their club mates a helping hand with a 8-4 win which confirmed the Herts Hawks as this year’s HSL Double-A Champions.

The umpires have been fantastic once again this HSL. Great effort in tough weather conditions.

The HSL Single-A race went right down to the final game of the competition. The Guildford Mavericks were sitting comfortably in first place at the start of the weekend. The London Musketeers needed two wins to overtake them. They seemed on course after taking a 6-0 lead into the final inning of their game against Kent Mariners, but 8 Kent runs in the final inning derailed the Musketeers’ title hopes. That gave Guildford an even firmer grip on the Single-A title, but as news of Tonbridge beating Haverhill 5-1 came through on Sunday they had to wait anxiously for the score of Tonbridge’s final game. Tonbridge won that game but it was once again those Herts Raptors who played the role of the spoilers as they drove in seven runs in the process which pushed Haverhill’s runs conceded per inning up to 1.43 compared to Guildford Mavericks’ 1.18.

View HSL scoreboard

View HSL standings

With Spring Training completed, British baseball teams up and down the country will hope that this will be their year. The 2015 League Opening Day is this Sunday, 12 April, with five games at Grovehill Ballpark. Follow us on twitter and facebook for a comprehensive coverage of the 2015 baseball season.

29 March 201529 March 2015 by Herts Baseball News Editor

HSL Week 2 Round-up: Hawks and Mavericks still unbeaten in the HSL

Bracknell vs Guildford survived the weather on Sunday but only for a few innings as the next wave of rain came in.

The weather affected some of the Herts Spring League games on Sunday, but those who managed to play their games this weekend took full advantage and we are starting to see the HSL standings take shape.

The Herts Hawks maintained their unbeaten record with a 24-14 win over the Milton Keynes Coyotes. This keeps them top of the HSL Double-A Standings. Similar to the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in America this is just a Spring Training (pre-season) competition so the standings do not carry that much weight, but for the Hawks their good form is a very positive sign ahead of the new season. They are notoriously slow starters and that has hampered their playoff hopes in the past. Could 2015 be their year?

The London Musketeers bounced back after their loss last week to pick up two good wins against Tonbridge (12-6) and Kent Mariners (13-12). This puts them second in the HSL Single-A standings, half a game behind the Guildford Mavericks who recorded their second HSL win albeit in a game which had to be called early due to bad weather and ground conditions on Sunday.

Tonbridge are a game behind the Mavericks after ending the day with a win over the Kent Mariners who are still in search of their first win. They will have a chance to end their losing streak next Saturday.

The eagerly anticipated clash between the Herts Falcons and the reigning NBL National Champions, Essex Arrows, fell victim to the weather on Sunday. Fans will have to wait until 10 May when the two teams will meet in an NBL doubleheader in Waltham Abbey.

The Metros will be back on Diamond 1 next Sunday to face the Royals

The final round of games in the Herts Spring League will be played next weekend, 4-5 April. The game which stands out is the repeat of the 2014 Triple-A National Final between the Cambridge Royals and the London Metros. The Royals came out on top last year to win the championship. The Metros will be keen to make a point despite that fact that we are still in Spring Training mode.

Apart from the games on Saturday, 4 April, fans can look forward to snacks and refreshments at the Grovehill Ballpark concessions as well as a wide variety of Herts and imported baseball merchandise at the club shop which will be open all day.

View HSL scoreboard and schedule

View HSL standings

23 March 201523 March 2015 by Herts Baseball News Editor

New signings make debuts on first weekend of the HSL

Mike Osborn was the starting pitcher for the Falcons against the London Metros

The first weekend of Herts Spring League games gave a glimpse of what we can expect from the 2015 British baseball season which commences on 12 April. However, after a hectic winter of players being transferred from one team to another and new players signing up, it is going to be difficult to make an accurate prediction of where teams will end up in the standings of the various league tiers.

The Herts Falcons faced the 2014 Triple-A Runners-up, the London Metros, in their opening HSL game. This was a first opportunity to see new signings Maikel Azcuy, Robbie Almanzar and Moises Vasquez play for Herts, who also fielded several players whose identities they chose not to disclose. The game also saw the return from injury of centerfielder Cris Hiche and pitcher Louis Hare. The Falcons took an early lead and held on to it despite a brave fight back by the Metros to bring the score to 14-11. It was Maikel Azcuy who took the game beyond the Londoners with a 3-run home run in the eighth inning.

In another highly anticipated game, the 2014 NBL Champions, Essex Arrows, faced the Triple-A Champions, Cambridge Royals. In a closely fought game the Arrows won 4-1, but it is becoming evident that the gap between the top tier and the Triple-A is narrowing. The hope is that the BBF will promote more Triple-A teams as part of an overdue expansion of the NBL. In this game Jorge Machado made his debut for the NBL Champions after his move from the Southern Nationals in the offseason.

In their other game the Royals faced the London Mammoths who will be the newest member of the Triple-A League after being awarded promotion by the BBF. The Mammoths will be very pleased with their performance. They held a 3-0 lead after 3 innings. The Royals fought back to win the game 5-4. Later in the day the Mammoths won 6-2 against Brighton who will also be making their Triple-A debut this year. The team from the South coast fielded a mix of their Triple-A and Single-players but they still managed to defeat the MK Bucks who are always difficult to beat. It didn’t get any easier for the Bucks as they suffered another defeat later in the day against the Essex Arrows.

The Haverhill Blackjacks slugged their way to a victory over the Cambridge Monarchs

In the Double-A division of the HSL the Herts Hawks lead the standings after wins against Tonbridge and London Marauders. Haverhill Blackjacks are half a game behind after their win against the Cambridge Monarchs. In the Single-A division, Guildford are ahead following their exciting 15-13 win over the London Musketeers. Herts Raptors beat Kent Mariners and lost to Tonbridge to put themselves in the group of four teams which are half a game behind the Mavericks.

Click to view HSL scoreboard and schedule

Click to view HSL Standings

The HSL games resume next weekend. The game of the day is expected to be the all-NBL clash between the Essex Arrows and the Herts Falcons at Grovehill Ballpark.

14 March 2015 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Countdown to HSL – first chance to see the teams ahead of the 2015 British baseball season

The biggest pre-season baseball competition in Britain is back. Commencing on March 21, the Herts Spring League (HSL) will see 20 teams compete over the 3 weeks of the HSL. Organised by Herts Baseball Club, it is Britain’s very own version of MLB’s Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues currently under way in the US, and it signals that the season is just around the corner.

FORMAT

The 20 teams will be entered into three HSL tiers. The top teams in the country from the National Baseball League and Triple-A Leagues will play in the HSL Majors. The HSL-AA is the second tier of the Herts Spring League. It will feature predominantly British Double-A League teams. The third tier is the HSL-A consisting mainly of Single-A teams.

The organisers considered the possibility of a tournament format, but ultimately adopted a league format in the same way as the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues in MLB. “The objective of the HSL is to enable the teams to prepare for the new season and we have noticed that teams are increasingly starting to approach the HSL in the same way as MLB teams approach the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues” said HSL Commissioner, Aspi Dimitrov. He added “we have taken this into account when formulating the schedule putting greater emphasis on the preferences and requirements of the teams over the format of the competition”.

The teams finishing at the top of their respective division will win the HSL. The “games-back” column in the standings will be critical, but undoubtedly some teams will end up with the same record and so it may go down to the number of runs conceded per game to break the tie.

THE VENUES

The action will take place at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead and Town Mead Ballpark in Waltham Abbey, the home of the Essex Arrows and Essex Archers.

SCHEDULE

32 games are scheduled to be played on the three diamonds. The competition begins on March 21 with a clash between the Herts Raptors and the Kent Mariners in the HSL-A bracket. The HSL-AA and HSL Majors divisions commence 24 hours later when the 2014 Triple-A National Champions, Cambridge Royals, face the Double-A National Champions, London Mammoths, which secured their promotion to the Triple-A League this year.

Click to view full 2015 HSL schedule

EXCITEMENT BUILDING UP

The Herts Spring League adds a competitive edge to Spring training. It’s the time for managers to work out their winning formula going into the BBF league season. It is an opportunity to evaluate existing and newly recruited players – which players will earn a spot in the pitching rotation and who will be batting where in the batting order? Who will make the first team and who will have to work their way up with the minor league teams? Not forgetting, it’s a chance to size up your rivals for the year ahead. It’s the first big challenge and the first big excitement of the baseball year. Don’t miss it.

GET IN THE GAME

For more details about the event or if you are interested to give baseball a try in this competition contact Herts Baseball Club.

13 March 2015 by Herts Baseball News Editor

20 teams will signal the arrival of Spring in the 2015 HSL

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that 20 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, Single-A Leagues.

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

HSL – MAJORS
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Cambridge Royals	AAA	3
Essex Arrows	NBL	1
Herts Eagles	AAA	7
Herts Falcons	NBL	2
London Mammoths	AAA	6
London Metros	AAA	4
Milton Keynes Bucks	AAA	5

HSL – AA
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Brighton	AAA/A	2
Cambridge Monarchs	AA	5
Haverhill Blackjacks	A	4
Herts Hawks	A	6
London Marauders	AA	3
Sidewinders	AA	1

HSL – A
TEAM	CLASS	HSL RANKING
Bracknell Inferno	A	6
Guildford Mavericks	A	5
Herts Raptors	A	7
Kent Mariners	A	4
London Musketeers	A	1
Milton Keynes Coyotes	AA	2
Tonbridge	A	3

SCHEDULE AND FORMAT

The HSL will be played over three weeks commencing on the weekend of 21 and 22 March and ending on 4 and 5 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 2015 by Herts Baseball News Editor

2015 HSL dates announced

The Herts Spring League (HSL) has confirmed the game dates for the 2015 edition of the competition*.

HSL (Week 1 of 3)
Sat, 21-Mar-15
Sun, 22-Mar-15

HSL (Week 2 of 3)
Sat, 28-Mar-15
Sun, 29-Mar-15

HSL (Week 3 of 3)
Sat, 4-Apr-15
Sun, 5-Apr-15

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

LEAGUE FORMAT

TEAMS

“The number of team entries has been going up every year. Last year we somehow managed to fit all of the entrants, however in 2015 we have to be mindful of the fact that we may once again reach our full capacity and we may have to restrict team entries when we reach that level again.” said HSL Commissioner, Aspi Dimitrov.

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

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

* – The HSL dates are based on the indication that the BBF season will start on April 12. If these dates change the HSL may make adjustments where necessary.