Category: Featured

18 September 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Doley, Gregory and Deacon are the first round picks

The 2019 Hunlock Series Draft was completed on Monday night. The managers of the teams had a plethora of talent to choose from with 64 players drafted over 22 rounds.

THE FIRST ROUND PICKS

On a toss of a coin Black Barracudas had the first pick. Manager, Duane Badenhorst, selected Herts Falcons’ slugger, Chris Doley (pictured above). The Australian joined the club just a few weeks ago but he has already shown enough to warrant a pick in the first round.

Next up was the turn of Blue Halibut’s managerial duo, Geoff Hare and Mike Cresswell. With their first pick they selected Herts Londoners right handed pitcher, Chris Gregory. He has had a phenomenal debut season with the Londoners leading the team in wins. He also played his part with the Herts Falcons in their European Federations Cup campaign earlier this year. he was the starting pitcher who picked up the ‘W’ in the team’s only win of the competition against the Lithuanian champions.

The third team to make their pick were the Red Carp managed by Mantas Poderys and Tetsuro Shinkawa. They too went for one of the young pitching prospects of the Herts Falcons, Alex Deacon, who earlier this year received a call from the Great Britain Under-18 National Team in their European Championship qualifying tournament in Sweden. This is the second consecutive year that Deacon is picked in the first round of the Hunlock Series Draft.

FREE AGENTS AND TRADES

The full team rosters determined at last night’s draft are shown here. As more players sign up to play they will be able to join the teams as free agents. 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, 22 September. The first games start at 12:30pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead. Admission is free. For complete Series schedule click here.

15 September 201916 September 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Hunlock Series managers announced. The Live Draft is this Monday.

We are counting down to the 2019 Hunlock Series Draft which will take place this Monday, 16 September at 8:00pm. This year the Draft will not be televised, but 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 and Herts Twitter as the managers make their picks.

Three teams go into this year’s competition and the managerial appointments have just been announced.

Last year’s winners, the Black Barracudas, are back with their manager Duane Badenhorst. They dominated in 2018 and will be looking to retain the title. Badenhorst has an uncanny ability to put together strong rosters which feature some of the most talented South African players around. Will he manage to do it again during Monday’s Draft?

The experienced duo of Geoff Hare and Mike Cresswell will aim to knock the Barracudas off their perch as the co-managers of the Blue Halibut. Mike Cresswell is the manager of the Herts Hawks and this year he also appeared for the Herts Falcons in the European Federations Cup. Geoff Hare needs no introduction. He has been involved in the game since the 1980s first with the Hemel Red Sox and then with the Herts Falcons since the 1990s. Over the last 13 years he has been umpiring in the National Baseball League and is one of the most respected officials in Great Britain.

The third team is the Red Carp who will managed by co-managers Mantas Poderys and Tetsuro Shinkawa (pictured below). This could prove to be a winning formula as Shinkawa played for the Herts Londoners and Herts Falcons in the European Federations Cup this year, while Poderys has spent the year with the Herts Raptors and also has knowledge of the Herts Eagles. Their ability to evaluate the vast number of players in the Hunlock Series could work in their favour especially during the Draft.

It is noticeable that the fish theme is running through the team names. The Black Barracudas name was already in place as the reigning champions. Tetsuro Shinkawa then went for Carp – perhaps he has allegiance to the well-known Japanese baseball team, Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Before that they were seriously considering naming the team the Red Flying Mantas, sticking with the fish theme while paying homage to co-manager Mantas Poderys. Not to be outdone, Geoff Hare and Mike Cresswell went for a fish which can weigh 10 times as much as carp and barracuda. Is this a sign that the 2019 Hunlock Series will see mind games on a par with Ferguson-vs-Keegan?

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 Monday’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 for the first time in 2020.

HOW TO REGISTER

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 Monday, 16 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 2019.

ENTRY FEE
2019 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 cost is £5.

New players or players from other clubs can play by paying the £10 entry fee which includes a free Hunlock Series shirt of the team which has drafted you.

6 September 20196 September 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

2 current and 1 former Herts players are in the GB European Championship roster. They face Netherlands tomorrow.

Two current and one former member of the Herts Falcons will represent Great Britain this week in the European Championships. Catcher Conner Brown and infielder Gary Davison are included in the 24-man roster announced a few minutes ago.

Herts fans will also notice that former Falcons and all-time home run leader in the National Baseball League, Maikel Azcuy, will be playing alongside them.

Conner Brown has inspired many Herts youth players. He has a chance to do it again with GB over the next 10 days.

GB Team staff have kept the roster a secret for as long as they could but with less than 24 hours before their opening game they have announced a strong squad which will be looking to secure a place in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The European Championships will be played from 7 to 15 September in Germany. It will feature the twelve top teams in Europe and the games will be played at the ballparks in Bonn and Solingen.

Gary Davison (centre) with Carlos Peña (left) and Cliff Floyd (right) at the 2017 MLB Battlegrounds in Hyde Park. Photo credit Extra Innings UK.

There is even more at stake as, apart from the European Championship crown, teams are also battling for a place in the 2020 Olympic Games qualifier. Immediately after the European Championships the best five teams will play in the European-African Olympic qualifier. The winner of this tournament would book their ticket to Tokyo. The runner-up will have a second chance to gain an Olympic spot through another world qualification tournament.

In 2015 Maikel Azcuy became the all-time NBL home run leader

Great Britain’s first game is in Solingen against the Netherlands who are ranked 8^th in the world going into the tournament. The game is at 3pm BST (4pm local time) on Saturday, 7 September,

Games will be streamed live on the WBSC TV channel.

Click to WATCH Great Britain vs Netherlands 3pm BST, 7 Sep 2019

1 September 201920 December 2020 by Herts Baseball News Editor

WATCH: Robert Smith becomes the first ever Herts player to appear in the U18 World Cup

Earlier today, over 5,600 miles away, Robert Smith became the first ever Herts player to appear in the U18 World Cup.

He took the mound in relief in the third inning for South Africa against Panama, who already had an unassailable lead. Below is the video link to the game.

Smith allowed only 3 earned runs for the remainder of the game which gives him the third best ERA out of the eight South African pitchers who have pitched so far.

South Africa is ranked 23rd in the world and has been drawn in a particularly difficult group with the number one and two seeds, Japan and USA, respectively. They will play Spain next tomorrow Monday, 2 September, at 15:30 local time. The games are played at the impressive newly-unveiled Gijang-Hyundai Dream Ballpark in Busan, South Korea.

29 August 2019 by Rob Jones

Falcons fall flat in final face-off

The Herts Falcons’ season had already been eventful. New recruits. Big homers. A dramatic win over the defending champions. A trip to Europe.

The finale was to be the playoff weekend for the National Baseball League at Farnham Park. Herts were seeded third and would face the London Capitals, seeded 2. They had played some tight games in the regular season but the London side had the better of the results.

In the first game of the weekend the reigning NBL champion London Mets had beaten the Essex Arrows to book their place in the final. Herts were the only side to beat the Mets this year, so they would be able to draw on that memory — if they could make it through.

Unlike last year’s windswept Saturday at Farnham Park, this was a hot, still and dusty day.

The shortstop Miguel Rodriguez led off for the Falcons, and worked the count to 3-1 before grounding out to the second baseman. Carlos Casal and Ryan Trask both made good contact but the ball flew to the outfielders. A steady enough start, but no runs.

Dom Hill was on the mound for the Falcons. He was solid, but in many ways this first frame set the tone for the day. Everything would just work out well for the Capitals, and they would execute their plan in a way Herts simply couldn’t.

The first London runner got on base, but only by half a step with a soft infield hit. He stole second straight away, showing the aggressive approach which London would adopt all game.

The only solid contact of the inning, a single to left field, brought him home and the Capitals took a 1-0 lead.

Jarrod Pretorius was the first Herts base-runner of the day, talking a walk. But that was all the Falcons could manage, and in the bottom of the second frame some loose fielding cost them dear.

The Capitals’ leadoff man again got on base and stole second, the next batter reached on the first error of the inning. Hill fought back to get the next two outs, including his first strikeout. But another bobble on the infield allowed the third run to come in.

London were able to do more damage in the bottom of the third, helped by a scattering of walks. An excellent running catch by Casal in centre field helped hold the base runners in a tough situation.

But the Capitals were able to bring in four more runs, before Falcons manager Cris Hiche made his first pitching change. Gary Davison came on with two outs, and the bases loaded, and got a strikeout to close the inning.

London now led 7-0. In the top of the fourth, Herts got their first hit when Davison drove a ground ball up the middle. He was advanced to third by a double from Pretorius, before Walter Bates took a walk to load the bases and Herts threatened for the first time.

But remember that tone we talked about in the first inning? It could be seen here. Phil Clark grounded to the pitcher, who threw out the runner at the plate, and the catcher just – just – doubled off Clark at first. The roll of the dice did not go Herts’ way, and the Capitals executed perfectly.

Herts retired the side in order in the bottom of the fourth, throwing up their first donut of the day. And in the top of the fifth they got on the scoreboard.

Moise Vasquez came off the bench in to the 9 spot in the batting order, and hit a one-out double that roused the bench. After advancing to third on a single by Rodriguez he then went a step further in making things happen.

Rodriguez stole second and when the catcher tried unsuccessfully to gun him down, Vasquez took off for home. He slid in, in a cloud of dust, to score the first Falcons run.

Herts kept the line moving but a pair of fly-outs ended another rally. And the Capitals were able to respond this time.

A pair of walks and a flurry of hits padded the lead which had only recently seemed under threat. Davison was pulled with the bases loaded and one out, but reliever Carlos Casal then battled to throw strikes. Alex Deacon replaced him, walking his first batter before striking out his second to end the fifth.

The walks were part of the undoing of Herts on the day – 12 base on balls, compared with 6 strikeouts. The Falcons didn’t exactly agree with all the calls – in fact, manager Cris Hiche was ejected for arguing the point with the home plate umpire – but they couldn’t change them.

London scored six in the fifth, to take their lead to 13-1. But Herts showed spirit to rally again, and this time pushed some runs across the plate. Pretorius, Clark and Marco Pestana got aboard, with Moise Vasquez applying the blow to drive in the Falcons’ second run.

Another followed when Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, and more on an infield hit by Deacon. But the fairytale opportunity for a grand slam by Pretorius did not materialise, as he was struck out to end the inning.

The score moved to 13-5 but the Capitals couldn’t be kept quiet and they led 17-5 going into the top of the seventh. Herts needed something big to extend the game, and though Walter Bates led it off with a hit, and finally came round to score (driven in by Vasquez, of course) it wasn’t enough.

The Capitals sealed their place in the final 17-6 in seven innings.

The Falcons’ manager Cris Hiche was clearly disappointed, but also reflective: “Today just wasn’t our day”, he said.

“We were flat and, against a team that was firing on all cylinders, it was too much for us. Although we could have given the Capitals a much tougher fight, they executed every opportunity flawlessly.”

The Falcons were the only Herts team to make the playoffs, after some setbacks for the Hawks and a controversy about the Londoners. But it has been a tremendous year of growth for the club, and of success in other ways.

Hiche is already looking ahead to how to improve: “It’s a real shame for all our Herts fans and also the wider public who expected a close game, like we have always had against the Caps. No doubt we’ll learn from this loss though, and come back stronger next year.”

The focus now turns to youth baseball in September, with Herts looking to enter teams in the Youth National Baseball Championships at Farnham Park. The club will then host its own Herts Futures Tournament on September 21st, attracting clubs from around the country.

26 August 201923 August 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Players have started registering for the 2019 Hunlock Series

The 2019 BBF league season will soon be coming to a close, but arguably the best part of the season is still 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 fourteenth year of the Hunlock Series. In its inaugural year in 2006 two teams were involved, the Falcons and the Hawks. Herts Baseball Club has been growing rapidly since then and the format of the competition has evolved. As players sign up over the next few weeks we will know how many teams will enter the Series this year.

SERIES FORMAT

This year’s competition will be played over three Sundays. The opening games will be played on Sunday, 22 September. The second round of games will take place on Sunday, 29 September, with the final round scheduled for Sunday, 6 October. If weather conditions affect the first three weeks, 13 October is available as a backup date.

In 2014 we introduced “The 9th Inning Games” where games are played over a single inning. We will be doing this again this year. 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 teams will be selected by the team managers during the Hunlock Series Draft. Who will be the first round picks? How will minor league players and newcomers 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 observing these games, players who have been pushing for promotion to a higher league team will have the perfect opportunity during the Hunlock Series to make a claim to play on the bigger stage in 2019. The club has also received enquiries from many potential new members over the last few weeks and this event is the ideal opportunity for them to come and play.

HOW TO REGISTER

All Hunlock Series players will be drafted into teams. To be eligible for the Draft you will need to update your availability for ALL the Hunlock Series dates in the online Clubhouse by Friday, 13 September. If you miss the deadline or the first one or two weeks of games, don’t worry. You will still be eligible to play but will have to be assigned as a free agent 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 2019.

New players or players from other clubs can play by paying the £10 entry fee which includes a free Hunlock Series shirt of the team which has drafted you.

16 August 201916 August 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Baseball Club issue statement on Herts Londoners

Earlier this evening Herts Baseball Club issued the following statement regarding the Herts Londoners:Friday, 16 August 2019

On Tuesday, 13 August 2019, Herts Baseball Club submitted an appeal in relation to the way the playoff places had been allocated in the BBF Triple-A League, after the Herts Londoners finished in a 3-way tie for the two remaining places.

We have now received the decision of the BBF Appeals Committee confirming that our appeal has been rejected and therefore the Herts Londoners have been eliminated from the Triple-A League Postseason.

This is a heavy blow for the Herts Londoners players, in particular, who have worked so hard to earn their place in the Postseason, but they and our club as a whole accept and respect the decision of the BBF.

We have seen a large number of comments on social networks, speculating about the grounds for our appeal.

In the interest of accuracy, below we have included links to our appeal document and the decision of the BBF Appeals Committee. We hoped the BBF will also publish the decision in accordance with its procedures, but we feel that it is important to publish it now in order to avoid any further speculation and inaccurate information being posted on social networks.

We understand that the Appeals Committee was made up of the other six teams in the Triple-A League. We also understand that the Appeals Committee may not have received a copy of our appeal document and therefore they may not have been aware of the grounds on which our club is appealing against the Triple-A playoff places.

This dispute was never about an argument with a specific club, and we have no ill will towards any of the Triple-A teams which have gone forward to the postseason. Our concern was that published rules were not being followed, and we feel this sets a worrying precedent for the future governance of our leagues. We hope our position on this case, and on the underlying issue, will be clarified by the documents we are now releasing.

We thank the BBF and in particular the BBF Board members who had the difficult task of stepping into the vacant role of BBF Senior League Commissioner at a very short notice.

The Herts Londoners extend their gratitude to the other six teams in the Triple-A League for a very enjoyable season and some truly memorable games.

We take the opportunity to wish all the very best to the five remaining teams in the Triple-A League Postseason.

· LINK: Herts Baseball Club appeal document

· LINK: BBF Appeals Committee decision on the appeal by Herts Baseball Club

Note: In accordance with data protection guidelines, names, email addresses and other personal information has been removed from the document links above.

Herts Baseball Club

15 August 201929 August 2019 by Rob Jones

Honours even as Herts sides clash again

A Herts derby is not like a normal baseball game.

The national anthem was played as the Herts Eagles and Herts Raptors took their places along the baselines for a pre-game formality at Basing Hill Ballpark. The Herts Londoners got an opening ceremony earlier in the season, why shouldn’t the Eagles get one, too, at its tail end?

The usual Basing Hill playlist of Eighties rock classics was augmented by some new tunes. Lil Nas X made an appearance (on the playlist, not on the field). This would be a special day.

When these two teams met at Grovehill, the Eagles swept the double-header. Could they repeat for a season sweep?

Game 1 got under way with Yasu Ichige on the mound for the Eagles. It didn’t start as smoothly as he might have liked, with the Raptors’ leadoff man and pitcher Matt Jackson getting aboard with a single, and Oli Durer then hit by a pitch.

Laurence Currington drove in Jackson, while Callum Barwick — who had reached on a fielder’s choice – was brought home by GB youth player, Harry Quixley.

But the home side dug in defensively, with a catch by shortstop Rob Gibson and a groundout limiting the damage to two runs. When Ichige faced the lineup again in the second inning, he stepped up a gear and struck out the side. He ended with 7 K’s.

In between, the Eagles’ bats had given them the lead. Gibson took Jackson deep for his second home run of the year. This was just the first instalment in a dominant day at the plate for the rookie shortstop – only the time limit on Game 1 kept him from a chance at the cycle.

His team-mates helped build a big lead in the bottom of the second, bringing home the maximum 5 runs. Catcher Rob Jones drove in a pair, while there were hits for Andy Stratford and Louis Verman.

The visitors did not surrender easily, of course. Dan Shaw hit a double, and the team totalled 8 hits, only one behind their hosts.

But the Eagles were mostly able to keep them from scoring. Alex Trautman applied a neat tag to get out a base-runner at third, while Zack Longboy made an improbable leaping catch to end the third inning and save a run.

It ended 10-5 to the home side. Yasu Ichige took the complete game win, his second victory of the year.

The second half of this double header – and the final quarter of the season’s derby drama – would see a measure of revenge for the Raptors.

They came out of the blocks fast, with Harry Quixley and Paul Barton among those scoring in the first inning. Matt Jackson — who didn’t make an out all day long – had started it all off.

On the mound for the Raptors, Barton was calmly dealing. After inducing two pop-ups, he got the key strikeout of Zack Longboy to end the first inning. Only one batter reached in the second.

A double from Laurence Currington helped to add on in the third and the Raptors led 6-0 in the middle of the third.

The pattern of this game saw the Eagles being effective on offense only in bursts. The inning was either scoreless, or was a maximum 5-run affair. So, in the bottom of the third, ground rule doubles from Rob Gibson, Adam Porte and Darren Priest were among the hits. The Eagles were back in it.

The Raptors were more consistent, though, scoring in every inning. Catcher Kai Rajah was the last man to cross the plate, giving them a 14-10 lead and the chance to close it out in the final, unlimited inning.

The Eagles hopes of a dramatic rally were high, especially when Kumail Jaffer got the last of his four hits on the day to lead it off. But Barton and his defense did what they needed to do.

Two force-outs at second base and a liner to Callum Barwick at third ended the contest. 14-10 to the Raptors, their third win of the season.

The day had delivered everything it promised – as did the season’s four derby match-ups. Both sides have one more fixture remaining, and will look forward to building on their foundations next year.

30 July 2019 by Rob Jones

Herts come up empty after last inning dramas

Sometimes, sport can be a thing of beauty and can raise you up. Sometimes, it can be agonising. This one was an agonising weekend for the Herts baseball club.

The Herts Raptors of the Single-A league travelled to the Essex Redbacks, missing some regulars because of injury and summer holidays. But they were also bolstered by a clutch of Great Britain Under-15 stars.

Josh Jones and Harry Quixley joined regulars Alex Paterson, Dan Moran and Nico Durer. They all recently took part in a successful tournament in Germany.

Herts were able to get a run across in the first frame, before Durer took the mound as starting pitcher. He had trouble throughout the game getting his strike zone to match up with that of the umpire, but battled hard.

He was backed up by some good plays in the field – from Moran at third base, and nice saves from Jones at first. Mantas Poderys at second base also fielded calmly.

John Kjorstad again swung a strong bat for Herts and they were able to take a lead into the final inning. But the Raptors have suffered a series of final inning setbacks this year and this was to be another. The Redbacks hitting and persistent larceny on the bases helped them come back to win 10-9.

Game 2 saw the Herts visitors keep their noses in front from the off. Better base-running and hitting gave them a good lead. Dan Shaw and Nico Durer got hits, and Moran was on the mound this time, pitching solidly.

But Essex chipped back into the Raptors lead, and their reliever Sean Briscomb was again able to shut down the offense, as in Game 1. It was to come down to the final inning again.

Manager Matt Jackson stepped up to take the responsibility of the last outs, and made good pitches. But the Redbacks loaded the bases and a whiff of confusion after the fly ball which led to the second out was enough for them to capitalise. This time it was 11-10.

Raptors again played with good spirit and improved even as the game went on. Redbacks have a great record this year and earned their wins, but Herts can take many good things from their performance.

Also in Single-A, the Herts Eagles hosted the league-leading London Musketeers, with nobody expecting a home win. But Herts veteran Arnie Longboy pitched a gem which saw the Eagles take an early lead. It was 2-0 in the third.

London fought back, as you would expect them to. They had a couple of big innings. But Herts tied it at 10-10 to take the game to extra innings.

Longboy pitched a 3-up, 3-down top of the frame and the game was poised for Herts to secure a famous shock victory.

Then came the real gut-punch.

Adam Porte and Lewis Harrison got on base. They were both hit by pitch, surely a sign that the Musketeers were wobbling. Next came a scorching hit from Jamie Lang, only recently recruited to the Eagles.

But instead of being the walk-off, winning hit, as it first appeared, it went straight to the first baseman. He caught it – one out – stepped on the bag for two, and alertly threw to the shortstop at second base to get the final runner. In a flash, the threat was over.

London managed to score a go-ahead run in the top of the next inning, before retiring the Eagles and taking an 11-10 win. Their relief and delight was clear. This game had been a huge leap forward for the Eagles compared with the last time they faced the Musketeers, in week 2 of the season.

Mike Wakelam got the ball for Game 2 and turned in another excellent pitching performance, but the offense could not back him up this time. It ended 12-4 to London.

Co-manager Aspi Dimitrov was impressed with his players: “Ordinarily, two defeats might be demoralising, but the margin and the close nature of the defeats against such a good side were a huge boost for the Eagles. It really shows the progress everyone has made”.

In Triple-A, the Herts Londoners were away at the Essex Redbacks. Like the Raptors, they had young talent to call on, with Chris Gregory and Aaron Witter among the pitchers in two close games.

Miguel Sarmiento continued to drive in runs, but Herts could not take the wins this time, going down 10-7 and 8-6 on a grey day.

The Herts Hawks made the long trip to the Bournemouth Bears to suffer a 16-2 defeat, while the Herts Falcons of the NBL saw their games rained off. There is a toss-up there as to who suffered the bigger agony.

26 July 2019 by Herts Baseball News Editor

Johnny Fretheim to make Herts Falcons debut on Sunday

Herts Falcons have announced that Great Britain Under-23 National Team infielder Johnny Fretheim has joined the club. He will make his debut in Sunday’s doubleheader against the reigning National Baseball League champions, the London Mets. The game starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

Fretheim is currently at Texas State University and will be with the Falcons for a limited period of time as he will be joining up with the Great Britain U23 National Team for the European Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, from 7 to 11 August.

Herts fans are well acquainted with Johnny Fretheim as he has come up against Herts adult and youth teams over the years including the dramatic 2013 Under-17 National Final when Herts lost 6-9 to the Cobham Cougars.

This will be his debut in a Herts uniform but there are many familiar faces for him on the Falcons roster, including Miguel Rodriguez and Conner Brown with whom he has attended MLB Elite Academy Camps over the years.