Category: Featured

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Historic day for everyone connected with Herts Baseball Club

Falcons philosophical after their 18th consecutive win (photo by Richard Lee www.richardleephotography.org)

The Herts Falcons won their home doubleheader versus the Essex Redbacks to end the regular season on top of the National Baseball League, for the first time in the club’s 17-year history. They finish with a record of 24 wins and 4 losses. The London Mets (23-5) and the Southampton Mustangs (23-5) finished a game behind, but it is the Mets who clinch second place on the tie-break rule (head-to-head record between the two teams). This means that London join Herts to go through to the Semi-Finals, while Southampton have to go through the quarter-finals of the Playoffs, despite an outstanding regular season which they ended on a 16-game winning streak.

The Falcons beat the Redbacks 7-3 and 15-0 at Grovehill Ballpark. Michael Osborn was the winning pitcher in the first game picking up his sixth win of the season for an overall record of 6 wins and no losses. 14-year-old Tom Everex-Armstrong made his NBL debut for the Falcons and fans of the club hope that this is the first of many NBL seasons with Herts.

Another no-hitter by Ryan Bird (photo by Richard Lee www.richardleephotography.org)

Ryan Bird produced another outstanding pitching performance throwing a complete game no-hitter for a second consecutive game after his no-hitter at the Pirates last weekend. Only a walk allowed in the third inning prevented him from making it a perfect game. He ends the regular season with an ERA of 0.00 and a record of 5-0, despite starting only 2 games.

Game 1 Box Scores (click to view)

Game 2 Box Scores (click to view)

The Redbacks ended the season with 2 wins and 26 losses and may feel that they could have done better in their debut season in the NBL, but this should not discourage them. They have an amazing group of people at the club and perseverance will help them to go through this difficult period and come out stronger on the other side.

Sunday’s games may not have been the edge-of-your-seat-drama which Herts fans have become accustomed to, but this was all about making history winning the club’s first ever NBL pennant. The players and coaching staff took the opportunity to thank the club’s loyal fans, whose number has been growing visibly over the course of the season.

The date for Falcons supporters to put in their diaries is Sunday, 15 September which will feature the Semi-Final between the Herts Falcons and one of the teams which will join them at Franham Park via the Playoffs.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Kent get ‘Slatered’ in the first, but Hawks need Devine intervention for second

by Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan

With the Hawks already through to the playoffs, this was all down to where they were going to finish in the table and determine their next round opposition. The first game went as planned but the second was much tighter and needed something a playoff deserved.

Game 1 started in style; with a runner on base, Andy Cornish belted his third home run of the season deep over the left field fence. From there, the bats kept going with 13 runs crossing the plate in the second inning. On the other side Andy Slater kept throwing strikes, and ended the day with a solid 7 strikeouts over 5 innings. The game ended 22-9 going 5 innings. John Kjorstad ended the game batting 4-5, with 5RBIs, and Cornish 3-5 with 5RBIs.

In the second game Kent came out firing and the Hawks were giving them help along the way in the form of a multiple misplays and even an error on the number of outs. With runners on first and second, a ground ball went to Devine at short. He fielded cleanly, tossed to Ben Marques at second, who fired to John Kjorstad at first, a smooth double play. John flipped the ball towards the mound and the infield trotted off. Quickly, the outfield got message to the infield that it was only 2 outs, but by then the runner from third had crossed the plate.

Hawks are getting a reputation for losing count. This latest blunder goes along with the club’s 2012“knob out” trophy which they were awarded last year for thinking they won the game an inning early.

Alas, Hunter Devine wasn’t finished with this story. With an inside the park home run, putting Devine second in the HR category for the team, the Hawks tied the game going into the final inning. Kent were able to get one back. And they could have plated additional runs were it not for the final out at home. With Cornish mis-playing a pitch, he was able to retrieve the ball and get back to the plate in time to block the runner coming in from third.

Hawks now needed one run to tie and two to win. Paul Auchterlounie was able to get around the bases and score the tying run with one down. It was now Hunter’s turn to once again do some damage. With Bobby Gould at third and Greg Bochan at second, Devine crushed a pitch through the middle to score Bobby and end the second game. Devine finished 3-4 with 4RBIs and his second walk off hit of the year. Ben Marques went 2-2 but went off injured – Aspi’s special massage lotion has been sent to ensure that he is ready for the playoff games. Greg Bochan finished with 7 innings pitched, 5 earned runs, 7 strike outs, and a hard fought 13-12 win.

A dramatic win to end the season, something that was a bit too close for comfort, but a good season all round, ending 5th in the table with a 9-7 record. The Hawks can look forward to going straight into their post season with a game on Sunday against the Sidewinders, a team that beat the Hawks 5-4 only three weeks ago.

Andy Cornish, Hawks co-manager, commented ‘Jeez, what a game! We didn’t help ourselves in that second game. Maybe we were already eating our burgers, but we managed to get through. Everyone played their part, and we need to just build on that and enjoy the next few games. We have exceeded my expectations for this season, but now my expectations have changed and every week, I want to win. Every other team had better watch out, Here come the Hawks baby!’

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons on verge of making history this Sunday. Hawks also play to determine playoff path.

FALCONS vs REDBACKS (National Baseball League)

Last Sunday the Herts Falcons secured an automatic place in the NBL Semi-Finals and will not have to go through the lottery of the playoffs. Some would say that, as a result, this Sunday’s final games of the NBL regular season are not significant. However, the Falcons will know that they have the opportunity to make history if they can win both games of their doubleheader against the Essex Redbacks.

In its 17-year history Herts Baseball Club has never won the NBL pennant awarded to the team finishing in first place over the course of the regular league season. The Herts Falcons reached the NBL postseason in 2009 and 2012, but they have never won the pennant. They came close last season finishing second behind the Harlow Nationals, one and a half games back with a record of 17 wins and 6 losses.

Before this weekend’s final games the Herts Falcons are tied with the London Mets, however the Mets have an advantage based on conceding less runs in the head-to-head games between the two teams. This means that the Falcons will need to win both games this Sunday to jump ahead of the Mets and win the 2013 NBL pennant. The NBL champion will be determined in the postseason games in September, but for Herts fans picking up the pennant on Sunday would mean a great deal.

The game starts at 12pm on Sunday, 18 August, at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead and a good number of fans are expected to be there.

HAWKS vs MARINERS (Double-A League)

Fans will also be making their way to Grovehill Ballpark to see the Herts Hawks in their final game before the Double-A League playoffs. Southampton’s win against the Kent Mariners last Sunday guaranteed a playoff place for the Hawks so similar to the Falcons, the season is not on the line on the last day of the regular season, but the outcome of the game this Sunday will determine the path which the team will have to go through in the playoffs.

The Hawks currently occupy sixth place. If the team fails to win both games on Sunday, they will stay in sixth place and will face a trip to Guildford in the first round of the playoffs on 25 August. However, if they win both games against Kent on Sunday this put them ahead of Daws Hill Spitfires into fifth place, which means that they would be facing the Sidewinders instead. The Sidewinders have already approached Herts to plan such scenario and due to a clash at their venue, they have proposed that the game is played at Grovehill Ballpark. So there is still a lot to be decided this Sunday.

Game starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark this Sunday.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Bird pitches a masterpiece 15 Ks no-hitter shutout win

by Cristobal Hiche

If baseball was decided on paper, the Toronto Blue Jays should be on top of the AL East rather than in last place. Similarly, every Herts fan (and Falcons players too) could have thought the Falcons (20-4) would just get two easy wins against South London Pirates (7-17). However Falcons players knew quite well that a loss would mean losing 1st place and possibly having to play quarter-finals playoff games. This meant for those die-hard fans who went all the way to South London to watch the games, they got to see the ‘Blitzkrieg’ offensive style in the first game and a rare gem in the second game.

The first game started with some Bingo Bango, with Falcons scoring 4 runs in the top of the first inning. This was partially helped by various errors by the Pirates defence. The relentless Herts offence continued with runs scored in each inning and by the top of the 4th it was already 12-0 thanks to another great day with the bat for Ryan Bird (3-4, 4RBI), Xavi Gonzalez (2-4, 4R, 3RBI), Carlos Velazco-Carus (2-3, 2RBI) and John Blose (3-3, 1RBI). As usual, Robbie Unsell was pitching a solid game but in the bottom of the 4th he got himself in a bit of trouble and with men on 1st and 2nd, allowed a base-clearing double by Aaron Rowlands to make the score 12-2. Herts Falcons scored another run in the top of the 5th and closed the door on the Pirates’ batters to win it on the mercy-rule with the final score 13-2.

The second game started the same way with 2 runs scored by the Falcons in the top of the 1st. Now I could continue to describe about the good offensive performances of Ryan Bird (3-5, 3RBI), Xavi Gonzalez (3-5, 2RBI), Cris Hiche (2-3) Darrin Ward (2-3) or any of the other players that hit well this afternoon. However, the story of the day is the gem thrown by Ryan Bird in his 1st start of the season. Ryan Bird threw a complete, no-hitter, shutout game which is probably one of the finest performances in the recent history of the NBL. Not only that, but he did that by striking out 15 batters (71% of all the outs) and only walking two batters in the entire game. Maybe it was the very unusual all-lefty battery (Ryan pitching and Cris Hiche catching), or the Bingo Bango written in a player’s forearm, that confused and maybe intimidated the Pirates’ lineup. But I think most likely it was the great command of Ryan’s fastball and his ability to constantly and accurately hit the corners of the plate.

With these two wins Falcons stay in 1st place and are one step closer to finishing 1st in the regular season, which would be a great achievement in itself for this team. Falcons Manager, Lee Manning, summarised the day by saying: “We played two great games. It was important not to take Pirates for granted and all the players showed that. Everybody gave 100% and hit well”. He had special words for the pitchers: “Robbie pitched very well as usual but Ryan stole the spotlight by throwing an amazing no-hitter shutout. This gives us the confidence of having great depth for the finals and that Ryan can pitch at least 6-7 solid innings”. He would not comment if Ryan has won a starting spot for the playoffs, but quipped that this is bad news for all the other teams.

The die-hard Falcons fans left the ballpark happy seeing such unique performance and that their long trip was worthwhile. It’s possible that history might be re-written once again this Sunday when Falcons face Redbacks for the season finale at home. Therefore I really encourage everyone to come this Sunday to Grovehill, enjoy the sunny day, get a tan, and of course watch some exciting Bingo Bango baseball.

 

by Duncan Hoyle

Eagles boss steps down after two very successful seasons at the helm

On Sunday the Herts Eagles 2013 BBF season was completed with a double header against Leicester at Grovehill Ballpark.
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Amazingly the Eagles have not lost a game to the weather this year, despite the amount of fixtures being increased to 14 and last year’s swimming pool of a season still in the memory, which has meant the season has been completed relatively early.
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And fittingly the day was a great day of Single-A baseball, with both sides fielding the majority of their sides with youngsters and rookie players, with the two games being split with one win each.
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Ben Marques picked up his first career win on the mound (photo by Rob Jones)

In the first game Ben Marques showed a lot of class and composure to record his first career pitching win to get the Eagles off to a great start on the day, while in the second Leicester showed character to hit back and win despite Manny Banson playing his heart out for the Eagles to get on base every one of his 5 at bats.

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There is no doubt this season has been a tough learning curve for the Eagles. However a 4 – 10 win-loss record is something to be pleased with when you consider over 70% of the Eagles roster has been made up of rookie players in their first full season of baseball, and it looks as though they will finish only 2 or 3 wins off the playoff zone. There have been some great performances, both as a team and individually. The shock victory over the Eagles sister team and Farnham Park playoff-bound Raptors will live long in the memory of the Eagles who played that day, and the sheer jubilation of coming back from the dead to beat local rivals Milton Keynes was also a highlight that spoke volumes for the enthusiasm and character of the Eagles.
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Individually, there has been numerous good displays from the Eagles. Youngsters Mike Cresswell, Charlie Day, Adam Landau Smithers and Jamie Lang have all had excellent seasons and have displayed a superb attitude throughout. Added to the enthusiasm of club favourites Manny Banson and Tomasz Kosak, the experience of Rob Jones, feared slugger Adrian Smithers, the dependable Texan, Serge Plata, the eager Chetan Shah, and Will Belbin, who has had his best season to date, there have been a lot of positives to take from the season. Late season signings Chris Eley and Rob Gibson have also showed enormous potential in the short time they have been with the club.
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After 2 years in the Eagles hot seat, manager Duncan Hoyle will be standing down to focus on his playing career. But whoever takes over will go into the job with the knowledge that they will have a strong foundation to build upon, with hopefully a new intake of promising players to add to the clubs growth. It is very pleasing to see a total of 7 of last year’s Eagles currently playing a part in the Raptors and Hawks play off push and the hope is that this year’s Eagles will soon start to progress through the Herts organisation.
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There is still the end of season stats to look forward to, with scorer and umpire Joseph Osborne-Brade currently working hard to get the winners of the respective batting and pitching awards announced. A special mention should be made to Joseph, currently battling hard to return from a serious injury for his dedication in supporting the Eagles this season.
by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts players thrown in at the deep end come through with flying colours

Another solid outing on the mound for Tom Everex-Armstrong

The Herts Ravens went into the game with second-placed Cambridge Royals knowing that they are out of the playoff race. In such circumstances MLB teams would usually sell their highly-paid star players and bring in younger talent from their lower league teams with a view to building for the future. In many ways the Ravens have adopted a similar approach from the very first pitch of the season back in April, but against the Royals this was even more obvious with four of the nine players in the starting line-up being call-ups from the club’s Single-A and Double-A League teams. Furthermore, three of the other five starting players were between 14 and 17 years of age.

This was the most difficult test possible and it is games like these that reveal the most about players. They have the easy option of letting their heads drop and accept defeat or alternatively they can fight for every inch. The Herts Ravens chose the latter and fans of Herts can be safe in the knowledge that players with very good potential and a lot of character are coming through the ranks.

They faced Royals’ starting pitcher Matt Maitland who has had 9 seasons in the National Baseball League with the Bracknell Blazers. Maitland was never going to allow many runs so the Ravens had to match him defensively if they were to stay in the game. That task fell largely on the shoulders of 14-year-old starting pitcher, Tom Everex-Armstrong, but he was also able to rely on the support of his teammates who conceded only 3 errors, which is a good number compared to the team’s average this season and given the fact that 4 of the 9 players were making their Triple-A League debut.

Everex-Armstrong was effective limiting the Royals to 2 runs on 4 hits through the first 5 innings. He was completing innings with around 15 pitches per inning and that allowed him to go deep into the game. In the sixth inning with the score tied 2-2, Cambridge had their leadoff batter on third base with one out representing the go-ahead run. Up stepped Doug Grabowski who apart from making the headlines with his pitching has also shown that he is a major threat with the bat having hit a home run in their previous game at Finsbury Park against the London Mets II. The Ravens decided to walk him intentionally. Everex-Armstrong needed to get the next batter out, ideally with a strikeout. He did his job and got the strikeout, but one of his pitches bounced on the ground going all the way to the backstop allowing the go-ahead run to come in. That was Everex-Armstrong’s last batter as he reached his 95th pitch which is a league limit for players under the age of 17. The Royals scored one more run in that inning to take a 4-2 lead.

It came down to the final inning. The Ravens needed 2 runs to tie the game and take it into extra innings, or 3 to win it. The lightning-fast Sony Lama beat out a ground ball to reach first. Two quick outs followed, but a double by Liam Green drove Lama home to make the score 4-3. With the powerful clean-up bat of John Kjorstad coming up next for Herts and the speedy Liam Green in scoring position, suddenly there was hope that they can cause a major upset. The Royals had to act and they did, bringing in Doug Grabowski and his 0.00 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 19 innings for the season. He closed the game with four pitches (fastball, fastball, changeup, fastball) striking out Kjorstad.

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Game two was not as tense, largely due to the Ravens defence which committed 7 errors. Herts kept pace in the first 3 innings when the score was 5-3, but disastrous fourth and fifth innings proved costly for Herts. The 19-4 score line was not pleasant to look at but that should not take away from the character shown by the team in the first game which had everyone on the edge of their seats right to the final pitch by Doug Grabowski.

The Ravens will end their 2013 season on Sunday, 25 August, with a home doubleheader against playoff contenders, London Mets II.

(Game 1) Cambridge Royals 4 Herts Ravens 3 (click to view box scores)

(Game 2) Cambridge Royals 18 Herts Ravens 4 (click to view box scores)

by Herts Baseball News Editor

The stage was set…and then Southampton ruined the script

The Hawks are preparing for last year's playoff drama all over again.

News of the surprising 9-0 win by the Kent Mariners over the Daws Hill Spitfires filtered through the newswires last week. This meant that the Mariners were the only team which could leap over the Herts Hawks into sixth place which is the last unclaimed ticket to this year’s Double-A League playoffs. The schedule published at the start of the year had determined that the Herts Hawks will face the Kent Mariners on the final day of the regular season (18 August) with the winner progressing through to the first round of the playoffs. The stage was set – a baseball clash at Grovehill Ballpark with everything on the line.

However, the second-from-the-bottom Southampton Mustangs did not read the script and on Sunday produced the shock of the weekend sinking the Mariners convincingly 26-3.

This means that there will not be a do-or-die scenario this coming weekend in Hemel Hempstead, but the Hawks can start to celebrate a place in the playoffs for a second successive year.

Under the authoritarian regime of co-managers Andy Cornish and Greg Bochan, the Hawks have managed to keep up with the top teams in this league, despite losing the majority of their 2012 roster, after many of the players moved up to the club’s Triple-A expansion team, the Herts Ravens. The Hawks currently stand with a record of 7 wins and 7 losses (.500 winning percentage), but despite clinching a postseason spot, they would love to end the regular season above .500. This Sunday’s matchup with the Kent Mariners may not have the drama which everyone was expecting, but there will certainly be a lot to play for, as far as the Hawks are concerned. It will also be an opportunity for the managers to make a final assessment of the team roster and decide on the starting lineup for the first round of the playoffs which will be played on Sunday, 25 August. Some players, like Ilya Dimitrov, have just changed their flights to make sure they can land in time for the postseason games, so the preparations have began.

Next week we will be publishing further information about who the Hawks will be facing in the playoffs.

by Ken Pike

September blues? Not this time.

 

Raptors celebrate making post season
The Herts Raptors celebrated a successful season despite losing their last game.

By Ken Pike

Well that’s it, another season said and done for the Raptors. Time to pack our backs, go home for a long off-season and chill ou….wait…what? Finals? Funny guy, pull the other one. Oh, you’re serious? Well I never! The erstwhile ‘Craptors’ have shed  the mantle of rubbishdom in exuberant style and made it to the post season. This is a team that three years ago struggled to get any wins and now they are through to Farnham Park! Not as a wildcard either, but as one of the top two seeds. Probably second, as the Marauders at the time of writing need 1 win from their last two. While Milton Keynes could give them a run for their money it would be a BIG upset were they to lose to the 2sox (and I mean no offense to Leicester who have played with heart and soul, but not the same level of success as the Marauders).

Either way that means a first round bye, home field advantage in the semi finals on September 7th. If they get to the finals they would also enjoy homefield advantage against any team except (possibly) the Marauders. Admittedly there were a couple of stumbles along the way. Mid season saw a run of two defeats to sister-team the Eagles (congrats to them for a very respectable four wins from the season) and pool rivals the MK Coyotes, while the end of the season saw them trip up again in the last two games against the Dukes and Tonbridge. But despite those blips they have also beaten each of the other pool leaders, and every second placed team bar the Dukes as well so they can go to Farnham confident of being capable of beating any team they face. Sadly they won’t have the air of impenetrability and momentum that they had mid-July though. That said, they should benefit from the return of their young pitchers Zac Longboy and Will Zucker whom they were deprived of for almost all of those four losses, and, subject-to-appeal the powerful bat of Glen Downer who could return from a long absence.

So who have been the standout performers that got the Raptors to this stage? First plaudits have to go to Arnie Longboy. The first Raptors coach to take the team to post season will put him in Herts history books, and his (usually) calm and considered leadership saw the team play with a competence and level-headedness that saw them come back from behind to win in style on several occasions. I believe it is his firm  insistence on base running discipline that has led the Raptors to being the most offensively dominant team in the league despite not having any real power hitters to speak of.

As for play, starting from the mound and going round, the afore mentioned Zac and Will have been leading lights joined by Brodie Careess. The young trio have two wins a piece and truly demonstrated indomitable nerve and supreme skill in dispatching of side after side. Longboy leads the way between them on ERA but they have all been key to the Raptors success. That said they were joined at various stages by stand-ins Theo Scheepers and Jeff Whitter who also pipped a win to their names each (and in Whitter’s case two saves as well.)

Behind the plate Ken Pike received the vast majority of pitches in what was his first full season as a catcher. Being as I am the one writing this article I can hardly sing my own praises but I have been assured by Zac and Arnie that I did a good job of the issue. While I still have much to learn I am looking forward to continuing in what has been the position I have enjoyed by far the most, and taken to with relative comfort.

First base duties were initially taken on by Jeff Whitter and covered in his absences by Charlie Mayhew. Both performed outstandingly throughout the year being solid and generally error free despite some occasionally errant throws coming their way. Jeff’s amicable and calm nature made him one of the on-field captains helping to calm the team in times of frustration, while Charlie’s continual improvement saw a climax in the final game against Tonbridge where a series of amazing full-stretch catches helped to keep the game very close indeed.

Second and short were shared intermittently between the young pitchers, Theo Scheepers and coach Arnie, while by Sonam Lama, in his first year with the Raptors, demonstrated the kind of arm power capable of easily reaching first base and thereby cemented third base as his own. The coach again led the way from the front demonstrating the fewest errors per game for an infielder, and in fact one of the lowest numbers for the whole team. That said it will be fielding errors that he will want to cut out the most, preferably by post season but certainly by next year with nearly half of the team’s conceded runs coming un-earned.

Outfield was shared by Warwyk Byrne, Charlie Mayhew (when not at first), Mark Caress and Andy Bartram. Andy has made a solid case for rookie of the year (not just by virtue of being the only rookie on the team, but also by having the lowest error-per-game rating of any of the regular players. His assured glove, good arm, and fast pace to reach the ball made him a reliable and key player for left and centre.

Along the way there were notable performances by players who only joined for brief periods too. Matt Kiddie’s pitching against the 2sox at mid-season blew the side away and showed unbelievable pace, whilst two grand-slam homers from Ben Marques against the Mavericks helped to seal the game that confirmed the Raptors as Pool winners. Raptors Veteran Glen Downer was sadly occupied elsewhere for most of the season but managed to get in two games where he played solidly in the outfield. He is appealing for special dispensation to the commissioners to be allowed to join the team for post-season.

Defensively the Raptors were 5th in the league for runs conceded, but as for batting, well that’s where the stats really get interesting. While Arnie has not shared the statistics including the last two games, the production was spread throughout the team and at game 12 the numbers were as follows:

  • Runs leader was Ken Pike (41), followed by Arnie (35) and Sonam (35).
  • Hits went to Arnie (24) followed by Pike (20) and then Sonam and Brodie on a par (19).
  • Home run leader by a mile is Ben Marques (2) followed by Jim Arnott (1).
  • On Steals Ken Pike led by some distance (41) over Lama (25) and Arnie and Charlie (24 each).
  • Base on balls leader was Charlie Mayhew (26) followed by Theo (22) and Arnie again (18).
  • Arnie lead the way for AVG, SLG and OPS too but was closely followed in all three by a variety of people including his son Zac, while OBP leader Charlie Mayhew was clear of the rest of the field by some way.

While Arnie, Ken and Sony consistently led the line-ups between them, the whole team demonstrated consistency and ability at the plate averaging 24 points per game and having scored 46 runs more than any other team over the season. They had 7 games in which they scored 30 runs or more.

So in summary? Well the team will be relying on that offence to see them through at Farnham, but that being said the defence had consistently improved throughout the year and should they play to the kind of levels that saw them hold pool B leaders the Blackjacks to 12 or the Eagles and Archers to 4 and 6 respectively then they will be a real danger team. They have proven themselves fallible, but they have also proven that when they set their minds to it they are a force to be reckoned with, and they will surely be fired up to the max in Slough come September. Key warm-up friendlies, hopefully against higher division opposition such as the Hawks, will be key to preparing the team up for things to come. Meanwhile, we all cross our fingers and get our lucky charms at the ready and pray for a successful post season.

Please note, any players from teams not going to Farnham park, your assistance either as, experienced base coaches, bat men, general helpers and especially supporters will surely be massively appreciated and you will get to be a part of Herts Baseball history with the Falcons and Raptors both set to feature. Give Arnie and Lee a shout if you can help out in any way.

 

 

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

2013 Herts Futures Tournament details announced

Herts Baseball Club has announced that the 2013 Herts Futures Tournament will take place on Saturday, 21 September 2013.

The Herts Futures Tournament (HFT) has been held every year since 2008 and is now a permanent fixture in the British baseball calendar. Last year was a record year for the HFT with 15 teams entering the competition, which makes it the largest youth baseball event in the United Kingdom. Herts Baseball Club Board Member, Aspi Dimitrov, said: “It will be interesting to see how many teams will enter this year. If the number continues to increase we will have to consider ways of expanding the venue as last year we were close to reaching the venue’s capacity.”

The event 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 UK. Grovehill Ballpark is the home of Herts Baseball Club. It is the only baseball facility in the country which features two purpose-built full-size baseball diamonds, both with permanent outfield walls. Over the last few years the venue has been selected to host some of the biggest events in the British baseball calendar including the National Baseball Championships. During the Herts Futures Tournament additional diamonds are added for the Under-14 and Under-11 age groups.

For more information about the event or if you require details about how teams can enter the Tournament or how players can join the Herts teams in time for the HFT, visit the Herts Futures Tournament homepage or contact Herts Baseball Club.