Category: Headlines

by Herts Baseball News Editor

BBF confirms promotion to Double-A League for Herts Hawks

Herts Baseball Club confirmed that the Herts Hawks have applied for promotion from the Single-A to the Double-A League of British Baseball and that the BBF has approved it.

It may not have the same promotion-clinching scenes that we have become accustomed to when watching English football with pitch invasion by fans and a ride through town in an open-top bus, but this news is just as exciting for Herts Baseball fans.

It comes after a 2016 season in which the Hawks became Single-A National Champions winning every one of their games from start all the way to the Single-A National Playoff Final against Tonbridge – a total of 18 games (15 in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs).

This will not be the first season in the Double-A League for the Hawks. They spent 10 years in Double-A between 2005 and 2014 (in 2005 Double-A was referred to as Division One). There were some triumphant years during that period including 2012 when the team reached the Double-A National Semi-Finals eliminating Southampton and Guildford in the Playoffs before being knocked out in the Semi-Final by a strong Nottingham Rebels side.

Herts Hawks win-loss % in the previous 6 seasons

Will the 18-game winning streak be extended in the Double-A League? It is difficult to predict what we can expect from the Hawks in the third tier of British Baseball this year. Co-Managers Andrew Slater and Greg Bochan have a very calm and diplomatic approach and you will not see them raise their voice during games in any circumstances, but this does not stop them from getting their team fired-up when they have a challenge ahead of them. Regardless of where the team ends up in the standings, the coaching staff and players have a great team spirit and they will enjoy every moment. The most exciting games of 2016 for the Hawks were the come-from-behind wins against the Cambridge Royals on Opening Day and in the Semi-Final against the London Musketeers. Their ability to come from behind will come in handy in the more competitive environment of the Double-A League.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Baseball Club prepares for its AGM this Sunday

Herts Baseball Club has confirmed that its 20th Annual General Meeting will take place on Sunday, 15 January 2017.

In 2016 the club continued its growth and success on and off the field. The AGM will provide a deeper understanding of the club’s present position, and will set out the plans for 2017 and beyond. Members will receive the AGM Information Pack in due course and that will give a better idea of what to expect at the meeting.

In accordance with the Constitution, a number of Board positions will be up for election at the upcoming AGM either as part of the annual retirement of a third of the Board positions or because they are vacant.

The club is now inviting nominations for the following Board positions:

  • President
  • Treasurer
  • Secretary
  • Manager Third Team – Herts Raptors
  • Youth League Commissioner
  • Head of U17 Baseball
  • Head of U13 Baseball
  • Head of U11 Baseball
  • Head of U8 Baseball
  • Communications Director

Those who are interested to put their name forward or second a nomination can contact the club for more details.

Although only 2016 club members have the right to vote at the AGM, the meeting is very much open to former members and those who are considering joining the club in 2017 as players, members of staff, volunteers and fans. This is a good opportunity for newcomers to learn more about the club and meet its members. The meeting is also open to observers who are not members of the Club. Non-members who plan to attend would need to advise the club in advance as spaces are limited. If you are not a current member and wish to attend the AGM please contact the club.

The AGM will be held just a few minutes away from Grovehill Ballpark. The venue is the Grovehill Youth Centre.

DATE:    Sunday, 15 January 2017

TIME:    Registration starts at 12:45pm, the AGM will commence at 1:00pm (expected to end at around 4:30pm)

VENUE:                Grovehill Youth Centre, Stevenage Rise, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 6BH (Directions and Map)

by Rob Jones

Watch and Learn, Herts baseball

When my father was a young man, he could sometimes listen to crackly radio commentary of Major League baseball games which would leak from the stations broadcasting on US air bases in Cambridgeshire, writes Rob Jones.

When I was a student, I could watch one televised game each week in the middle of the night on Channel Five.

Now, professional US baseball is far easier to come by. Five’s famous coverage may have gone, but you can find ESPN on your satellite TV easily enough. And I am one of many people who subscribe online to the truly excellent service of MLB.TV.

While it’s not easy to get to watch games in the States, it’s easier and cheaper than it was in my father’s day! Many more Herts players are getting the chance to watch the real deal.

Herts’ Josh Jones at an LA Dodgers game

It’s all massively entertaining. But what can we as lowly British amateurs actually learn from watching these games? Even while sitting in the bleachers or in our armchairs, how can we improve?

The head coach of the GB national baseball team, Liam Carroll, thinks there is a lot that every baseball player can pick up:

“Find as many things you can copy to make you better, your team better!”

And that goes for people filling all sorts of different roles in British baseball: “Look how the dugout is set up at the field; learn how the base coaches position themselves; see what players high five each other for besides wins, home runs and web gems.”

Bruce Bochy photobombs James Dullea

Several Herts players took the chance during the past season to visit professional games and stadiums in the United States, and watch the game played at high levels.

Youth pitcher James Dullea took in not only a Giants-Nationals game — which saw Madison Bumgarner pitch a 2-hit complete game in a 1-0 loss — but also a Charleston Riverdogs Minor League game.

His father Bruce, a former Falcons manager, said it had been a great trip but also educational for young James.

“He noticed that even though some of the minor league guys threw harder than Bumgarner,” said Bruce, “no one could pitch like him.”

Josh Jones of the Under 13s took his Herts cap proudly to an LA Dodgers game; club veteran Paul Auchterlounie and his family took in the Trop in Tampa Bay.

Here’s one of Liam Carroll’s tips to follow when you are at a game:

“Watch the player who plays your position. Follow his every move. Then do the same for the other team’s guy.

What’s the same? What’s different? Who did you prefer to watch? Was there anything you loved? Anything you hated?  What do you need to change to be more like them?”

 

The Auchterlounies in Florida

And there are extra elements you appreciate when you are there, and things are not hidden from you by commercial breaks: “Watch them play catch at every opportunity – between innings, after outs, before the game – and appreciate how well they take care of the baseball.”

But for those confined to these shores, watching on TV and online works, too.

MLB will give you a highlight reel every day on the website, and they will often be breathtaking. Home runs that seem to fly on forever. Fiery pitching which makes you wince. Outfielders getting airborne to make diving grabs.

But on the Herts Twitter feed during the playoffs, we tried to pick out some different things. Instead of plays that you watch and think “How does he do that??”, we wanted plays that would make you think “Hey, I could do that!!”

For example, there were some smart aggressive base-running plays in Toronto’s two series, against Texas and against Cleveland. Any baseball player can choose to run the base paths intelligently.

We loved the Cubs’ Javier Baez starting a double-play against the Dodgers by letting a catchable ball drop and letting LA run themselves into trouble. “Next level instincts” said the commentator — but it simply proved that the game isn’t just about stronger or faster, but about playing smarter.

One of our favourite of these plays was actually from 2015, so New York Mets fans might want to look away now.  Eric Hosmer tying it up for the Kansas City Royals with that mad dash home.

hosmer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hYry9F2QRM

But was it really so “mad”?

The Royals were behind in the game, but were ahead in the Series. The pressure was all on the Mets to hang on to a one-run lead and get the win.

So while Hosmer might’ve been a goat had he been thrown out, he had everything to gain, and New York had everything to lose. So he had calculated risk and reward.

Kansas knew that David Wright was not gunning throws to first, but was throwing softly, because of his broken down body. That gave Hosmer more time. The fact that Wright had fielded a ball which was headed for Wilmer Flores meant there was nobody there to hold Hosmer on.

All of this stuff, situational stuff, stuff that you acquire by having your head in the game, helped Kansas win a World Series. And it is stuff that you can genuinely emulate on a British baseball field, even if you can’t hit a 95mph heater.

Let’s give a last word to GB Baseball Head Coach Liam Carroll:

“Watch the players’ routines; watch their positioning. Watch the communication, both verbal and non-verbal. Remember things that can make your club better, and British baseball better!”

So now is your chance to get ready for the 2017 season with some serious sitting down and watching! Sign up for MLB.TV, or a satellite deal if you’d prefer. Revisit all the clips on the MLB website if you want to hang on to your cash.

And if you want to splash a little extra cash, book your trip to the States. If you’ve already got that booked, then look to see if you can add a bit of baseball to it.

MLB games are pretty easy to get into — each team plays 162 a year, after all! And don’t forget the Minor Leagues, which offer you another chance to get close to the action.

And then be ready to put it all into action next month, when Herts pre-season training begins.

 

by Rob Jones

Brown in the pink: Falcons MVP

It’s hard to imagine a more action-packed baseball year than the one which Conner Brown enjoyed in 2016. But he has capped it all by being voted the MVP of the Herts National Baseball League (NBL) side, the Falcons.

The Falcons finished with a 6-24 record in what was always going to be a rebuilding year. But Conner’s maturing was perhaps the greatest high point for a side built on youth.

According to BBF statistics, the starting catcher ended with a slash line of .386/.460/.591 — leading the team’s regular players. He’s a pretty formidable catcher, too.

But it wasn’t just about numbers and performance. At a young age, Conner has shown leadership on his team, and has been an integral part of the wider club.

Players on the Single-A Raptors have learned a lot from him, and he was not only first draft choice for the post-season Hunlock Series, but a regular player too. Top talent doesn’t always do that.

It’s hard to imagine how he fitted any of it in.

Conner Brown was one of the only British young players selected to the European All Star roster for the MLB Spring Academies Tournament which took place in Barcelona in March.

Next he went on to captain the Great Britain U18’s at the European Junior Championship in Gijon in July. The team achieved its best-ever result, to stay in their group.

Then on to the MLB Elite camp in Germany. Here, Conner worked with coaches including the Hall of Famer, Barry Larkin, and the World Series-winner, Steve Finley.

Want one more milestone? OK. The man from the Falcons was the youngest player on the GB Senior Team at the European Championship in the Netherlands in September.

Conner was even nominated for the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. Of course, that honour pales into insignificance next to a Herts MVP Award but, hey, we don’t like to brag….

Conner Brown catching in the Herts Hunlock Series

The Falcons year was very much about building on the talented youth which has been developed by Herts over recent years. Carlos Casal, Brodie Caress, and Zack Longboy were all chosen for the GB national team development programme this year.

These guys made great contributions for Herts. Zack picked up his first complete game pitching win in the NBL with a victory over the London Capitals at Grovehill, and went 5-6 at the plate that day.

Tyler Badenhorst made his pitching debut in the road trip to the Capitals in July, as did promising rookie Matt Corran. Will Zucker, who pitched in the Single-A playoffs a few years ago and is now tearing it up in university baseball, kept working with Herts too.

The Falcons manager Lee Manning also worked hard this year helping to oversee the youngest Herts group, the Under-8s. So the focus remains on youth, and nurturing more talent like Conner Brown.

by Rob Jones

Hawks’ Hare hauls in MVP

The Herts Hawks, the national champions of Single-A, have chosen Louis Hare as their Most Valuable Player of 2016.

Louis is a veteran of the Herts club who has contributed to the success of many teams over the years. And he was instrumental in helping this side to an undefeated season, which ended with dramatic playoff victories at Farnham Park.

According to official BBF statistics, Louis was the joint league leader in Home Runs with 3. He also drove in 22 runs and recorded an impressive batting average of .612, putting him among the team leaders.

He also picked up two wins as a pitcher, with 13 strikeouts in 18 innings of work and an ERA of just 3.50. As you can see from our photo, he also had a nice line in celebratory leaps.

As you can imagine, a season which saw the Hawks win every game and then a national title saw plenty of excellent performances.

For example, joint manager Greg Bochan led Single-A pitchers with 4 wins to his name. He was also on the mound for the playoff win over the Raptors, and both games at Farnham Park.

Other sluggers were available, too. Jon Lewys and Gilberto Medina contributed 2 home runs each during the season, with Gil also adding 5 triples.

 

In the playoff finals, the Hawks dramatically came from behind against the London Musketeers in the bottom of the eighth to win their semi-final. They had been dominant all year, but it was an important achievement that they fought back and won when they were tested by an excellent side.

The Hawks showed their power again in the final against the Tonbridge Wildcats. They blasted out to an early lead which they would not surrender.

But they also showed off their defensive abilities, turning a flawlessly professional 5-3-6 double play to end a Tonbridge threat. Gilberto Medina,  Jon Lewys and MVP Louis Hare were in on that one, and its has now been voted the Herts Play of the Year.

The Hawks will now look with optimism to 2017 and see what the season brings.

 

by Rob Jones

MVP at the double: Raptors reap rewards for playoff run

Some races are tight. Some go right down to the wire, and beyond it. And sometimes two deserving winners can’t be separated.

After a year which saw the Herts Raptors reach their greatest ever heights, the players have voted for two team-mates to share the MVP award for 2016 – Matthew Jackson and Michael Cresswell.

Matt Jackson in playoff action

Matt made his first appearances for the Raptors last year, as they came together as a new force in the second half of the season. This year he swiftly became a rock in centre-field, addressing one of the team’s great needs with a series of crucial outfield catches.

His batting also became a potent weapon for the Raptors, and he rose to the the occasion in the playoffs. Matt went 3-for-4 in the visit to Tonbridge, hitting a triple for the first big Herts blow. He hit two more triples in the losing effort against the Hawks.

Enjoyable

For joint manager Michael Cresswell it is his second career MVP award. He helped lead the team to the post-season; batted a rumoured .800; picked up his first career pitching win; and was nominated for play of the year.

Mike has been an increasingly important part of the Herts baseball family since he came on board in 2012. He was MVP of the Herts Raptors in 2014, and Best Pitcher in 2015. But he has called the 2016 season “the most enjoyable ever”.

Michael Cresswell

Voting had to be extended in the MVP race because of the tie, and then had to be extended again. We don’t know the full details, due to intense secrecy, but it’s clear there were heroes a-plenty for voters to choose from in the Raptors year.

It started in May with a visit to the London Musketeers, the beaten semi-finalists in 2015. The Raptors won this one 7-3, and for players schooled in the slugfests of Single-A it was possibly the most high-quality game they’d ever been part of.

The new pitching ace Matt Corran was the hero here, racking up strikeouts after emerging in late 2015 as a force. But Michael Cresswell was crucial on this day, too, earning his Play of the Year nomination for an unassisted double play which snuffed out a London threat at a critical time.

Sparkling shortstop

The season saw more wins, then progressed to Haverhill for an epic victory which showed the renewed fighting spirit in the team as well as the talent.  Matt Jackson polished his reputation for excellent outfield catches in this game, including saving a home run and securing the final out.

Joint manager Paul Barton picked up his first career pitching win in this game, and started 4-for-4 with the bat. He would go on to have another tremendous season in all parts of the field, building on his 2015 MVP win.

In a blowout defeat against Essex in May, young Aaron Witter had started his bid to be a Raptors hero. After a wobbly bit of pitching, he switched to shortstop and sparkled. The managers took immediate notice.

Aaron Witter takes on the Hawks

In a home game against London in July he was the pick as starting shortstop. His first play of the game was a major-league style backhand stop and a powerful throw to nab the runner. Aaron’s hero status would grow in the playoffs, and his contributions throughout the year have earned him the Rookie of the Year Award for the Raptors in 2016.

The team secured their place in the post-season with a win over Essex Archers at Grovehill. Mike Cresswell capped it all with a walk-off, inside the park grand slam home run to secure the 26-11 victory.

OK, so maybe the “official scorer” wouldn’t have chalked it up as a home run. But the “official scorer” doesn’t write stories like this.

And he couldn’t have written the story of the Raptors’ playoff win over the defending Single-A champions, Tonbridge. The fixtures were changed late, with Herts switched to what clearly looked a more daunting tie.

Crucial catch

They were playing away. They had only 9 players. One of them drove more than 200 miles to get there. Another had only just had laser eye surgery.

But Herts won this 23-18, and wrote history.

The youngest guy on the team, Aaron Witter, drove in a fistful of runs and pitched brilliantly for the save in the tensest of circumstances. The oldest regular, Rob Jones, made what was probably the most crucial catch of his life as he secured the second out of the ninth inning with a sliding infield grab.

Cresswell and Barton were again superb, with the latter turning in his finest ever pitching performance. Jim Arnott, who had become an important relief pitcher as well as a constant hitting threat, was masterful. And Jackson again made the final catch, deep in the outfield.

The Raptors’ playoff run ended at the hands of the eventual national champions, the Herts Hawks, in a game which was tight until the Hawks ran away in the sixth. But overall, 2016 has to be recorded as a “win”.

It it was a season in which so many had played a role, too many to mention. Michelle Johnson made a great impact after a long layoff from the club; while Darren Priest was an invaluable clubhouse presence.

But the Raptors have now voted and the men deservedly holding the MVP trophy are Michael Cresswell and Matthew Jackson.

The other Herts adult teams — the Hawks and Falcons — will announce their own awards in the coming days. The club as a whole will also hand out awards for the Play of the Year and the very opposite, the Nob Out Award, given for a moment of baseball-related foolishness.

by Rob Jones

Herts softball Buzzards are hatched

Herts Baseball Club are delighted to announce the start of their slowpitch softball programme.

Play is due to start in 2017, with training sessions taking place from late January. New players and existing  baseball players are welcome to come and join the team.

softball-generic

The Buzzards will start as a fun, recreational team playing in selected tournaments and friendlies with local teams as it develops and finds its feet — with the expectation that it will either join a local league or be able to start its own by 2018.

The idea for the team has come from a group of parents who have spent many hours watching their sons and daughters play baseball for Herts. They find themselves at a loose end now that their offspring have moved on, but still want to be involved with the Herts club and have some fun having a go themselves.

That’s what has led to the team name ‘Buzzards’ — which keeps with the Herts bird theme but more importantly describes some of the players in the team (old and haggard!)

Of course the team is open to all, young and old, new or experienced, men and women, we just want to have a great time with the people we have come to know and love.

If you would like to join the ‘family’ and have some fun please come on down, you’ll always be welcome.

Details of Herts training sessions will be published on the club website and emailed to interested parties once they have been finalised.  Herts softball is open to men and women, and boys and girls over 14 years of age. The team will predominantly be an adult team.

Former Herts youth players Theo Longboy and Marianna Casal won the U-19 European Softball Championship this year (pic: Amanda Murphy)

We may not recreate the success of the GB Under-19s just yet, but the more players we can get having fun, the better the results will be!

By adding Softball to the Herts club its hoped that there is now something for everyone to have a go at  – adult baseball, casual ‘recreational’ baseball, youth baseball, co-ed recreational slowpitch softball.

For more information on the Buzzards please contact http://hertsbaseball.com/contact-us/

by Rob Jones

Excelling Young Men: Herts Kites 2016

Once autumn fades away, baseball does not fade away. Instead it begins its awards season. For the Major League players in the US, this means the Cy Young award, the leagues’ Most Valuable Player, and Gold Gloves for the top fielders.

Well, things are no different at Herts baseball! Club-wide voting is under way for several awards, and teams will also give out gongs. First out of the blocks this year are the Herts Kites, the Under-17 team, who enjoyed a tremendously successful season. Their coach and spiritual leader Andrew Fulford here gives us his take on how it all went:

“Wow, what a season. It started off with a bunch of shy and intimidated 13, 14, & 15 year olds on a U17 Herts Baseball Club, and I believe we ended the season with confident and excelling young men. For some, it was their first year of baseball and for others it’s been a life long passion. Regardless, every single one of them improved in their individual performances and as a team.

U-17s in Herts Futures action

At the beginning of the year I selected two Captains, Adam White (Veteran) and Lucas Lebrato (Rookie) they both did a fantastic job in leading our team this year. These guys are natural leaders. We will miss Adam White as a player next season, but hope to see him back as a Junior Coach.

While on the topic, I want to give a huge thank you to Jeff Witter and Duane Badenhorst. Both of you were a huge help to me this season, and the quality of training and coaching would not have been near the same without your voluntary help. Thank you to all other parents who contributed this season, including Genevieve Chew, who did most of our scoring.

The fundamentals

This season we alternated games and practices. One Saturday was a double header, the next would be a 4 hour practice. There’s no doubt in my mind that these long and hard practices paid off.

At the beginning of the season I was pulling my hair out during the games, because not every player was familiar with the fundamentals of the game. At the end of the season, I swear we knew exactly what we were doing in any situation.

I was able to keep my hair, but not my beard unfortunately. After losing a bet to the team in one of our practices, (betting that out of an entire bucket of balls, no one would throw from centerfield into a bucket) my beard was in their hands.

The team wins, the beard loses

As Manager, I’ve had an absolute blast this season, and I hope all the players and parents feel the same way. This season being my first as a Manager, I took it easy on you guys. I played Mr. Nice Guy to make you all like me, but next season you’re gonna be pushed a lot harder. Why? Because we got unfinished business to take care of.

This season we were just getting on our feet, and we did more than that! Winning the Herts Future Tournament screams of the potential success we’ll have for next year.

Mental strength

But we need to work harder than ever before, we got to want the Little League Championship. We gotta crave that National Championship Trophy. Everyone’s heart has to be in it!

Whether you’re a starter or a sub, you are all a vital part of us being the best. Remember the theme of most my talks this season was about our Mental Game, its gotta be strong and must be positive, Mental Strength is what wins ball games.

To complete the recap, we have some award announcements – but before we get into that, there’s just one more thing to mention.

You all are at a very important age in life, I know you probably hear this all the time from your teachers in school, but it’s true. Take it from me, I’m not your parents’ age, I’m 25 years old and being your age is fresher in my mind. (No offense parents)

You guys will blink and before you know it you’ll have your independence and a whirl of responsibilities. Being 14, 15, 16 its now time to find a balance in your lifestyles. Yes, no matter how old you are, fun and social life should be on the priority list. But right now you’re shaping your futures, being your age feels invincible and you’re anxious to be a bit older so you can drive and have additional liberties.

Kites, with London Sports, taking on an Australian side

But hear me clearly when I say, you’re only this age ONCE. And that means two things, one, you better be having lots and lots of fun discovering who you are. And two, have some sincerity in choosing the course you want to take in your life. Learn from those older than you, seek advice and guidance in every step to adulthood. There’s lots of people around you who want to support and who really care. And as I’ve said before you all can speak to me about anything, even if I’m harder on you guys next year in practice. I’m still your friend off the field.

Now enough of the wishy washy stuff, without further ado, here is the 2016 Herts Kites Awards! Literally every single one of you deserve an award making it very difficult for me to choice one person per category.

MVP – Aaron Witter

Aaron is certainly deserving of this award. With his fantastic pitching performances, clutch at bats, and glove in the infield. He really carried his teammates when they needed him. Not only is he MVP but Adam White has passed on his Captain legacy to Aaron for next season.

Infield Golden Glove – Juon Oono

Anytime the ball was hit to Juon I would take a nice big sigh of relief because I knew it was a guaranteed out. He was also one of our strongest catchers this season. Not many people work harder and are more dedicated to the game than Juon.

Outfield Golden Glove – Jamie Warren

Anyone who has watched Jamie play baseball, know they are watching a master at work. He is by far one of the most mechanically sound players I’ve seen. All around a fantastic player and was incredible to see some great diving catches in CF this season from Jamie.

Slugger Award – Felix Maldonado

Felix has some beastly at bats this season. Leading the team in extra base hits. We all hope to see more of that from him next year!

Rookie of the Year – Matthew Lister

This is a well deserved award. Matt showed up at the beginning of the season with little to no baseball experience at all. By the end of the season, he became a player I could rely on. Both at the plate, on base, and in the OF. Congrats Matt!

Cy Young Award – Tyler Badenhorst

Well, lets not toot his horn to much, but I think its safe to say Herts Baseball acquired one the best to ever play in British Baseball at the end of last season. Tyler is a phenomenal ball player, not only that, but a GREAT kid. His fastball never ceases to give me a nice breeze when coaching from the dugout. He really helped us out at the end of the season with some great pitching performances. Welcome aboard Tyler!

And to the rest of the team …..

Adam White; Giuseppe Basilea;  Michael Johnson; Tom Weatherilt; Plamen Georgiev; Matthew Benge; Maximilian Ixer; Oliver Durer;  Tobi Simmons;  Robert Wallace; Lucas Lebrato;  Thomas Garton.

…. you guys are all incredibly talented!”

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts, LYBL and London Sports are the HFT winners

This was another fantastic Herts Futures Tournament with 20 teams entering the four different age divisions.

UNDER-17

In the Under-17 Division Herts Kites had their revenge over the London Mets who beat them in an epic National Championship Semi-Final six days earlier.  Herts won 10-4 on this occasion and with a win over London Sports won the U17 division of this year’s HFT.

UNDER-13

Herts and LYBL finished top of their respective groups, but in the final LYBL proved too strong for Herts winning the U13 HFT championship convincingly.

UNDER-11

LYBL and London Sports were both unbeaten in the group stages.  The Final was a closely fought encounter which London Sports won 2-1

UNDER-8

The youngest age group saw players aged 4 to 7 from Herts, Leicester, London Mets and London Sports. London Sports and Leicester met in their final game of the day both with a 100% record.  Their head-to-head clash ended in a 13-13 so both teams finish in first place.

Click to view the full scoreboard and standings in all divisions.

2017 BASEBALL SEASON

The Herts Futures Tournament has rounded off the 2017 British youth baseball season in style. Teams up and down the country will now have to somehow survive the winter months without baseball. Thankfully Major League Baseball is about to enter its most exciting phase and we can follow the drama of the postseason on tv.

Players of all ages can contact Herts Baseball Club with a view to signing up for the 2017 season or giving baseball a try when the teams return to the ballpark in the new year.