Category: Headlines

by Herts Baseball News Editor

VIDEO: Conner Brown at the MLB European Academy Try Outs

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For a second consecutive year, Herts Baseball Club was represented at the MLB European Academy Try Outs.  This year Herts Falcons and Great Britain Under-17 National Team catcher, Conner Brown, was invited. He made his Herts Falcons debut in June 2013 at the age of 15 and he has been one of the most improved members of the team over the last three years. His performances for the Great Britain Under-17 National team have also contributed to this invitation.

Conner Brown will be taking part in next week’s segment of the Academy which will be held in Toulouse, France. This is only the second time that a Herts player has been invited. 12 months ago Tom Armstrong and Jamie Gregory represented Herts at the MLB European Academy try outs.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

4 home runs help Herts teams pick up wins in Essex

 

On Sunday the Herts Falcons emphasised their intent to battle for the title this season. They won the first and lost the second game in their doubleheader away at the Essex Arrows. Last year they lost all three meetings with the reigning national champions. This season the team seems to have the self-belief that they can beat any of their opponents, home or away.

Jose Sosa was the winning pitcher for the Falcons in game one which finished 15-6, although it was the 11 Herts runs in the final inning which give the false impression of a one-sided game. The second game was just as close. On this occasion the Arrows scored six runs in the late innings to secure a 12-6 win.

Click here to view game one Box Scores
Click here to view game two Box Scores

Maikel Azcuy had three hits over the two games – two doubles and a single – so fans will have to wait a bit longer for his record-breaking 36th NBL career home run. While the focus was on Azcuy, two other Herts players are starting to add some real power to the line-up. In the first game Joel Vallejo hit a towering home run which went over 400 feet. In the second game it was Edwin Alcantara who went deep with a home run of his own and had a total of three hits over the two games.

The Falcons are now second in the NBL standings, one game behind the London Mets who remain the only unbeaten team in the league after their two wins against the South London Pirates. Next for the Falcons is a home game against the revamped Pirates who are proving to be a major player in the playoff race. The game starts at 12pm at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

 

In the Triple-A League the Eagles suffered two heart-breaking losses against the Oxford Kings. Their next game is away at the Essex Redbacks where they will need to win to stay with the rest of the playoff-chasing pack. In the Single-A League the Herts Hawks are still unbeaten after they won their fourth game of the season away at the Forest Glade Redbacks. Ken Pike and Ilya Dimitrov hit a home run each in that game.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Herts Hawks extend unbeaten run. Raptors’ game suspended after just 5 minutes.

Hawks catcher Paul Auchterlounie enhanced his reputation as a killer of base-stealers

While Herts teams in the top two leagues rested over the Bank Holiday weekend, the Herts Hawks continued their unbeaten start of the season in the Single-A League. Their opponents were the Richmond Dukes who were also unbeaten going into Sunday’s game. The Hawks won it convincingly 34-10. Andrew Slater was the winning pitcher for the Hawks, his third win of the season. There was some controversy in the final inning. The new rule which regulates plays at home plate has been causing confusion in Major League Baseball and it seems to have done the same in the BBF Single-A League. A Hawks runner was adjudged to have slid home illegally making contact with the pitcher who was covering the base. Judging by this incident managers and officials will be referring to their rulebooks frequently this season, but unlike their MLB counterparts they will not have video replays at their disposal.

The Herts Raptors faced another Richmond team, the Richmond Squires. They got off to a difficult start conceding four runs in the top of the first inning at which point a heavy downpour flooded Grovehill Ballpark within minutes. The officials declared the game suspended so the two teams will have to meet again later in the year to complete the game with the score 4-0 in the top of the first inning with one out. Time will tell whether or not nature’s intervention will work in favour of the Herts Raptors.

Next Sunday, 10 May, all eyes will be on the National Baseball League (NBL) game between the Herts Falcons and the reigning NBL champions, Essex Arrows. The Falcons (2-0) find themselves tied at the top of the standings with the London Mets (2-0). Essex Arrows (2-2) are third and they can overtake the Falcons if they win both games of the doubleheader. First game starts at 12pm at Town Mead Ballpark in Waltham Abbey.

The Herts Eagles are also in action. They will play at home against the Oxford Kings. Two wins in this doubleheader could see them leap from seventh to third place in the Triple-A League standings. The Herts Hawks will travel to the Forest Glade Redbacks looking to extend their unbeaten start of the season. Before that the Herts Harriers will host the London Mets in the Under-19 baseball league on Saturday.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Conner Brown invited to MLB European Baseball Academy Try Outs


Herts Falcons and Great Britain Under-17 National Team catcher, Conner Brown, has been invited to this year’s Major League Baseball European Academy Try Outs. He made his Herts Falcons debut in June 2013 at the age of 15 and he has been one of the most improved members of the team over the last three years. His performances for the Great Britain Under-17 National team have also contributed to this invitation.

The MLB European Baseball Academy was created to provide training for European, New Zealand and African baseball prospects by former major leaguers. It also provides a central scouting location during the weeks it is open and over two dozen Academy alumni have signed contracts with MLB teams.

In 2011, Alex Liddi became the first Academy product to be called up to the major leagues with the Seattle Mariners. Donald Lutz was the second, making it in 2013 with the Cincinnati Reds. Instructors have included Barry Larkin, Lee Smith, Art Howe, Wally Joyner, Bruce Hurst, John McLaren, Steve Finley, Craig Shipley and Dale Murphy.

Through July 2013, over 50 Academy alumni had been signed by MLB organizations. So far there have been no British players who have gone on to sign contracts with MLB teams from the Academy, but the signs are that MLB is beginning to recognise the talented players playing in Britain, which is a boost for players in this country.

Conner Brown will be taking part in next week’s segment of the Academy which will be held in Toulouse, France. This is only the second time that a Herts player has been invited. 12 months ago Tom Armstrong and Jamie Gregory represented Herts at the try outs.

Herts fans should rest assured that he will be back in time for Herts Falcons’ next league game on Sunday, 10 May 2015, at the reigning champions, Essex Arrows. However, he will miss the U19 league games on Monday, 4 May.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Eagles eliminated but Falcons will carry Herts flag in the next round of the BBF Cup

Another home run for Maikel Azcuy, this time in the BBF Cup (photo by Paul Holdrick)

BBF Cup (1st Round), Herts Falcons 15 London Metros 9

The Herts Falcons are through to the second round of the BBF Cup after a 15-9 win over the London Metros, however the score line does not tell the whole story of the game. The Londoners led for most of the game. The Falcons recovered to tie it 8-8 going into the final inning and ultimately secured the win driving in 7 more runs in that ninth inning, but they knew that they were involved in a real battle. Pitcher Jose Sosa was awarded the win for the Falcons. Record-chasing Maikel Azcuy hit another home run, but this was a BBF Cup game and will not count towards his NBL career home run tally which stands at 35. He needs one more to overtake record-holder Simon Pole. The Falcons are also starting to see power from other members of the team. On Opening day it was John Blose. This time it was Yvan Pena who hit his first home run for Herts.

BBF Cup (1st Round), Bracknell Blazers 10 Herts Eagles 3

The Herts Eagles were the underdogs in their BBF Cup first round game against Bracknell Blazers, a team playing one league tier above them. They had to face GB pitcher Jordan Edmonds which made the likelihood of a giant-killing even more improbable. Despite losing 10-3, the Eagles had one of their better performances of the season so far which will boost team spirit as they turn their attention to the race for the Triple-A League playoffs.

NEXT WEEKEND

Both the Falcons and Eagles will have a rest this coming Bank Holiday weekend, but there is a Herts-versus-Richmond double bill on Sunday, May 3, as the Herts Hawks meet the Richmond Dukes at 10:30am while the Herts Raptors will play against the Richmond Squires immediately after that at around 2:30pm. Both games are at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead.

 

by Rob Jones

Forest Glade Redbacks 36 Herts Raptors 13

Report by Rob Jones

The last time these two teams met saw an epic victory for Herts to close the 2014 season. This time, on a cloudy day at Grovehill, the Essex team would have their revenge. Rookie Paul Barton was on the mound for the home team and steady work kept the Redbacks to just three runs in the first frame. Herts then replied with one of their own.

The visitors stole bases with abandon but the Raptors were able to make plays to keep them in check. Right fielder Clive Johnson – who only took up baseball last year – turned a vital double play in the second inning, catching a fly ball then making the throw to Drew Mayhew at first to double up the runner.

But in the third a combination of Barton’s tiring arm and a series of agonising hits into the gaps meant the Redbacks racked up 7 runs, and they piled on more in the fourth. The Herts bats did try to fight back – with Jeff Witter the big slugger of the day. They rallied for 7 runs in the bottom of the fourth. But twice during the game they loaded the bases with two outs, and Forest Glade were able to shut the door.

Daniel Bennett and Drew Mayhew also put in solid pitching appearances for the inexperienced Raptors, and the team will build on good things from this game. A second double play was another defensive highlight. This time Paul Barton at third base snared a line drive on his shoelaces, and alertly doubled off the runner who was heading home.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Theo Longboy gets GB team call-up for European Championships

Theo Longboy has received confirmation that she has been selected by the Great Britain Under-16 National Softball Team. She has been a member of the Herts youth teams since 2008. Last year she proved to be one of the leaders for the Herts Cardinals who picked up the bronze medal in the Under-14 National Baseball Championships.

GB Under-16 Head Coach Jeremy Thomas has named a squad of 13 players for the European Cadette Championships that will be played in Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy from 29 June-4 July. Only three of the 13 players selected for this year’s GB Cadettes competed in Ostrava two years ago, while the rest have either come up from the GB Under-13s or are new recruits to the programme. GB Cadette Head Coach Jeremy Thomas said, “Overall, we had more than 20 players going for squad places, which reflects the excellent work that has been done with the GB Under-13s over the past few years.

The GB Cadettes will open the tournament on Monday 29 June with a game against Spain at 2.00 pm Italian time, and will then play two games on Tuesday: Slovakia at 10.00 am and Russia at 6.00 pm. After that, the tournament will go to trophy and consolation playoffs.

The players selected are:

Laura Hirai (IF)
Theo Longboy (Utility)
Issie Mosely (OF)
Yolanda Phillips (Utility)
Mary Racz (Utility)
Jasmine Rushin (IF)
Katherine Ryan (P, IF)
Alana Snow (P, C, Utility)
Amira Solomon (C)
Annecy Stevens (OF)
Alys Thomas (OF)
Marlia Van’t Sant (Utility)
Niamh Walker (P, Utility)

This news is further evidence that baseball and softball offer fantastic opportunities for boys and girls to enjoy the game and progress through to the highest levels of baseball. With new players joining the Herts youth teams every week, it will be interesting to see how they will develop and if they will follow in the footsteps of Longboy and the other Herts players who are part of the GB baseball and softball national teams.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Falcons and Eagles prepare for their first ever BBF Cup games. Raptors meet Redbacks in the league.

Can Herts Falcons keep the winning run going this Sunday against a very awkward opponent (photo by Paul Holdrick)

This weekend sees the first round of the newly introduced BBF Cup. The concept is similar to the FA Cup (football). Two teams meet in a one-game decider. The loser is eliminated. The winner progresses through to the next round.

The draw paired the Herts Falcons with the London Metros. The two teams finished just three places from each other in the overall ranking in 2014. Herts Falcons second from bottom in the NBL and Metros second in Triple-A League, so this is expected to be a very close encounter. The two teams have met once only. That was just four weeks ago in the Herts Spring League. The Falcons came out on top, but not before a late surge from the Londoners, who will have home-field advantage this Sunday.

The Herts Eagles were drawn at home versus Bracknell Blazers. They go into the game as the clear underdog so there is a potential for a major giant-killing. The game starts at 1pm on diamond one of Grovehill Ballpark. This would be the first ever meeting between the two teams.

Raptors were the winners in their last meeting with the Redbacks. Can they do it again?

Unlike the FA Cup, the BBF version of the competition features only teams from the top two league tiers. The Herts Hawks are resting this weekend, but the Herts Raptors will play their second game of the season looking to bounce back after a defeat against Tonbridge last week. Their opponents are the Forest Glade Redbacks. The last meeting between the two teams was the final league game of the 2014 regular season. The Raptors came out on top in that clash. The game commences at 12pm on diamond two.

The Herts Harriers were expecting to get their U19 league season underway on Saturday, but they will have to wait an extra week for their season opener versus the London Mets.

 

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Weekend round-up: Wins for Hawks and Eagles. Raptors and Herts u12s suffer defeats

Herts Hawks continue winning run (photo by John Kjorstad)

HERTS EAGLES vs LONDON MAMMOTHS (Triple-A League)

While the Falcons were resting, three other Herts teams were in league action. The Herts Eagles suffered two heavy defeats on opening day. It became three losses in a row after the London Mammoths won the first of two games on Sunday. However the Eagles fought back in the second game of the doubleheader to end the losing streak with a 13-4 victory.

HERTS HAWKS vs BRIGHTON RED HAWKS (Single-A League)

The Herts Hawks remain unbeaten this season after a 22-18 win over the Brighton Red Hawks, who came close to pulling off a major come-from-behind win in the late innings.

HERTS RAPTORS vs TONBRIDGE (Single-A League)

Herts Raptors came up against a Tonbridge side who have made big strides over the winter and look like they will be a major playoff contender this year. It proved to be an uphill task for the team from Hertfordshire who went down 27-9. Six Raptors players made their league debut so it may take several more games for them to find their feet, but the signs are good at this stage of the season especially with several big names expected to return to the lineup shortly.

HERTS U12 vs LONDON METS U12 – (pre-season friendly)

photo by Vicky Sinclair

The youth baseball season is about to get underway. In a under-12 pre-season friendly on Saturday the London Mets proved too strong for the Herts under-12 team. With teams in every age group it is not too late for players between 4 and 18 years of age to join the Herts teams in Hemel Hempstead and North West London. Contact us for more details.

by Herts Baseball News Editor

Goncalves is back

The Herts Falcons may have a week off from NBL action but they have been busy in the transfer market again. They welcome back Great Britain Under-23 National Team infielder Luis Goncalves.

The 21-year old made his debut for Herts in 2008 when he was just 14. When he came for his first Herts training session alongside his father, Humberto, the Herts coaches were amazed at how advanced he was at such a young age so it was an easy decision to immediately add him to the Herts senior league teams. In that first season he was awarded the Herts Hawks (Double-A League) Infield Gold Glove and Rookie of the Year awards. He quickly progressed through the Herts ranks and made his debut in Britain’s top league, the NBL, in 2009 with the Herts Falcons, age 15. In his first and second seasons in the NBL he was awarded the Herts Falcons Infield Gold Glove twice and led the team in stolen bases in 2009.

After two seasons with the Falcons in the NBL, Goncalves moved to the Harlow Nationals with whom he won three consecutive NBL national championships between 2011 and 2013. His outstanding fielding abilities were recognised in 2012 when he was selected in the NBL Team of the Year at second base, which is the equivalent of MLB’s Gold Glove Award.

 

TEAM

SEASON

AB

R

HR

RBI

BB

SB

BA

OBA

SLA

Herts Falcons

2009

47

10

0

7

13

10

0.191

0.365

0.213

Herts Falcons

2010

71

16

0

9

9

6

0.282

0.369

0.324

Harlow Nationals

2011

71

25

0

12

16

10

0.254

0.391

0.324

Harlow Nationals

2012

78

16

0

7

10

7

0.269

0.356

0.321

Harlow Nationals

2013

64

18

0

7

9

6

0.234

0.347

0.344

Harlow Nationals

2014

27

8

0

4

4

2

0.259

0.355

0.444

Source: Project COBB

Since 2013 Goncalves has been a member of the Great Britain Under-23 National Team.

“Everyone at the club has missed Luis and his family over the last few years, but he is back at Herts now” said Herts Falcons manager, Lee Manning. This will be tremendous news for Herts fans as Luis Goncalves was a fan favourite in his first spell with the club. This is another top class addition to the Herts Falcons roster which puts them in a good position to fight for a place in the NBL playoffs.