Michael Johnson (right) with his Herts Harriers (U17) team mates last year

Herts Baseball Club received exciting news off the field as the Great Britain Under-15 National Team announced its squad for the U15 European Championship Qualifiers. The squad includes Herts infielder, Michael Johnson, who has been a member of the Herts Under-17 and Under-19 teams over the last few seasons. The games will be played in Belgrade, Serbia, from 21 to 26 July. Great Britain is in a difficult group with France, Switzerland and hosts Serbia.

This continues Herts’ fantastic record of its players being called-up to represent their country on the international scene. The progress of Herts players with the GB teams is a tremendous boost for Herts Baseball as an organisation. The Club is even more excited by the fact that there are many more talented players coming through the various age groups of the Herts youth system, from the U10 through to the U19 age groups. It proves that the opportunity is there for any young players who want to get involved in baseball to progress and wear the GB Team jersey.

Of course, you don’t have to be a GB National Team player to play baseball. Any interested players, boys and girls, between 6 and 18 years of age, from complete beginners to advanced players can join the Herts baseball youth teams. Get in touch if you would like to come and give baseball a try.

 

Herts Cardinals in the U15 Little League Qualifiers (photo by Vicky Sinclair)

In the Little League under-19 qualifiers, the Herts Harriers lost their games against LYBL and London Mets, while in the under-15 division the Herts Cardinals finished fourth behind London Sports, LYBL and the winners, London Mets, who overcame LYBL in the final to progress through to the European qualifiers with a place in the Little League World Series to play for.

Herts entered a team in the under-15 age group of the UK Little League Qualifiers for the first time in its history. The Herts Cardinals came up against teams with more experience so it was always going to be an uphill challenge. In the semi-final they were beaten convincingly 16-0 by LYBL. This meant that they had to compete for the bronze medal in a best-of-3 series against LondonSports. In game one of the series they took a 13-3 lead after an impressive pitching outing by starting pitcher, 12-year-old, Aaron Witter. With two innings left to play he reached his pitch count limit and had to step down from the mound. That gave LondonSports the belief that they can come back into the game and they did, clinching a dramatic 14-13 walk-off win. LondonSports had greater pitching depth and that proved decisive as they went on to win the series with a 19-7 victory in the second game.

Most of the Herts players are two or even three years younger than their opponents so they can take comfort from the fact that they can work hard and come back bigger and stronger over the next few years while their opponents will move up to the older age groups.

The youth league season continues as the teams build-up to the biggest prize of the baseball season, the National Baseball Championships which will be played in September. There is still plenty of time for any new players to join the teams and be eligible for that eagerly anticipated event.

Next weekend, 20-21 June, it is the turn of the Herts under-12 team to play in the Little League qualifiers. They have been placed in Pool B with the Essex Redbacks, London Sports and Horsham.  Here is the games schedule:
Saturday, 20 June
Pool A
10:30 am LYBL vs London Mets (Round Robin Game 1 of 3)
01:30 pm LYBL vs Brentwood (Round Robin Game 2 of 3)
04:30 pm London Mets vs Brentwood (Round Robin Game 3 of 3)

Teams with the best two records will advance to the semi finals on Sunday. If teams have the same record then the tie breaker rule will be followed (see below).

Pool B
Saturday (Youth Baseball 1 & 3)
09:30 am Herts vs Essex Redbacks (Youth Baseball 1) PBGM1
10:00 am London Sports vs Horsham (Youth Baseball 3) PBGM2
01:00 pm Loser PBGM1 vs Loser PBGM2
04:00 pm Winner PBGM1 vs PBGM2

The team who finishes 2-0 will advance to the semi finals on Sunday. The team who finishes 0-2 will advance to the consolation series on the Sunday. For the teams who finish 1-1 the tiebreaker rule shall determine which team advances to the semi final and which team will play in the consolation series

Sunday
Semi – finals and final
10:00 am Top seed from Pool A vs 2nd seed from Pool B (Youth Baseball 1) SF1
10:00 am Top seed from Pool B vs 2nd seed from Pool A (Youth baseball 2) SF2
12:30 pm Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2 U12 / Minors 3rd Place Game
03:00 pm Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2 (Youth Baseball 2) U12 / Minors Championship Game

Consolations Series
10:30 am 3rd Place Pool A vs 3rd Place Pool B
01:00 pm 3rd Place Pool A vs 4th Place Pool B
03:30 pm 4th Place Pool B vs 3rd Place Pool B

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The Herts youth teams returned from the 2014 National Baseball Championships with two bronze medals on what was a fantastic occasion, as is always the case every September.

UNDER-17 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Herts Harriers went into the Semi-Final as the second seed out of the four teams which had reached this stage. They took the silver medal in 2013 and they were hoping to go one better, but ahead of these games they received two massive setbacks. Catcher Conner Brown suffered a hand-fracture in a non-baseball accident and at the same time the team had to say farewell to one of its key players, pitcher Tom Armstrong who has now moved to the USA.

Their semi-final opponent was the London Mets who went with their ace pitcher, the amazing Laura Hirai, fresh from an outstanding tour of the USA with the GB Under-17 National Team. With LYBL the potential opponent in the final for the winner, Herts decided to save ace pitcher, Zack Longboy, in the hope of reaching the final – a risky strategy but one which was necessary if the team was to stand a chance of succeeding in the final.

As expected, Mets pitcher, Laura Hirai, was very effective shutting out the Harriers in the first 4 innings. Herts’ starting pitcher Carlos Casal Jr. was doing well as the team kept in touch with the Mets trailing just 2-0 after 4 innings. But then disaster struck in the fifth inning. 11 London runs came home to score and there was no coming back from this as the Mets went on to win 13-1.

The Bronze Medal game between Herts Harriers and London Sports was declared an automatic win for Herts as the Little League rules in place this year placed pitching restrictions and the earlier Wild Card playoff and Semi-Final games left London Sports without any players eligible to pitch on Sunday under the rules.

The Herts U17 players and coaches will feel disappointed that they couldn’t fulfil their ambition of winning the U17 National Championship for the first time in Herts baseball history as they knew they had a team which could compete. They certainly gave everything on the day which is all that can be asked of the players in these big games. Most of these Herts players have played their last season in the under-17 league but, one thing is certain, they will be making headlines as they move into the big leagues in the coming years.

The LYBL Bulldogs beat the London Mets 9-4 in the Final.

UNDER-14 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

(photo by John Jansson)

Semi-Final: Herts Cardinals 1 London Mets 24 (click to view box scores)

As the Wild Card Winner, the Herts Cardinals faced the top seed, London Mets, in the U14 Semi-Final. It was always going to be a difficult task for the Cardinals to upset the odds against a team which beat all of their UK opponents and went through to the Little League European Qualifiers in Poland just two months ago. The Mets won convincingly with a score of 24-1.

(photo by John Jansson)

Bronze Medal Game: Herts Cardinals 6 London Sports 2 (click to view box scores)

In the Bronze Medal game Herts Cardinals came up against London Sports, a team which is always difficult to beat. The Cardinals needed all of their players to produce a top performance and they did.

Starting pitcher Mikey Sylvester took control from the first pitch. He went on to pitch a complete game one-hitter. 18 of the 21 outs came by way of a strikeout and he walked only 1 batter over the course of the game. Stats like these are incredible especially given the calibre of the opposition. The two runs scored by London Sports were unearned coming in after two overthrows in a dropped-third strike situation.

The London Sports pitching staff also produced excellent numbers. They struck out 13 batters and allowed only 6 hits and 3 walks.

With such efficient pitching the Herts Cardianls needed something special. Clutch hits from Shane Richards (2-4, HR, 2B, 3RBI, 2R), Mikey Sylvester (2-3, 2B(2), 2RBI, 2R), Ben Hitch (1-4, R), Adam Jansson (1-3, RBI) drove a total of 6 runs one of which was Thomas Garton who managed to get himself on base twice. Shane Richards’ 2-run home run was his third of the postseason.

It was very fitting that Mikey Sylvester managed to close the game with 3 strikeouts. The final out came on his final pitch of the pitch-count limit regulations.

The London Mets are the U14 National Champions after a 7-4 win over the LYBL Bulldogs.

UNDER-12 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

This was the first appearance in the National Championship Semi-Final for the Herts U12 team. They came up against the favourites LYBL Bulldogs and had the best possible start taking a lead which they held on to for the first 3 innings. With the score at 5-4 the Bulldogs had a big inning to take a 9-4 lead. Spirited comeback by Herts saw them reduce the deficit to 9-7. They may have been able to regain the lead but in two consecutive innings left the bases loaded. The Bulldogs went on to win it 13-7 to reach the U12 Final which they won 7-3 against the London Mets.

In the Bronze medal game Herts U12 lost 13-3 against London Sports.

Despite losing both of their games, the Herts U12 team should be very proud of how well they performed against the toughest teams in the country. The team has grown together over the last two years made up of players who have had little or no experience prior to joining Herts so it is exciting to see the U12 coaching staff develop these players to this very high standard.

HERTS FUTURES TOURNAMENT

The National Baseball Championships are now in the history books, but the youth teams from around the country have one more big tournament before baseball takes its winter break. The Herts Futures Tournament is expecting a record number of teams this Saturday 20 September at Grovehill Ballpark in Herts. The HFT games schedule will be published over the next 48 hours.

 

There was a double celebration for Herts Baseball Club as its Under-14 and Under-12 teams secured a place in this Saturday’s National Baseball Championship (NBC) semi-final.

UNDER-14

Herts Cardinals 19 Brentwood Bucks 8 (click to view box scores)

Three teams went into the U14 Wild Card Playoff contest which was held at Grovehill Ballpark in Hertfordshire. The winner was to be decided in a round-robin tournament format. First up were the Herts Cardinals and the Brentwood Junior Bucks. Shane Richards started on the mound for Herts and he produced a solid performance pitching three no-hit innings and striking out 5. There was an initial period of pitcher and catcher trying to get into a rhythm and Brentwood took advantage of a number of walks. Going into the fourth inning Herts had a 10-6 lead helped by a 3-run home run by Shane Richards who went 4-for-4 with 5 RBI in the game.

Shane Richards reached his regulation pitch limit and he was relieved in the fourth inning by Mikey Sylvester who pitched excellent two innings allowing only 1 run on 1 hit and striking out 5. That enabled Herts to build a commanding lead and win the game 19-8. Sylvester’s pitching performance was matched by his batting as he went 3-for-3 which included a double, 4 runs and 2 stolen bases. Ben Hitch (2-3, RBI), Ryan Pocock (1-1, R) and Kento Sasaki (1-3, 2RBI) also had a good game at the plate.

Brentwood Bucks 24 Essex Redbacks 22 (click to view box scores)

The Essex Redbacks went into this Wild Card Playoff as the favourites. They had a comfortable 20-16 lead going into the final inning of the game. Brentwood needed an epic comeback and that’s exactly what they produced. They drove in 8 runs to turn the game on its head and go into the bottom of the final inning with a 4-run lead. Alfie Denwood (4-5, 4RBI), Matt Law (2-4, RBI) and Ethan Brown (3-3, RBI) stood out in the Bucks batting lineup.

The pressure was now on the Essex Redbacks to come from behind. Brentwood recorded two quick outs, but the Redbacks kept going. They scored two runs, but at the end it was not enough as a diving catch by Elliot Burke in centerfield ended the game with a 24-22 win for the Bucks.

Essex Redbacks 13 Herts Cardinals 14 (click to view box scores)

Herts Cardinals knew that a win in the final game against the Redbacks would secure a place in the National Championships Semi-Final for the first time since 2011. The Redbacks were not out of it. A win with a sufficient run-difference would be enough for them.

Kento Sasaki was Herts’ starting pitcher and he was on fire from the very first pitch recording 3 strikeouts in the first inning. Another two Redbacks struck-out in the second inning, but Sasaki seemed to be troubled by his arm. Manager Jake Caress decided to take him out of the game as a precaution. Theo Longboy took Sasaki’s place on the mound in the pressure-cooker situation of a deciding playoff game. The main problem for most of the teams was walking too many batters, but Theo Longboy remained composed all the way to the end of the game. She got into a pitching groove and even added gentle grunting to her pitching delivery, something which we would expect to hear on the tennis courts of Wimbledon or the US Open. It certainly worked. Perhaps it will become her trademark delivery.

Going into the final inning the Redbacks had a 13-10 lead. They struck out the first two Herts batters. Ryan Pocock singled and was driven home by Theo Longboy’s base-hit. With runners on first and second, up stepped Shane Richards to drive the ball deep down the right field line for a walk-off 3-run home run to the delight of the Herts fans. That was the second home run of the day for the Herts Cardinals.  Mikey Sylvester hit a 2-run bomb in the fourth inning.

They can now look forward to a semi-final clash against the reigning national champions and top seeds, the London Mets, this Saturday, 13 September at Farnham Park in Slough (see game schedule below).

UNDER-12

(photo by Vicky Sinclair)

The BBF has added the Under-12 division to the National Baseball Championships for the first tiem this year. LYBL, London Mets and London Sports have already booked their semi-final places. There was one last place available and the Herts All Stars and Brentwood Bucks met in a double-header to determine who will take it.

24 hours before these vital games, Herts received a blow with ace pitcher Aaron Witter out of the game due to illness. The rest of the team knuckled down and produced an excellent performance. They clinched a 12-5 win in the first game followed by a 13-6 win in the second. This sends them into the U12 Semi-Final where they will face the top seed, LYBL Bulldogs.

(photo by Vicky Sinclair)

NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS GAMES SCHEDULE

The outcome of the Wild Card Playoffs means that for the first time Herts will be represented in all three age divisions (U17, U14 and U12) of the National Youth Baseball Championships on Saturday, 13 September.

The semi-finals and finals in all three age groups will be played at Farnham Park in Slough over two days as follows:

Saturday, 13 September
Time	Division	Away	Home	Notes
10.00am	Under 17	Tornadoes/Redbacks	London Sports	U17 Wild card
1.00pm	Under 17	London Mets	Herts Harriers	U17 Semi-final 1
4.00pm	Under 17	Wildcard winner	LYBL Bulldogs	U17 Semi-final 2
10.30am	Under 14	London Sports	LYBL Bulldogs	U14 Semi-final 1
1.30pm	Under 14	Herts Cardinals	London Mets	U14 Semi-final 2
11.00am	Under 12	London Sports	London Mets	U12 Semi-final 1
2.00pm	Under 12	Herts All Stars	LYBL Bulldogs	U12 Semi-final 2
Sunday, 14 September
Time	Division	Away	Home	Notes
10.00am	Under 17	Loser SF (lower seed)	Loser SF (higher seed)	U17 3rd/4th Game
1.00pm	Under 17	Winner SF (lower seed)	Winner SF (higher seed)	U17 YNBC Final
10.30am	Under 14	Loser SF (lower seed)	Loser SF (higher seed)	U14 3rd/4th Game
1.30pm	Under 14	Winner SF (lower seed)	Winner SF (higher seed)	U17 YNBC Final
11.00am	Under 12	Loser SF (lower seed)	Loser SF (higher seed)	U12 3rd/4th Game
2.00pm	Under 12	Winner SF (lower seed)	Winner SF (higher seed)	U12 YNBC Final

 

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Britain’s youth baseball teams are about to enter the most exciting part of the season as they battle for the national title.

UNDER-14 PLAYOFFS

London Mets, LYBL Bulldogs and London Sports have already booked their semi-final places in the Under-14 Division based on being the top three seeded teams. Brentwood Junior Bucks, Essex Redbacks and the Herts Cardinals will battle it out this Saturday, September 6, to determine who will take the last available ticket to the Under-14 semi-finals. They will play in a round-robin format with the winner progressing to the semi-final where they will face the top seed, London Mets. These Wild Card Playoff games will be played at Grovehill Ballpark in Hemel Hempstead (click for venue details).

10.30am, Herts Cardinals @ Brentwood Jnr Bucks

1.00pm Brentwood Jnr Bucks @ Essex Redbacks

3.30pm Essex Redbacks @ Herts Cardinals

UNDER-12 PLAYOFFS

In recent years the British Baseball Federation has staged a National Championship only for the Under-17 and Under-14 divisions. This year they have added the Under-12 division. Similar to the Under-14s, the top three seeds LYBL, London Mets and London Sport have been given a place in the semi-finals. The fourth semi-finalist will be either Herts or Brentwood. They will go head-to-head this Saturday again at Grovehill Ballpark. The two teams have never met before so they will not know what to expect. The winner will be determined over a two-game series.  The prize for that team will be a semi-final against the top seed, LYBL Bulldogs.

11.00am, Brentwood Jnr Bucks @ Herts All Stars

1.30pm, Herts All Stars @ Brentwood Jnr Bucks

FOOD, DRINKS AND MORE

Admission to the Under-14 and Under-12 Wild Card Playoffs is free and fans and families can enjoy the baseball action with traditional baseball snacks which will be on offer including hot dogs, Krispy Kreme donuts, Big League Chew and other snacks and drinks. Baseball gloves, bats, bags, and other merchandise will also be on offer at the retail outlets at Grovehill Ballpark.

UNDER-17

The Herts Harriers have booked their place in the Under-17 National Championship Semi-Final on the basis of being the 2013 runner-up. They will face the London Mets on 13 September at Farnham Park in a repeat of the 2013 semi-final.