The 2020 Think Again Little League State Championships continued on Tuesday with 11 games across Crimea Park and the Baseball Park. The Senior League competition was able to get underway after heavy rain put a damper on Monday's games. Central Firebirds and Eastern Phantoms remain undefeated in Little League, while Western Comets and Northern Metro are 2-0 in Junior League. Western Suns lead Intermediate League while Western Meteors are ahead in Senior League. The State Champions for Little, Intermediate, Junior and Senior League will be crowned at the end of this week. Check out all the action from day two and follow Baseball WA on Facebook and Instagram for photos, videos and more. LITTLE LEAGUE Eastern Phantoms 16 v Coastal Bay Sharks 0 The reigning champs are a force to be reckoned with an even bigger win than yesterday’s 10-run margin, recording a 16-run shutout win against Coastal Bay Sharks in the first game of day two. Brady Manning and Arata Samukawa shared the dutiday wo.es on the mound and kept the defense tight to not allow any scores against them. The Sharks looked to three pitchers to help steady things with Scott Gilchrist and Byron Meier spending the most time in the middle. Jasper Roberts contributed as well. Eastern Phantoms begin day three looking to improve their 2-0 record against Northern Metros before rounding out the regular games against Coastal Bay. Southern Titans 4 v Southern Hills Warriors 16 After a shutout loss yesterday, the Warriors stepped it up to record a comfortable 12-run win. Southern Hills' Carlton Branch and Aden Lynn pitched 23 and 25 pitches respectively for the game, with Zach Thompson getting a bit of work in as well. The Warriors offence ramped things up on the back of their pitching efforts as Noah Forrest threw 69 pitches as he tried to get the scoreline under control for the Titans’ sake. He was backed up by Coby Bridson, Callum Sarland and Matthew Rowsell. Southern Titans are 0-2 but have a double-header on Wednesday as they take on Central Firebirds and Southern Hills. Northern Metros 11 v Coastal Bay Sharks 0 The Metros managed another victory during their campaign, the Sharks unable to get a true offence going as they were restricted to a scoreless game once more. Oliver Newham and Sienna Angeloff pitched for Northern Metros throughout the game and held the Sharks accountable at the plate while Noah Robinson and Koby Trousselot tried to steady the opposition offence. Coastal Bay Sharks will hope to get the bats swinging in their final game of the regular round when they meet Eastern Phantoms, whereas at the other end of the standings, Northern Metros will hope it’s an unbeaten run when they play the Phantoms also. Central Firebirds 13 v Southern Hill Warriors 0 After an impressive 16-4 game two victory, the Warriors were brought down to earth again against the Firebirds in a scoreline similar to their matchup on day one. Cody Joss threw 54 pitches, gaining help from Shante Anderson and Jesse Rando in the Warriors' efforts to minimise their opponents score while for the Firebirds, Jasper Smith took on most of the responsibility on the mound. Josh Coyne and Joel Vlasic made their tournament pitching debuts. The 3-0 Firebirds will hope to make it a perfect regular campaign when they face Southern Titans while for Southern Hills, they’ll look for their first win to end on a high against the Titans. INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE Western Suns 15 v Western Comets 5 10-run margins have been the recipe for success for Western Suns were victorious, taking them to a 2-0 record at the end of day two. Brayden Davis and Dennis Brock made sure the Comets didn’t get too close with the bats, as Kyan Bertolini contributed also. Bailey Green threw 95 pitches as the Comets tried to answer the Suns’ offence. Lochlan Farrell and Thomas Cooke made their tournament pitching debuts for the Comet. The Suns will hope to make it a perfect run when they face the Meteors while the Comets will hope to get on the winner’s list after going head-to-head with Western Stars. Western Meteors 2 v Western Stars 16 After a huge 22-6 win on day one, the Meteors were kept quiet by a hard-hitting Stars side. Oliver McDonald took on most of the responsibility in the middle, throwing 57 pitches with assistance from Hudson Morawiec, Jesse Hawke and Ethan Horn. For the Stars, Kristian Haeusler and Rhys Hards pitched their way to the win with backup from Lucas Santich and Boston Friedlieb. Both sides head into the final round-robin game with 1-1 records. For the Meteors, they’ll take on Western Suns while the Stars will compete against Western Comets on Wednesday. JUNIOR LEAGUE Northern Metros 10 v Western Suns 7 Defending Junior League champions Northern Metros took care of Western Suns but it proved a close game with a three-run margin the deciding factor between the two teams. Northern Metros used four pitchers with Brayden Connor on the mound for over 60 pitches, well backed up by Dawson George, Rhys Kelly and Lachlan Cooper. For the Suns, they trialled six pitchers on the mound, Riley Ozanne seeing the most time in the middle, throwing 49 pitches. The Metros will continue to offer up a strong offence when they try for their third win of the campaign against Western Comets, while the Suns will look for win number one against fellow winless side Western Meteors. Western Comets 8 v Western Meteors 2 Western Comets are now 2-0 after this 8-2 win over Western Meteors. Jacob Hills, Keelan Murray and Denver Needle each pitched over 30 pitches for the Meteors but it was a combined effort for Comets pitchers Cruze Brendon, Campbell Froude and Geoffrey Kerr that saw the Comets finish in a strong position. Day three gets underway with the 1-1 Comets facing Northern Metros while the Meteors will search for their first win, hoping it comes against Western Suns, a side also without a win. SENIOR LEAGUE Western Suns 13 v Western Comets 4 After Monday’s games were rained out, the Suns and Comets got things started in the Senior League competition on Tuesday afternoon. The Suns opened their campaign for a third straight championship on a strong note with a double-digit run tally. Jordan Brokas, Lewdon Te Mara and William Truscott pitched the Suns to victory, while the Comets put Jarrod Cooke, Evan Forrest and Mitchell Forrest on the mound. Wednesday’s revised schedule has the Suns and Comets playing once again at 4:00 PM, with the Suns facing off against the Meteors at 7:00 PM too. Western Meteors 8 v Western Comets 3 The Meteors held off the Comets for a solid win off the back of strong pitching performances from Callum Broughton, Caleb Goodwin and Patrick Temby. Aiden Branch, Zander Goodwin and Flynn McGahan took turns on the mound for the Comets, giving up just a few too many runs to a hungry Meteors side who are chasing their first championship since 2017. The Comets will look for their first win on Wednesday with another game against the Meteors and their second matchup with the Suns. Western Meteors 17 v Western Suns 7 The Suns had a dominant first game against the Comets but they ran out of steam on Tuesday night, falling by 10 runs to a determined Meteors side. The 2-0 Meteors open Wednesday against the Comets before another nighttime matchup with the 1-1 Suns. Morawiec Baseball is officially back in WA with the 2020 Think Again Little League State Championships getting started today at Crimea Park and the Baseball Park. The tournament kicked off with a bang as 17 teams turned out in search of early success, although unfortunately heavy rains at the Baseball Park called off the Senior League games.
The State Champions for Little, Intermediate, Junior and Senior League will be crowned at the end of this week. Check out all the action from Day 1 and follow Baseball WA on Facebook and Instagram for photos, videos and more. LITTLE LEAGUE Coastal Bay Sharks 0 v Northern Metros 13 The Metros won 13-0 thanks to a strong offense that the Sharks couldn’t quite match, despite some good catches in the field. Tyler Fraser, Taj Jeffers handled the bulk of the pitching for Coastal Bay, while Monty Smith and Scott Gilchrist also contributed. The Metros jumped on their scoring chances, with Cameron Bahr, Oliver Newham and Hyte Brooks handling the pitching work and saving the shutout. Tuesday sees Coastal Bay play a double header with games against reigning champs Eastern Phantoms before another meeting with the Metros. A loss to the Phantoms and a win for the Metros could put them on top of Pool B by Tuesday afternoon. Southern Hills Warriors 0 v Central Firebirds 11 The Central Firebirds opened their account with a huge win on the back of quick innings by Simon Monson and Kazuki Mochida. The Warriors had William Baker, Taj Gullotti, Kyle Martins and Kyron Schwarz putting in good efforts on the mound but they couldn’t tame the Firebirds’ explosive offense. These two sides meet again at 2:30 PM on Tuesday afternoon. Northern Metros 1 v Eastern Phantoms 11 After a comprehensive 13-0 win to start the day, the Metros ran out of momentum in this matchup against a tough Eastern side. Eita Samukawa and Toby Franklin kept things under control for the 2019 Little League State Champions while Quinn Fatai, Rafael DiBlasi, Judd MacNeil and Chase Shortland pitched for the Metros. Both teams play the Coastal Bay Sharks on Tuesday in search of more wins to boost their positions on the ladder. Central Firebirds 13 v Southern Titans 2 The Firebirds went two for two on opening day, scoring another 13 runs in their second game with a massive outing against the Titans. Aiden Brannan and Brendan Sparkes gave the Firebirds plenty of confidence on the mound, while Liam Zagari, Dylan Chapman, Aiden McCabe and Matthew Rowsell split the pitching duties for the Titans. Both teams play the Warriors on Tuesday, with the Firebirds sitting atop the Pool A ladder. INTERMEDIATE LEAGUE Western Suns 14 v Western Stars 4 The Suns wasted no time getting their first win on the board, cruising past the Stars with the help of strong pitching by Xavia Aporo, Rowan Edmunds and Riley Oliphant. The Stars had Jack Brooks, Owen Capes, Kylan Granland, Rhys Hards and Kristian Haeusler switching off on the mound, but their efforts couldn’t hold back the hard-hitting Suns. The Suns will look to go 2-0 on Tuesday morning against the reigning champs Western Comets, while the Stars play the Meteors. Western Comets 6 v Western Meteors 22 The Meteors came up against last year’s champs but they made it work with the highest runs tally of the day. Fletcher Thomas and Xander Huisman gave up a few runs to the Comets but still kept things under control so the Meteors could run wild on the base paths. The Comets will look to bounce back tomorrow against the Suns while the Meteors hope to keep things rolling against the Stars. JUNIOR LEAGUE Western Meteors 6 v Northern Metros 10 The Northern Metros followed up on last year’s winning form with a strong performance over the Western Meteors. Jack Angeloff, Hudson Brice, Brayden Connor and Xavier Fatai did enough on the mound to hold off the Meteors. The combined pitching efforts of Cameron Ballantine, Maclin Berry, Riley Hall, Jai Hewitt, Jacob Hills and Cody Van Der Graaf kept the Meteors in the race, but they ultimately fell short. The Metros play the Suns next while the Meteors look for a win against the Comets. Western Comets 5 v Western Suns 2 In the closest matchup of the day, the Comets sneaked past the Suns. The combined pitching contributions from Niyaz Abdul, Cruze Brendon, Campbell Froude and Daniel Papiccio got the job done for the Comets as they kept the Suns’ offense quiet enough. The Suns had Luke Warner, Jackson Stivey and Darcy Clements working on the mound as they fell by three runs. Tuesday’s fixture has the Metros v Suns and Comets v Meteors. SENIOR LEAGUE Western Suns v Western Comets – Rained Out Western Meteors v Western Suns – Rained Out Heavy rain called the Baseball Park games off, with these matchups added to Tuesday and Wednesday’s schedules. Tuesday’s fixture now has Suns v Comets at 1:00 PM, followed by Meteors v Comets at 4:00 PM and Meteors v Suns at 7:00 PM. Baseball WA is just days away from the highly-anticipated return to play with the 2020 Think Again Little League State Championships running from Monday, 13 July – Friday, 17 July 2020.
The Little, Intermediate and Junior League competitions will be held at Crimea Park, home of the Morley Eagles, and the Senior League competition will take place at the Baseball Park. The Eastern Phantoms (Little), Western Comets (Intermediate), Northern Metros (Junior) and Western Suns (Senior) will chase back-to-back State Championships. “COVID-19 has presented plenty of challenges, but our baseball community and WA as a whole has persevered, and we’re so excited that baseball is back,” Baseball WA CEO Lachlan Dale. “While we were disappointed to postpone these events in March, it was necessary to protect the health and safety of our members, and we are pleased that our patience and planning has paid off. Even though the national and international pathways were cancelled this year, it’s important we get our players back on the field playing the sport they love.” With 17 teams ready to compete in the tournament, there will be plenty of teamwork and determination displayed throughout the week. Charter teams have been gearing up for the competition with fun scratch matches and training sessions in recent weeks. “ “Our charter players worked so hard this past season, and we are pleased to give them the chance to showcase their skills and work hard with their teams to chase State Championship glory,” Little League District Administrator Andrew Murray said. “We can’t wait to see what next week has in store, and of course we appreciate the committee members and volunteers at Morley Eagles Baseball Club for stepping up to host these events in what’s been a very different year.” Coaches and their teams share the sentiments. Eastern Phantoms Little League Coach Daniel Calverley and his players are counting down the days. “We are really excited to get back on the field,” Calverley said. “Whilst we are disappointed there is no pathway this year, we are eager to play some games and look forward to the State Championship.” Older players are just as excited. “The Western Meteors are fired up and ready to clash with the Suns and the Comets” Senior League Coach Dean Cole said. Baseball WA wishes all teams and participants the best of luck at the 2020 Think Again Little League State Championships! Make sure to follow along with all the action from the State Champs on the Little League WA Facebook, Baseball WA Facebook and Instagram for photos, videos and more. Please note fixtures are available on our website: Little League Intermediate League Junior League Senior League The 2020 Australian Women's and Youth Women's Baseball Championships have been cancelled as the COVID-19 crisis escalates.
Baseball Australia today confirmed it had made the difficult decision to call off the tournament, originally slated for Canberra in April, after the Victorian border was closed this week and other states reconsider easing their restrictions. Baseball Australia chief executive Cam Vale said the latest measures and lack of clarity over how the situation will progress took away the window of opportunity for the championships to be rescheduled in 2020. “The planning that goes into national championships is significant,” Vale said. “Unfortunately the latest border restrictions are another setback and with no clear picture of how long they will be in place it makes it very difficult to plan for the event, especially with flight availability still limited.” The championships were originally postponed in March, and Baseball Australia had hoped to reschedule the event, which was an important part of the Boral Australian Emeralds’ preparations for the 2020 Women’s Baseball World Cup. The World Cup has been pushed back to November in Mexico, but Vale said, due to the continued increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Latin America, it was questionable whether it would go ahead and that the Emeralds would be able to compete. “Baseball Australia is currently working with Australian Government agencies and the WBSC to ensure the health and safety of players, staff and spectators,” Vale said. “But the reality with a ban on overseas travel from Australia currently in place, is it will take a dramatic improvement in COVID-19 restrictions being eased for the Emeralds to compete even if the event is held.” Vale said he also expected to be in a position to provide an update on the proposed Australian women’s league with work continuing behind the scenes. The location and dates of the 2021 Australian Women's and Youth Women's Baseball Championships will be announced later in the year. There have been several recent changes to Baseball WA staffing as our organisation prepares for a strong second-half of the year following the COVID-19 crisis.
Petey Adamson, who previously handled website administration and fixturing, will finish up at the end of June and would like to thank him for his long-service for Baseball WA. Earlier this year we began the transition to a shared media and marketing resource model with Baseball Victoria. This has allowed us to increase our communications on Facebook and the Baseball WA website, as well as launch the official Baseball WA Instagram account. We believe a streamlined, professional approach to communications will benefit our community and enable us to better promote our clubs, members and programs, something we will strive to continue moving forward. For any media or communications queries or news stories to share, please contact [email protected]. At the conclusion of the 2020 Little League State Championships next month, Little League District Administrator Andrew Murray will be finishing up with Baseball WA. This position will be absorbed into the participation management role headed up by David Hayes. Junior Competition Manager Lance MacKichan will take a step back from competition support focusing on work outside his role with BWA, while Bryce Gomes has come on board to finish up an internship program with Baseball WA in the next few months. Baseball WA is also investing in national strategies for member services, protection and tribunal processes, which will see a boost in shared support services for our members. More details on these changes will be shared in the coming months. The Baseball WA team is looking forward to a bright future, even in light of this year’s unprecedented challenges. We thank Petey, Andrew and Lance for their many contributions and wish them well in future endeavours. If you have any questions or need assistance with anything, please contact Baseball WA and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. |
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