West Torrens Baseball Club

The Club is saddened to hear of the passing of  Team of the Century catcher and multiple Australian representative Gary Thompson. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.

All members, be advised the Annual General Meeting of the Club will be held on Wednesday 19th May in the Clubrooms at 7.30pm.

New Committeee members are required as well as more volunteers. If you’re thinking of putting your hand up to assist around the Club please make an effort to attend.

Hope to see you on the night.

West Torrens has enjoyed another successful night at the Capps medal dinner presentation.  On an individual level the following were rewarded for their outstanding performances this season

• Sam Tibbits – selected at first base in the Team of the Year
• Jesse Duval – selected as Rookie of the Year for the Div 1 competition
• Mark Henry – co-winner Div 2 medal
• Ron Paulus – winner Div 6 medal

On a club level, Mark McGarry was presented with the Junior shield. This is the 4th year in a row that West Torrens has won this award and is testament to the development program we have.

To see how you went for the season visit all clubs votes. Both Senior and Junior votes are listed.

Also a reminder that the B grade have their Grand Final 2.00pm this Saturday at Glenelg. Get along and support the boys then head back to the Club after.

Another reminder that the Senior Presentation dinner is being held at the Clubrooms on Saturday night 11th April. Cost is $35.00 per head less $20.00 for Senior players who have fully paid their subs. This includes a 2 course meal plus entertainment. The cocktail machine will be in attendance also. See Amy Thomson for further details and bookings

The Final week of the season is usually a mixture of excitement, tinged with a little sadness and a definite measure of relief as the hopes and aspirations of a season culminate in the playing of that one game of the year that really and truly matters.

By all measures, the club is in a healthy position. Our committee is united, our teams are full, our coaching staff is highly regarded, and our teams are playing good baseball. I believe that opposition clubs respect us and our track record over the past four years in collecting the Junior Club of the year award is dynastic.

For all of this, the measuring stick from within is our ability to convert on Grand Final Day, and as always we attempt to do so in the face of determined and talented teams opposing us. In recent years, the West Torrens/Sturt rivalry has become storied with both clubs having exclusively shared the Junior Club of the Year award for the past seven years, so it is no surprise that most of the Junior Grand Finals featured one or both of the clubs.

It is with no small measure of pride that in entering Grand Final Day with our Little League Major team, the Under 14/1 team and the Under 16/1 team we achieved the ultimate success in two of the grades and were runners up in the other. We faced off against Sturt in two Grand Finals, and perhaps appropriately, we shared a premiership each with the Little League Major side falling to a strong Sturt outfit whose experience and talent shone through. This young side still has a few seasons to go at this level and of course it is encouraging to see a group so young, go so close. Well done to Jamie Boydon and Tim Mead for their mentoring of the team, I’m sure you will look forward to many encounters with Sturt in the coming seasons. The under 16/1 team was more fortunate in triumphing 8 – 6 against a fast finishing Sturt team. Once again, these two teams have now made a habit of playing off against each other in the last game of the season; they are very evenly matched and very talented. Needless to say we were completely delighted and more than a little relieved to get the final out, having watched a 7 run lead shrink to just two. A wonderful effort by all involved, Rick Mead as Head Coach and Dave Dunstall his assistant and the squad of players who worked hard all year and overcame many hurdles to be still standing at the finish.

The under 14/1 team were simply magnificent in establishing themselves as the pre-eminent team in this division. Having split the matches one a piece in the first two games with the Dodgers, the Grand Final became the match that would determine which team had earned the number one ranking. The team under David Green played almost flawless Baseball on the day and, by the end of the first innings, had severely deflated the Dodgers hopes and followed this with relentless team oriented baseball that was simply irresistible. The final result, a 17 – 2 win was an emphatic realisation that the team had established its bona fides as the number 1 ranked Under 14 team. Congratulations To Coach Green, assistant Ken Henry and the ubiquitous Robert Baker whose oversight of pitching was exemplary. Brilliant job boys, you were magnificent against quality opposition.

 

The club scoreboard for this week reads as follows:

                                                           

WT                               Result              Opponent                                Season

Division 2           5       defeated          Sturt                                2        2 – 0             

Division 3           5       defeated          Goodwood                       2        2 – 1 PREMIERS

Under 16            8       defeated          Sturt                                6        2 – 1              PREMIERS

Under 14 (1)    17       defeated          Golden Grove      2        3 – 0              PREMIERS      

LL Major             4       lost to              Sturt                              18        1 – 2              Runners Up    

LL Minor             6       lost to              Glenelg                          14      11 – 7                          (4^th)

 

 

Mead’s men claim prize

 

In a gripping encounter at Norman Reserve, Rick Mead’s Under 16 team opened up an early seven run lead having batted aggressively against Sturt’s starter. With Bryce Fulton having just won the Medal as the MVP in the League for his efforts on the mound this season, leading off to Todd Dunstall behind the dish, the Eagle defense held tight for four innings before Bryce’s control went slightly off balance and with bases loaded we conceded the first of a pair of runs. With Sturt’s reliever holding us with brilliant pitching, the game tightened significantly and Dylan Duval came on to relieve Bryce and the top of the Sturt order came up with some clutch hitting to narrow the margin to two. At seven to five up going into the top of the final innings, the nerves were jangling and the Eagle bats went to work one final time plating one more vital run on a sacrifice ground ball to the right side by Matt Scharenberg. At the last change, a nervous Dylan Duval got the first out to pop up, but then walked the following two batters to put the tying run at the plate. Coach Mead decided that it was time to move and he brought young Matt Scharenberg to the mound to try and pick up the final two outs. Showing maturity beyond his years but in line with his prodigious talent, Matt held his nerve to get a ground ball to pick up a force at second, conceded a run, but with runners at first and second, now needing just the one more out for the win. Three tension filled strikes later, the last two swinging, the Eagle boys’ gloves launched into the air in jubilant triumph and the celebrations began. Sturt were magnificent in defeat, brave efforts were acknowledged, heroic performances chronicled, and ultimately we were left clutching the ultimate prize this time around. In recognition of the team’s success, the Line up for the Day was:     1.         Bryce Fulton

1. Todd Dunstall
2. Matt Scharenberg
3. James Batty
4. Thomas Dunn
5. Nico Vanderlinden
6. Alister Fogarty
7. Scott Miller
8. Dylan Duval
9. Mitch Mead
10. Mitch Booker

Interested spectators were Nathan Vanderlinden (Div 2 and U/18), Joel Ettridge (U/18) and Tom McGarry, all of whom were eligible and have made contributions to this team this season but had not qualified having played a different grade or were injured,

Congratulations to all those associated with the team. Of course Head Coach Rick Mead whose calm leadership steadied the team through troubled waters and who managed the extraordinary range of personalities with good humour, and genuine empathy. Thanks also to assistant coach Dave Dunstall whose dedication over the years has been invaluable, to Ian Scharenberg for putting his hand up to be the team manager and handling all those necessary game day tasks that simply must be done. Thanks also to the mums who scored for us this year, primarily Cathy Miller and Yvette Peckham, your availability and reliability is greatly prized. Thanks also to the parents that turned up every week to lend support, make sure that trainings were attended and put up with the grumbling ramblings. Congratulations to James Batty, whose first season as an Eagle yielded his first premiership, as did Alister Fogarty. To all the players, enjoy the off-season and please come back and support us next year.

 

Green Machine well oiled in bringing home the prize

 

The Under 14 Green Machine was simply not going to be denied this Sunday. In a fitting match up between the top two teams who both had a win against each other, this encounter was to decide which club would rightly claim top billing. With Head Coach Green pacing the side-lines rather nervously prior to the first pitch, one could be forgiven for being surprised at just how quickly the Eagle boys charged out of the blocks and took a strangle hold on the trophy. With League MVP runner-up Brad Dedrick going on the mound to Ethan Haylock behind the plate, the first batter slapped the ball to second baseman Sam McGarry, who bobbled an awkward bouncer and the first runner was on board, maybe coach Green had reason to be nervous, but from that point on, the Eagles were completely dominant. The runner was caught stealing by a bullet from Haylock and the 2 to 6 play stripped the runner for the first out and was one of three runners mown down by the Haylock defense, With three up three down, in came the juggernaut and right from the first pitch, you could tell that the boys had come to play. Mason Pickard lined the ball for a single, stole second, Lucas Hunter got on, Ethan Haylock struck out, but the boys kept at it, Brad Dedrick smashed an RBI, Sam McGarry smote a liner down the right field line with first playing well inside for an RBI double. Jack Hambly smashed it, Mitch Duval smashed it, Connor Foley got on and Nathan Byrnes roped one down the left field line. In a trice, we had batted through the order, posted the maximum seven runs and left the Dodgers completely shell-shocked. The defense backed this up with back to back doughnuts and the offense continued to roll on until by the end of three frames, the Green Machine was a clear 10 runs ahead before finally a couple of breaks went the Dodgers way allowing them to score their first run. Once again, however and with bases loaded, the defense calmly removed the runner in the next play allowing the second run to score but with no runner on, effectively killing the rally. We collected the third out and retired the side. After three and a half frames, the game score was 10 – 2 our way, and not to be outdone, the Green Machine bats went right back at it posting 5 more runs to be 15 – 2 up with three to play. At this point, coach Green relieved Dedrick with Lucas Hunter and brought on young Will Bourchier for his first taste of Grand Final action. Hunter posted a three up three down dig and if we could score two runs we would win in a mercy. Duly, the innings was lead off by Mitch Duval who got on base and stole second, Jack Hambly came up and got himself on and then came the fairytale moment of the game, Will Bourchier, in his first year in the game, seeing his first action of the finals series, steps up to the plate, takes a couple of pitches and then launches a line drive to deep left centre to drive in the two runs required! Game over, walk off double. The boys celebrated loudly and proudly in a true show of team spirit showering Will with congratulations.

 The Under 14 Green Machine lined up as follows:

1. Brad Dedrick
2. Ethan Haylock
3. Lucas Hunter
4. Sam McGarry
5. Jack Hambly
6. Mitch Duval
7. Connor Foley
8. Mason Pickard
9. Nathan Byrnes
10. Will Bourchier

Congratulations to the boys on a fantastic job this season. It was a season with just the one loss, and clearly you were the best team in the competition this year. Thank you to David Green, Ken Henry and Bob Baker for their passion and influence over the team. The discipline, the skills, the knowledge of the game you bring is peerless and the boys are incredibly lucky to have you mentoring their baseball. Thanks to Heather Shilling and Mick Edgar for the team managerial skills always carried out efficiently, thanks also to Michelle McGarry for scoring so effectively. Thanks also to the wonderful supporters who gave such great backing to this prodigiously talented team.

 

Little League Major brave but undone by stronger opposition

 

The Little League Major boys headed up to Norman Reserve with high hopes that they had recovered their poise after having been comprehensively beaten in the earlier semi-final against the same opponent. Sadly, from our point of view, the message was the same. The Sturt battery was much too good and held our hitting line-up to just 4 runs and they countered offensively with plenty of hitting power of their own. The pressure exerted on the lads was too much and they wilted under the strain, giving our opponents a hand by committing errors and learning that baseball is a tough game. Congratulations to the Sturt boys. They were too good for us this time winning 4 runs to 18 runs, an emphatic score line that left no doubt about which team was stronger this year. The outlook is not all bleak, as the majority of this team stays together next year and we have the chance to build on our skills and see if we can get ourselves up to the standard that the Sturt boys have set. I understand that many of them will also be back in Little League next year. For the record, the Little League Major team was:

1. Curtis Mead
2. Jarrod Miller
3. Alex Martin
4. Cooper Boydon
5. Mario Casazza
6. Jonty Scharenberg
7. Jonah Byrnes
8. Jack Pillion
9. Griffin Weber
10. Brodie Nicol
11. Lachlan Eichner

 

Well-done coaches Jamie Boydon and Tim Mead. The lads were well mentored and are learning a great deal under your tutelage. Thanks Lee Martin for your exceptional managerial skills, thanks to Libby Eichner and Cathy Miller for scoring so efficiently and thanks also to the many wonderful parents and grand parents that followed our youngest teams around cheering on their progress.

 

Little League Minors fall in final game

 

The final game of the season for the Little League Minor boys was at home against top side Glenelg.  After getting off to a good start, we lead the tigers after the first frame, their hitters proved too strong and they posted 4 runs and then two maximums (5) to shut us down. Having already sealed the title in the weeks leading up to this game, the Tiger boys were presented with the Premiership trophy by club legend and Australian Hall of Famer Andrew Scott, whose son Jacob is playing in our team. Unfortunately with other results going against us the team slid from second position back to fourth spot, but nevertheless, Ron Paulus as Head Coach, assisted by Dave Nicol, Andrew Scott and Andrew Morgan, have set the basics in motion now for this very young team to move forward and step up to the next level of baseball in the coming years and we certainly look forward to that. Thank you to Dave Nicol for managing the team, thank you to Tony D’Angelo for scoring (having started out as a complete novice, he is now primed fro Claxton Shield duty!!!) Thanks also to Cathy Miller who scored on the days when Tony was unable to do so. Once again, I also thank all the many parents and grand parents that came out and watched the youngest Eagles have fun playing baseball for West Torrens.

 

Presentation Night

 

A reminder that the wind up for the 2009/10 season will be this Friday 26 March 2010 at the Club Rooms. Players in all Grades are eligible for awards. The Junior Players will all receive recognition of their participation in 2009/10 and premiership players will be awarded medallions in recognition.

 

Uniform Return

 

Parents are reminded that with the season now concluded, we require the return of your child’s laundered uniform. The best opportunity to do this is to bring it with you on Friday night at presentations. Little League players must return the playing top and pants, whilst Under 14 and 16 players must return the playing top. Upon receipt of the laundered garment, your $20 refund will be returned to you.

 

 

March 28^th Grand Final Day

 

Just in case you were suffering from withdrawal, there is one remaining game to be played for the club and that involves our Division 2 seniors, who are playing Glenelg in the Grand Final next Sunday at Glenelg starting at 2 o’clock

 

Division 2:       Grand Final

Glenelg, Away at Glenelg

Starting at 2.00pm

 

Thank you all for your support this year. I will be in touch about the AGM. If you would be interested in being on the committee, please consider nominating for a position and put your hand up to get involved at your club.

 

See you at the Ball Park.

 

Yours in Baseball       

Mark McGarry

Junior Chairman

West Torrens Baseball Club

A trip to Kensington didn’t deter the boys starting hard hitting stealing their way around the bases. Alex Morgan lead off and demanded strikes finishing with an on base average of a thousand.
Singles to Kyle Nicol scored Alex, Jordan crushing a stand up double to score Kyle, Nathan Valantini scoring Patrick and Luke Houston scored Nathan to finish the five run assault.
Had it not been for a sharp catch at shortstop Jacob Scott would have also singled
Jordan showed a little more how he has got what it takes Kensington touched him up a little but he fought well to only allow 1 run through.
Ethan lead off and also demanded strikes he swung the bat nicely however not enough strikes meant walks for him and he too had a on base average of a thousand.
Singles to Nathan Collins and Kyle Nicol scored another 4 runs.
Patrick Mckone started and finished with strike outs and also only allowed a single run in he is showing that he has a keen interest in the game and there will be much more from him in his years to come.
The foot never came off the pedal with more singles to Kyle, Jordan, Nathan Collins and Patrick using plenty of steals and some hit and runs scoring another 5.
Jacob Scott came into pitch finishing his dig in 13 pitches with a few outs missed it could have been a lot less and also only giving up the 1 run.
All hands came in for a kill call though the intention was for the other team not ourselves where we scored our first donut, but the damage had been done and Nathan Collins battled on the mound finishing well where they scored 4.
Kyle batting a thousand and throwing a lad out stealing to third has shown great skill, fitness and strength a super game and look forward to seeing more improvement as I have done through out the year.
Great job lads and next week has the last game against top ranked Glenelg which is no better way to finish.

Five Junior teams started the day in contention for Grand Final places, by the end of an action packed day, two had fallen at the penultimate hurdle and three had stormed into Grand Finals on the back of strong wins in their respective preliminary finals. After having their noses bloodied a week earlier the Under 16’s lead by Rick Mead and the Jamie Boydon/Tim Mead skippered Little League Major boys bounced back to record emphatic results vaulting them into next weekend’s Grand Final showdown. The Under 14 Green Machine proved too strong for the Hawks in qualifying for their Grand Final decider against the Dodgers from Golden Grove.

The unfortunate teams to miss out on Grand Final berths were the Under 14 Dineen Machine who fought valiantly all day, but ultimately came up short and lose the privilege of losing to North’s should be Under 14 Div 1 side. The final team to miss a berth at the big dance was the Under 18 team that not two weeks ago held Woodville hitless in the last minor round game. However, Grand Finals and premierships are not handed out for minor round games, you have to be good on the day that counts and we were not good enough.

Congratulations on the season to both Robbie Dineen and Brett Ettridge and the respective teams. The future of the club is in your teams and both squads have benefited enormously from your tutelage.

 

The club scoreboard for this week reads as follows:

                                                           

WT                               Result              Opponent                                Season

Division 2           2       defeated          Southern Districts          0         1 – 0             

Division 6           7       lost to              East Torrens                15         1 – 1 eliminated

Under 18            6       lost to              Woodville                      8          0 – 2              eliminated

Under 16         13       defeated          East Torrens                   0         1 – 1                         

Under 14 (1)      9       defeated          Southern Districts          1         2 – 0                         

Under 14 (2)    10       lost                                                                18        1 – 1              eliminated      

LL Major           14       defeated          Goodwood                       3        1 – 1                                     

LL Minor          14       defeated          Kensington                      7      11 – 6                          (2^nd)

 

 

Eagles stumble again, this time it hurts

 

After a dominant season that saw us drop the points only once, the Under 18’s suffered the ignominy of losing consecutive finals to bow out of the premiership race. Sunday’s match against Woodville was a terrific game of baseball in every aspect except for the final result. Nathan Vanderlinden, whose previous outing against this lineup was a complete game shut out, started off strongly again, but a bleeder to centre put a runner on and he scored after a couple of stolen bases had put him onto third and a vain attempt to pick off a walked runner going from first, gifted the Peckers the first run. The Eagle bats rebounded quickly as the starter was pulled without recording an out and loading the bases with walks. So, it was a strong start that saw us go out to an early lead. Unfortunately, the bottom of the Peckers batting order really stood up and was able to post runs in seven of nine innings. The Woodville reliever did a fantastic job shutting us down and when they eventually hit the lead, we were unable to overhaul the deficit. Even more incredibly if we’d won, we’d have hosted a home final. That privilege now belongs to Woodville. In examining the fall out, the Grand Final will now be played between two teams with vastly inferior records over the season, but who have both been able to record their best performances on the day it mattered. We must learn from this and become stronger players mentally and learn to respond when put under pressure. Congratulations to Sam Bawden, Brett Martschink and Alex McDonald, three young men that have now completed their junior baseball journey and move on to senior baseball next season. Significantly, two thirds of this team are eligible next season along with the Under 16’s that have played many games already at this level. Whilst this stands us in good stead, if this year tells us anything, it tells us that this is no guarantee of success. We must be ready to play when it counts.

 

Mead’s men achieve a measure of redemption at the nest

 

Pleasingly, the Under 16 Mead Machine were able to bounce back from last weekend’s shocker, to pulverise a bewildered and forlorn Redsox outfit that were kept in check from the outset and did not relinquish their grip on the match at any stage. With Bryce Fulton on the mound reliving his heroics from the previous outing against the Sox, the Eagles completely shut out the opposition hitters, whilst the bats were red hot from the get go. The Red Sox starter left the mound in the first inning having conceded five runs and not recording an out, an irresistible batting performance from the Eagle boys. By game’s end Fulton had gone the distance for his second complete game shut out of East Torrens this season. This time, Todd Dunstall whose return from illness considerably steadied our defense, shared battery duties. Great hitting from all batters, superb fielding and some optimism has been rekindled that we can be a real chance to collect the trophy next weekend, particularly if we can reproduce this type of baseball.

 

Green Machine poised

 

The Under 14 Green Machine continued to play impressive team baseball this weekend as they shut down the strong Southern Districts Hawks. With Brad Dedrick starting on the mound to Ethan Haylock, the Eagles posted several doughnuts on the Hawks side of the ledger before a late passed ball prevented the shut out. The team is well drilled, looks to execute the basics, which they did, and other than a muffed fly ball to short stop that was lost in the heavens, the boys did a wonderful job backing up their pitcher. At the plate they swung the bats hard and looked to put the coach’s calls in to play either by correctly executing bunt plays or hitting to the right side with a runner at third. Souths were kept on their toes all day as the Eagle boys continually challenged them to stop our running game. In the final analysis, one could think that the game and result was one-sided, but reality says that it was far from that. The Green Machine was able to execute when it counted. We now head to the decider against a dangerous Dodgers outfit, stung by their last appearance at the nest when we were able to turn the tables on an earlier season loss. All that win did was square the ledger. We now have to win to say that we were worth top billing and that will only come with dedication, discipline and adherence to the basics. Good luck to all concerned.

 

Dineen Machine go down bravely

 

The Under 14 Dineen Machine signed off the 2009/10 season with a disappointing loss. In a feisty encounter it was pleasing to hear that the bats worked solidly in setting up an 8 – 4 lead at the halfway point, unfortunately, we were unable to hold the opposition hitting lineup this time and the pressure of finals baseball lead to some indecision and errors. Congratulations to the Eagle boys and in particular coach Rob Dineen who has moulded this team into a solid outfit. He worked with his pitching catching battery to ensure that the team was well set defensively and he unearthed some new talent along the way. Well done to all players, we look forward to welcoming you back next season either as second year Under 14’s or as Under 16’s on the full diamond.

 

Little League Major power away from South to force a rematch

 

The Little League Major boys lead by Tim Mead and Jamie Boydon were back to their powerhouse best last Sunday when they overwhelmed a brave contingent from the reservation. With Curtis Mead on the mound throwing to the J-Rod, a formidable battery was in place and so it proved as the Tribe struggled to get runners on and then around. The defensive work from the Eagles was excellent. The Eagle bats swung hard as every pitch was attacked aggressively, base paths were run hard and pressure was constant as the Eagle boys maintained their aggression throughout the game. Having opened a substantial lead, the Eagles held on comfortably to move in to a rematch with their conquerors from 2 weeks ago in a match that promises to be a real cliff-hanger. Good luck Tim, Jamie and the boys.

 

Little League Minors defeat the Cardies and jump to Second

 

Ron Paulus’ Little League Minor boys headed up the hill to Erindale to face the Junior Cardinals in the early time slot last Sunday. In emerging with a win, the Eagles youngest players jumped over the two positikons to take sole possession of second place, an outstanding achievement by Ronnie and the boys. These youngsters are still very inexperienced, but are playing great baseball and working hard to learn the game and to execute the skills properly. A big challenge for the final game of the season against top placed Glenelg to see if we can stay in second spot. Good luck boys.

 

 

 

 

 

March 21^st Grand Final Day

 

Little League Minor: Coach: Ron Paulus

Glenelg, Home on the Junior Diamond

Starting at 10.00am (report 9.00am)

 

Little League Major:  Coaches:          Jamie Boydon and Tim Mead

Sturt, Away on the Main Diamond Grand Final

Starting at 12.00noon (report 11.00am)

 

Under 14 (1):              Coach:            David Green

Golden Grove, Home on the Main Diamond Grand Final

Starting at 12.30pm (report at 11.30am)

 

Under 16:                                Coach: Rick Mead

Sturt, Away on the Main Diamond Grand Final

Starting at 3.00pm (report at 2.00pm)

 

 

Finals Selection Policy

 

During the regular season, we expect our coaches to rotate their squads through different positions, infield, outfield, pitching, catching and whatever their skill and experience allows. They also shuffle the batting order to make sure that players are given a fair opportunity at bat. When we enter the finals race, coaches are allowed to choose what they consider to be the line-up that best suits the team’s positional needs. They will endeavour to include all of the squad, but cannot guarantee that every player will see game time.

 

 

Junior Presentation Night

 

For your calendar, the wind up for the 2009/10 season will be Friday 26 March 2010 at the Club Rooms. Players in all Grades are eligible for awards. Coaches are asked to choose three players to receive awards recognising excellence, improvement, or persistence or any combination that they see fit. Our younger players will also receive special recognition for playing and this year will include the Tee ball All Stars that debuted under the tutelage of Andrew Scott and Robert Baker. Please keep this date free as it is our final function for the 09/10 season and we’d love to see you there.

 

 

See you at the Ball Park.

 

Yours in Baseball       

Mark McGarry

Junior Chairman

West Torrens Baseball Club

Sunday marked the beginning of the end of the 09/10 season with the commencement of the finals series. It was also a day that we were reminded just how difficult winning a pennant will be in the face of stern, talented opposition such as what we encountered.

Expectations were of course understandably high given the pinnacle of success that we have achieved in attaining top rankings after the minor round, but what was exposed was a vulnerability to the ravages of finals baseball and the unforgiving nature of sport when three of our top ranked teams were shown in no uncertain terms that they will not win this year’s pennant race without a fight.

The Under 18’s were ambushed by a very talented outfit from Glenelg who have formidable pitching talent and batted superbly to rout a previously imperturbable unit. The Under 16’s were blighted in similar fashion by a resurgent Sturt unit, albeit that their team balance was crucially affected by injury and illness. The Under 14 Green Machine fared better with an ultimately convincing win against the Dodgers, but not before some spirited resistance was quelled by some Eagle brilliance and the vagaries of the weather. The most exciting outcome of the day was a first semi-final nail biter where the Under 14 Dineen Machine clung on to a 2 run lead in the top of the last frame with bases loaded to eliminate the Dodgers. Sturt bushwhacked the Little League Major lads in a game where Sturt’s starting pitcher was magnificent. Ronnie Paulus’ Little League Minor boys were also run to a very close result in winning against Goodwood by the narrowest of margins.

The wash up is of course that we live to fight another day by virtue of having finished in first place. The unfortunate thing is that we have now conceded home Grand Final rights should we make it through the final hurdle next weekend in three of the four grades we topped. Nevertheless, we now know what we have to overcome if we are to hoist the grand final trophy.

Commiserations to the Division 1 side whose late season rush was ultimately in vain as they fell agonisingly short of qualification for the finals having swept aside most opposition over the last few weeks. It was encouraging that so many junior players and new graduates from the junior ranks were given the opportunity to play senior baseball and including the A grade team. With the club having been crowned the leading Junior club in the competition for four consecutive years, we now have a crop of talented juniors ready to supplement and augment the senior talent with which we are blessed.

 

The club scoreboard for this week reads as follows:

                                                           

WT                               Result              Opponent                                Season             Ladder

Division 1         20       defeated          Henley & Grange          2        12 – 11                        (8^th)

Division 1        18       defeated          Northern District        2           13 – 11                        (8^th)

Division 2        20       defeated          Henley & Grange          2        15 – 6 – 2                    (3^rd)

Division 2        13       defeated          Northern Districts       3          16 – 6 – 2                    (3^rd)

Division 3           1       defeated          Goodwood                     4          1 – 0                         

Division 6           6       defeated          Adelaide                        5          1 – 0             

Under 18            3       lost to              Glenelg                       14           0 – 1                         

Under 16            1       lost to              Sturt                              9          0 – 1                         

Under 14 (1)    12       defeated          Golden Grove    4          1 – 0                         

Under 14 (2)    10       defeated          Golden Grove    8          1 – 0             

LL Major             1       lost to              Sturt                            12          0 – 1             

LL Minor          10       defeated          Goodwood                     9        10 – 6                          (4^th)

 

 

Eagles stumble under fire

 

The Under 18 Eagles hosted Glenelg in a top of the table encounter, freshly primed from stand out performances in the weeks leading up to the game. Dylan Chuck started on the mound and Glenelg announced its intentions immediately by posting hits and putting runners in scoring position. Chucky and the Eagles responded but were forced to concede a couple of early runs. Glenelg fronted with bright prospect in Greg Mosel whose pitching in the first half of the game was exceptional. He completely shut down the line up for a series of three up three down innings before we even had a base runner, courtesy of a walk. In the meantime, the Bays had added more runs. We then contributed to our own demise, by not being able to execute the basics under pressure, committing the cardinal sin of not being able to throw strikes, and then committing Under 12 like errors with wild throws on regulation put outs, dropped balls on regulation put outs and then dropping fly balls, all of which sent a gleeful Glenelg into a scoring frenzy which ended mercifully at 14 – 3. This was a dark day for the Under 18’s, who now must work out of their skin to exact retribution in the only manner possible, defeating next week’s opponents and set up a re-match in a fortnight’s time.

 

Mead’s men ransacked at the Bay

 

Already missing their starting catcher through injury suffered in the Under 18 game, the back up catcher was also sick, meaning that we had to pull in our short stop to catch, our centre fielder to play short stop and move around our outfield to cover centre. Additionally, our first base starter was forced to the outfield because of a hand injury suffered in another sport. It was a less than ideal start for Rick Mead’s team and eventually a gleeful Sturt, who I’m sure couldn’t believe their luck, quite appropriately cashed in on our misfortune, given the talent in their team. After holding early with Fulton on the mound going to Nico Vanderlinden, the score line read 1 all, before the wheels came off and Sturt posted some solid hitting that we complemented with some free passes. In finals, these things come back to haunt you and the damage was done. The final score was an unflattering 12 – 1-mercy decision. The saving grace is that we have a week to regroup and sort through our injuries and get into the game with a positive mindset.

 

Green Machine Turn the Tables on Dodgers

 

The Under 14 Green Machine began their finals campaign by squaring the ledger against the Dodgers whose 1 run win in November was the only loss suffered in the minor round. This time around, the game was played at the Nest and things were decidedly different with Brad Dedrick going on the mound to Ethan Haylock. Coach Green also had his A-grade infield in position and largely they were magnificent in defense against a feisty Dodgers outfit who fought the match out gamely. The undoubted highlights were the magnificent running backhanded catch by Nathan Byrnes at deep centre right and his backing up and throw out at second of the runner going from first on a wild throw from third. Magnificent team baseball Byrnesy!! It held the Dodgers to just two and got us the third out. The Eagle bats were again active as this potent lineup produced hit after hit. Lucas Hunter sliced deep to right twice for base hits, Brad Dedrick, omnipotent as ever looms large at the plate every time. Mitch Duval roped a ball down the left field line, Connor Foley slap hit brilliantly and Nathan Byrnes backed up his great outfielding by hitting and bunting well. This was a terrific team performance. Lucas Hunter came on to close the game on the mound and he was immaculate, backed up by his field and underscored the sixth dig. The weather intervened at the bottom of the sixth making conditions for fielding and pitching very difficult. During this time we were able to post an unassailable 8 run lead before time was called. This win secures a possible home Grand Final, assuming we can get over a strong Southern Districts team who last game ran us to a one run ball game. We will have to play well or it will have all been for nought. Grand Finals are earned, not given and pennants are even harder earned.

 

Dineen Machine win first semi in a thriller

 

The Under 14 Dineen Machine held on for a dramatic, tension filled win in the top of the seventh inning with bases loaded and a big crowd holding its breath. Pitcher William Lampard having come on in relief for starter James Appleton, had issued a couple of free bases, struck out one batter and had a good catch taken and faced what turned out to be the last batter with the count full. Happily for the Eagles, Will’s pitch went down the middle and the Dodgers batter chose to look at it before the umpire quite correctly pulled the chain, handing a win to the Eagles, calming coach Dineen’s nerves along with coach Kylie Lampard, scorer Bernadette Donaldson and the many parents and friends watching in the crowd. The Eagles had earlier bounced out to a big lead, but the Dodgers to their credit did not lie down and continued to force the game to its dramatic conclusion. The Eagles now move on to a preliminary final probably at Sturt, where hopes will be up that we can conjure another win and give ourselves a shot at Northern Districts in the Grand Final.

 

Little League Major blown off the Diamond by whirlwind Sturt

 

Having made the observation just last week that Sturt were breathing down our necks, ample evidence of this fact was provided by a Sturt outfit that enjoyed a day out at the expense of the Jamie Boydon/Tim Mead lead Eagles. The wheels started to wobble early and with Sturt’s pitcher Brodie Macbeth in great form, the Eagle bats were quelled and we struggled to make any impression on the scoreboard at all eventually losing 1 – 12. As in other losses suffered today, we now know the standard to which we must play if we are to lift the trophy at the end. First of all, however, we have to win the next game to get a chance to test out Sturt again.

 

Little League Minors hold out the Tribe in a thriller

 

Ron Paulus’ Little League Minor boys had to venture down to Glenelg because of all the activity at the nest. They did so thrillingly in posting a 10-9 win and didn’t coach Paulus have a big smile on his dial when he arrived back to share the news. Well done boys, its great to see you playing good baseball and learning how to have fun with this game.

 

 

 

 

 

March 14^th Preliminary Final Day

 

Little League Minor: Coach: Ron Paulus

Kensington, Away at Kensington on Junior Diamond

Starting at 10.00am (report 9.00am)

 

Little League Major:  Coaches:          Jamie Boydon and Tim Mead

Goodwood, Home on the Junior Diamond Preliminary Final

Starting at 10.00am (report 9.00am)

 

Under 14 (2):             Coach: Rob Dineen

Sturt, Away on the Main Diamond Preliminary Final

Starting at 12.30pm (report at 11.30am)

 

Under 14 (1):              Coach:            David Green

Southern Districts, Home on the Junior Diamond Preliminary Final

Starting at 12.30pm (report at 11.30am)

 

Under 16:                                Coach: Rick Mead

East Torrens, Home on the Main Diamond Preliminary Final

Starting at 12.30pm (report at 11.30am)

 

Under 18:                                Coach: Brett Ettridge

Woodville, Home on the Main Diamond Preliminary Final

Starting at 10.00am (report 9.00am)

 

Finals Selection Policy

 

During the regular season, we expect our coaches to rotate their squads through different positions, infield, outfield, pitching, catching and whatever their skill and experience allows. They also shuffle the batting order to make sure that players are given a fair opportunity at bat. When we enter the finals race, coaches are allowed to choose what they consider to be the line-up that best suits the team’s positional needs. They will endeavour to include all of the squad, but cannot guarantee that every player will see game time.

 

 

Junior Presentation Night

 

For your calendar, the wind up for the 2009/10 season will be Friday 26 March 2010 at the Club Rooms. Players in all Grades are eligible for awards. Coaches are asked to choose three players to receive awards recognising excellence, improvement, or persistence or any combination that they see fit. Our younger players will also receive special recognition for playing and this year will include the Tee ball All Stars that debuted under the tutelage of Andrew Scott and Robert Baker. Please keep this date free as it is our final function for the 09/10 season and we’d love to see you there.

 

 

See you at the Ball Park.

 

Yours in Baseball       

Mark McGarry

Junior Chairman

West Torrens Baseball Club

Noting the odds were against us to make the finals the boys did what was asked of them over the weekend, trouncing inferior opposition comprehensively both Saturday and Sunday. In an unfortunate hand played by the baseball gods, the round on Saturday was abandoned due to bad weather despite our game versus Henley and Grange being completed. This effectively extinguished our chances of making the six, being 2 games out before the final 2 rounds. On Saturday we travelled to Bartley Tce and from the first dig played aggressively and without mercy surviving a mid game rain delay to post 20 runs in 6 innings. D Redden pitched well again only allowing 1 earned run in a complete game effort. Our hitting was excellent with the perfect balance of patience and aggressiveness. Returning to Lockleys and despite knowing our season would end after Sundays game, the boys did not relent, scoring 18 runs in 5 innings to mercy Norths in 2 hours. Tom Fiebig took to the hill and pitched well to record a complete game and scatter 3 hits in his last start before heading to Germany in the offseason. Good luck Tom! The bats were slightly slow to start recording only 1 run in each of the first 2 frames before the floodgates opened in the next 3 with 16 runners crossing the plate. It was pleasing to see the aggressive approach from Saturday carried over to Sunday irrespective of the team’s disappointment of not making the playoffs. As it sunk in our season was over I’m confident the players have made a mental note to strive to play finals baseball next year. This will require a commitment and resolve to improve in all areas, commencing with strength and fitness in the offseason and leading into skill work in our preseason. I’m looking forward to seeing who puts in the work to stake their claim on Division One positions. A big thank you to Chris Falls for his contributions both on and off the field this season. Chris was a great fit at the club and became part of our team unit seamlessly. He is travelling to Italy to continue his endless baseball summer. Good Luck Chris, I hope you can return to help us again next season. Another big thanks to Clive Fiebig for all his help as my assistant this year. His experience helped me immensely in my first year of coaching. We both have ideas on how to improve for next year which we will begin to implement in the offseason. Thanks to other assistant coaches who helped during the year – Wazza Bullen, Ken Kobyashi and Steve O’Connor with the pitchers. Having such experience and assistance made my job much easier. A final thank you to Di Hambly and Deirdre Burgess for scoring this season too. We will use more of your green and less of your red on our scoresheet next season. Most other teams are seeing finals action in both Juniors and Seniors in the coming weekends, so get down to cheer them on to more premierships for this great Club. Sam Tibbits