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.

• 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 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

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

Victorious Valentine’s Day

 Happy Valentine’s Day to all.  This weekend saw us go head to head with some of the clubs that are contending with us to be the top dogs in the Division. It is pleasing to report that we were up to the standard by which we measure ourselves and came out on top in every junior division having only to split the points in one contest.

 Under 18’s wring out Red Sox

 The Under 18 side faced off against the only side to beat them so far this year and came up trumps on the back of another fine pitching performance from Bryce Fulton and backed up by the ubiquitous talents of Joel Chapman behind the dish. Coach Ettridge, whilst pleased with the outing acknowledged that the Red Sox lineup was missing a few from the first game, but nevertheless, was pleased with the Eagles execution and discipline in posting an impressive 8 – 3 win.

 Under 16’s shut out Dodgers

 The Under 16’s faced up to Golden Grove at the nest and eventually posted an 11- 0 win. This might suggest that the match was very one-sided, but in everything but the score line, this was not the case, the Dodgers always provide a stiff contest, holding our hitters in four out of six innings, only to be over run by the ever present hitting power that eventually surfaces and allows us to put enough runs on the board. Matt Scharenberg started on the hill to Tom McGarry, and Matt duly posted a couple of goose eggs before making way for Dylan Duval to finish proceedings in the same manner. The hitting of Scott Miller was especially remarkable, as this talented athlete had already completed an AFL fitness assessment at AAMI Stadium that included a beep test. That he was able to go three for three at the plate and remain perfect in the field is a tribute to his fitness and concentration. Other hits were scattered about regularly by James Batty, whose pace on the base paths is electrifying, Tom McGarry, Nico Vanderlinden, Todd Dunstall (whose game at second base was immaculate) and Matt Scharenberg. To shut out a solid opposition offense was outstanding defense by Rick Mead’s team.

 Green Machine holds halos

The Under 14 Green Machine faced up to the middle of the table Angels after handing the bottom placed Magpies a shellacking last outing and had to be wary of over confidence. Duly, super coach Green exhorted his charges and the lads rose to the challenge, eventually running out 14 – 3 winners, Again, we were challenged along the way and had to pull out some impressive defense before our potent offense took over. Jack Hambly lead off on the mound to Nathan Byrnes behind the plate and some positive offense from our opponents saw them threaten to score, but our defense was too strong and we held them out. Not to be outdone, the Eagle bats came right back in the bottom of the frame and took a lead that was never headed. Lucas Hunter relieved Hambly on the hill and the positive approach at the plate by Adelaide eventually paid off and they were able to put a couple across the plate before Big Bad Brad Dedrick once again put the ball into orbit for a second home run in consecutive weeks. Job done. Finals in sight.

 Dineen Machine thriller

 It was always going to be a tough game against Sturt. The Sturt coach had been talking it up all week how the Eagles wings would be clipped at the nest. Both teams looked focused and ready to play ball. James Appleton took to the mound and provided some excellent pitching to Jack Scheer that managed to keep the Saints to zero runs for the first 2 innings. The Saints pitcher kept the Eagles to zero runs for the 1^st innings however the boys regrouped and in the 2^nd innings the bats started to make contact with the ball and some excellent hitting took place. James Appleton hit a double through centre field leaving the Saints outfield scrambling to get the ball to home. The end of the 2^nd inning saw the Eagles put 4 runs on the board.

 The top of the 3^rd inning and the Saints were determined to get bat on ball and make some runs. James remained calm and steady at the mound, Nat Sage ran full bore to make a fantastic catch at centre field preventing a double and by the end of the inning, the Saints had scored 2 runs and managed to keep the Eagles from scoring.

In the top of the 4^th some excellent fielding, pitching and catching saw the Eagles keep the Saints to 1 run. A change of pitcher from the Saints and some swift changes to the outfield saw some good catching from the Saints which was unfortunate for our boys and kept the Eagles from scoring.

The top of the 5^th saw Dylan Warman take to the mound, the Saints bats started to make contact with the ball with a double through left field bringing 2 runners home giving the Saints 3 runs and the lead. The next batter stepped up to the plate with runners on 2^nd & 3^rd a fly ball hit just past 1^st base saw Rhys Nicol take off like a rabbit to take the catch for the out with right field running in to back up, Rhys drilled the ball into home to keep the runners on base great work boys!!!!

Next batter up saw bases loaded. The Eagles were out to protect the home plate, next batter up with a hit to 1^st base saw the runner heading for home, a quick throw from 3 – 2 saw the catcher make the tag at home plate for the 2^nd out and prevent scoring. Dylan refocused and found his rhythm with the 3^rd out being struck out.

The Eagles headed out to bat trailing by 2 runs Michael Donaldson hit which saw left field launch themselves in the air to dive for the ball and roll to the ground but somehow he managed to hold on to the ball our 1^st out. Rhys managed a safe hit to get to 1^st base. Nat Sage hit a 2 bagger through centre field with Rhys flying round the bases to make it to home plate. Tom Dineen got a safe hit to get on base. Will Lampard made the hit past short stop and saw Nat take off from 2^nd base to make it to home, Tom kept running and headed for home the ball was coming in fast from outfield to home plate and Saints had their 2^nd out. The Saints coach called time and a change of pitcher, the next batter got a safe hit on base, next batter up and some constant coaching from the Saints coach saw our 3^rd out and game over.

 The Eagles certainly worked hard with Tyler, Liam and Thomas contributing to the result with their fielding and batting. Well done to all the boys.

Final score:     Eagles 6  Saints 6

 Little League Majors scrape home

 The Little League Major boys got out of jail by heading up Adelaide 11 – 10 in a close encounter at the nest. Good hitting allowed us to post enough runs to hold on for the win and congratulations to Brodie Nicol who threw three innings from the mound and provided excellent defensive leadership for the team. With two weeks to go now before finals, you can sense the excitement as the team hones its skills under pressure.

 Little League Minors win again

 In site of losing lead off pitcher Brodie Nicol to the Major team, Ron Paulus young team has stuck to their guns and come up with some good wins. This was the case again on Sunday against Southern Districts with the team posting an excellent 13 – 6 result.

 The club scoreboard for this week reads as follows:

WT                               Result              Opponent                                Season             Ladder

Division 1        20       defeated          Adelaide                      10          9 – 9              (8^th)

Division 1           5       lost to              Glenelg                        15          9 – 10                        (9^th)

Division 2           6       defeated          Adelaide                        5        13 – 3 – 2                    (2^nd)

Division 2           6       lost to              Glenelg                          7        13 – 4 – 2                    (2^nd)

Division 3           4       drew with        Woodville                      4        13 – 2  – 1                   (1^st)

Division 4           3       lost to              Woodville                    13          5 – 9 – 1                    (7^th)

Division 5           2       lost to              Golden Grove  15          5 – 11                        (10^th)

Division 6           7       lost to              Glenelg                          3        11 – 3 – 2                    (3^rd)

Under 18            8       defeated          East Torrens                  3        12 – 1                          (1^st)

Under 16         11       defeated          Golden Grove    0        11 – 1                          (1^st)

Under 14 (1)    14       defeated          Adelaide                        3        12 – 1                          (1^st)

Under 14 (2)       6       drew with        Sturt                              6          9 – 3 – 1                    (3^rd)

LL Major           11       defeated          Adelaide                      10        11 – 1 – 1                    (1^st)

LL Minor          13       defeated          Southern Districts         6          8 – 5                          (4^th)

 February 21 our games are as follows:

 Little League Minor: Coach: Ron Paulus

Saints, Home on the Junior Diamond

Starting at 10.00am (report 9.00am)

 Little League Major:  Coaches:          Jamie Boydon and Tim Mead

Kensington, Home on the Junior Diamond

Starting at 12.00pm (report 11.00am)

Under 14 (2):             Coach: Rob Dineen

Northern Districts, Away on the Main Diamond

Starting at 12.30pm (report at 11.30am)

Under 14 (1):              Coach:            David Green

Woodville, Away on the Main Diamond

Starting at 10.00am (report at 9.00am)

Under 16:                                Coach: Rick Mead

Kensington, Away on the Main Diamond

Starting at 12.30pm (report at 11.00am)

Under 18:                                Coach: Brett Ettridge

Adelaide, Home on the Main Diamond

Starting at 10.00am (report 9.00am)

Fees: NO PAY NO PLAY

 Thank you for the tremendous response in finalising your child’s fees for 2009/10. For a variety of reasons, the club’s income has been lower than forecast and your committee needs all subscriptions fulfilled to meet our obligations to Baseball SA. We are a fiscally sound club, but we need to make operating surpluses if we are continue to add to the amenity of our club environment. To this end, can I urge you all to make the effort to support one of our last fundraising opportunities for the season and attend the ‘Quiz Night” to be held at the clubrooms on Friday night February 19.

It is also regrettable that in spite of many entreaties, a couple of families have still not completed their financial obligations for the season and have not contacted the club asking for an extension. The final date for Payment was extended from January 24 to February 2 for families that were paying off fees in installments. All outstanding amounts MUST BE PAID by February 28 or those concerned WILL NOT be selected to play in any finals games.

 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.

 Quiz Night

 As mentioned previously, the club is holding its final fund raising function for the year this Friday night at the clubrooms. Please make every endeavour to get along and support your club, there have been a number of emails regarding requests to donate prizes. Please bring donations to training this Wednesday and pass them to your team manager so that they can be given to the organizers in preparation for Friday night.

FRIDAY NIGHT MEALS ARE STILL ON.

Canteen rosters 

Thanks to all families that have honoured the roster and turned up to assist in serving at the canteen. Again, this is a valuable source of income for the club and your help is imperative if we are to continue to improve the club and its environs. We still have a coupleof weeks left on the roster.

 See you at the Ball Park.

 Yours in Baseball       

Mark McGarry

Junior Chairman

West Torrens Baseball Club

Well the Junior season reignited after the Christmas break with a bang as the Junior Eagles swept aside all comers in largely emphatic fashion. The Under 18’s were able to play an overpowering brand of baseball that saw them score in every innings whilst blanking the Reds, for a 16 nil mercy decision. The Under 16’s swept aside rival Sturt with plenty of hitting creating a winning gap that they were able to hold for 13 – 5 win. The Under 14 Green machine had to work much harder to shade Sturt 8 – 4. The Under 14 Dineen machine went toe – to – toe with the Hawks before out slugging them for a thrilling 9 – 7 win. Tim and Jimmy’s pocket rocket Little League majors batted in enough runs to stay ahead of Souths and Ronnie Paulus’ baby Eagles were given a free pass by the Cardies who had trouble mustering enough players at this time of year.

Time to start training in earnest

All in all, an extremely pleasing set of results and with finals on the horizon (LL Minors excepted), we must now keep our eye on the ball and play good team baseball. I’m sure that coaches will be emphasising the basics, and the importance of the execution of these. To whit, it is now more important than ever that you attend training and develop the basics, practice them under pressure so that we can execute under the pressure that finals games provide. Please note that unlike most other clubs we have a dedicated pitching coach in Bob Baker, who oversees the strength and development and technique of our young pitchers. He does this in conjunction with the team coach. Particularly for Little League Major and Minor boys, there is extra training available on Wednesday nights from 4.30pm with Bob.

The representative cycle is now complete for 2010, so all players that were chosen to represent the state at the recent Nationals should also be back into the club cycle of Wednesday and Friday night training. If you can’t make a session it is your responsibility to notify your coach of said inability to attend.

Congratulations to the A grade who climbed off the mat after a lackluster three games since resumption to record an impressive away win against fellow finals aspirant East Torrens.

The club scoreboard for this week reads as follows:

WT                    Result      Opponent          Season      Ladder
Division 1 8 defeated East Torrens 5    7 – 9          (10th)
Division 2 8 drew with East Torrens 8 12 – 2 – 2 (2nd)
Division 3 12 defeated Golden Grove 4 12 – 1       (1st)
Division 4 6 lost to Adelaide 17              5 – 6 – 1   (7th)
Division 5 16 lost to Glenelg 17               5 – 8          (8th)
Division 6 16 defeated Gawler 3              9 – 2 – 2   (3rd)
Under 18 16 defeated N/Districts 0       9 – 1          (1st)
Under 16 13 defeated Sturt 5                    8 – 1          (1st)
Under 14 (1) 8 defeated Sturt 4               9 – 1           (1st)
Under 14 (2) 9 defeated S/Districts 7  6 – 3            (3rd)
LL Major 18 defeated S/Districts 11      8 – 1 – 1    (2nd)
LL Minor 7 defeated Kensington 0        6 – 4           (4th)

Friday Night Meals

This Friday night’s meal is Yiros and chips BUT we may suspend this given that SA is in the Claxton Shield preliminary final at Norwood Oval. Please keep your eye out for confirmation by email from me.

January 31 our games are as follows:

Little League Minor: Coach: Ron Paulus
Glenelg, away on the Junior Diamond
Starting at 10.00am (report 9.00am)

Little League Major: Coaches: Jamie Boydon and Tim Mead
Goodwood, away on the Junior Diamond
Starting at 12.00pm (report 11.00am)

Under 14 (2): Coach: Rob Dineen
Golden Grove, away on the Junior Diamond
Starting at 2.00pm (report at 1.00pm)

Under 14 (1): Coach: David Green
Southern Districts, at home the Main Diamond
Starting at 10.00am (report at 9.00am)

Under 16: Coach: Rick Mead
Woodville away, on the Main Diamond
Starting at 10.00am (report at 9.00am)

Under 18: Coach: Brett Ettridge
Goodwood, away on the Main Diamond
Starting at 10.00am (report 9.00am)

See you at the Ball Park.

Yours in Baseball
Mark McGarry
Junior Chairman
West Torrens Baseball Club