Junior baseball's best to descend on Lismore

HUNDREDS of junior baseballers and their families will descend on Lismore next week for the annual Far North Coast Timberjacks carnival at Albert Park.

The three-day tournament will be held from 10–12 July, with around 34 teams from across New South Wales and south-east Queensland expected to compete.

Close to 400 players will take the field across the under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-20 divisions.

One of the biggest events on the local baseball calendar, the Timberjacks carnival gives Far North Coast (FNC) juniors the chance to test themselves against some of the state’s best young talent without leaving home.

The event comes at an exciting time for the Far North Coast association after its under-16 representative team recently claimed the NSW Country Championship in Wollongong, highlighting the strength of the region’s junior development pathway.

Tournament organisers said the focus extended beyond the scoreboard, with participation, development and creating a memorable experience for players and families.

“It’s a tournament where people might coach for the first time or learn how to do the scoring,” an event spokesperson said.

“There are a lot of elements to the carnival, and it’s something both kids and parents really get involved in.

Junior boys and girls will take part in the annual Timberjacks carnival at the Albert Park complex. Photo: Mitchell Craig.

“People love coming here, and we encourage them to spend money around town at the shops and restaurants.”

The Timberjacks tournament has grown significantly since it began in 1980 with just four Lismore teams.

It now attracts representative-calibre players from across Australia and has previously welcomed visiting teams from Guam and New Caledonia.

Albert Park is one of the few baseball venues in Australia capable of hosting matches simultaneously across four full-sized diamonds, with grandstand seating allowing spectators to watch games throughout the three-day carnival.

FNC typically fields two teams in each age division, with squads selected to create evenly matched contests while giving as many local players as possible the opportunity to compete. The carnival continues to evolve, with last year’s introduction of a Banana Ball match under lights proving a popular addition. It featured music and modified rules designed to keep it fast-paced and entertaining for spectators.