Take me out to the ball game

COUNCIL is stepping up to the plate to hit homeruns for local baseball, and it’s all happening here in Deakin Ward.

Last Sunday our community got up close and personal with Korean Baseball Organisation (KBO) club KT Wiz in a pitch-perfect fun day.

Baseball is a huge deal in Korea and the KBO is one of the biggest baseball leagues in the world.

So we’re really swinging for the fences in our ongoing partnership with KT Wiz.

Having their elite players here for their pre-season training camp is major league exposure for our local baseball scene.

I hope they’ll take home stories to their friends and family in Suwon, KT Wiz’s home city, about everything Greater Geelong has to offer.

It also raises the profile of the sport locally and strengthens pathways – through Melbourne Aces and KT Wiz – to elite competitions such as the Australian Baseball League (ABL) and beyond.

Who knows, maybe some of the youngsters who put on a glove on Sunday to learn from KT Wiz’s best might end up playing Major League Baseball or in the KBO one day.

The action continues at Geelong Baseball Centre next Monday 16 February when KT Wiz takes on ABL side Melbourne Aces in the first game of their three-game Diamond Dual series.

This is the first time this global series has come to Geelong and will put our recently completed $800,000 upgrade of our city’s premier baseball centre to the test.

We’ve improved the infield and outfield surfaces and drainage to provide more consistent bounce and footing, reduce the risk of injuries and allow baseballers to perform at their best.

These improvements mean fewer disruptions, less maintenance and a consistently high-quality surface for showcase events like the Diamond Duel.

This upgrade also supports our partnership with Melbourne Aces, and local clubs Geelong Baycats and East Belmont Saints, to host KT Wiz’s six-week training camp.

It’s not just the big games and international partnerships that benefit.

Whether it’s training, community sport or national and multinational events, the main diamond is now better equipped to support baseball in Geelong for decades to come.

And we’re not hanging up our gloves just yet. We want to transform the entire Geelong Baseball Centre into nationally recognised facility.

KT Wiz is the latest of several professional international baseball clubs that have trained at the centre in the off-season, including Japanese Pacific League team the Chiba Lotte Marines and Doosan Bears from the KBO. A redevelopment of its ageing facilities would allow us to attract even more teams and further boost the profile of baseball in Geelong.

We want to the upgrade main diamond pavilion with accessible facilities, female-friendly change rooms and improved seating, while upgrading the lighting, back net and dugouts on-field.

We’re also seeking to upgrade diamonds 3 and 4 along with their corresponding changerooms.

With the Victorian election coming up in November, Council has identified these upgrades among several hallmark priority projects.

I urge all candidates for our local state seat of South Barwon to go in to bat for this game-changing proposal. Let’s work together to knock it out of the park!

Tickets to game one of the Diamond Duel are available at vivenu.com/event/melbourne-aces-v-kt-wiz-geelong-baseball-centre-ofib3i

Cr Andrew Katos

Deakin Ward, City of Greater Geelong