Little League Baseball ready to go yard in Geelong

THE state’s best Under 16 and Under 14 baseballers are showcasing their skills this weekend at the Geelong Baseball Centre as part of an annual tournament.

The Victorian Baseball Little League Championships have been held in Geelong every year since its inception and it will continue once more hosting over 100 junior players from all corners of Victoria.

“The Little League State Championships are all about participation and getting involved in our great game,” Baseball Victoria Operations and Events Officer Kellie Thomas said.

“This is an opportunity for junior baseballers to further build their skills in a fun, competitive environment, with the added bonus of scoring a spot at Nationals if they win a state title.”

The Championships will include 10 teams from five junior baseball charters across metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong.

Five teams in each age group (intermediate and senior) will compete in a single round robin competition on Friday and Saturday, before finals on Sunday.

The top two sides in Under 14 and will go on to the Australian Championships later this year. While the top Under 16 team will advance to Nationals.

“This weekend offers an action-packed three days with impressive junior baseball on display,” Ms Thomas added.

“We want players to have fun on the field while improving their skills and growing more confident in their game.

“The more fun they have, the more likely they are to keep coming back to baseball and eventually moving on to further development and high performance opportunities.”

For the first time this year, three local baseball clubs take great pride in setting up for the championships, sacrificing hundreds of combined volunteering hours to make sure all games run smoothly, and the experience is enjoyable for children and families.

Guild All-Stars secretary Samantha Glynn said the Little League championships provide an opportunity for the state’s and Geelong’s baseball community to be on full display.

“For all three clubs, ours, East Belmont Saints and now Deakin Baseball Club, it’s important that we host events like this,” Glynn said.

“It’s an awful amount of work and we’re volunteer organisations, but we’re extremely proud to host state-wide competitions.

“We’re the biggest baseball community outside of metropolitan Melbourne but we have a rich history of baseball here in Geelong, and we will continue to be visible on the state-wide stage in future years.”

Games start at 8:30am each day with the canteen open for the public. For updates across the weekend, follow Baseball Victoria on Facebook or www.baseballvictoria.com.au