LIVE STREAMING HERE

 

PRELIMINARY FINAL:     Japan 9 defeated AUSTRALIA 4

 

Despite producing some of its best offence performance of the tournament, Australia conceded

a game-breaking five runs in the seventh that propelled Japan to a Honkbal championship game

and consigned our boys to a third-place finish - a more than creditable result given the absence

of key players and the limited preparation time available to Manager Jon Deeble and his squad

as they begin planning for a World Baseball Classic campaign......Baseball Australia REPORT.

 

PLAY-OFF GAME TWO:     Australia 8 defeated Curacao 7

 

Down by three into the bottom of the ninth, Australia dug deep to snatch an 8-7 extra

innings tie-breaker over a brave Curacao outfit to remain in the hunt for a Honkbal title –

although it will have first to get past Japan on Saturday to earn a berth against Netherlands

in the tournament final......Baseball Australia REPORT.  

 

PLAY-OFF GAME ONE:     Netherlands 9 defeated AUSTRALIA 0

 

Out-hit fifteen to seven after a rough early break in the form of soreness to starter

Dushan Ruzic, Australia battled manfully but incurred its second loss to Netherlands,

placing us in a "must win"situation against Curacao on Friday night (10.00 PM our

time) to remain in championship contention......Baseball Australia REPORT.

 

ROUND ROBIN GAME FOUR:     Netherlands 7 defeated Australia 2

 

A five-spot in the third gave Netherlands the ascendancy in a contest that saw the host

nation out-hit Australia eleven to four, although the visitors would be happy with the relief

efforts of Scott Mitchinson, Shane Lindsay and Aaron Sookee as they prepare for a return

stoush with the Dutch in a Qualifying Final on Friday morning....Baseball Australia REPORT.

 

ROUND ROBIN GAME THREE:     Australia 8 defeated Curacao 4

 

Australia remains unbeaten in three games after recovering from a deficit to

down Curacao in an extra innings thriller featuring a strong start by Tom Bailey,

a poised bullpen and timely hitting led by Darryl George, Trent Oeltjen and

Aaron Sayers......Baseball Australia REPORT.

 

ROUND ROBIN GAME TWO:     Australia 4 defeated Japan 3

 

Taking toll of Japanese slip-ups to plate three in the sixth, Australia rode a superb

start by Steve Chambers and played errorless defence to claim a stirring win despite

being out-hit nine to four by a quality opponent........Baseball Australia REPORT

 

ROUND ROBIN GAME ONE:     Australia 9 defeated Chinese Taipei 5

 

Hughes, Ruzic give Aussies early ascendancy......Baseball Australia REPORT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kingsley Collins

12 July 2016

 

An Australian national senior team will head to the Netherlands during this week to lock horns with world baseball powers in the Honkbal Invitational Tournament starting on Saturday.

 

After finishing second at the tournament in its last appearance eighteen years ago, Australia stands to earn invaluable IBAF world ranking points that may prove crucial as we strive to qualify for the 2019 Premier 12 and 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.

 

While some of our well-credentialled players will not be available for Honkbal given their professional commitments in United States, Head Coach Jon Deeble remains confident of a bold showing.  

 

Created in 1961 and held as a biennial event since 1972, the Haarlemse Honkbalweek is an international invitational baseball tournament held at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, Netherlands.

 

For Australia, this will be our fourth appearance at the tournament after previously participating in 1978, 1992 and 1998 – when we lost a ten-innings thriller 7-5 to Cuba.

 

Five teams have entered for the tournament – Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Chinese Taipei and Curacao. Fourteen-time winner United States will not be participating - and nor will Cuba (five titles) - although tough competition can certainly be expected from Netherlands (three titles), Japan (three) and Curacao,  an emerging Caribbean island nation that has already produced a string of Major Leaguers.

 

While Australia’s rivals will also be missing professional players, the depth of their baseball is such – especially in Japan – that the tournament will be a serious challenge with high quality baseball played.

 

“Our team is looking pretty good,” Australian Head Coach Jon Deeble told Australian Baseball Alumni. “There are no pros, but we are taking the opportunity to look at some of younger kids to see if there are any who could make the World Baseball Classic squad for next year.”

 

“We tried to get a couple of kids who are now at college in the states, but the timing didn’t allow for that to happen,” he said. “And it would have been great to have Ryan Searle, who is now in Europe, and Matt Kennelly - who has just retired from pro ball – but their names only came up after we had selected the final squad.”  

 

“It would not have been right to bring them in at the expense of other guys who were already picked and committed.”

 

“What we have is a really good blend of experienced and younger players,” he said. “Players like Hughes, Lindsay, Atherton, Dening, Oeltjen, Welch, Ruzic, Sutherland, Williams and Mitchinson have all been around for a while – at high levels. And there is plenty of talent among the younger guys,” he said.    

 

“We are really happy with the squad and we look forward to a good showing.”

 

“The trip being funded by the Dutch as an invitational takes the pressure off Australian baseball financially, so that the guys can just get out there and play.”

 

“We’re looking forward to it,” Deeble said. “We play Taiwan first up. They have a really good guy on the mound – 90-94 with a nasty split – though I expect all of the sides to be tough.”

 

Australian Baseball Alumni extends its best wishes to our national team for a successful and enjoyable Honkbal tournament. We will aim to provide regular scores and updates on our website and Facebook as they become available.

 

SCHEDULE

 

Australia versus Chinese Taipei (Saturday 16 July, 10.00 PM AEST)

Australia versus Japan (Monday 18 July, 3.00 AM AEST)

Australia versus Curacao (Tuesday 19 July, 3.00 AM AEST)

Australia versus Netherlands (Thursday 21 July, 3.00 AM AEST)

 

AUSTRALIAN SQUAD

 

STAFF

 

Jon Deeble - Manager

Tony Harris - Assistant Coach

Kevin Jordan - Assistant Coach

Jim Colborn - Pitching Coach

Rob Moden - Executive Officer

 

24-MAN ROSTER (with current ABL affiliation)

 

Tim Atherton (Sydney/Canberra)

Tom Bailey (Perth)

Ryan Battaglia (Brisbane)

Andrew Campbell (Brisbane)

Steve Chambers (Brisbane / Adelaide)

Trent D'Antonio (Sydney)

Mitch Dening (Sydney / Adelaide)

Darryl George (Melbourne)

Luke Hughes (Perth)

David Kandilas (Sydney)

Wilson Lee (Adelaide)

Shane Lindsay (Melbourne)

Scott Mitchinson (Perth)

Mitch Nilsson (Brisbane)

Trent Oeltjen (Sydney)

Dushan Ruzic (Adelaide)

Aaron Sookee (Sydney)

Aaron Sayers (Melbourne/Canberra)

David Sutherland (Brisbane)

Matt Timms (Brisbane)

Josh Tols (Adelaide)

Stefan Welch (Adelaide)

Matt Williams (Sydney / Adelaide)

Jacob Younis (Sydney)