Issue #3 2016. The Claxton Shield Comes Home!

The Brisbane Bandits are Claxton Shield champions after taking down the Adelaide Bite with a dominant 7-1 victory in the second game of the Australian Baseball League Championship Series on Saturday night at AFA Stadium at Holloway Field. There was nothing better than Saturday night's finish for the Bandits who battled to a six-game lead for first place at the end of the regular season and had an undefeated run in the playoffs on the quest for Queensland's first Claxton Shield in a decade and the Bandits only championship since 1994. Two of the current Bandits players are Gold Coast boys with one player, Joshua Warner, a former Mudgeeraba Redsox player. Congratulations boys, you've certainly given our young baseballers something to aspire to!

In this issue we have several 'save the date' events and an exciting clash between Japan and Australia when the Urawa Gakuin High School team take on the Robina High School Team at our field on Thursday Night.

Save the Date #1 - Presentation Day 13th March

Details will be released in the next few weeks with times and activities. Each league will be given a task on the day, for example, O'Gorman League will be on set up, Erasmus League on BBQ duties and Thompson League for pack down. Coaches and Managers will let you know closer to the time what your team's task is for the day so it can run as smoothly as possible. It is a great way to end the season so make sure you mark it on your calendars.

Save the Date #2 - Team Photos

Below are the dates and times for each League's team photos:

Saturday 20th February

7:15am - Chambers League: Mudgee Red Team

7:30am - Chambers League: Mudgee Blue Team

9:30am - Warner League: Mudgee Red Team

9:45am - Warner League: Mudgee Blue Team

10:00am - O'Gorman League: Mudgee Lightning Team

10:15am - O'Gorman League: Mudgee Rockets Team

Wednesday 24th February

4:15pm - T-Ball players

Saturday 5th March

7:15am - Thompson League: Mudgee Red Team

7:30am - Thompson League: Mudgee Black Team

9:45am - Lyon League

12:00pm - Erasmus League

Save the Date #3 - Club AGM 11th May @ 7pm

Details and agenda to follow in coming weeks.

URGENT!! Return of Scratch and Support Cards

A big thank you to those players and families who have returned their Scratch and Support cards this week along with funds raised. Unfortunately we still have quite a few cards outstanding fundraising cards that we need handed back ASAP. Even if you haven't managed to scratch the cards, we still need to collect them as each card is worth $80. Coaches and Managers will be receiving lists this week of any outstanding cards and our club's fundraising coordinator, Tamara Paolo, will be at the grounds Thursday afternoon from 4:30-5pm and again on Sunday from 9-9:30am for the last chance to hand them in.

Again, we thank those who have helped raise funds for the many projects happening at the club. If you have any further ideas for fundraising at our club, please feel free to pass these ideas onto Tamara or our committee :)

Asia Pacific Clash at Redsox - Thursday 11th Feb

Visiting Japanese Team from Urawa Gakuin High School is one of the top high school teams in Japan. They are taking on the boys from Robina High School's Baseball Excellence program in a game you won't want to miss.

For your opportunity to see some high quality baseball, come down to the field with your family and friends from 3:30pm til 5:30pm.

Have something to add??

This newsletter is designed to not only inform our club members of the happenings within our club but to also act as a voice for our members. If you have some news to share about a fantastic club game you may have watched on the weekend or know of a particular player, coach or volunteer who is worthy of a special mention, please contact us via email so we can spread the word!!

Happy New Year and Welcome Back.

A warm welcome to the recommencement of the 2015/16 Summer baseball season. We hope that everyone had a great Christmas and New Year after what was a very busy and challenging first half of the season.

We take this opportunity to thank all of the club's members, supporters, and volunteers for their efforts in making this a great club to be part of. Two standout achievements warrant special mention and thanks:

Batting Cage: Dave Wagener, Bob Seignior, Andrew Weeks, Scott Nieass and Pete Crooks were the primary drivers for delivering this fantastic facility to the club which took each of them hundreds of volunteer hours and a great deal of hard work.

Clubhouse refurb: Thanks to the efforts of Greg Dennis, Bec Pridham, Linda Shultz and their decorative helpers, the clubhouse was given a facelift during the winter 2015 and looks and feels really great.

We are looking forward to an enjoyable rest of the season and continuing to see the development of our young players shine through.

Below is some information about what's in store for this month at MBC...

SUMMER CLASSIC vs. NZ

Kia Ora...that's hello in Maori. The Kiwis came, they saw and they conquered! As a warm up to the Little League State Titles both Gold Coast Charter teams plus a Development Team threw everything at the Auckland All Stars team in the inaugural Summer Classic last week. It was a fantastic tournament held at our Redsox fields with 7 players from our club in two of the representative teams.

Word has it that the Kiwis enjoyed not just the competition our teams put up against them but the beautiful weather the Gold Coast turned on for the tournament, that they'll be back again next year. Well done Gold Coast Pirates!!

DRAW for upcoming season

Our baseball season starts back up again on Saturday 30th January. After playing within our own Charter and fulfilling the requirements for those who were trying out for representative spots, the competition has now changed back into one where we play against all Gold Coast clubs.

The GCBA have designed different 'Leagues' with the aim of providing players in some leagues to play the highest quality competition on a week in week out basis, while other leagues have the emphasis on the development of all players. There has been a slight shuffle of players within and across teams to help fulfil the different leagues and you can find all the team lists for each league on our website under Teams.

The draw for this season is due out by the end of the week and we will send a quick email with it attached as well as posting it on our website.

BRISBANE BANDITS Club Night

The Brisbane Bandits are on fire this ABL season, currently standing on top of the ladder. Mudgeeraba Redsox have been given the opportunity to host a Club Night on Friday 22nd January when the Bandits take on Perth Heat.

The Redsox are receiving tickets for $16 for Adults and $8 for Children with 50% of all the ticket revenue using the promo code below going directly back to our club!!

You can secure this special ticket price by using the Promo Code REDSOX when purchasing tickets on the Brisbane Bandits website or follow the link on our Redsox website. So..."take me out to the ball game"...bring all the family and friends for a fantastic night out!!

On Game Day: The Mudgeeraba Redsox will meet at AFA Stadium's Entry Gate off Vivienne Street, Newmarket at 6:00pm where our Group Leader will meet us.
Representatives from Hogs Breath Cafe Surfers Paradise will present each group guest with a frequent diner card valued at $50!

A few lucky players will also be chosen as Bandits Baseball Buddies where they will get to walk out on the field with the players for the line up announcement.

Batting Cage

As we all know and as mentioned above, the club is extremely fortunate to have the batting cage as part of it's overall baseball facility. We now need to ensure that we use it safely and we look after it. The following rules have been adopted by the club in this regard and is now signed in the Batting Cage:

These rules apply to ALL persons who enter the Batting Cage (the Facility):

1. Helmets MUST be worn at all times.

2. NO Metal cleats allowed. Rubber soled, closed in shoes ONLY. NO thongs or sandals.

3. ALL persons under the age of 18 years MUST be supervised by an adult accredited baseball coach.

4. Pitching machines MUST NOT be operated by persons under the age of 18 years.

5. The Facility MUST be left clean, tidy, with all machines and LIGHTS SWITCHED OFF and gates LOCKED when not in use.

6. Entry and use of the Facility is at YOUR OWN RISK.

7. NO food or drink allowed.

8. Mudgeeraba Baseball Club Inc. reserves the right to restrict the use of the Facility where these rules are not complied with, as it sees fit in its absolute discretion.

Representative Players

Several Mudgeeraba junior players are currently playing interstate in the National Titles as well as gearing up for State Titles this week.

Brody Seignior, Macka Pearson and Noah Smith competed in the U/18 titles in Sydney last week.

In the Under 16 titles, also being held in Sydney at present, Mudgee pitcher/shortstop Riley Donnelly is the sole club representative.

In Canberra, the National Youth Girls' titles were held and two girls from Mudgee, Marina Ishii and Riley Hauwai played. Their team placed second earning the girls Silver Medals! Awesome achievement.

This weekend both the Senior League and Junior League State Titles are being held in Ipswich and Narangba. Good luck to our club players who have earned their place in the Gold Coast Pirate teams.

Congratulations to all these players, their coaches and parents for achieving this honour.

Club Communication

With a New Year just starting and goals being set for the year ahead, one of the many aims of our club is to improve on our communication with members, starting with newsletters like this one. We will aim to send out a weekly or fortnightly newsletter to keep all our members informed of any important events, current information, social and fundraising opportunities as well as to shine the spotlight on some of our volunteers, players and members within our club. We will also be redoing our Facebook page but will let all our members know when the crossover to the new page will happen. Any feedback of our communication process, both positive and constructive are welcome as it's the only way we know what our members want!!

Issue #2 2016. Nationals: here we come!!

What a busy week it's been!! Club night at the Bandits, State Titles for both our GC Junior and Senior League Pirate teams and getting back into the groove of training ready to start the second part of our Summer Season.

Thanks to Scott Nieass and Andy Tonkin, in this issue you will find a comprehensive wrap up of both the Junior and Senior League State Title Tournaments. You will also find a quick snap shot of our Club night at the Bandits last Friday night.

The GCBA has also published the draw for the rest of our summer season. You can find it on their website under 'competitions' which will have a running ladder for each competition. We have also attached the draw for your convenience. Team lists are located on our website under 'Teams'. If you have any further questions or queries, please contact your team manager or one of the Club representatives.

Brisbane Bandits Club Night

Well our Brisbane Bandits Buddies were bursting with excitement last Friday night as they lined up along first baseline ready to take the field with some of their idols.

After clinching a first-place berth and home-field advantage for the Australian Baseball League Championship Series the night before, the Bandits walked off Perth Heat, taking down their visitors 3-2 in 10 innings.

"That was fun," Brisbane manager David Nilsson said. "That was definitely great, especially after last night to come out and back it up with this crowd, and for the boys to continue having fun. I don't know where that win ranks for us but right now that was just awesome."

Ryan Battaglia launched the big blow for the home squad, the 23-year-old catcher sending his fourth ball out of the park this season with one out in the bottom of the 10th innings, ending a 2-2 deadlock in a battle of arms throughout the contest.

A big thanks to the families and their friends who travelled up to the game. It was a fun filled night but don't worry if you missed it...we will definitely be booking in another club night for the 2016/17 season which hopefully sees the Bandits defending their Premiership Title!!

DRAW for upcoming season has been released!!

The GCBA has released the draw for this season on their website under 'competitions'. We have also attached it to an email for your convenience. Please remember there has been a slight shuffle of players within and across teams to help fulfil the different leagues. You can find all the team lists for each league on our website under Teams. If there are any questions or queries, please contact the team manager or a Club Committee member to help. Below is just a reminder from the first newsletter about what to expect for this part of the season:

Our baseball season starts back up again on Saturday 30th January. After playing within our own Charter and fulfilling the requirements for those who were trying out for representative spots, the competition has now changed back into one where we play against all Gold Coast clubs.

The GCBA have designed different 'Leagues' with the aim of providing players in some leagues to play the highest quality competition on a week in week out basis, while other leagues have the emphasis on the development of all players.

GC Pirates Junior League Team

Congratulations to our Junior League Pirates Team who were able to qualify for the National Titles after finishing runner up in the State Titles this past weekend.

With a very strong and deep squad, our Pirates went into the Titles with a view of building our momentum through the tournament. Our main aim was to finish in the top 2 of our pool and be playing our best for the semi-final. With 2 wins against FNC and Brisbane West on the first day we were in a great position. Unfortunately we had a loss to Brisbane South in the first game on Day 2 but we were able to bounce back and beat FNC in the afternoon. Day 3 saw us play a return matchup with Brisbane South and with our improving baseball we were able to beat them in a very impressive performance. The afternoon game that day saw us beat the very enthusiastic Brisbane West to secure top spot in our pool and a place in the semi-final.

The Semi-final saw us play our best baseball for the tournament led by the best pitcher in the tournament: Zac Mansfield. Zac totally dominated a very strong Brisbane Metro line up to pitch us into the final where we secured our spot in the national Championship. Special mention about this game...it was played at such an intense level. To think that both teams were still able to play to such a high standard was amazing to watch and the best that I have seen at this age group. Most of all, the game was played in outstanding spirit which made both team coaches extremely proud.

With our goal of getting to the National Championships already secured we went into the final against our long-time rival, Brisbane North, with some confidence. It was a close and tense game through the first few innings and we were able to grab a 2 – 1 advantage. The boys and 1 girl had a large lapse of concentration and made a number of errors to give away our small lead and give them a very large lead. Even from that innings the kids battled hard and were able to claw their way back to get within 2 runs in the last inning. With a couple of runners on base, our hitter was able to drill a ball over left fields head only for that fielder to track back and make a spectacular catch to end the game. If the ball was another inch further the game would have been tied. Unfortunately that is the way baseball goes and it was not that play that cost us the game but the poor innings earlier. I am very proud of how the kids were able to fight back in the final and nearly pull off a very unlikely win from where we were.

Congratulations to our good friends Brisbane North who are not only State Champions but played the final game in great spirit and at a very high standard.

All Kids played extremely well this tournament and it was a true team effort in which got us through.

A big thank you to our Coaching Staff Rodney Jackson, Cory Jackson and Larry Moes for their outstanding efforts. Anna Day and Karen Jackson for scoring the tournament and Anna again for the tireless efforts leading up to the tournament doing a lot of the administration duties for the tournament. Also thanks to Nick Day who was our umpire representative for the tournament and did a great job.

Thank you to Mudgeeraba, Coomera and Tallebudgera baseball clubs for their support.

Lastly but most importantly a massive thanks goes out to the parents of all involved for their time and support of the kids and I am sure they are very proud.

On to Nationals.

~~ Scott Nieass

GC Pirates Senior League Team

RAISE THE JOLLY ROGER

Eight Mudgee boys: Nick Pridham, Jack Wagener, Taka Ishii, Rhys Gordon, Riley Donnelly, Dylan Allwood, Oliver Haydon and Isaac Tonkin competed in the Gold Coast Pirates Charter Senior League State Championships at Ipswich over four days last week. Despite being ranked underdogs in most games, the team played way above expectations producing some really magical baseball moments.

Every player in the team was called on to pitch at some stage with Taka and Isaac going deep in two key games despite the oppressive heat. Jack made some super plays at centrefield and Rhys was solid behind the dish. Nick commanded his position at shortstop and Dylan stopped everything that came his way at second base. All boys swung the bat with confidence and with power. Unfortunately Oli hurt his arm after pitching a great game but not before going 2 for 4 in the box. Riley had to front after a big week in Sydney at the Nationals but couldn't shake off an injury which kept him out of the latter games.

The best feature was that all tried to stick to the team motto of playing one pitch at a time and to hustle and concentrate. Even better, the boys return to club baseball this week, better, stronger and smarter.

~~Andy Tonkin

Scratch and Support Fundraiser

With a washout on the last weekend before Christmas, most players were unable to hand back their Scratch and Support Cards. With only a week to go before the Season starts back up again...have you asked your family and friends to 'scratch & support'?? If not, you had better get scratching!!

Just a small reminder of what it's all about:

Our club has taken on a unique fundraising opportunity to raise valuable funds for various projects happening within the club. It's really simple to contribute too!! Just ask your family and friends to scratch 2 or more circles on your scratchy card and donate the amounts revealed. Donations range from only 50c to $3. Once all the circles have been scratched and paid for, you will have raised $80 per card for our club.

All money is due back to the club THIS SATURDAY 30th JANUARY...so everyone...let's get scratching!!

Have something to add??

This newsletter is designed to not only inform our club members of the happenings within our club but to also act as a voice for our members. If you have some news to share about a fantastic club game you may have watched on the weekend or know of a particular player who is worthy of a special mention, please contact us via email so we can spread the word!!