The Sale Rangers Baseball Club is inviting players of all ages and abilities to try out for the upcoming winter season, which runs from April to September.
The Sale Rangers is one of the foundation clubs of the Latrobe Valley Baseball Association, and the closest baseball club for people in the Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance area.
The club plays weekly games in junior and senior grades against the other clubs in the Latrobe Valley Baseball Association; Churchill Braves, Traralgon Redsox, Moe/Newborough Dodgers and Morwell Cougars.
In the juniors, Sale Rangers fields under 13s and under 16s teams, as well as running T-ball team for kids as young as five.
The seniors competition is divided into “A”, “B” and “C” grades, providing an opportunity for players of all skill levels.
The club is currently holding training sessions for junior players every Wednesday afternoon from 4.30pm, led by experienced senior player Will Hector and supported by other senior Sale Rangers players.
Down at Stephenson Park on those afternoons you’ll find Hector hitting ground balls for the young players, teaching them the fundamentals of hitting, throwing and catching, as well as the rules and regulations of baseball, a sport that is relatively new to Australia but which has been growing steadily in recent decades.
Sale Rangers president Kevin Arbuthnot said the Rangers are always keen to welcome new players and families to the club.
“We have a mix of experienced guys who have been playing baseball for many years, along with converts from other sports and boys and girls trying baseball for the first time, we welcome them all,” Arbuthnot said.
He sees the sport as an ideal alternative to cricket in winter.
“Given we play in the winter, baseball is often a good choice for those who are serious about their cricket and want to play something in their off-season that keeps those skills sharp, hand-eye coordination, throwing, hitting and fielding. The action keeps moving, everyone stays involved in the play, and the games are usually done in an hour and a half or so,” Arbuthnot said.
Anyone interested in playing baseball this upcoming season is encouraged to get to Stephenson Park on any Wednesday at 4.30pm for the junior training sessions.
