TORBAY BARONS BASEBALL

Julio's home run at Taunton 

Julio Perez hit his second home run of the season as he scored the Barons only run of the game against Taunton Muskets. 

Taunton Muskets pitcher, Miguel Sanchez kept the Barons at bay as he decimated the Torbay batters, only giving up 1 run as the Somerset club won 29-1.

Julio Perez scored the Barons only run as he hit his second home run of the season, with a big hit to right center field in the 4th inning.

Costly fielding errors enabled Taunton to score with ease, as they racked up the runs.

Barons second baseman, Joe McCann showed good patience at the plate securing a walk against Sanchez, and Catcher James Brown and third baseman Jon Plummer, were the only 2 other Barons to get hits.

Barons pitcher, Laurence Smith recorded 5 strike outs, but could not hold the Muskets onslaught.

The Barons finish the season with an away game at Bristol Badgers on 31 August at the QEH Sports Ground in Bristol. The first pitch is at 12.

Former Barons team mates, Jamie Pollard and Laurence Smith meet up on first base. Pollard spent 2 seasons with the Barons from 2012-2013. 

James Brown on song for Barons against Spitfires 

The Barons season woes continued as they lost against local rivals, Exeter Spitfires 31-10 last Sunday, as the Barons played their final home game of the season.

The Barons put on a powerful display with their batting, with every player getting good hits, but were unable to convert their time on base into runs.

Simple fielding errors by the largely rookie Barons team, gave Exeter the advantage they needed to record their second win of the season.

The Barons travel up to Taunton this weekend as they take on second place Taunton Muskets on Sunday.  

Barons Player of the Game against Exeter Spitfires, catcher James Brown (R) with pitcher Laurence Smith (L) 

Big Hitters at Muskets Power over Barons 

The Barons resumed league action this week as second place Taunton Muskets visited Clennon Valley. The game was in doubt as thunderstorms were forecast, but the first pitch was thrown in beautiful sunshine. 

The visitors batted first and made their intent known with a 2 run home run by Miguel Sanchez and a RBI single to give the visitors a 3 run lead in the first.

The Barons kept the second inning as a shut out before the Muskets let loose again in the 3rd, with a 2 RBI double and another 2 run home run, this time by Marlon Jones gave them a decent lead, before a rally from Torbay bought the score back to 7-4.

Taunton took advantage of the pitching of Miguel Sanchez, as the Barons batters struggled to make contact and eventually ran out 16-4 winners. 

Barons pitcher Laurence Smith was voted Player of the Game, after pitching a complete game with torn ligaments in his elbow.

James Lunt made his return to the Barons with good performances, as did Sergio Suarez in Left Field and shortstop James Brown.

The Barons return to action again next Sunday when Macron Cup Winners Exeter Spitfires head to Clennon valley. The first pitch is at 12. 

Barons Player of the Game Laurence Smith and Muskets catcher Jamie Pollard 

Macron futures Cup

On Sunday 13th July, 5 teams from the South West Baseball League gathered in Plymouth to compete in the Macron Futures Cup Tournament. The one day competition was put in place as a showcase for the future players in the SWBL to step forward in the absence of the All Stars.

The Barons had a good team of players and proved their ability and passion by playing a very close game that Exeter Spitfires narrowly won 5-4.

Next up was Taunton Muskets, who are currently second in the league, but the Barons showed no fear against the Somerset club and got their first win of the season when they beat the Muskets 9-8. 

Full of confidence, the barons headed into their 3rd game of the day against SWBL two times champions Plymouth Mariners. The Barons fought hard and clever batting and fielding kept the game close, but Plymouth just pipped them to become 7-6 winners.

Now playing for third place, tiredness was starting to creep in to the Barons and the small squad, and eventually succumbed to a combined Bristol Bats and Badgers team 5-9.

Neil McCann performed exceptionally well in his first full run out as starting pitcher, recording 6 strikeouts over the course of the day. The Barons infield of Julio perez 1B, Joe McCann 2B, James Brown SS, and David Jarvis 3B were confident and solid whilst the Outfielders; Sergio Suarez, Adam Wray and Keith Bennett Jr kept the games close. 

All in All, it was a great day for the Barons, and excellent performances all round.

A special mention has to go to Keith Bennett Jr, who played on with 2 broken bones in his wrist, and still managed a phenomenal at bat, where he earned a walk off Base on Balls to bring home the winning run against Taunton!  

 Barons players; Joe McCann, Julio Perez, David Jarvis and Sergio Suarez celebrate their win over Taunton.

Julio Perez celebrates the win over the Muskets, and Shortstop James Brown about to make contacton a solid line drive. 

SWBL All Stars

On Friday afternoon, a selection of SWBL All Stars headed up to Croydon to participate in the 2014 London Tournament, featuring 16 teams from across the UK and Europe.

After setting up camp and enjoying a social evening, the SWBL All Stars began their tournament with a 10am start against Milton Keynes Coyotes. The SWBL team showed their intent for the tournament with a 10-1 demolition of the Coyotes.

With the SWBL in jovial mood from their victory, they took to the field at 2:15 for their second game of the day. London Mammoths were the opponents this time, and featuring a few NBL players, the Mammoths took a dominant lead. With 10 minutes to go in a timed game, and the Mammoths leading 8-1 and looking strong, the SWBL put their rally caps on, and fought back hard to score 8 runs and gain their first walk off win with a final score of 8-9!

The All Stars were through to the second round of the London Tournament which was to continue on the Sunday.

Sunday morning bought menacing clouds among bright sunshine as the SWBL took to the field for their 11am start against the Sandlot Scratch team. It was a close run game with the Sandlot Scratch taking a 4-2 lead and seemingly comfortable with the score. Once again, the SWBL fought back hard and eventually took a 5-4 lead. The time eventually ran out with Sandlot batting in the bottom of the inning, and their seemed to be confusion over the final result, so the issue was taken to the officials to determine. The SWBL were convinced they had won the game 5-4, as that was the score when the game finished, where as the Sandlot appealed stating that as their inning had not finished, the result should be rolled back to the previous full inning where they had been winning 4-2.

The officials eventually decided in favour of the Sandlot Scratch, with the All Stars getting their first loss of the weekend.

Unaware of the officials decision, the SWBL headed into their last game against the French team, Cergy Teddybears. Cergy were a very proffesional team and knew what to do on the field and took a lead against the SWBL, who once again were a it slow out the blocks. But as before, the All Stars started to come back, and began dominating the game eventually getting their second walk off win of the weekend as they beat the French side 6-5.

By now the results of the Sandlot game had been issued and the SWBL just missed out on the Final, finishing 3rd overall, an outstanding result for the leagues first ever All Star team.

SWBL ALL STARS

Back row L-R: Danny Adames - Plymouth, Luke Looney - Bristol, Damien Goodall - Plymouth, Marlon Jones - Taunton, Mike MacDowell - Bristol, Peter Pfennig - Bristol, Martin Mules - Plymouth. 

Front row L-R: Zita Racz - Exeter, Jamie Pollard - Taunton, Miguel Sanchez - Taunton, Keith Day - Plymouth, Laurence Smith - Torbay, Jon Plummer - Torbay, Shannon Hall - Plymouth.

Busy Weekend for Torbay Barons!

The Torbay Barons have a busy weekend ahead of them this coming weekend.

On Friday, the 11th, the Barons have 2 representatives in the South West baseball league 2014 All Star Team, which leaves to compete in the London Tournament. The London Tournament is the oldest and most prestigious tournament of it's type in the country, and features 15 of the best teams from the UK and Europe, with games being played on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th at the Roundshaw Playing Fields in Croydon. The final takes place at 4.00pm on Sunday.    

Torbay Barons All Star Team representatives, Laurence Smith and Jon Plummer.

Macron Cup 

On Sunday 13th July, the Torbay Barons team travel down to Plymouth to compete in the Macron Cup Baseball Tournament. The one day baseball extravaganza, which is being held at Wilson Field, Central Park Plymouth, features all 6 of the South West Baseball league teams competing against each other for the inaugural Macron Cup. 

The event is being supported by the Italian sportswear giants Macron and their official agents, Stud Sports based in Cornwall. The first game begins at 9am. 

The Torbay Barons compete in the Macron Cup, Hosted by Plymouth this Sunday.

Bristol Bats visit Torbay Barons on Sunday 

The Bristol Bats travel down to Clennon Valley on Sunday 6th July for their final league encounter of the season. After a free weekend, with much needed rest for the Torbay's players after their long run of games, the Barons will be raring to go and continue their improving form this season.

With the rookie team gelling comfortably now, and half a season of experience behind them, the Barons are building a solid unit now for next season, but will be looking for a win against Bristol.

The first pitch is at 12 on Sunday.   

Torbay Barons Player of the Game against the Bristol Bats on 22 June, Jon Plummer - Third Base. The Barons lost 38-5

The Torbay Barons visited Avon on Sunday, as they took on the Bristol Bats at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Sports Ground in Failand, Bristol.

Neil McCann started his first game for the Barons as starting pitcher, in what was deemed to be a very even game, even though the Bats were 2-2 for the season, and the Barons were 0-3.

With the Barons batting first, good running and base stealing allowed the Barons to score twice, but the Bats came back strong, and bought four runners home, against a Nervous McCann.

The Bats experience began to show as their starting pitcher, Ricky Gellatly held the Barons to a scoreless second inning, despite good batting from Torbay who were unable to bring the runners home.

Although starting the third inning well, the inexperience of Neil McCann began to show as he struggled to find the strike zone with a few of the batters, and the Bats capitalized on the Barons fielding errors to rack up 11 runs in the second. The Barons made a pitching change, bringing Laurence Smith to the mound with the bases loaded. Before the end of the second, Bristol managed to bring another 3 home.

Ever improving, the new Barons team showed touches of brilliance at times when fielding, with notable catches from Joe McCann in Right Field, and Neil McCann in Centre field, along with good plays from Third Baseman Jon Plummer, rookie starting First Baseman David jarvis, and the Barons player of the game, Toby Caswell at Second Base.

The Barons were strong when at Bat, with Julio Perez and Laurence Smith going 3 for 4, and Catcher Paul Robinson and Laurence Smith both had 2 Runs Batted In.

After the big second inning, the Barons seemed to settle into the game, holding the Bats to 2 runs conceded in the 3rd, and a shutout in the 4th, before another big inning from the Bats in the 5th finalized the win for the Bristol club.

The game finished 31-9, with the Bats showing their experience and composure, whilst the Barons showed signs of constant improvement, week to week.

The Barons finish this run of 4 games, at home to Bristol Badgers on 22 June, with the first pitch at 12.

Torbay Barons player of the Game, second baseman, Toby Caswell, with centre fielder Neil McCann. 

Weather wreaks Havoc as Barons are shot down by Spitfires 

The Barons traveled the short distance up to Exeter to take on the Spitfires in their first meeting this season.

Torbay batted first and got two runs in, but the Spitfires started strong and bought 6 runners home, as the Barons, who are still trying to get their rookies game experience, made a few simple errors.

After the 3rd inning, with the score 10-6 to Exeter, the heavens opened, and a rain delay was called.

Torbay struggled when the game resumed, and failed to bring anyone home in the next 2 innings as Exeter score 6 and started to take a more dominating lead.

Starting pitcher, Laurence Smith pitched a shutout inning in the 5th to keep with in sight of the Spitfires, but after a collision with Exeter pitcher, Tom Stephenson - who played for the Barons last season, at home plate, he really struggled in the 6th.

The Barons reliever, Neil McCann took over on the mound but found it difficult in the wet conditions, as the Spitfires bought home a further 12 as the rain never relented.

the game was called by the umpire at the end of the 6th inning.

The Barons captain, Julio Perez, led by example as he was voted Player of the game, after his excellent display, both at bat and fielding, topped off with recording a 2 run home run, his first with the Barons. Julio looks on course for his second Silver Slugger title if he continues this form, adding to the batting title he won in 2012.

Toby Caswell made a welcome return to the Barons line up, and David Jarvis made his Barons Debut.

There were a lot of positives that could be taken out of the game, with the Barons outfielders Joe McCann and Sergio Suarez making fine catches, and the infield looking more relaxed together.

The Barons travel up to Bristol Bats next Sunday.  

Barons Player of the Game and 2 run home run Hero, Julio Perez on second base, as Exeter's Mark Williams chases an over thrown ball. 

Mariners Roll Over Barons at Clennon Valley. 

The Barons faced 2 time SWBL champions for the second time this season, and twice in a row after games against both Bristol teams were rescheduled.

Eager to seek revenge for the 26-7 loss at Wilson Field in Plymouth on the 27th April, the Barons started aggressively, and held the visitors to no runs in the first inning. Much to everyone's surprise, the Barons scored 2 runners to take the lead into the second inning.

The two teams played the next couple of innings evenly, with good pitching by starter Laurence Smith and fielding by the Barons, keeping the scores within a run as the Mariners eventually took the lead. The Mariners starting pitcher Keith Day, started to get more confidence as the game progressed and started to control the Barons batters.

A Danny Adames 2 run home run changed the face of the game and the Barons were visibly rattled, and a few fielding errors, and a lack of aggression on the base paths gave the Mariners the advantage as they began to stretch their lead. Good batting and base running by Shannon Hall and the rest of the Mariners ensured the runs started to stack up.

The Barons made a pitching change in the 4th inning as Laurence Smith suffered a slight shoulder injury, and this gave rookie pitcher Neil McCann his first appearance on the mound. McCann has a powerful arm with good velocity, but first game nerves meant his control was not where he wanted it and the Mariners got their players on base with ease.

It was a good learning experience for Neil McCann, facing some of the best hitters in the SWBL in his debut, and he'll be a player to watch in the Future.

Pitchers Laurence Smith (L) and Neil McCann (R) 

Julio Perez took to the mound in the 5th inning with the game out of reach for the Barons, but the players never admitted defeat and put a small run together to try minimize the damage and Smith, now playing Short Stop instigated the Barons first Double Play of the season as he collected a bobbled infield hit, underhanded it to Second Baseman Gabor Nemeth, who tagged the base at second, before sending an accurate throw to Paul Robinson at First Base to record the second out of the Play, and Third out of the inning.

Plymouth Mariners ran out eventual winners with a score of 35 - 5. Lack of game experience with a mostly rookie team was evident for the Barons, but they are playing well and will be looking for their first win this season against Exeter Spitfires next Week.

Barons first baseman, Paul Robinson was voted Player Of The Game, in his first outing for his solid handling at First.  

Barons Player Of The Game, First Baseman, Paul Robinson 

Barons game against Bristol Bats rained out! 

The Torbay Barons were due to travel up to the QEH Sports Ground for tomorrows SWBL encounter with the Bristol Bats, but the game was called off to to the Bats field being deemed unplayable. 

The Bristol Bats manager, Michael Nash, released a statement earlier this evening. "Dan (Looney - Bats co-manager) and myself conducted a field inspection this evening, and although 80% of the field is playable, with more rain due tonight, and the 35-40 mph winds forecast for tomorrow, we have unfortunately had to recommend that the game be rescheduled due to the QEH field not being conducive to good baseball". 

The game has been rescheduled for the 15 June. 

The waterlogged QEH Sports Ground, Home to the Bristol Bats. 

The Barons at Bats game was not the only SWBL to fall foul of the weather. The former AAA Divison winning Bristol Badgers were due to visit the Exeter Spitfires, eager to get their first SWBL win against bottom of the league Spitfires after their shock 20-9 defeat in the Bristol derby last week.

Unfortunately Chadwick Field was also deemed unplayable due to the amount of rain recently. The rescheduled date has yet to be announced.

The only game still due to be played on Sunday will be the two times champions taking on the league new comers, the Taunton Muskets at the Show Ground in Taunton. Both teams will be hoping the rain avoids Somerset and the field drains sufficiently before the 12 o'clock first pitch.

Barons outfielder, Toby Caswell is taking part in the grueling Ten Tors, which is held annually on Dartmoor, Devon. 

Although there are many challenge walks in Britain today, Ten Tors is still alone in catering solely for young people. Usually taking place in the second weekend of May, many of its participants will remember the event with pride for the remainder of their lives, and for some it may even be a life-changing experience.

The Ten Tors Challenge is organised by the Army, specifically 43 (Wessex) Brigade, from its Moor Group Headquarters at Okehampton Camp.  It is assisted by the Royal Navy (with manpower and helicopters), the Royal Air Force and the Dartmoor Rescue Group: between them they oversee the participants and ensure that none comes to lasting harm.

In parallel with the Jubilee Challenge, the Ten Tors Challenge takes place annually in May and is limited to 2,400 individuals – four hundred teams of six teenagers.  The teams, depending on age, face hikes of 35, 45 or 55 miles (56, 72 or 88km) visiting ten nominated tors over two days.  The teams must be self-sufficient, carrying all that they need to complete their route safely despite the terrain and the weather.  The latter can be very changeable and at times quite extreme, and success or failure can depend very much on the extent to which a team has been trained for all eventualities. Every team manager and every team member (probably parents, too!) must inevitably pray during the week leading up to the event for fair weather on the day!

Many thanks are due to the servicemen and civilians who make the organisation and execution of Ten Tors appear stunningly easy, and who provide the essential safety net.  More importantly, congratulations and considerable admiration are due to the many teams who accept the Challenge and, despite everything, succeed!

As the event’s Founder once said: “If there is anything more important than the will to succeed, it is that the will shall not falter.” 

Barons hold their own on opening day, but eventually lose out to Plymouth 

Torbay barons Shortstop, Dan McGlinchey is tagged out at home, as Mariners pitcher, Matt Connell covers the plate. 

The Barons return to action after the Bank Holiday weekend on Sunday the 11th May, as they travel to the QEH Sports Ground to take on the Bristol Bats. 

The Torbay Barons open their 2014 SWBL season away to Plymouth Mariners this Sunday, starting at 12 at Wilson Field.

With the Mariners already off the mark with a comprehensive 29-5 win against the Exeter Spitfires last week, the new look Barons team will be in for a tough day.

The Mariners also have a few new faces in this years team, but with both Damien Goodall, and Shannon Hall as part of their pitching rotation, the Mariners will be favorites on Sunday.

Although the Barons have a new look team compared to last year, the club are comforted to know that they still have some big hitters available, with catcher James Brown and first baseman Neil MacCann showing their hitting prowess during the Spring.

Rookie of the year last season, Dan McGlinchey, has moved to shortstop with Gabor Nemeth returning to second base. Jon Plummer completes the infield at third base.

Pitching in his third opening day, Laurence Smith will be starting on the mound, looking for his first win on opening day.

The Barons will then be travelling to Bristol Bats on the 11 May as the season returns following the bank holiday weekend.

Barons third baseman, Julio Perez, has been appointed club captain for the 2014 season. A veteran infielder for the Barons, Julio has always excelled on the field, and is a top order batter, winning the Barons 2012 Silver Slugger award. Julio's natural leadership and experience has made him an obvious choice for club captain.

Assisting Julio, in the vice captains role, is returning second baseman, Gabor Nemeth. Gabor played for the Barons in 2011 and 2012, before a back injury, left him on the sidelines for the last 2 years, but has returned to the team looking sharper than ever.

Schedule Change for the first game 

The Torbay Barons will now open their SWBL season with an away game against Plymouth Mariners, instead of the scheduled game against Bristol Bats.

The Barons opener will now be held at Wilson Field, Central Park, Plymouth on the 27 April, with the first pitch at 12pm.

In a changed side from last season, the Barons will be looking to put in an outstanding performance against the 2 times SWBL champions.

The League begins in earnest this Sunday as the Mariners face the Exeter Spitfires at Wilson Field. In the other game of the day the leagues newest team, the Taunton Muskets, open their SWBL account with a home game against the Bristol Bats.

The Barons are always looking for new players of all levels of ability to join the club, so whether you are a seasoned pro or an armchair fan, come on down and give baseball a try.

The 2014 league schedule has been released by the South West Baseball League, and the Barons open their season with an away trip to league newcomers, the Bristol Badgers.

The Badgers have joined the SWBL this season after playing in the BBF AAA Division. The Badgers have good a good pedigree in the AAA and won the Division in 2011, so it will be a exciting measure for the Barons.

The Barons only open their season at home on the 22 June the Bristol Badgers reciprocate their opening day game.

The Barons finish the season at home to last years champions, Plymouth Mariners on the 31 August.

The full schedule can be seen on the schedule page.

2014 SWBL AGM in Cullumpton 

The 2014 South West Baseball League AGM was held in Cullumpton on Saturday, 15th February at the Royal Manor Hotel.

The representatives of all the member clubs and the league commissioner and secretary were present. 

Two new teams will be joining the SWBL this year, with already confirmed Taunton Muskets joined by the Bristol Badgers, the parent team of the Bristol Bats, who have joined for the season from the BBF AAA Division.

Each team will play 10 league games, as well as 2 cup tournaments, one hosted by Bristol and the other hosted by Plymouth.

It looks to be a tight and competitive season ahead for all the teams.

The 6 teams in the SWBL this season:

Bristol Badgers

Bristol Bats

Exeter Spitfires

Plymouth Mariners

Taunton Muskets

Torbay Barons

Representatives from the 6 clubs at the 2014 SWBL AGM.  

2013 Player Stats 

The Barons 2013 season stats have now been calculated. 

First baseman, Frazer Thomas finished the season with a .722 AVG and pitcher Tom Stephenson topped the HR charts with 3, and 16 RBI's for the season. Outfielder Sergio Suarez, set the Barons season record for stolen bases with 21.

Pitcher, Laurence Smith, recorded the Barons only win this season, whilst striking out 40 batters over the course of the year - a personal best.