2025 Queensland Winter Seasons Open for Registrations

2025 Queensland Winter Seasons Open for Registrations

Baseball in Queensland isn’t limited to the Summer season, nor is it limited to Southeast Queensland.

Read about the opportunities available below!

North Queensland

North Queensland are entering their primary season, which means there’s opportunity to join your local club from as young as the age of 3 and up.

Cairns and Townsville are debuting Buddy League – a brand new format for ages 3-6 (Townsville) and 3-8 (Cairns) where a parent, sibling or guardian takes the field with their child!

You can find out more about Buddy League by clicking here!

Cairns

Cairns Baseball League offers an annual competition between May and October.

The league hosts five clubs, with three of those catering to players of all ages. Explore your options below.

Cairns Winter competition officially starts on May 10, so reach out to the clubs to see where you can find your home for the season! Clubs will continue taking registrations beyond the start of the season, so don’t worry!

All female players, senior and junior, are eligible for free fees. Cairns Reds are offering this thanks to a grant from the Queensland Government.

Reds: Ages 3-8 click here to register.

Reds: Ages 9+ click here to register.

All female players, senior and junior, are eligible for free club fees. Only pay insurance! Cairns Cubs are offering this thanks to a grant from the Queensland Government.

Cubs: Ages 3-8 click here to register.

Cubs: Ages 9+ click here to register.

Townsville

Baseball Association of Townsville offers an annual competition between April and October.

The association hosts four clubs, with one of those being exclusively for women and girls. Explore the clubs below.

The Townsville season is a few weeks underway, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find your place! Those aged 3-6 can prepare to join the second Buddy League short-season!

Southeast Queensland

Southeast Queensland enter their ‘off-season.’ The primary seasons within SQWBL and Gold Coast are targeted at ages 15 and up. 

SQWBL

The Southern Queensland Winter Baseball League (SQWBL) operates a 12-week season between May and August each year. This competition is only offered to those aged 15 and above, with mixed-gender divisions and a female only Women’s competition.

Womens – Saturdays 24/05/25

Seniors – Sunday 25/05/25
SQWBL also host a social ‘Winter Wonderland’ event during the season each year!
We have solved the registration issues. Please read carefully as if you select the wrong option, your fees will be incorrect, and we may be unable to refund.
1) If you played the Summer season 24/25, please use the following link: https://membership.mygameday.app/regoform.cgi?aID=29291…
a. Form should say 2024/2025 Baseball Australia Membership Registration Form
2) If you DID NOT play Summer 24/25, please use the following link: https://membership.mygameday.app/regoform.cgi?aID=29291…
a. Form should say 2024/25 Baseball Australia Short Season Membership Registration Form
Notes around Costs:
1) Form 1, fees should be $125, if this isn’t the amount you are getting, please check you have selected the correct form. If you have checked the form, and still getting a different amount, please message the page and we can assist you.
2) Form 2, fees should be around around $178. Again, if your amount is vastly different, please check you are using the correct form, and if still different, take a photo and send a message to the page and we can assist.

Gold Coast

Gold Coast is the only association in Queensland that offers two seasons per year. Their winter season is only offered to those aged 15 and above, with mixed-gender divisions and a mixed Masters competition.

 

Gold Coast Winter competition starts on May 10, so reach out to the clubs to see where you can find your home for the season!

Winter State Programs

Stay tuned to Baseball Queensland website and social media for opportunities available to junior players to join our annual winter programs and competitions.

Keep an eye out for other new and exciting programs, including Baseball5 opportunities throughout the year!

2010 and 2011 Born – Queensland are sending a tour to New Zealand in September 2025: Click here to learn more

 

Coomera Cubs: A Story of Perseverance

Coomera Cubs: A Story of Perseverance

Story by Nick Wyllie, Club Support Coordinator

The baseball community came out in force to welcome the Coomera Cubs back home after a long 11-month recovery period following the severe derecho/tornado weather event on December 25, 2023.

It’s not the kind of present you’d expect to receive on Christmas Day, but 2023 was no ordinary Christmas for the Gold Coast. A trio of severe storms left severe damage at Gambamora Park, the home of the Coomera Cubs Baseball Club, rendering the facility unfit to host games.

The devastation was captured within the below photos from the club in the weeks after the storms.

With dugouts stripped of their walls and roofs, field and backstop fencing left laying on the ground, the road to recovery was steep. Not only that, Coomera was in the middle of Summer competition and now had to relocate all remaining home games for the final three months of the season.

The club had already planned their annual Breast Cancer Round event. Clubs across Gold Coast and Brisbane stepped up to fill in as hosts as the local competitions rushed to adjust their scheduled fixtures.

Competitors on the field, but collaborators off it. Surfers Paradise Baseball Club was but one of those examples, stepping in to host Coomera’s Breast Cancer Round event.

Recovery across the City of Gold Coast continued well into the new year. The storm having effected more than 100 parks, 34 roads, 10 education facilities and countless residences, resulting in 77,153 truckloads of waste removed from 1,673 streets and 23,610 trees needing to be replanted. [Source] It soon became clear that Coomera would not be returning to their fields for the 2024 Winter season. Gold Coast Baseball Association and its member clubs worked together to be able to adjust scheduling and host Coomera’s winter teams across the entire Winter season.

Ambitious targets saw the club hoping to return ready for the 2024/2025 Summer season, August arrived and reconstruction was underway. Field 2’s replacement backstop fence rose from the ground, as did the outfield fencing. Thankfully these works meant that Field 2 was operational for select Junior age group games from the start of the season in October, but for Field 1, October came and went with no on-field action.

However, a delayed return was not enough to dampen the drive nor slow the momentum. Despite delays with the rebuild impacting not one or two, but three seasons, the club has shown growth in its registrations for the 2024/2025 season. A demonstration of the perseverance of the volunteer base and the sign of a strong future. Continued hope contrasted with continued delays, the reopening round kept getting pushed back, and with periods of poor weather, it seemed unlikely that despite best efforts, that 24th of November would even be the day.

Saturday the 23rd was a widespread washout – with very few games played across South-east Queensland. Chance for the planned reopening happening the next day was almost non-existent… But with some sunshine and the effort of a massive crew of volunteers that chance slowly improved through the day and into Sunday morning. The final call to proceed with reopening wasn’t made until 7am, a mere hour and a half before the first scheduled match. Luck was finally turning for the Coomera Cubs, and the volunteers demonstrated they were ready to take on the increased workloads brought on by Mother Nature’s final hurdle. Club President, Nick Day was impressed and grateful for their mobilisation of almost 40 volunteers to assist in preparing the facility on the Saturday, a fitting and strong bookend to a long period of uncertainty for the club.

While games might have started 2 hours later than expected, that did not stop the community showing up and supporting the clubs return home. MP Mark Boothman joined the club for a ceremonial first pitch for the first of two Division 1 games against the Carina Redsox. Mark has been a major supporter of the club’s return to the field, and his support, alongside his attendance for the reopening was much appreciated.

Anna Day, the Clubs’ Operations Manager, could not describe how thankful and grateful she was for the cooperation and accommodations made by clubs and the local competitions to adjust to the loss of their fields and was extremely excited to be able to welcome everyone back to the home of the Cubs. In the short break between scoring the three homecoming games, Anna remarked that she has to remind herself “…to stop to appreciate that we’re even back here.”

Jodie Sippel, Coomera’s Treasurer, spoke excitedly at the conclusion of the day’s final game. “The support today has gone far beyond any of our wildest expectations, and it’s made every second of effort from all of our volunteers truly worth it.”

The love of the club was truly evident in all of the attendees, and there was a clear and well-deserved sense of pride for the accomplishment of the recovery efforts among all who contributed.

The one thing that was clear through every discussion; they couldn’t have survived this disaster without the support of their Cubs family, or the local clubs and competitions that made every effort to accommodate them and their players. After all, the fight is on the field, but off-field, there’s only one goal, and that’s baseball.

Show your Support

For those who weren’t able to make it to Coomera’s reopening, the club welcomes five of its Junior teams back home for the first time on Saturday the 30th of November starting from 8:30am, with more Seniors games from 8:30am on Sunday the 1st of December against the Robina Braves and Windsor Royals.

The Gold Coast and Greater Brisbane League competitions were able to establish their schedules to ensure that the club would still receive as many of their home games as possible once the facility returned to use. Meaning you can get down to the club almost any weekend over the next three months to show your support, a fact that would terrify most club volunteers, but well and truly excite Coomera’s crew.

Use the links below to find a home game that suits you as the Coomera Cubs welcome the community back to their fields.

While the reopening marks a significant milestone, the club acknowledges that there’s a number of outstanding projects, from dugouts, to scorers boxes, bullpens and a new storage shed remain key projects to complete on the club’s return to normalcy. You won’t see any of them complaining about that though, it is undeniable that the momentum and drive in their players and volunteers is at an all time high.

MORE ABOUT THE CUBS

The Coomera Cubs incorporated in 2006 after their relocation to the current fields at Gambamora Park. Entering teams into both the Greater Brisbane League (Seniors Divisions 1 and 2) and the Gold Coast Baseball Association competitions. (T-Ball [U8s] to Mixed Seniors)

As of the writing of this article, and thanks to their recent growth, Coomera Cubs has overtaken Surfers Paradise as the largest club on the Gold Coast.

The club competes in both Summer and Winter seasons. If you’d like to find out more about the Cubs, visit their Website or Facebook page.

If you’d like to offer your support to the club, consider reaching out to Nick Day via [email protected] or reach out to the club via their Facebook page.

2024 Baseball Queensland Hall of Fame Voting Underway!

2024 Baseball Queensland Hall of Fame Voting Underway!

 2024 Hall of Fame Voting Underway!

 

The eagerly awaited 2024 Hall of Fame Ballot is now underway, following the completion of the Heritage Advisory Panel’s meticulous vetting and validating process. After careful consideration and evaluation, a selection of prominent candidates has emerged, representing the pinnacle of achievements in Queensland baseball history.

 

Voting Panel

The next phase of this process will see the Voting Panel tasked with the responsibility of determining the next inductees into the Queensland Baseball Hall of Fame. Comprising various stakeholders from affiliated clubs and regions, as well as representative bodies such as the Queensland Baseball Umpires Association and the Queensland Baseball Scorers Committee, the Voting Panel represents the wide-reaching impact and influence of baseball across the state.
Moreover, the Brisbane Bandits, living Baseball Queensland Life Members, and living Baseball Queensland Hall of Fame members also form integral parts of the Voting Panel, ensuring a comprehensive and representative decision-making process.

Baseball Queensland will soon dispatch detailed information to all Voting Panel Members via email, providing them with the necessary instructions and access to the digital voting application. This platform will streamline the voting procedure, enhancing efficiency and transparency in the selection process.

To be inducted into the Baseball Queensland Hall of Fame, candidates must receive 75% of the total votes cast by the Voting Panel. Additionally, to ensure the validity of the ballot, it is required that at least 80% of the Voting Panel submits their votes.

In a bid to accommodate the diverse perspectives of the Panel Members, the electronic ballot allows for a range of choices. Members are encouraged to cast their votes in favour of any or all of the nominated candidates. Importantly, those who opt not to support any of the candidates are advised to utilise the “abstain” option on the electronic ballot paper. This will contribute to meeting the necessary 80% threshold for validating the poll.

The voting period will span seven days, providing Panel Members with ample time to assess the candidates’ achievements and contributions to the sport before casting their votes. The results will be closely monitored, and the inductees into the 2024 Queensland Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced shortly after the conclusion of the voting period and subsequently inducted into the Hall of Fame at the BQ Hall of Fame and Awards Dinner on 20 September 2024.

As the Queensland baseball community eagerly anticipates the forthcoming Hall of Fame inductees, this year’s nominees have already etched their names in the annals of baseball history. The tireless efforts, dedication, and passion demonstrated by these individuals have not only elevated the sport but have also left an enduring legacy for generations to come.

Current Hall of Fame

Baseball Queensland Seeks Leader for Baseball5 Program

Baseball Queensland Seeks Leader for Baseball5 Program

Baseball Queensland is dedicated to promoting and expanding the sport of baseball across the state. Our Game Development team plays a pivotal role in fostering participation and creating opportunities for growth within our community. We are currently seeking a motivated and experienced individual to join our team as a Baseball5 Co-Ordinator.

As the Baseball5 Co-Ordinator, you will be instrumental in promoting and expanding Baseball5 initiatives. You will work closely with schools and community organisations to foster participation and create pathways for growth in the sport. This role requires a proactive and organised individual with a passion for sports development and community engagement.

The WBSC has plans to grow Baseball5 internationally, plans that include the games’ inclusion in the Youth Olympics and a World Championship event being held in Hong Kong from the 5th – 14th October 2024. Efforts are currently underway to build an Australian Team to compete in this World Cup event.

You can review the job advert at this link:

https://www.seek.com.au/job/77735658

What is Baseball5 you say? We’re glad you asked:

 

 

Changes for the 2024/2025 Membership Year

Changes for the 2024/2025 Membership Year

$200 FairPlay Vouchers are Still Available!

The allocation hasn’t been exhausted yet – but they’re expected to run out by mid-August, so secure your voucher now.

You don’t need to claim them instantly, so grab one and then hold onto it – they can be redeemed up until June 30, 2025, so you can use them for a Summer OR Winter season!

Increased from $150 to $200 with 150,000 vouchers available for ANY child aged 5-17.

Find out more below:

 

How to process FairPlay vouchers:

  • Clubs will be required to setup an individual coupon code for each member who wishes to register with a FairPlay voucher.
  • Where club fees do not meet the $200 amount, please reach out to [email protected] to discuss potentials for capturing the full value.

Capitations Released (Membership Fees Released)

This year, there have been a few changes for the upcoming season to make the registration process through Game Day even easier.

The approved capitations are shown below and have been added to Game Day.

 

The changes for this year:

  • Replacement of the GBL Womens only Season with the Female Adult Seniors product (one fee for the whole year)
  • Removal of the GBL Womens 10-week Short Season – which wasn’t used last year.
  • Removal of the SQWBL specific fee to increase compatibility between membership types throughout the year.
  • A $3 Baseball Australia fee increase and a $5 Baseball Queensland fee increase (our first increase in 2-years!)

These fees have been finalised for the full September 1st 2024 to August 31st 2025 period, which means that our Winter leagues are able to determine their fees now for next year if they wish.

 

How does the new Female Adult Seniors Product work?
Using the ‘Filter’ menu, clubs can select a fee specifically for Females.

The positives of the new Female Adult Seniors product:

  • Simple single fee available for all females to cover the entire membership year (access to Summer, Winter seasons, no additional tournament registrations to compete in Womens or Masters State Titles)
  • Reduced BQ fee to encourage female participation

Our current membership split is 81% Male to 19% Female. Therefore, female registrations are approximately $30 cheaper. As the percentage approaches a more even split between the two genders, the discount will reduce.

 

Clarification for Masters Program Fee
  • Masters memberships are for members 50+, Baseball Queensland has made this change to align with Baseball Australia
  • Members purchasing the Masters BA/BQ capitation will only be eligible to play in Masters competitions. (GBL Masters Div 1, 2, 3, GCBA Masters (Winter), Masters State Titles, etc.) and will need to use 2024/2025 Baseball Queensland Masters Competition Form (#115823) .
  • Players aged 50+ who wish to play in other competitions (Adult Seniors Divisions) will need to purchase an Adult Seniors membership on the 2024/2025 Baseball Australia Membership Registration Form (#115072).
  • Club fees don’t affect capitations/insurance, and as such, clubs are free to continue discounting memberships for 35+ if they wish to do so

This membership type is classed as a ‘Program‘ membership.

For more information on the capitation products, please visit the Resources page. The document is located under the ‘Fees’ tab.

SQWBL fee Removal?
In previous years, a discounted fee was offered to assist in the establishment and early growth of the Southern Queensland Winter Baseball League.

The league has managed sustained growth year-on-year, and with changes to the function of the GameDay registration system, some changes have been forced.

We will be working with SQWBL in the lead up to the Winter 2025 season to ensure that we deliver a seamless registration experience for new and existing members while still supporting the growth of the competition in years to come!

Game Day

Follow the 2024/2025 setup steps for your club, region or competition on the Game Day page here:

 

Attention: Greater Brisbane League (GBL) Clubs

Thanks to changes made via Baseball Australia over the past 12 months, we have been able to deactivate the duplicate clubs we used for the GBL competition last year.

This means no more player transfers between two version of a single club – all of your teams are accessible in the same place that your players register – less confusion!

The only caveat to this process is that GBL need to create the teams from their side (and assign them to your club). We will release further details of this once confirmed, expecting that this will occur in August in preparation for team nominations to be finalised.

Volunteer Blue Card – New BQ Policy

ALL volunteers within Baseball Queensland, it’s clubs and regions will require a current and active Blue Card moving forward.

Please see the new policy here, or follow the link to begin your Blue Card application:

 

Game Plan – Baseball Australia Requirement

For the 2024/2025 Season, it is a requirement that ALL Clubs create an account on Game Plan and complete their Club Profile.

We would encourage our Regions to also create an account as the self assessment tools will still relate to your level and may provide opportunities for improvements that you can share with your clubs and implement as a collective!

Failure to meet targets may result in lower funding for Baseball Queensland, necessitating higher capitations for upcoming membership years, so pretty please create your accounts.

 

Brisbane Bandits Club Connect

Partner with the Brisbane Bandits this Summer and gain special access for your club to a Brisbane Bandits Club Night, a free Coaching Clinic and more!

 

Your club will be provided with it’s very own Affiliate Link which will entitle the club to 5% of any ticket or membership sales made via the link.

One free 2-hour clinic delivered by a Brisbane Bandits talent. You choose if you want Pitching, Fielding or Batting.

A club night with 100 free tickets for your registered players and an opportunity for a Little League team to take the field with the Bandits! Have more than 100 members wanting to attend? Your club will receive a 50% off discount code to use on any additional attendees for your club night!

  • Sign an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Brisbane Bandits on behalf of your club

    • Publish and Advertise your Clubs customised Affiliate Link to your members (Social Media, via email, etc.)

    • Share a memberships/tickets post from the Brisbane Bandits Social Media at least twice during the ABL season

    • Liking and Sharing Brisbane Bandits posts with your club accounts through the season.

  • The partnership will also allow you to choose to sell Brisbane Bandits Merchandise and Bandits Beer at your club (at RRP).

  • The club will also need to liaise with Bandits to organise the coaching clinic.

     

    Email Sophia to organise your club’s MoU today!

    [email protected]

Baseball Queensland Invites Nominations for Hall of Fame

Baseball Queensland Invites Nominations for Hall of Fame

NOMINATIONS EXTENDED – CLOSES TUESDAY 30 APRIL

In an exciting announcement, Baseball Queensland has opened nominations for its prestigious Hall of Fame. With a rich history spanning decades, the organisation seeks to honour individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport within Queensland.

Candidates approved for the ballot from 2023 will continue to be considered through the 2025 ballot automatically. However, the Heritage Advisory Panel retains the authority to review any new nominees and potentially include them on the 2024 ballot, alongside those appearing on the 2023 ballot. You can review the list of Candidates from the 2023 ballot here >>>, all of whom will remain on the ballot for 2024.

Those eager to nominate a deserving candidate are urged to carefully review the eligibility criteria. Submissions must be comprehensive, featuring substantial supporting evidence to build a compelling case highlighting the nominee’s exceptional individual performance or contributions to baseball in Queensland.

Nominations are officially open with nominations closing 5 April 2024. This presents an excellent opportunity for the baseball community to celebrate and honour the remarkable individuals who have had a positive impact on the sport in Queensland.

For more information on the nomination process and eligibility criteria, interested parties are encouraged to visit the links provided below. Nominations are now open and can be submitted through our online nomination form with nominations closing 5:00pm, 5 April 2024.

Baseball Queensland looks forward to receiving a diverse array of nominations that reflect the breadth and depth of talent and dedication within Queensland’s baseball community.

Nominations close 5pm Tuesday 30 April 2024.

LINKS:

2023 Ballot Candidates

Hall of Fame Criteria

Vetting and Validating Process

Voting Panel and Process

Nomination Form