The Queensland Masters Tournament will be hosted by Surfers Paradise Baseball Club and will take place from April 22nd to April 24th, 2023.
Baseball Queensland has re-structured the tournament based on feedback from players, regions, and clubs, and in accordance with the success of the Pan Pacific Masters Games in 2022.
The tournament will now feature three divisions: 35+ years Division 1, 35+ years Division 2, and 25+ years Women’s Division. The addition of the Women’s Division with a lower age bracket is aimed at promoting the growth and development of baseball among female participants.
The goal of the tournament is to promote and maintain a culture of respect, diversity, and inclusion within the baseball community. The aim is also to cultivate a fun, inclusive, and welcoming atmosphere that makes baseball a sport of choice and a game for life. The idea of inclusiveness here is meant to reflect the diversity of the community and make sure everyone feels included and welcomed.
The Paul Mutch Cup is an annual baseball game played between the Windsor Royals and Pine Hills Lightning (Unicorns) as a tribute to the late Paul Mutch, a talented player and well-respected person in the community. The game is held in honor of Paul, who passed away from a heart condition in 2004 and played junior baseball for Pine Hills before moving to Windsor as a senior. The Paul Mutch Cup serves as a celebration of Paul’s life and contributions to the sport of baseball and brings the community together in his memory.
Mutch was a highly talented baseball player who was recognised and honored for his skills on the field. He was named in the Australian under 17 team for the tour of South Africa and was a part of the starting pitching rotation for Queensland in the Claxton Shield competition. Additionally, he was a member of the 2004 Olympic Shadow Squad and was signed to the Minnesota Twins, showcasing his abilities on the national and professional level.
Baseball Queensland is excited to announce the events for Little League Pathways for 2023
An amazing opportunity for our younger players to be involved in their own tournament, especially after seeing our U18s win at the Australian Youth Championships
The Little League State Titles will be held over the 14-16th April weekend hosting Little League D1 & D2, Intermediate League, Junior League D1 & Senior League D1.
The Development Shieldwill be held over the 29-30th April & 1st May weekend hosting Little League D3, Junior League D2, Senior League D2 & Big League.
Congratulations to the players on being selected in the 2022/23 Open Women’s QLD Squad. The Maroon and Development Teams will be finalised middle of February as they prepare for Australian Youth Women Australian Championships 7th – 13th April 2023, Melbourne, Victoria.
Your first session is Tuesday 10th January at All Stars Baseball Club, 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Please wear either your Region or Club uniform to this session. If you are unavailable to make this session, please contact both Lisa Norrie [email protected] and Anne-Maree Adams [email protected]
Following the recent announcement entering BQ Women’s Development Team into the 2023 Australian Women Championships (AWC), Baseball Queensland is calling for expressions of interest for this coaching staff. The AWC’s will be held in Melbourne, Victoria 7th – 13th April.
It isn’t often that we receive a significant groundswell of public opinion from members. This week, we have been flooded by emails and posts about our decision to not send a Development Team to the Women’s National Championships next year.
I write to inform all that we have heard you: we have re-instated the Development Team, effective immediately.
The Board was moved by the outpouring of support for this team, and voted overwhelmingly to rescind our earlier decision.
Yes, while there are many who believe that we do not have the player depth to support a second team at the national level (just 4 Div 1 GBL women’s teams and only 3 Futures League teams), there is the general understanding that there exists a gap after Youth Womens (U16) and promotion to the Open team. We recognise that the decision to remove the Development Team before we have alternatives in place for this age group is premature.
The fact is, of course, that there are no certainties moving forward. With the advent of the WABL and the National Showcase, it may well be that the days of the Open Women’s Nationals are numbered; that before long we will have for the girls exactly what we have for the boys: U16, U18, (U23,) ABL.
For clarity, BQ is – and has always been – committed to the development of women’s baseball. We have – in just the past two years – created a state Showcase event, expanded and enhanced the GBL competition for women, instituted a Women’s Futures League, and invested in both the Barclay Cup and the Youth Women’s national events. We have done more in this past short while than any other state – some might even argue that we have created much more opportunity for women and girls than we do for boys/men.
But we still have a long way to go. We haven’t announced anything yet, but the board has been discussing – much of it for some time – a number of innovations that we are keen to pursue for our fastest-growing cohort.
These include:
• Lobbying Baseball Australia to include education and skills development experiences at the AWC/AYWC
• Working with School Sport Australia to develop an U18 National Championships
• Inaugurating an U21 Women’s Invitational (hosting other states)
• Investigating touring team/s to the US and/or Japan (and hosting)
As you can see, we continue to look for ways to evolve, engage, and enhance playing opportunities and experiences. We want our female players to have the best pathways and playing options possible.
And we’d like you to continue to express your opinion and provide your support. After all, it is your sport.
Thank you to those who took the time to write in – it is appreciated.
