Baseball Queensland Announces Important Update to Women’s Performance Pathways for 2026

Dec 17, 2025

Baseball Queensland is pleased to announce several significant enhancements to the Women’s Performance Pathways, designed to strengthen long-term athlete development and expand competitive opportunities for female players across the state. As part of this evolution, Baseball Queensland will not select a Queensland Women’s Development Team for 2026. Instead, we will continue with our Queensland Women’s Team while introducing two new pathway initiatives that offer broader, more inclusive, and nationally aligned development opportunities.

Introduction of the Baseball Australia “Roos” Team for the AWC

In partnership with Baseball Australia, Queensland athletes will now have access to an additional national-level opportunity mirroring the successful model introduced at the National Youth Championships. Under this arrangement, players not selected to represent their respective State Women’s Teams will be pooled nationally, and a competitive squad will be formed to compete under the Baseball Australia Roos banner at the 2026 Australian Women’s Championship (AWC).

This initiative is designed to ensure that more talented female athletes gain exposure to championship-level competition, extending opportunity beyond traditional state boundaries and providing another platform for emerging players to showcase their abilities.

You can read Baseball Australia’s announcement here: https://baseball.com.au/news/roosawc

Establishment of a New Queensland U18 Youth Women’s Team and Japan Development Tour

To create a stronger and more deliberate progression from our 16U Youth Women’s program toward the Queensland Women’s Team, Baseball Queensland will introduce a new U18 Youth Women’s Team in 2026.

This team will undertake a structured development program before embarking on an exciting international tour to Japan in June 2026. During this tour, the team will play fixtures against elite Japanese high school opponents, including our long-standing partners at Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School.

Kobe Koryo Gakuen is widely regarded as the premier girls’ baseball school in Japan, having secured back-to-back national titles at the prestigious Girls Koshien Tournament. The opportunity to compete against athletes of this calibre will provide invaluable international experience and contribute significantly to the development of Queensland’s emerging female baseball talent.

Read more about the proposed tour and EOI opportunity here: https://www.baseballqueensland.com.au/eoi-japan-tours-15-26-june-2026/

Building a Stronger Pathway for Female Athletes

These strategic changes demonstrate Baseball Queensland’s commitment to providing quality, sustainable, athlete-centred pathways for women and girls. By offering more progression points, more game opportunities, and enhanced exposure to both national and international competition, we aim to elevate female baseball in Queensland and support players on their journey to higher representation.

Baseball Queensland looks forward to working closely with Baseball Australia, our regional associations, and our international partners as we continue to grow the women’s game and create world-class opportunities for our athletes and broader participation opportunities.

Big Swings & Big Smiles: BQ School Program Hits a Home Run

Dec 12, 2025

December 2025

Baseball Queensland’s 6-week School Baseball Program has wrapped up for the term – and if the smiles, high-fives and dusty knees were anything to go by, it was a home run.

Run in partnership with three Brisbane primary schools – St Peter Chanel, Mater Dei and St Ambrose – the program brought baseball and t-ball to life for around 50 students. Led by six Baseball Queensland Development Officers and championed by the ever-supportive PE teacher, Clare Fyans, the program turned school ovals into mini ballparks filled with laughter, teamwork and plenty of big swings.

Over six weeks, students were introduced to the fundamental skills of baseball and t-ball: throwing, catching, hitting, base-running and fielding. Sessions were designed to be fun, supportive and inclusive – a space where students could stay active, pick up new skills and build confidence along the way. Drills were mixed with games and challenges, giving every student a chance to shine, regardless of experience.

“It was really impressive to see how quickly the students picked things up, their skill level by the end of the six weeks was a real credit to their hard work and the great coaching from our Development Officers.”

– Dane Steinke, Baseball Queensland Game Development Officer (Women & Girls)

The grand finale of the program was a T-ball carnival day hosted at Holloway Field in Newmarket – the home of the Windsor Royals and Brisbane Bandits, and one of Australia’s premier baseball venues. Thanks to the support and cooperation of both clubs, students were given the chance to step onto a real diamond and experience the game on a bigger stage.

Representatives from Windsor Royals and the Brisbane Bandits were on hand to chat with students, run skill stations and help out across the morning. There were prizes, giveaways and plenty of encouragement from coaches, teachers and club staff. Students were split into their school teams and rotated through a series of fast-paced, fun and competitive T-ball games across two fields.

Despite the warm weather, the energy never dropped. Cheers rang out from the dugouts and sidelines as classmates encouraged each other, celebrated big hits and scrambled after fly balls. Decked out in official Baseball Queensland uniforms, the students looked and felt the part, giving the carnival a real “big league” atmosphere.

For Coach Tara, one of the Baseball Queensland Development Officers involved in the delivery, the experience was a highlight of the term.

“The best part of the carnival was seeing the kids light up after every play – whether they hit a home run or just made it to first base, they were all smiles. It felt like one big celebration of having fun and giving it a go.”

At the end of the carnival, Baseball Queensland staff handed out special awards to students who best demonstrated team spirit, sportsmanship and positivity. While there were plenty of great plays on the field, the focus of the day – and the program as a whole – was on effort, encouragement and enjoying being active together.

The feedback from schools has been overwhelmingly positive. Donna Jones, Principal of Mater Dei in Ashgrove West, shared her appreciation following the event passing on her sincere gratitude to the baseball coaches for sharing their expertise and teaching the students the skills of the game, describing it as “an exceptional experience for them all.”

Clare Fyans also thanked Baseball Queensland for organising the T-ball competition at Holloway Field, noting that the event was “a huge success” and that it was clear the students had “a fantastic time participating.”

For Baseball Queensland, the program has reinforced the value of bringing quality, skills-based sports programs directly to schools in a way that’s fun, age-appropriate and inclusive. Students not only gained an introduction to baseball and t-ball, but also had the chance to develop important life skills like teamwork, resilience, communication and confidence – all while making new friends and discovering a new sport.

Baseball Queensland is excited to continue building on the success of this 6-week School Baseball Program and is already looking ahead to future collaborations with schools across Brisbane and beyond.

Any primary schools interested in adding a fresh, engaging and enriching option to their sports program are encouraged to reach out to Baseball Queensland to explore how a tailored baseball or t-ball program could work for their students.

Big swings and big smiles – that’s what the Baseball Queensland School Baseball Program is all about!

Baseball Queensland Thanks Outgoing Director Andy Utting for His Service and Lasting Contribution

Dec 9, 2025

Baseball Queensland extends its sincere appreciation to Andy Utting for his dedicated service as a Director on the Board of Management, acknowledging the significant impact he has made during his tenure and the legacy he leaves across multiple areas of the organisation.

Andy first joined the Board as Director of Player Development, overseeing a period of exceptional success for Queensland teams on the national stage. During his tenure in the portfolio, Queensland recorded some of its strongest results in recent years, including:

• Gold medals at the 2023 U18 National Championships and the 2023 Youth Women’s National Championships
• Silver medals at the 2024 U16 National Championships and the 2024 Youth Women’s National Championships
• Bronze medals at the 2024 U18 National Championships and the 2024 Open Women’s National Championships

These achievements not only reflect the strength of Baseball Queensland’s pathways but also Andy’s commitment to supporting athletes, coaches, and performance staff. His leadership helped create an environment in which Queensland athletes could excel.

Following this period of strong performance outcomes, Andy transitioned to the Communications and Partnerships portfolio—bringing with him a wealth of experience, including his time representing Australia on the international stage. As a team member of the Australian Olympic Baseball Team that secured the historic Silver Medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Andy’s reputation and connections within the global baseball community added immense value to Baseball Queensland’s international partnership strategy.

His understanding of high-performance baseball and his credibility within elite circles contributed to opening new relationship pathways, particularly in Japan, where Andy’s competitive background and genuine passion for international collaboration resonated strongly with prospective partners. This groundwork has played an important role in advancing Baseball Queensland’s long-term objectives in sport diplomacy, exchange opportunities, and international engagement.

Baseball Queensland thanks Andy for his professionalism, insights, and contributions across both portfolios. His service has strengthened the organisation and created opportunities that will benefit Queensland baseball for years to come.

We wish Andy every success in his future endeavours and look forward to his continued involvement in the sport he has served so well.

Place. Real Estate Completes First T-Ball Corporate League

Nov 25, 2025

November 2025

Baseball Queensland would like to thank Place. Real Estate for their interest and participation in our first Corporate League!

The three-team competition took to the Baseball diamond at Eagles Sports Complex, home of the Mt. Gravatt Eagles to compete a round-robin short-season, including a first week introductory session and final week break-up party.

Focused on fast, fun 30 minute games, supported by a fun-pire, Place. group were able to let their diamond sports veterans show off and their new-to-the-game entrants humble their colleagues.

Watch the highlight reel to see the energy, commitment, camaraderie and skills displayed by the teams from Place.

We are grateful for the opportunity to support the teams from Place. to enjoy Baseball through T-Ball and thank them for their enthusiastic engagement, support and cooperation!

 

Corporate Leagues

Off the success and support of Place., Baseball Queensland’s Game Development team are developing the Corporate League format and anticipate releasing more resources and information around how other companies can get involved soon.