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.
Baseball Queensland’s Performance Pathways department announces three international events for December 2025. Representing different stages of athlete preparation, our Under 16’s and Under 18’s are in the final stages of preparation for the upcoming Australian Youth Championships in Melbourne in January, while our Open Women’s Squad will be set to have their first commitment as a squad as we look ahead towards the Australian Women’s Championships in April 2026.
Australian Youth Championships – U16s and U18s
Queensland to Host New Zealand U16 & U18 Teams in AYC Lead-Up Series
Baseball Queensland will host the touring New Zealand U16 and U18 squads 2 x six-game series from 12–15 December 2025. Matches will be held across Bannister Park, Hendra and Coomera Baseball Club, as part of final preparations for the 2026 Australian Youth Championships (AYC).
This marks the second consecutive year the New Zealand U18s have toured Australia. In 2025, they will be joined for the first time by a U16 squad, further strengthening ties between Baseball Queensland and Baseball New Zealand.
The series follows Baseball Queensland’s two-squad tour to Auckland in September, highlighting the growing partnership and shared commitment to player development through international competition.
Game Schedule
Friday, 12 December
All Stars, Bannister Park, Hendra
5:00pm – U18 QLD
7:00pm – U16 QLD
Saturday, 13 December
Coomera Cubs, Gambamora Park, Oxenford
8:00am – U16 QLD
10:30am – U16 QLD
1:00pm – U18 QLD
3:30pm – U18 QLD
Sunday, 14 December
Coomera Cubs, Gambamora Park, Oxenford
8:00am – U18 QLD
10:30am – U18 QLD
1:00pm – U16 QLD
3:30pm – U16 QLD
Monday, 15 December
All Stars, Bannister Park, Hendra
9:00am – U16 QLD
11:00am – U18 QLD
These games offer valuable high-level competition for Queensland athletes and provide a final test before the national championships in January. The inbound series continues to grow as a key event on the Baseball Queensland calendar.
Queensland U18s Set to Depart for 2025 New Taipei City U-18 Invitational
The Queensland U18 Baseball Team is preparing to embark on an exciting international tour to Taiwan for the 2025 New Taipei City International U-18 Baseball Invitational Tournament. This marks Queensland’s third consecutive appearance at the prestigious event, which brings together elite teams from across Asia and the Pacific.
Running from 14 to 20 December, the tournament will see Queensland compete against powerhouse programs from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan — providing a vital opportunity to test systems, build chemistry, and gain experience ahead of the 2026 Australian Youth Championships (AYC) in January.
The team will be based across Sanchong, Xinzhuang, and Metropolitan Baseball Fields, with three scheduled group-stage games before potential progression into finals.
Game 1
Date: Sunday, 15 December 2025
Time: 4:00 PM (Brisbane)
Venue: Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium
Opponent: New Taipei City White
Game 2
Date: Monday, 16 December 2025
Time: 1:30 PM (Brisbane)
Venue: Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium
Opponent: Yilan County
Game 3
Date: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Time: 4:00 PM (Brisbane)
Venue: Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium
Opponent: Taichung City
The full finals schedule begins Thursday 18 December, with classification games, top-12 playoffs, and a championship match on Saturday 20 December.
Off the Field
Beyond the games, the trip includes cultural experiences, team development sessions, and engagement with host communities — creating a well-rounded international tour for both personal and athletic growth.
The tour is led by a dedicated coaching staff: David Badke, Scott Porter, Luke Ardill, and Rickey Lo, who will guide the group through the tour and final phase of AYC preparation.
Follow Along
Games and highlights will be shared across Baseball Queensland’s social media and the tournament’s official page:
You can find the occasional update from these camps on the Baseball QLD Events page.
Australian Women’s Championships
Queensland Women’s Squad Welcome Kobe Koryo back for Friendship Series Rematch
We are honoured to welcome back Kobe Koryo Gakuen High School for a three-game series between December 21st and December 23rd. After a successful two-game series in January, the return of the Kookaburra Cup Friendship Series this month will see a freshly selected Queensland Women’s squad take on a talented, high-performing Kobe Koryo team on their return visit to Southeast Queensland.
Prior to Kobe’s return, the Queensland squad will be selected from observations at the upcoming Women’s State Titles event at Runcorn Indians Baseball Club, held from Friday 12 to Sunday 14th December, aspiring Queensland Women’s athletes will take to the fields for their respective regions with hopes of impressing Queensland state selectors. The Kobe Koryo Friendship Series will form one of the first steps in the observation period as our Queensland Women progress towards selection for the Australian Women’s Championships, set to be held in Melbourne in April, 2026.
First Five Weeks Complete: Townsville Social Competition
Seeing growing numbers week on week, the first Social Competition for Baseball5 reaches the half-way mark!
We’re excited to see the return of this first of it’s kind competition in late January. The final five-week block is set to commence on Wednesday January 21 2026, with the competition concluding on Wednesday February 18, 2026.
Make sure you come down and have a go, it’s a cheap opportunity to get some fun fast-paced, baseball skills training each week as Townsville builds towards the 2026 season around Easter 2026.
Find out more about the Social Competition through the Townsville Social button!
Gold Coast Active and Healthy
Baseball5 is growing fast, and the next opportunity to play it is on December 20 between 9am and 11am at Palm Beach Parklands. These are free sessions that are supported by the City of Gold Coast, supporting the community to pick up and play social sports across the city!
We’ll also return to Palm Beach Parklands for our January 17, 2026 session as well! Keep an eye out for some additional opportunities for Baseball5 on the Gold Coast these holidays, as our partnership with the City of Gold Coast continues to prosper.
All of the dates and locations for our monthly Baseball5 Active and Healthy sessions through June 2026 can be found here:
NEW EOI Open: Redlands Baseball5 Social Competition
With recent successes in Redlands schools, we’re seeking early interest in a social community competition, a Redlands City local? Fill out the form here: https://forms.office.com/r/csr52NA1bR
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.
Baseball Queensland is seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Events Coordinatorand Little League Administratorto maintain and grow our suite of tournaments and support the delivery of local competitions. You will work closely with Baseball Queensland’s staff, league committees, regions and local clubs to provide engaging events and competitions that meet the needs of participants and provide opportunity to advertise the sport to the wider community.
The Digital Media Manager will plan, implement and monitor our digital marketing campaigns across all digital networks with the aim to grow our brand’s influence locally while also increasing brand loyalty and awareness.
design and oversee all aspects of our digital marketing resources including our marketing database, email and display advertising campaigns;
plan and manage our social media platforms;
prepare accurate reports on our marketing campaign’s overall performance;
identify latest trends and technologies affecting our industry;
evaluate and respond to important metrics that affect our website traffic, service quota and target audience;
work with other BQ staff to create new and innovative growth and engagement strategies;
network well across the organisation and provide clear communication to colleagues in a timely fashion; and,
proofread all material for errors, omissions, and consistency.
Baseball Queensland is excited to celebrate the nominations of Anahera Russell in the 2025 Sport Official of the Year, and Chris Clifton in the Gallagher 2025 Sport Administrator of the Year categories at the 2025 QSport Queensland Sport Awards.
Chris Clifton has been a significant pillar of the baseball community within Brisbane North and as President of the Narangba Demons. Chris has deep and valuable expertise, and is a reliable and supportive member of the baseball community who is in tune with the needs of his members. His organisational skills, personability and eye for detail and accuracy sees Narangba Demons and Brisbane North well-placed and well-managed. Under Chris’ leadership, Narangba Demons have accelerated growth and now join Redcliffe Padres as one of the largest baseball clubs in the country. Chris was recognised as Baseball Queensland’s 2025 Administrator of the Year.
Anahera Russell is a Softball convert, who within 18 months has managed to cement herself as a reliable, approachable and confident positive role model for all players, parents and other volunteers. Despite emerging into the scene within the last 18 months, Anahera has been recognised as Redcliffe Padres’ 24/25 Umpire of the Year, Baseball Queensland’s 2025 Umpire of the Year and had been recognised with a ‘No More! Spirit of the Game Award’ at the 2025 Australian Women’s and Youth Women’s Championships in Victoria.
The Greater Brisbane League (GBL) Committee has been recognised for its extensive preparation, collaborative leadership, and responsiveness in shaping a stronger and more inclusive baseball season for our community.
Since the conclusion of last season, the GBL Committee has worked closely with Baseball Queensland and Baseball Australia to ensure all competitions met the necessary national compliance standards. This behind-the-scenes effort — much of which began well before teams returned to the field — ensured that our competitions were compliant with Little League regulations, structured appropriately, provided clarity for clubs, and upheld the integrity of the league.
In recent weeks, members of the community have shared feedback about some aspects of the competition format. The GBL has listened and responded quickly. In partnership with Baseball Queensland, the Committee has actively lobbied Baseball Australia to review and adjust key elements of the competition framework to better support players of all ages, abilities, and aspirations.
We are pleased to confirm that these proposed changes have been accepted and implemented. The GBL Committee has now rolled out an updated format that more accurately reflects the needs of our participants and provides a more enjoyable and accessible baseball experience across all levels of play.
Baseball Queensland extends its sincere thanks to the volunteers that make up the GBL Committee for their steadfast commitment to the game and their willingness to lead with transparency, collaboration, and care. We also thank Baseball Australia for working with us to deliver compliant solutions that preserve the integrity of our competitions while opening the door for more players to participate and thrive.
Community dialogue is important, and constructive feedback helps us all improve. The GBL’s actions demonstrate what is possible when governing bodies and volunteers work together to deliver the best outcomes for our sport.
Baseball Queensland looks forward to continuing this partnership as we strengthen pathways, enhance participation experiences, and support the growth of baseball across our region.
