Issue 1 Page

The Redlands Rave Compiled by Dorry Beutel

Issue 3 27 March 2018

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

• Senior League Bandits win Grand Final

• Junior Presentation Night

• Senior Presentation Night

• Milestones and Reps

Rays Show Sting at Tail End of SeasonRays Show Sting at Tail End of SeasonRays Show Sting at Tail End of SeasonRays Show Sting at Tail End of Season By Brad Hamson

The Redlands Rays U16 Senior League Di-

vision 1 baseball team finished on a high on

Saturday by taking out the Grand Final

against Coomera Cubs 2-0. After a short-

ened regular GBL season, the Rays scraped

into the final series by two percentage points

and soundly defeated Surfers Paradise 7-1 in

the Semi Finals to earn their place in the fi-

nal.

Whilst playing the underdog for games

against minor premiers Surfers Paradise and

Coomera Cubs, the Rays were also left short

in playing stocks with two of their regular

state representative players being unavaila-

ble for the final games.

Coach Brad Hamson was pleased with how the players responded to adversity stating, "Even

though we were down on troops in the key positions of catcher and short stop, all players

stepped up another level especially in positions they are not used to and were able to make the

plays when required."

Hamson praised the mental toughness of the group to be able to adapt and conquer everything

thrown at them. "I knew we had the pitchers to match the other teams with Byron Humble and

Deegan Powell operating on the mound but we had to get the edge by playing as a team and

being mentally prepared for every single pitch. It's the one-percenters and defence that wins the

big games" said Hamson.

The win was the only victory for the Redland Rays Club for this season but the club is hopeful

that teams above and below the 16’s age category are developing well to gain further success

next year.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: cont:

• Redland City Bulletin Articles

• Annual General Meeting

• Our Sponsors

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Junior Presentation NightJunior Presentation NightJunior Presentation NightJunior Presentation Night

T-Ball Rays with Coach Kristy after they

received their participation medals

Rookie Ball Rays with

Coaches James and Luke

after they received their

participation medals

2018 Coach of the Year

Luke Tranter

2018 Junior Club Volunteer of the Year

Alex Landers

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Junior Presentation Night Junior Presentation Night Junior Presentation Night Junior Presentation Night cont.

Little League Rams winners

with Coach Riley Moore after

they received their awards

From left: Mitchell Luck

(batting), Alex Landers

(pitching) and Noah Rigney

(players player)

Junior League Rams

winners with Coach Lee

Brand after they received

their awards

From left: Kalab Brand

(MVP), Elliott Comerford

(pitching) and Tyler

Leonhardt (pitching)

2018 Junior Batting Champions

Tyler Leonhardt and

Winter Barnsdale (absent)

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Junior Presentation Night Junior Presentation Night Junior Presentation Night Junior Presentation Night cont.

Senior Presentation NightSenior Presentation NightSenior Presentation NightSenior Presentation Night

Junior League Bandits winners Gabe Kushi (pitching and MVP)

and David Riley (batting) with Coach Ben Andrews

Masters Rays winners Lee Brand (MVP) and Stephen Schneider

(batting). Missing was Adam Pearch (pitching)

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Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night cont.

Senior League Rams winners were Toby Garbutt (pitching), Winter Barnsdale (batting)

and Kylan Pearce (MVP).

Award winners were not present, so trophies were accepted by team mates Harrison Joce and

Lachlan Welch pictured with Asst Coach Greg Joce and Manager Steve Welch

Senior League Bandits winner Byron Humble (pitching, batting &

MPV) with coaches Bran Hamson and Tony Robitaille

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Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night cont.

Left: U20’s Bandits award winners Hay-

den Mitchie (pitching) and Callum Pike

(MVP) with Coach Greg Johnstone

Absent - Tyson Zamora (batting)

Right: Div 5 award winners Greg Joce

(batting) and Jamie Farr (most stolen

bases and MPV)

Above: Div 3B award winners Kailen

Hamson (pitching) and Stephen Schneider

(batting) with Coach Brad Hamson.

Absent: Deagon Powell (MVP)

Below: Div 3A award winner

Parnell Hamilton (batting & MPV)

with Coach Dudley Johnstone

Absent: Sean Callaghan (pitching)

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Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night cont.

Div 2 award winners Jamie Munz (batting) and Garreth Jones (pitching &

MVP) with Coach Dudley Johnstone

Div 1 award winners and “A Bit of Fun” award winners

From left: Hayden Mitchie (rookie & hole-in-the-glove award), Ben Andrews (equal hole-in-the-

glove award), Dudley Johnstone (coach), Matt Wyatt (batting & MVP), Callum Pike (dummy spit

award) Tom Lord (hole-in-the-bat award) Jake Turcato (fielding), Dustin Well (pitching)

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Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night Senior Presentation Night cont.

Senior Batting Champions

Stephen Schneider and Jamie Munz

2018 Volunteer of the Year

Brad Hamson

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2018 Milestone Awards2018 Milestone Awards2018 Milestone Awards2018 Milestone Awards

From Left: Lachlan Welch (10years), Challen Smith (100games), Gavin Fletcher (20yrs),

Scott Fletcher (20yrs & 300games awards), Jake Turcato (100 games), Red Cunningham

(300games), Stephen Schneider (20 years & 500games), Tom Lord (10years)

Absent: Corey Roulent (10years)

2018 Representative Awards 2018 Representative Awards 2018 Representative Awards 2018 Representative Awards ---- State Rep TeamsState Rep TeamsState Rep TeamsState Rep Teams

From Left: Kailen Hamson, (Qld U16), Beckham Crooks (ACT U16), Tom Lord (ACT U18),

Hayden Mitchie, Callum Pike, Nick Johnstone (Qld U18)

Absent: Deegan Powell, Tim Preston (Qld U16’s), Tyson Zamora, Cambell Twigg (Qld U18)

Issue 1 Page 10

Articles submitted to the Redland City Bulletin

By Dorry Beutel

The Redlands Rays Junior League Bandits observed a minute’s silence at 11am on

Remembrance Day midway through the first game of their double header against Carina Redsox

at Redlands Baseball fields on Saturday. The teams, their coaches and managers, caps held

over their hearts, stood silently along their respective baselines to honour those who fell for us in

all wars since World War 1.

The first game of the double header resulted in a resounding 13-9 win by Rays. Kai Poon was on

the mound for three innings and allowed only four safe hits, striking out 5 batters and assisting in

one out.

Rays batting produced nine safe hits with 2-base hits by Hayden Rowe, Gabe Kushi, Ayden

Champneys and Ryan Baker and singles by Kayne Saverin and David Riley. Hayden Rowe

batted four runners in

during his four times at

bat and Riley took the

only catch of the game.

Game 2 produced safe

hits by Hayden Rowe,

Ryan Baker, Ayden

Champneys and Josh

Wilson. Wilson was

batted in by David Riley

with Baker coming home

on a wild throw by

Carina’s pitcher to score

the only runs in the close

2-1 win over the Redsox.

Kayne Saverin impressed

by pitching the entire five

innings of the game with

six strike-outs and two

assists and allowing only

four safe hits.

Redlands Rays Junior League Bandits and Carina Redsox Junior

League Bandits stop the game for a minute’s silence on

Remembrance Day on Saturday at the Redlands Baseball Club.

Junior League Baseballers commemorate Remembrance DayJunior League Baseballers commemorate Remembrance DayJunior League Baseballers commemorate Remembrance DayJunior League Baseballers commemorate Remembrance Day

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Local Baseballer Home for the Christmas HolidaysLocal Baseballer Home for the Christmas HolidaysLocal Baseballer Home for the Christmas HolidaysLocal Baseballer Home for the Christmas Holidays

By Dorry Beutel

Local Redland baseballer, Josh Bedggood,

has arrived home in Australia to visit his

family for the Christmas Holiday period.

Josh is currently completing a scholarship at

Odessa Junior College in Texas where he is

playing college baseball and undertaking a

two-year course in kinesiology – exercise

and sport science.

Josh first started playing baseball for

Redlands at T-ball level in 2006 and has

since played his way through many levels of

regional, state, national and international

baseball. He has represented Brisbane

South Region at various state and national

titles from Little League through to U18’s,

and was selected in several Junior Bandits

teams throughout those years.

He has also represented Australia at Little

League level in China and in the Cal Ripken

World Series in the USA, was selected as a

member of the Australian U15 team to

compete in the World Cup in Mexico in 2014,

and as part of an Australian team to compete

in the first Major League Baseball Spring

Training Tour in the US in 2016. In May that

year, Josh also travelled to Perth to compete

in the Australian School Boys Baseball Tournament and this resulted in his being chosen for the

Australian School Boys team which travelled to the USA in September/October to play various

high school and junior college teams in Oregon, San Diego, Arizona and Los Angeles. It was in

Arizona that Josh was first noticed by the coach of Odessa Junior College.

2016 also saw Josh selected as part of the Major League Baseball Australian Academy Program

(MLBAAP) during which the boys trained and played baseball every day and had to complete their

schooling requirements in the evenings. In October he was selected as one of 10 Australians to

travel to the USA with a World Select Team to compete in Memphis and Arizona on an MLB

Showcase Tour. This tour saw the boys play in front of many USA College Scouts; Josh was

noticed by a number of colleges and soon had multiple offers from schools in the USA.

During his first semester at Odessa Josh played pre-season preparation “fall ball” which consisted

of playing up to 3 games every weekend against various junior colleges in the Odessa area as

well as participating in “inter-squads” against other members of the Odessa baseball squad on

weekdays.

At the end of his course Josh hopes to either transfer to a high class four-year school or, if he

plays baseball well enough, to hear his name called in the baseball draft.

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Redlands Rays Members Celebrate Impressive MilestonesRedlands Rays Members Celebrate Impressive MilestonesRedlands Rays Members Celebrate Impressive MilestonesRedlands Rays Members Celebrate Impressive Milestones

By Dorry Beutel

Long-time Redlands Rays Baseball club members Stephen Schneider, Athol (Red) Cunningham and

Scott Fletcher are currently celebrating impressive milestones with Stephen chalking up 500 baseball

games for the club, and Red and Scott, 300 games each.

Stephen Schneider (500 games) – Stephen’s first season at

Redlands was in the 1989/90 season when the club was called

Southside Indians and was affiliated with the current Indians Baseball

Club. His team was the U10’s Navajos.

As a junior player, Stephen pitched and played 1st base and now, as a

Senior, his primary positions have been centre field and pitcher.

After playing most of his junior career at Redlands, Stephen ventured

to Windsor and Carina for three seasons, before returning to Redlands

where he has played ever since. He is currently a member of the

Division 3 Rays 2 team and also plays in the Masters league each

Monday night.

Stephen represented Brisbane South Region throughout his junior

career and in his final year of junior baseball, he played for Brisbane

Metro Region. He was selected as a member of the Queensland

team in 1995 and participated in three trips to the United States with

the Queensland Taipans.

Stephen is Redlands Rays IT & Website Manager and looks after the club’s web and Facebook pages and

anything else to do with information technology. He is also a member of the GBL (Greater Brisbane League)

Committee.

Athol (Red) Cunningham (300 games) - Red started playing in the

U8’s T-ball team for Redlands in the 1991/92 season and he has

played for Redlands in every summer season since then. During the

winter seasons, he played for other clubs including Mudgeeraba and

Runaway Bay.

He was selected in a number of representative teams including Bris-

bane South, Metropolitan East Schoolboys, Queensland Schoolboys

and the Australian Expos in which he participated in three tours

playing against teams from Chicago, California, San Diego, San

Francisco.

While a Junior player, Red’s preferred positions were middle infield

and relief pitcher but he has played all positions at some time through

his junior years. As a senior his preferred positions are 2nd base, 3rd

base, relief pitcher and catcher. Red is also currently playing in the

Division 3 Rays 2 team with Stephen.

When asked about his memories of early Redlands Baseball Club, Red commented “I have seen many

changes with the club over the years. We have gone from a little shipping container on the hill as a canteen to

the clubhouse it is today. The bottom field used to have 2 full diamonds and the field was big enough to have

four tee ball games or 2 junior games going at once. As the fields were built over a dump, every time it rained,

the underlying rocks and stones would be brought up all over the fields. This meant before any team could

train we had to try and fill the plastic baseball bucket with rocks and after training we had to rake the field and

pick up more rocks even though another team was training after us. This continued for about five seasons”.

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Redlands Rays Members Celebrate Impressive MilestonesRedlands Rays Members Celebrate Impressive MilestonesRedlands Rays Members Celebrate Impressive MilestonesRedlands Rays Members Celebrate Impressive Milestones cont.

Scott Fletcher (300 games) – Scott also started playing at Redlands in 1992 when the club was called

Southside Indians and has progress through the years with teammate Red Cunningham. He had a 4year

break from the club when his family moved to Alice Springs but he

continued playing baseball while there. Since returning to Brisbane,

Scott has played for Redlands every year and gained his 20year

membership award in the 2016/17 season.

As a player, Scott has played every position in the team but his

preferred position is catcher which is where he is currently playing as

a member of the Redlands Div 5 Rays team.

Scott has taken on many roles throughout his time with the club and,

for the past four years, has coached both junior and senior teams. In

2014 he was awarded the Ray Parr Award for developing junior

players in his role as a coach.

At the beginning of the 2017/18 season, Scott joined the grounds

crew and, as head groundsman, is currently responsible for maintain-

ing the grounds, dugouts and diamonds which is a fulltime job

outside of his normal work hours.

20 years on and Gayle and Dennis Fletcher are still integral members

of the club with sons, Scott and Gavin

Issue 1 Page 14

Rays Junior League Bandits farewell Coach Ben AndrewsRays Junior League Bandits farewell Coach Ben AndrewsRays Junior League Bandits farewell Coach Ben AndrewsRays Junior League Bandits farewell Coach Ben Andrews

By Dorry Beutel

Redlands Rays Junior League Bandits team recently bid farewell to their American coach, Ben Andrews, who has spent the past six months at the Redlands Baseball Club as one of three members of an import program arranged by club officials.

Ben and his fellow imports Riley Moore and Dustin Wells have, since October last year, become integral members of the club with Ben and Riley taking on coaching roles and all three joining the club’s Div 1 Rays team in the Greater Brisbane League competition as well as giving a large amount of their spare time to help with the maintenance of the diamonds and club facilities.

After a short trip to Japan to visit a sporting friend, Ben will fly home to Seattle to spend time with his family before travelling on to Düsseldorf in Germany where he will play baseball in the Ger-man Bundesliga and assist with coaching junior teams. The Baseball-Bundesliga is the elite competition for the sport of baseball in Germany.

During his time in Queensland Andrews worked part time as a brickie’s labourer but also man-aged to find time to get in some sightseeing, visiting Noosa, the Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Airlie Beach. When asked for a comment, Ben said he thoroughly enjoyed his time at Redlands both with coaching the Junior League Rays and playing in the Rays team and found everyone won-derfully friendly.

Moore, who left the Redlands on Sunday, returned from a driving holiday to Cairns in time to coach his Little League Rays team through the end of season playoffs at Darra on Saturday. He will now travel to Bezier, France via Shanghai, China to play for the Bezier Pirates in the French National Baseball League. Moore, who has relatives living in Melbourne, has indicated he will return to Australia at the start of the next baseball season in October. He has also enjoyed his time at Redlands Baseball and hopes to return in the near furture.

Wells also departed at the end of the Div 1 Rays 2017/18 season and has returned to Arizona to spend time with his family.

From left: Redlands Junior League Rays team members Gabe Kushi, Ayden Champneys, Hayden Rowe, Ryan Baker,

Kayne Saverin, David Riley and Jamie Doran with Coach Ben Andrews at their final training session before his departure

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Redlands Rays Baseball Club IncRedlands Rays Baseball Club IncRedlands Rays Baseball Club IncRedlands Rays Baseball Club Inc

Annual General MeetingAnnual General MeetingAnnual General MeetingAnnual General Meeting At the Clubhouse, Duncan Rd, Sheldon on

Wednesday 18th April 2018 - 6.30pm for 7.00pm start

Nomination Forms for positions on the Executive Committee must be returned to the Redlands Baseball Club in a sealed envelope marked to the attention of the Secretary no later than 7.00pm Wednesday evening on the 4th April 2018.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the secretary currently being out of the country until 3rd April, you can also email the nomination form (found on website at http://redlandsrays.com.au/home/?p=5421 to:

club.secretary@redlandsrays.com.au.

The following positions are open for election in accordance with the new club model rules & structure:

Secretary

Club Operations

The following position is also up for election due to a maximum four years service on the committee (as per the constitution).

President

The following position is also up for election due to it only being a casual position this past year.

Treasurer

The following position is also up for election due to a resignation.

Baseball Operations

As per section 17.5 of the constitution, the positions of Secretary and Club Operations will be for a term of two (2) years whilst the positions of President, Treasurer and baseball operations will be for a term of one (1) year.

Job task sheets for the above positions are on the website: www.redlandsrays.com.au under Governance – Job Descriptions. Should you be interested in any of the above positions please read the job descriptions carefully.

Members wishing to nominate for any of the above positions may be required to give a brief address to the members at the AGM on the reasons for nominating, skills they would bring to the club and where they would like to see the club head in the future. This is to give the members an idea on who they will be voting for as their elected representatives.

I encourage all members to seriously consider a position on the Executive Committee, this is your club and member participation is crucial to its success. We would like to highlight that a minimum time commitment of 10-15 hours a week will be required of accepting an appointment to the Executive Committee to ensure good club governance.

EVERYBODY IS WELCOME!!

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting. Remember this is your club and your attendance at

the meeting, your vote and feedback is vital to the future direction of the club. We welcome and

value the input and participation of all our members.

Angie Bedggood Secretary, REDLANDS BASEBALL CLUB INC

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With Thanks to Our SponsorsWith Thanks to Our SponsorsWith Thanks to Our SponsorsWith Thanks to Our Sponsors