(click on the above logo to go to the Official Web Site)

For the first time in seven years the 2008 Claxton Shield - Australia’s oldest and most prestigious baseball competition - will herald the return of a regular season ‘Home and Away’ format, in what many see as a vital step in preparation for a revamped Australian baseball league

The seven-week schedule, running from late December 2007 to mid February 2008, will see each state host a minimum of six games, allowing local fans the opportunity to see their Aussie heroes play on home soil for the first time in almost a decade

Australian Baseball Federation (ABF) General Manager of Baseball Operations, Brett Pickett, is confident the revamped format will help to partially fill the void many fans have felt since the departure of the Australian Baseball League in 1999
“We know the players, the public and the State associations have all been crying out for the return of a genuine national competition” Pickett said
“Unfortunately, a variety of factors in recent years have limited one of the major events on the Australian Baseball calendar to a week-long tournament based in a single city
We know our fans deserved better, so with this year’s Claxton Shield and the promise of a new professional league just around the corner, we are confident of going a long way towards baseball regaining its rightful place in the Australian sporting landscape” he said

The six-team competition will be split into two geographical pools for the 2008 ‘Regular Season’ ...... with the Southern Division (Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia) and Eastern Division (New South Wales, Queensland, Australian Provincial) each playing twelve games before the winners progress to the Claxton Shield Finals Series

Series have already been confirmed for Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, with plans for games to be hosted in selected regional centres still in the pipeline

The Claxton Shield, first contested in 1934, remains the pinnacle event for Australian players with as many as sixty current US professionals expected to compete in the 2008 competition
Fans can also expect the battle for state pride to be enhanced by the individual quest for National Team selection
And with the team to compete in Australia’s final Olympic Qualifying event in March 2008 still wide open, this Claxton Shield is expected to be one of the most competitive in recent memory

(click on the above logo to go to the Official Web Site)

Now that it has been formally launched by Baseball Australia, we are delighted to assist with promoting the 'new look' (actually an 'old look') Claxton Shield Series for 2007/08

Way back in 2000 Flintoff-and-Dunn wrote in our summary of the Claxton Shield season that, while the format was not a substitute for a genuine National League, it was perhaps the 'next best thing' and it may provide a blue-print for our National League future? ...... and click here for comments following the 2006 Claxton Shield

So there you have it folks, we don’t pretend to have much control or influence over these things, but we will not change our tune when there is praise to be awarded to Baseball Australia, or anyone else who does something positive for Australian baseball
We all know that the new National League is very much on the horizon for Australia , but we should all be aware of the need to be patient until all of the necessary details are formulated and can realistically be put in place for this to happen
One thing that we have all agreed upon is the absolute need to make sure that any new National League is sustainable in the longer term, because another collapse may be more than the sport could recover from for a very long time

So, while we patiently await the National League, let’s just be quite satisfied that we have a re-vamped and improved Claxton Shield format, based on the 2000 model, to tide us over for at least this coming summer

While the concept is obvious, we can only applaud the best attempts of the guys at Baseball Australia to once again showcase our best baseball as best we can around the country, in the absence of unlimited financial backing and player availability
To Brett Pickett, Ben Foster (two fine, young, imaginative Queenslanders) and any others at Baseball Australia who have had the good sense to revert to this format and to make it happen, we send you our thanks and congratulations!
We think that you have provided the best possible interim solution for Australian baseball’s most significant event this season
You have the full support and praise of Flintoff-and-Dunn’

Claxton Shield Media Guide
Includes the following sections:-
.......... Media Contacts
.......... Facts and Figures
.......... Schedule
.......... Team Profiles
.......... Claxton Shield History and the Winners by Year
.......... "Helms Award" Winners by Year
.......... History of Australian Baseball
.......... Olympic Baseball Facts
.......... Sponsor Profiles
In each Team Profile, there are the following details:-
................... Overview
................... Peak Performers
................... Strengths
................... Weaknesses
................... Summary

Claxton Shield History - The Winners by Year

Claxton Shield team on steady course
.......... this article was written by Peter Gahan, the Queensland Manager on Tuesday 11th December 2007
.......... includes a few notes on "Berger"
.......... also lists the Queensland Pitchers and Position Players

The Queensland Rams - Team Profile
.......... Overview
.......... Peak Performers - and Brett is mentioned
.......... Strengths
.......... Weaknesses
.......... Summary

Queensland Team Preview
.......... this article was written by Peter Flintoff, of Flintoff-and-Dunn's web site (mentioned above) on Tuesday 25th December 2007
.......... Brett mentioned as Queensland's "perennial star"

'Roneberg eyes Asia ...... Rams performance crucial for Roneberg'
.......... this article was published in The Cairns Post on Saturday 29th December 2007
.......... Brett speaks about the Claxton Shield and his plans for the 2008 season

VIDEO - Brett at training
.......... the page includes a video of Brett doing hitting drills at training on Tuesday 1st January 2008
.......... includes Ritchie Mounsey loading the tee

VIDEO - Local News Sports Report
.......... Brett interviewed at training on Thursday 3rd January 2008
.......... he speaks about the chances for the Queensland Rams, especially with their strong pitching staff
.......... also mentions his 'solo' training regime in Cairns, plus his contract and prospects for the 2008 season

Series Preview - Australian Provincial v Queensland Rams
Queensland will play host their first official Claxton Shield games in over twenty years as Australia Provincial heads north to take on the prestigious Queensland Rams in what is sure to be a treat for local baseball pundits
While an 0-3 series against New South Wales was certainly not what Provincial was chasing to open their 2008 campaign, sources at the games were quick to point out that if a few “bounces of the ball” had gone their way, the final scores may have been much different
The big question will be if the Provincial offence headlined by 2007 World Cup representative Michael Collins can strike back against the Rams after scoring just four runs last weekend - a tough ask when you consider some of the pitching resumes Queensland bring to the table
The likes of Tristan Crawford, PJ Bevis, Chris Mowday and Drew Naylor - who together boast more than twenty-five years of professional experience - will all be zeroing in on the much younger Provincial sluggers, a daunting prospect for any hitter in front of a parochial Queensland crowd
At the plate, two of the key components in the Rams’ line up will be Olympic Silver Medallists Brett Roneberg and Andrew Utting who will be looking to capture their third and fourth National Championships respectively

Series Preview - Australian Provincial v Queensland Rams
The first and foremost issue foreshadowing this series would be the torrential rain and flash flooding that swept across the north of Australia leading up to this series and, while much better, the effects of the storm hadn't quite cleared sufficiently for the series to begin on schedule
Not only would the series be delayed for a couple of days, but it would also be shifted from the waterlogged Redlands Baseball Club to the home of the Windsor Royals, Holloway Field
We wouldn't expect there to be a whole lot of confidence bursting out of the Australian Provincial camp after their rather deflating 0-3 "home" defeat by New South Wales, but they have shown many times in the past that they can re-group marvellously and still provide plenty of stern opposition for whoever they might be playing
The main issue of interest would be whether, at 38 years of age, the "great man" David Nilsson would make a surprise appearance?
Our mail is that he probably won't in this series, but don't count him out for the rest of the event because he still harbours hope of playing for the AROOS at the Beijing Olympic Games
Given his recent, or not so recent, baseball history it would be folly for anyone else but 'Big Dave' to suggest such a thing - but not for Mr. D. Nilsson!!
We would also be looking out for the availability of Queensland's former major league reliever Phil Stockman
Flintoff and Dunn have already tipped that it is nearly an impossible task for the Australian Provincials to emerge from the Eastern Division with too many wins to their name, but the rain delays and the advent of seven-inning games might just make this series a little more of a raffle that would always bring increased hope to the underdogs!
We'll see!!

Poor weather causes game delays for the Claxton Shield
The Australian Baseball Federation has announced their decision to modify to the 2008 IndependentAdvice.com Claxton Shield Game Schedule as a result of poor weather conditions in South East Queensland
The continuation of poor weather conditions that have seen torrential downpour in South East Queensland has forced the Australian Baseball Federation to finalize a decision to reschedule games of the 2008 IndependentAdvice.com Claxton Shield this weekend
The much anticipated dual between the Queensland Rams and Australia Provincial, which was originally scheduled to take place at 7.30pm on Friday 4th January at the Redlands Baseball Club in Sheldon, Queensland, will now take place at 12.00 noon on Sunday 6th January at the same venue
Chief Executive Officer for the Australian Baseball Federation, John May, said it is unfortunate that the weather has caused a delay, but expressed the Federation’s commitment to ensuring member safety as a matter of priority
“We feel that it is in the best interest of our players, officials, volunteers and spectators alike to postpone the event and ensure the highest level of safety and wellbeing throughout the tournament” May said
“As our premier baseball event of the year, it is also important that the games are played and presented in conditions that can be enjoyed by both the players and our baseball public” May said
The re-scheduled game is one of three games intended to take place at Redlands Baseball Club this weekend, during Round 2 of the 2008 IndependentAdvice.com Claxton Shield
It is anticipated that the remaining two games in the Round 2 Series, which are scheduled for Saturday 5th January at 3.30pm and 7.30pm, will be played as scheduled
The Australian Baseball Federation, in conjunction with Baseball Queensland, will endeavor to provide immediate notification of any further changes to the game schedule and thank members for their understanding in this matter

Queensland games rescheduled
Due to torrential rain in Southeast Queensland in recent days, the Australian Baseball Federation, in conjunction with Baseball Queensland, has announced further changes to the 2008 IndependentAdvice.com Claxton Shield
The series between the Queensland Rams and Australia Provincial, originally slated to begin on Friday 4th January, has now been rescheduled to begin at 9.00am on Sunday 6th January
Furthermore, due to severe safety concerns surrounding the condition of the grounds at the host venue, the decision has been made to move the games to the Windsor Royals Baseball Club, located in Market Street, Newmarket
Two 7-inning contests have been scheduled, with the second game of the series set to commence fourty-five minutes after the conclusion of the first game
While the change of venue is regrettable, The ABF and BQI are pleased to announce that entry into Sunday’s games will be free-of-charge for all patrons

#01 - Australian Provincials v Queensland - Sunday 6th January 2008
.......... Played in Brisbane
.......... Won by Queensland - 9 runs to 4
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

Series Preview - New South Wales Patriots v Queensland Rams
Baseball lovers around the nation, let's get ready to rumble!
The Southern Division might provide slightly more interest each week but, with no disrespect intended to the Aussie Provincials, we have been eagerly awaiting the clash of the Eastern Division heavyweights New South Wales and Queensland in a clash not unlike State-of-Origin rugby league proportions!
Thankfully the saturated south of Queensland has finally enjoyed just enough respite from the torrential rains to allow this series to get underway at Redlands
We can hardly wait to see what might unfold here
For the Patriots, who have double-swept the Provincials already, they will have to go into battle without very significant non-travellers Trent Oeltjen and Brad Thomas
Minnesota Twins' impressive rookie league player Jarrad Eacott enjoyed a fine debut pro season in 2007 and he will do his best to cover the loss of former major leaguer Thomas
It is far too much to ask AMLB rookie Rowan Standish to replace probable future major leaguer Trent Oeltjen
The Rams should be bolstered by recent major league pitcher Phil Stockman and former 'AAA' pitcher P.J Bevis, while we don't know anything much about Simon Morriss
Trent Baker and Danny Dunsdon are new names for 'Flintoff & Dunn'
One thing we do subscribe to is that, when contests of this type are just too hard to call, we will have to give the marginal edge to the home team
Chances are that the team that executes better will prevail ... you don't say!!

Series Preview - New South Wales Patriots v Queensland Rams
After wreaking havoc on a relatively inexperienced Australia Provincial side in their first two Claxton Shield series, the New South Wales Patriots will now take on probably their fiercest rivals for the first time in 2008
New South Wales and Queensland have each won two Claxton Shield titles in the last five years, with the Rams’ victories in ’03 and ’06 bookending the Patriots back-to-back titles in ‘04/’05
So it is not surprising that many pundits have earmarked this weekend’s match-up as one of the highlights on the competition
A combination of scheduling requirements and abysmal weather means that the Rams enter this series having played only one official game, which will certainly have them eager to gain some ground on the streaking Patriots who sit unscathed atop the Eastern Division ladder
The Rams will be hoping ‘big guns’ like Major Leaguer Phil Stockman and Olympians Brett Roneberg and Andy Utting will all be firing against the Patriots if they are to have any chance of toppling their opponents, but their fate could also rest firmly on the performances of a string of emerging young stars
The big question for Rams will be if they can hit the ground running against the Patriots, overcoming a lack of any real game time or quality preparation due to the persistent rain in Southeast Queensland
Meanwhile, New South Wales could not have asked for a better start to their season, boasting not only a perfect 6-0 record, but the league’s second best batting average and leading ERA as well
Southpaws Tim Cox and Matthew Bennett have both terrorised opposing hitters this year, and with as many as five left-handers in the Queensland starting line-up, look for this duo to add to the torment in Brisbane this weekend
Throw in an offence that averages seven runs per game, and the Patriots look well placed to keep rolling along, but bear in mind the hostile reception that usually awaits anyone form New South Wales game enough to journey north of the border, and there might be some real fireworks on display
.......... Queensland Rams' roster for the series against New South Wales - Brett, wearing uniform #14, is listed as an outfielder

#02 - New South Wales v Queensland - Saturday 19th January 2008
.......... Played in Brisbane
.......... Won by New South Wales - 5 runs to 4
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
..........
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

#03 - New South Wales v Queensland - Sunday 20th January 2008
.......... Played in Brisbane
.......... Won by Queensland - 4 runs to 3
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
..........
..........
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

#04 - New South Wales v Queensland - Sunday 20th January 2008
.......... Played in Brisbane
.......... Won by Queensland - 5 runs to 4
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports - series review
..........
..........
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

.......... Brett Roneberg wins "Fielders Choice Player of the Round" for Week Four
.......... See all the details here ...... including the story, photo and video

Series Preview - Australian Provincial v Queensland Rams
This series comes hard on the heels of the two re-scheduled games that were previously washed out in Brisbane
Both teams have had to manage their resources to play the compressed schedule but, when you consider that one of the games had less than three innings to complete and the other was a seven innings game, it really wasn't too drastic
We wouldn't hold out too much hope for the Provincials in this set with their diminished pitching depth most unlikely to tame the offensive strength of the Queenslanders - it could get ugly?

Series Preview - Australian Provincial v Queensland Rams
Queensland took two games off the previously undefeated New South Wales Patriots in Brisbane last weekend, putting them squarely in the hunt for the Eastern Division title
But as quickly as their season looks like taking off, Australian Provincial could bring things crashing to the ground with a couple of upsets in Canberra against the Rams
The Provincial side may already be out of the running for the playoffs, but with a young team that literally has nothing to lose and a hectic schedule that will see the two teams go head-to-head five times in the space of just fourty hours, the Rams will be wary that anything could happen
The convoluted game schedule comes as a result of the washed out series between these teams in Brisbane two weeks prior, and with no hope of making up the games in the interim, both line-ups are likely to know each other pretty well by the end of a busy Australia Day weekend
For Provincial their mantra of testing the merits of Australia’s next crop of young stars kicks into overdrive, with the addition of three 17-year-olds to the roster for this series sure to add yet another dimension to their dynamic line-up
Queensland too are dipping their toes into the fountain of youth, adding shortstop James Linger to their squad after a show-stopping performance at the recent U/18 National Championships in Perth
While the Rams line-up can draw solace from the experience of several key veterans like Brett Roneberg, Andrew Utting, Chris Mowday and PJ Bevis, the question remains whether or not the ten pitchers that Manager Peter Gahan has named on his roster can withstand the extra burden that five games in three days presents
Likewise, Australia Provincial will be scratching their heads wondering if so many untested youngsters can produce enough to spoil the party of the heavily favoured Rams
.......... Queensland Rams' roster for the series against New South Wales - Brett, wearing uniform #14 (??), is listed as an outfielder

Published in The Cairns Post on Friday 25th January 2008

#05 - Australian Provincials v Queensland - Friday 25th January 2008
.......... Scheduled for Brisbane but played in Canberra due to a rain out
.......... Won by Queensland - 7 runs to 3
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
..........
..........
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

#06 - Australian Provincials v Queensland - Friday 25th January 2008
.......... Played in Canberra
.......... Won by Queensland - 11 runs to 1
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
..........
..........
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

#07 - Australian Provincials v Queensland - Saturday 26th January 2008
.......... Played in Canberra
.......... Won by Queensland - 12 runs to 1
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
..........
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

#08 - Australian Provincials v Queensland - Saturday 26th January 2008
.......... Played in Canberra
.......... Won by Queensland - 16 runs to 5
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

#09 - Australian Provincials v Queensland - Sunday 6th and Saturday 26th January 2008
.......... Started in Brisbane and completed in Canberra
.......... Won by Australian Provincial - 14 runs to 6
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports - series review
.......... The page also includes five photos of the Brisbane field 'under water'
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report


Brett damaged his ankle during a game on Saturday 26th January
.......... and click here for the details
.......... and the page includes a report following an Xray and MRI
Tuesday 29th January
Physio appointment today at noon
I will be fine
It's a lot better today and I will be good for the weekend
Wednesday 30th January
Ankle is better and I will be taking batting practise tomorrow
Will probably 'DH' during the New South Wales series
Thursday 31st January
I did some hitting today ...... it was not great!! ...... but I got by okay
I am going to be the 'DH' and hopefully not have to run too much!!
It's going to be hard but there is another thirty hours til game time and that will help me out!!

Series Preview - New South Wales Patriots v Queensland Rams
Note from Baseball Queensland
Good luck to all our 2008 Claxton Shield members
Queensland have a three game series against New South Wales, starting tonight in Sydney
The winner of this series go into the Championship Series next weekend

Series Preview - New South Wales Patriots v Queensland Rams
Strap yourselves in folks, this series shapes as a titanic battle with the home-standing New South Wales Patriots needing to take two of the three games from their most ferocious northern rivals the Queensland Rams
There would not be much reason for the Queenslanders to change a winning squad from their corresponding 2-1 home series victory over the New South Welshmen
Perhaps unfortunately for them, there would be no further action from former major league reliever Phil Stockman, nor a visitation from that legend of legends David Nilsson - we can only be left wondering whether the very variable thought patterns of 'Big Dave' ever really intended to play and/or whether he will persist with "keeping the dream alive" for his participation at the Beijing Olympic Games - I wouldn't count on it!
New South Wales were able to "tweak" their roster with the very obvious inclusion of 'AAA' Twin Trent Oeltjen who will certainly help them considerably both offensively and defensively
We are not self-indulgent enough to even consider that our "tongue in cheek" crack at David Rosser may have brought about his omission from this series, while the familiar names of Vaughan Harris, Andrew Cooke and newcomer Jarrad Eacott would be inactive in this series
To possibly more than balance this, the Patriots would enjoy the inclusions of professionals Shane Benson, Brad Tippett and Gavin Dlouhy
Our most loyal Subscribers would be well aware that 'Flintoff & Dunn' have rarely lacked the courage to make bold predictions but, honestly, this one is far too hard to call
Those same loyal subscribers would also be well aware that, at moments like this, we almost always revert to selecting the home team
Not to disappoint anyone, New South Wales by a whisker!!
.......... Queensland Rams' roster for the series against New South Wales - Brett, wearing uniform #14, is listed as an outfielder

#10 - New South Wales v Queensland - Friday 1st February 2008
.......... Played in Sydney
.......... Won by Queensland - 2 runs to 1
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
..........
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

#11 - New South Wales v Queensland - Saturday 2nd February 2008
.......... Played in Sydney
.......... Won by New South Wales - 5 runs to 3
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports
..........
..........
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report

#12 - New South Wales v Queensland - Saturday 2nd February 2008
.......... Played in Sydney
.......... Won by New South Wales - 1 runs to 0
.......... Venue - Brett's position, batting order, plate appearances and statistics - game reports - series review
.......... Box scores and play-by-play report
.......... "Ram turns attention to big bash in Beijing" - this is an article from The Cairns Post - Brett discusses the 'disappointing' loss in the series against New South Wales - the article mentions his ankle injury - it also gives a few details on the Australian Team competing in the Olympic Qualifying Series being played in Taiwan next month - article published on Monday 4th February 2008

Queensland Team
.......... Overall Statistics (batting, pitching, catching and fielding) ...... plus Category Leaders ...... Brett is amongst the Leaders!!

Eastern Division
.......... Overall Statistics (batting, pitching, catching and fielding) ...... plus Category Leaders ...... Brett is amongst the Leaders!!

The Tournament
.......... Overall Statistics (batting, pitching, catching and fielding) ...... plus Category Leaders ...... Brett is amongst the Leaders!!

The New South Wales Patriots will host the 2008 Independent Advice Claxton Shield Final against the Perth Heat thanks to a thrilling series victory over the Queensland Rams at Sydney’s Blacktown Olympic Park on the weekend

With the two sides virtually inseparable throughout the course of the regular season, New South Wales trumped the Rams 1-0 in the final game of the series, earning them the right to host the final against Perth in what promises to be a spectacular finals campaign

With their backs to the proverbial wall, New South Wales overcame a brilliant, complete-game effort from Queensland pitcher Tristan Crawford, to edge out their northern opponents in a dramatic contest that typified the intense rivalry between the two sides

Patriots’ stalwart, Gavin Fingleson, scored the game’s only run in the bottom half of the fourth inning, as a trio of New South Wales hurlers managed to keep the powerful Rams line-up at bay and limiting the Queensland squad to just three hits

The 1-0 win came after the teams had split the first two games of the series, giving both sides equal records (8-3) entering the final game of the 2008 regular season

Not only does the victory mean New South Wales were able to edge out their rivals for the Eastern Division title by the closest of margins, but it also gave them the right to home field advantage in next week’s final against Perth Heat

The Heat, who secured the Southern Division title and are yet to drop a series in this year’s Claxton Shield, will bring their star-studded line-up and exciting brand of baseball to the east coast when the finals commence this Friday, February 8th, in Sydney

The New South Wales v Perth match-up features some of the country’s top talent and means as many as 15 members of Australia’s Olympic Qualifying squad could be on display in Sydney next weekend, with selection in the final touring team potentially hanging in the balance of results

Game One of the “best of three” finals series will get underway at 7.30pm AEDT at Sydney’s Blacktown Olympic Park, with Game Two set for 7.30pm the following night and Game Three (if necessary) booked for 3.00pm Sunday afternoon

After six weeks of heart-stopping action, the 2008 IndependentAdvice.com Claxton Shield Finals have arrived, with the Perth Heat set to take on the New South Wales Patriots in a ‘best-of-three’ finals series at Blacktown Olympic Park this weekend, 8th, 9th and 10th February

Both teams have enjoyed remarkable seasons
The Patriots who survived a nail-biting finish to the preliminary round, just barely edging out their northern rivals the Queensland Rams, and the Heat who, after four consecutive series wins over Victoria and South Australia, are now on the verge of completing an inspirational ‘worst to first’ comeback season in 2008

The two sides are virtually inseparable on paper and combine to boast a remarkable twenty-two current or former US professionals, to go along with nearly twenty members of Australia’s targeted Olympic Shadow squad

Perth enters the finals series with arguably the most balanced line-up, as a trio of key sluggers combine with two near-perfect starting pitchers and a ‘dynamite’ relief corps to create a formidable 1-2-3 punch for any opposing team
The Claxton Shield’s leading hitter Clint Balgera (.450 batting average), teams up with infielder Mitch Graham and 2007 Australian World Cup hero Luke Hughes to lead the offensive charge for Perth, with all three targeted to make huge contributions for the Heat
Perth’s rookie sensation Liam Hendriks is odds on favourite to be handed the starting pitcher duties for the important Game One clash just two days before his 19th birthday; with the teenager, who has been virtually untouchable this year, hoping he can hand his side a 1-0 series lead when team-mate Mark Kelly takes control on the mound in Game Two
Combine Hendriks and Kelly’s dominance with specialist relief pitcher Brendan Wise and many pundits may have the Heat as a lock for this year’s title, but a raucous Sydney crowd, the inescapable tyranny of distance and the streaking home-town Patriots are sure to have a lot to say about that

New South Wales pitchers lead all Claxton Shield teams in earned run average, and their line-up boasts an auspicious blend of youth and experience on offence that enabled them to prevail in a perilous playoff race down the season’s final stretch
Left hand duo Tim Cox and Matt Bennett have mesmerised opposition hitters and both figured prominently in the league’s top ten ranked pitchers, as the pair have combined to allow just ten runs in over fourty innings of baseball this season
Meanwhile, 2004 Silver Medallists Gavin Fingleson and Brendan Kingman are on hand to lead a bevy of prodigious Patriot sluggers into the fray, with their steadying influence vital to the performance of emerging professional stars like Mitch Dening (Boston Red Sox) and Patrick Maat (New York Mets)

The Games will be broadcast live via the internet on Baseball Radio with all the action set to start this Friday at 7.30pm AEDT at Sydney’s Blacktown Olympic Park, with Game Two set for 7.30pm the following night and Game Three (if necessary) booked for 1.00pm Sunday afternoon