Practices are held on Thursday evenings at 6pm and Saturday mornings at 10am, including the Bank Holiday Saturdays. All players are welcome to attend either or both sessions as part of your membership fee. Newcomers are also welcome, please come to one of these sessions and introduce yourself to us.
On Thursdays, players should arrive by 5:45pm so we can start practice at 6pm promptly. We will practice until darkness sets in, and this will vary dependent on the weather.
On Saturdays, players should show up at 9:30am to help set up the field, and be ready to play by 10:00 am. We would like to continue with intrasquad scrimmages on Saturdays as this has been a great way to learn under game conditions, and we should finish at approx 12:30pm.
We are also pleased to introduce a “Training Only” 2013 Membership plan. For all new players to our club, the first 2 outdoor practices are free. If after 2 practices you want to carry on attending throughout the season, the “Training Only” membership fee is £25. If you then want to play for the Bats or Badgers please let us know, and if you are selected to play, the fee will increase to the normal player’s fees (of course deducting your original £25 training fee).
If you are interested in the “Training Only” 2013 Membership, please sign up on the 2013 Membership Form tab above. This is essential to complete before you attend practices so we have the emergency contact details of all members. All fees should be paid online, either initially or after your first 2 practices. We hope this helps, and we’ll see you on Thursday or Saturday!
Bats at Exeter Spitfires, 12th May 2013
Bats at Plymouth Mariners, 28th April 2013
The new season is here and as always we’re proud to announce the 2013 Badgers and Bats rosters.
You’ll notice some new names throughout the Badgers roster such as Marius Urbanivicus, who joins us from the Southampton Mustangs, as well as Miguel Peralta who played for our Bats team in 2012 and will be a welcome addition to our pitching staff. They are joined by Seyi Awofadeju, Alistair Gibbons and Jes Jimenez all of whom will be playing their first seasons as full time Badgers.
Sadly, a few players have left our ranks after last season. Tom Bray has moved to the new Herts AAA team (potentially NBL), which opens up the possibility of the brothers Bray (Matt Bray of Bristol and Tom Bray of Herts) facing each other on the diamond for the first time in a competitive game. Both GB catchers, the brothers have played together for the Essex Arrows, Bracknell Blazers and finally the Bristol Badgers and 2013 will add a new dynamic to their storied history in British Baseball.
Jonathan Brownlee, our power hitting 1st baseman, is taking some time out to be with his family but he will be playing for our Bats team this summer. Although he will return to the Badgers next season, he will be sorely missed both as a skilled player and a fantastic team mate. Robbie Jones, will be continuing his education away from Bristol and his speed and defence in the outfield will be tough to replace, along with his top of the order contact ability. Last but not least, Dan Looney, the former Bristol Badgers manager will take the reins of the quickly improving Bats team and co-manage them with Mike Nash. Dan has been a stalwart presence throughout the Badgers early history and has played a massive part in their success. He will be missed but will be bringing so much value to the Bats squad.
The Bats team is spearheaded by the returns of Nash, Gary Guest, Ricky Gellatly, James Smith, and Paul Gregory. Gellatly and Smith both hit home runs last season and will be hoping for more this year. Nash and Guest are solid in the field, and Gregory has experience playing for the Badgers behind the plate.
Some of the new joiners this year include a few Americans who have played the game before, although in some cases this was many years ago! And Nik South, who played for the Badgers in the past, moved away from the area, but has now returned.
This mixture of experience will be valuable to the most exciting part of the Bats roster. We have several players who are new to the game and who went through our 6 week indoor training program. Their enthusiasm and willingness to learn will go a long way towards the Bats success this year. Several of these players are from Bristol, while others have moved to Bristol over the years, and it gives us great optimism for a fun season ahead.
The Badgers and the Bats 2013 rosters include photos and player information which can be seen by clicking on our league webpages on the right hand side of this page. Play ball!!!
We are hosting a one-off introductory session on Sunday 7th April inside the Clifton College gymnasium. The start time is 12 noon, finishing at 2pm, and costs just £5. This two hour session will focus on baseball fundamentals as opposed to general stretching or fitness workouts. Our club has qualified coaches who will be on hand to teach the techniques of hitting, fielding and throwing a baseball in what will be a fun day.
Players of all abilities, including beginners or new players to our club, are welcome to attend on Sunday 7th April. As the gymnasium is an enclosed space we must limit this offer to 30 people, so please sign up to reserve your place. Details and a sign up facility can be seen by using the tabs above.
