The club recently announced the team rosters and managers for 2026, with returning names, players being moved up to face new challenges, and a lot of new faces to get to know throughout all four levels of the club.
Bristol Badgers
The club’s top-level team, the Badgers, will enter the newly-rebranded Division 2 (formerly Triple A) looking to finally get over the ‘hump’, after being defeated in the National Final two years ago, and the semi final last time out.
Division Two West will feature familiar rivals Bracknell Inferno, Richmond Roebucks and Birmingham Metalheads, all of whom the Badgers know well from previous campaigns. The final team, returning from hiatus in 2026, is one the Badgers know even better: cross-town rivals BC Vetra.
11 of the squad return from last season, joined by Kwan Cheung (previously of the Bats, with a handful of Badgers appearances) and club newcomers Andy Bergh and Qisheng Chen.
Bristol Bats
The 2026 Bristol Bats also feature 11 returning players from the last campaign, where they narrowly missed out on the National playoffs. The 2026 team will be looking to make a return to September baseball, bolstered by last season’s SWWBL Single A Batter of the Year nominee Luca McCurdy and his brother Noah, who was himself in the running for the hotly contested Pitcher of the Year award. Fu Lam and Harley Jones also find themselves promoted from the Buccaneers, joining the McCurdys in moving from what was Division 4 up to Division 3. Club newcomers Jamie Hayter and Jocelynn Hernandez will debut with the Bats this year.
Bristol Buccaneers
With the old Single A level now being split into two, Bristol’s representative in Division 4 will be the reigning SWWBL Single A Champions, the Bristol Buccs. With a significant portion of the championship-winning team being promoted to the Bats for this season (including manager Rod McCurdy), the Buccs have been reinforced by last year’s Bristol Brunels, the development team doing its job wonderfully in preparing the club’s new players for higher-level baseball.
The Buccs are also under new management, with first-time managers Jean-Pierre Bernard and Will Marshall sharing McCurdy’s former role. It’s fair to say the 2026 SWWBL Single A Infield Gold Glove winner and Pitcher of the Year finalist know a thing or two. Joining them on the team this year are: five returning Buccaneers, four of last year’s Brunels, four club newcomers, a player returning after time away, and a transfer from a SWWBL rival. It should be another exciting year – go Buccs!
Bristol Brunels
Last, but by no means least, are the Bristol Brunels, the club’s development team in the new Division 5 (essentially the lower-half of Single A). Lead by last year’s assistant manager Ryan Harris and assisted by the club’s Youth Development lead Andre Shlimon, the Brunels will start the season with the club’s largest roster and only five returning players.
This influx is a testament to Bristol’s recruitment efforts over the past offseason, especially as the roster contains a product of the Bristol Bolts youth programme and a pair of young Great Britain Women’s National Team prospects all making their senior baseball debuts. However, not all of this year’s crop are “true” rookies; a few bring experience with them from other teams or are veterans of the sport looking to pass on their experience. Rumour has it we haven’t seen the last of 2025 manager Alex Lane-Kieltyka on the sidelines either!
Whatever the result on the field, one thing the Brunels can promise is fun, inclusive baseball, and a pint afterwards. If you’re reading this and aren’t part of it yet, why not?!