ballgame boom Bendigo baseballers are hitting home runs on and off the diamond, with a resurgence in player numbers, the return of junior divisions, and big plans for the sport’s future. By Raelee Tuckerman - Photography by Leon Schoots In 2019, even before COVID threw us all a curve ball, local baseball was at a crossroad. Like a batter facing a full count with two out and bases loaded, the next play would be pivotal. After five seasons with no underage competition and its senior league reduced to just eight teams across two grades, the Bendigo Baseball Association swung into action. “It was a defining point for us,” recalls president Anthony Amsing. “We had the lowest membership numbers in BBA history and, while it was still really competitive, we were just treading water.” To save their sport, organisers committed to re-establishing junior baseball and, more recently, attracting female players to step
up to the plate. The results have been stunning, even though the pandemic lockdowns scuttled their 2020 plans. “That was disappointing with all the work we’d done, but participation in our first year back of juniors in 2021 was phenomenal,” says Anthony. “We relaunched with a full complement of age groups – U/8 tee-ball, U/12, U/14 and U/16 – and the growth continues to exceed our expectations. “In 2014-15, the last realistic junior competition before it folded, we had 79 registered players. In 2021, we had 141 kids and so far this year, we are up to 216. There are also now 14 teams in our senior competition, up from 12 last year. It’s fantastic to see.” 93
