#crws2015

By Kyle Stackpole

For a few international teams, the first time its players step on the field to play with one another is at the Cal Ripken World Series. Players from around the country come together for this event, hoping to immediately mesh together and bring back a World Series title.

This was always how Australia fielded its team. But for this year’s event, Baseball Australia strayed away from nationally selecting its team and decided it would send a charter-based team, one selected from only three or four clubs, to the states.

So five charter squads traveled to Lismore New South Wales to compete in the national championships, and the Swan Hills Aces charter team — comprised of players from three local clubs in Western Australia — became the first of such teams to represent its county in Aberdeen, Maryland for the Cal Ripken World Series.

“They were kind of trying to look at what’s better for them if they send an Australian team that doesn’t get to practice a lot together, or if they send a team that’s been practicing together for a few months,” head coach Arnie Noel said. “This is potentially a little bit of an experiment for us.”

The charter team is made up of 12 players from three clubs — East Hills, Swan Districts and Victoria Park Belmont. Noel is the Junior Development Officer for the Swan Districts Junior baseball club.

Furthermore, several players — Tyson Noel, Dusty Brown, Maddux Stivey, Trent Daniele, Jarryd Bain and BJ Cooke — have played together in the past as a part of Swan Districts, making this experience more of a family affair.

Baseball Australia’s decision to switch its selection process, however, didn’t pay off on the field. After the nationally drawn squad finished the 2014 Cal Ripken World Series with a record of 3-1, this year’s team had one win in five games.

Despite Team Australia’s performance over the past week and a half, Noel has enjoyed coaching such a tight-knit group at this worldwide event.

“It’s a fantastic experience,” Noel said. “We always talk about the kids, but we forget about the coaches. I had a great time here, and I know my assistants did as well.”

Follow Team Australia on Twitter at @CRWS_Australia and on the Cal Ripken World Series website at https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/world_series/teams/57.

By Kyle Stackpole

Twenty minutes before Team Australia was set to play Mexico at Nationals Field on Tuesday afternoon, coach Arnie Noel yelled to the players sitting in the dugout. He was going to hit fly balls to the outfielders, so he needed someone to catch their throws.

Upon hearing his coach’s request, Benji Hewett, one of four players on the bench, jumped to his feet, grabbed his glove and jogged to shallow left field. Though he wasn’t in the starting lineup, Hewett wanted to be apart of the action.

That mentality is one of several reasons Hewett has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates. While Australia, which plays Hartford County in the Iron Bracket on Thursday, finished pool play without a win, Hewett has played each game with honor and hustle.

“He adds a lot of experience because he’s played at big tournaments,” Noel said. “The other thing is a little bit of calmness about us to know that he’s been in this situation.”

Unlike some of his teammates, who have played together for several years, this is Hewett’s first time playing with Swan Districts Junior Baseball club. He had previously played for the Carine Cats but had to drive 45 minutes nearly every day for practice, so he joined the new club just seven minutes from his school.

“The kids at our club are very welcoming people — they’re good kids — so anybody that comes over, it doesn’t matter what ability, they’re welcomed into the club,” Noel said. “

Hewett tried out and made the Swan Hills Aces charter team, which finished tied for first in the Western Australia State tournament and were runners up at the national tournament. The squad’s performance earned the Aces the opportunity to represent Australia in the Cal Ripken World Series.

In addition to playing in Aberdeen, Maryland, for this worldwide event, Hewett has other international experience, as he played in a few international friendlies in Singapore with the Carine Cats in February 2014.

“Benji was extremely excited at the opportunity of playing at the CRWS … and has worked hard alongside his teammates to bring their A game to Aberdeen,” Kate Hewett, Benji’s mother, said. “He has blossomed under head oach Arnie Noel and assistant coaches Rob Danielle and Mike Carter.”

Hewett has typically batted fifth and has played catcher, pitcher and center field. Against Korea, Hewett earned the Player of the Game award for Australia after getting the team’s first hit in the fourth inning.

And in terms of the whole Ripken experience, Hewett is having a blast.

“Just playing against the teams,” Hewett said when asked about his favorite part of this event. “These guys are really good players, and we’re playing teams from all over the world. It’s great experience, and it just blows [my mind] that this is happening right now.”

By Kyle Stackpole

For the third straight day, Team Australia couldn’t match its opponent at the plate. Coach Arnie Noel’s squad was unable to record a hit in its 14-0 loss to Mexico in its final pool play game of the Cal Ripken World Series.

“We got outmatched today," head coach Arnie Noel said. "The big thing that we need to take out of it is that we talked about is some of our core values as a baseball team. We didn't do those."

Noel said his team lacked energy, intensity and togetherness in today’s matchup with Mexico. Despite being down as much as Australia was — Mexico scored eight runs in the first inning — Noel said his squad needed to do a better job picking each other up.

“It’s easy to pick each other up when you’re eight, nine, 10 runs, but when you’re behind eight, nine, 10 runs, that’s when it becomes a team thing,” Noel said. “Doing that late in the game, especially when we were behind by quite a few, was a little bit disappointing.”

Similar to its 9-3 loss to Korea on Sunday morning, Australia struggled against the velocity of the Mexico pitching staff. Though the team struck out eight times, Noel said the quality of its opponent on the hill will benefit his players in the future.

“It gives them goals to look forward to,” Noel said. “Some of these kids, even at a young age, have probably aspirations to go on an play at a higher level …  so it gives them an idea of what to expect.”

Player of the Game “Dusty” Brown, who is also celebrating his birthday today, agreed.

“It’s going to get me used to the faster pitchers,” Brown said. “It really helps to get your bat speed up and through the zone.”

Australia has a day off tomorrow, so the players and coaches are setting out to local cities such as New York and Washington D.C. On Thursday, the team will play in the Iron Bracket quarterfinals against one of the squads from the United States.

By Kyle Stackpole

From its state and national tournaments back home to its first two games at the Cal Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, Maryland, Team Australia hadn’t faced the type of pitching Team Korea featured Monday morning.

And while Australia put together a three-run fourth inning, the team had 11 strikeouts and left Nationals Field with a 9-3 loss in its third game of the World Series.

“With the game speeding up, it changed a little bit for us,” head coach Arnie Noel said. “I was pretty happy with the way they swung it, but that velocity kind of hurt us.”

Similar to its game against New Zealand on Sunday afternoon, Australia was in danger of digging itself into an early hole. After two batters, Korea had runners on the corners and no one out.

Starting pitcher Daniel Carter settled down after that, however, inducing a pop out to third and getting a strikeout for the first two outs. He walked the next batter to load the bases, but escaped the jam with a fielder’s choice.

Carter cruised through the second inning, but defensive miscues allowed Korea to break the game open in the third. The frame started with a solo home run to left field, and two batters later, Jarryd Bain’s error at first put two runners on with no one out.

After an RBI single made it 2-0, Korea kept the no-out rally going after third baseman Maddux Stivey bobbled the ball and threw late to first. The defense steadied and made a few routine outs to end the inning, but not before Korea added three more runs and held a 5-0 advantage.

The lead blossomed to seven after Stivey, who replaced Carter on the mound, allowed a two-run double in the fourth frame. Korea threatened to score another run with a single between shortstop and third, but left fielder Joshua Paull gunned out the runner at home plate to prevent further damage.

After going without a hit and striking out seven times through the first three innings, Australia began putting the ball in play in the fourth. In doing so, the team ignited a rally.  

Benji Hewett followed Carter’s walk with the squad’s first hit, a double to right field. And with runners on second and third, Stivey put Australia on the board with an RBI groundout.

“They were throwing pretty hard, but it was good,” Hewett said. “It felt good off the bat and just all came together.”

Australia cut into Korea’s lead even further before the frame ended — Paull had an RBI triple and Tyson Noel drove in a run with a ground out — and was in striking distance with two innings to go.

“We probably got some pitches we could handle and some pitches up in the zone,” Noel said. These guys are throwing hard, and they’re pounding the zone. They missed a couple of spots, and we were able to square a couple up.”

Even so, Australia couldn’t continue its offensive production. In the last two innings, Noel’s squad did not record a hit and struck out four times.

With Monday’s loss and Mexico’s win over New Zealand, Australia no longer has a chance to qualify for the Championship Bracket. Still, the team will finish pool play against Mexico at 3 p.m. Tuesday and compete in the Iron Bracket, which begins Thursday.

Follow Team Australia on Twitter at @CRWS_Australia and on the Cal Ripken World Series website at https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/world_series/teams/57.

By Kyle Stackpole

After exploding for nine runs in its come-from-behind win against Team Canada on Saturday night, Team Australia’s offense fell silent on Sunday afternoon against New Zealand. Australia scored just three runs and suffered a 7-3 loss at Cal Sr.’s Yard in its second game of the Cal Ripken World Series.

Even so, head coach Arnie Noel was optimistic about his team’s performance.

“I didn't think we did a lot wrong," Noel said. "We made a couple of bad pitches  —we missed up — and they hit them in the seats."

To start the game, Australia went down in order, while New Zealand immediately threatened to score the game’s first run.

In its half of the first inning, New Zealand had runners on first and second with two outs. Starting pitcher Dusty Brown struck out the next hitter, however, escaping the jam and keeping the contest scoreless.

The bottom of the order produced Australia’s first run an inning later. A pitch hit Daniel Carter, and two other players walked, loading the bases with two outs for Adam Satie. And after a tremendous at bat — Satie fouled off several pitches with two strikes — the No. 9 hitter came through by poking a single through the middle to give his team a 1-0 advantage.

“It felt pretty good,” Satie said of his RBI single. “All I wanted to do when I went up to bat was to get a base hit and score a run.”

But Australia’s lead didn’t last. Against the first hitter he faced in the second frame, Brown allowed a solo home run, which easily cleared the left-field wall.

New Zealand once again displayed its power in the third inning, as its No. 3 hitter launched a two-run homer to dead-center field. Three batters later, Brown allowed a two-run double off the wall, putting Australia in a 5-1 hole.

“They were right on everything that we missed with, and that cost us a few runs,” Noel said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t fight back today.”

Tyson Noel came in from center field to replace Brown with Australia down 6-1, and the lefty-hurler got out of the jam allowing just one more run.

Australia got two runs back in the fifth inning thanks to the top of its order. Leadoff hitter Joshua Paull had an RBI ground out, and Noel, the No. 2 hitter, followed with a sacrifice fly to cut New Zealand’s deficit to four.

Australia put together a formidable threat in the final frame, as it loaded the bases with no one out. But New Zealand brought in a new pitcher, who struck out the next three batters to secure Australia’s first tournament loss.

Australia will look to even its record in pool play Monday at 10 a.m. against Team Korea.

“Tough day at the yard,” Noel said. “The great thing about baseball is that you get to play tomorrow. We’ll show up and come ready to go and get after it and see where we end up.”

Follow Team Australia on Twitter at @CRWS_Australia and on the Cal Ripken World Series website at https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/world_series/teams/57.

By Kyle Stackpole

After Team Australia scored the tying run in the bottom of the sixth inning against Team Canada on Saturday night, Jarryd Bain strolled over near the third base line to talk with head coach Arnie Noel.

With the bases loaded and one out, Bain had a chance to drive in the winning run. He welcomed the challenge with open arms.

“We talked a little bit about how somebody is going to be a hero, and somebody is going to get the opportunity,” Noel said. “He comes up smiling to me before the at bat, and I said, ‘This is your turn,’ and he said, ‘Yeah, it’s my turn.’”

Moments later, Jarryd walked back to home plate, settled into the batter’s box, and delivered a game-winning RBI single to center field. The hit capped a three-run sixth inning and gave Australia a 9-8 win in its opening game at the Cal Ripken World Series.

“I just wanted to get a hit for the team,” Bain said.

Bain’s single was one of nine hits for Australia, which received most of its offensive production from the middle of its order. BJ Cooke, Daniel Carter and Benji Hewett — the third, fourth and fifth hitters in the lineup — combined for six hits, five RBI and seven runs scored.

While Australia displayed an explosive offense late in the contest, it was Canada that scored first. Starting pitcher Joshua Paull allowed Canada to score on a double and a ground out, putting Australia in a 2-0 hole after the opening frame.

Australia went down in order in its half of the first, but it cut into Canada’s lead an inning later with Carter’s home run. Carter, who competed in the Home Run Derby on Friday, crushed a solo homer over the right field wall.

After the next two runners reached base and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Australia appeared to tie the game on sacrifice fly from second baseman Jordan Norvall.

Canada appealed to third, however, and the umpire called the runner out for leaving early, which erased the run. After two innings, Australia still faced a one-run deficit.

“We put ourselves in some holes and misplayed some balls and did some things that are pretty uncharacteristic,” Noel said. “We got to go back to the drawing board and just say, ‘Hey, listen. Go out and play baseball.’”

Despite the running mishap, Australia took its first lead in the third inning. With runners on second and third with one out, Cooke roped a two-run single to center field, giving his squad a one-run advantage. That lead became 4-2 after the second baseman couldn’t handle a pop up.

In the fifth inning, Canada was able to string together runs off Maddux Stivey. After shutting out Canada in the third and fourth inning, Stivey allowed five runs on five hits in the fifth. Again, Australia was forced to play from behind.

Australia scored a run in the bottom half of the fifth, but Canada responded with a run of its own an inning later. Entering the final frame, Australia faced a two-run deficit.

Tyson Noel lined out to second to start the sixth, but Cooke reached base on a single. After Carter walk, Hewett and Stivy produced back-to-back RBI singles, which tied the game at eight.

And with just one out, Canada intentionall walked Trent Daniele to set up a force play at home. The decision set the stage for Bain, who was barraged by his teammates at second base after the game-winning run crossed the plate.

“It felt really good,” Bain said. “It felt amazing.”

While this game didn’t count towards the standings, Australia hopes the team will carry the momentum from Saturday’s thrilling win into Sunday’s game against New Zealand at 3 p.m.

“We just have to concentrate and get some good night sleep,” Bain said.

Follow Team Australia on Twitter at @CRWS_Australia and on the Cal Ripken World Series Website at https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/world_series/teams/57