BASEBALL QUEENSLAND EVENTS

2024 New Taipei City International U-18 Baseball Invitational Tournament

7 December - 14 December

The Queensland U18 Baseball Team are in Taiwan, embarking on their second consecutive trip to play in the 2024 New Taipei City International U-18 Baseball Invitational Tournament. This exciting journey offers a blend of cultural exploration and high-level competition, providing an exceptional opportunity for players to grow both on and off the field. The tour serves as a vital part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming Australian Youth Championships (AYC) in January 2025.

Game Schedule (QLD Time):

9 December 2024 @ Sanchung Stadium – 11:00 am (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqDarTVv06I)
10 December 2024 @ Tianmu Stadium – 11:00 am (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHCgv0xYNPA)
11 December 2024 @ Sanchung Stadium – 11:00 am
11 December 2024 – 11:00am https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYcfNraRxN8

Beyond the diamond, the players will have the chance to immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of Taiwan. This combination of competitive play and cultural exposure makes the tour a truly enriching experience.

The players will be supported by a skilled and dedicated coaching staff, including David Badke, Scott Porter, Keith Land, and Rickey Lo. Their expertise and guidance will be invaluable as the team tackles the challenges of international competition and prepares for the AYC.

This international tour provides a unique opportunity for the Queensland U18s to refine their game, build team camaraderie, and gain valuable experience against international opponents. It’s an important stepping stone as they gear up for the Australian Youth Championships in January.

Official Facebook Page for 2024 New Taipei City International U-18 Baseball Invitational Tournament: https://www.facebook.com/NTPCxFUBONxU18

Coach Badke Diaries

Day 6 – Game 4 v Kaohsiung

Unfortunately it was not our day going down to Kaohsiung 9 to 1 to end our tournament. We got off to a great start early but were not able to maintain the momentum.

The team has had a great week finishing the tournament with 2 wins, 2 losses with making the super round only in our second year, which is a great achievement.

This evening the team and 4 other international teams (2 Japan, 2 Korean) were hosted by Chuan Jung Chen, Tournament Director for a fantastic buffet dinner that offered a wide variety of the local Taiwanese cuisines. It was a great experience for all to interact with the other teams for both the players and coaches.

We will play Kanakawa (Japan team) tomorrow at 10am (local time) in a friendship game before heading home on Saturday night.

Day 5 – Game 3 v Ting Pung Country

The team had a strong 9 to 3 win over Ting Pung Country today. Jhett Wollin got us going on the mound with Andre Chang, Luka Moore and Eli Hardey- Abdy came in to relieve and continued to shut down the Ting Pung Country bats.

Most guys racked up hits today with Caleb Duke and Ryley Shanks being the stand outs. The baserunning let us down and we need to be better tomorrow.

I was happy with how we went about it today, pretty consistent and did not allow Ting Pung Country into the game, we got momentum from the first inning.

With today’s win, we now advance to the super round that is a single elimination round. Basically, we need to win every game from here on to make it to the Championship game on Saturday. With this only being our 2nd year here, the team should be proud of what they have already achieved.

We then went off for some chicken for lunch and got back on the Taiwan Metro train to go check out the Taipei 101 building (tallest building in Taiwan) and more shopping in Taipei City.

We are looking forward to tomorrow’s Super Round game against Kaohsiung at 9am (11am QLD time).

Day 4 – Game 2 v Seoul

Today, we came up against a strong Seoul team, and we could not get any momentum or make adjustments as well as we could have. It’s all part of the learning process, the good thing is that I know these guys can bounce back tomorrow against Ping Tung country.

A win tomorrow will see us through to the next stage of the tournament reseeding in the top pool so we have a lot to play for.

We have had a few early starts this week so the guys had this afternoon off to get some down time to recharge and refocus.

Day 3 – Game 1 v Chiayi City

The team had a strong start to the tournament with a 6-2 win over Chiayi City. Caleb Duke set the tone early on the mound, getting through 4 solid innings to keep the Chiayi City bats under control. Jhett Wollin and Luka Moore both came in to relieve and finished the job, maintaining the lead throughout.

Offensively, the team showed great discipline and approach, with Lachlan Reed, Zak Stafilis, Eli Hardey-Abdy and Ray Song leading with each collecting multiple hits. The hitters were patient, worked counts and hit the ball hard.

Another standout aspect of the game was our aggressive baserunning, guys getting out of their comfort zone. The team did well putting pressure on Chiayi City’s defense, creating scoring opportunities.

Overall, it was a solid performance today but we need to come out tomorrow and maintain how we played today.

Great to get QLDs first win in Taiwan.

The guys then relaxed for the rest of the day heading off to the baseball store, some learnt how to use a washing machine at the Laundromat and finished the night off with a nice steak, pasta and ice cream hosted by Melody Chen, Council Member, Overseas Community Affairs Council of. China (Taiwan). Thank you Melody.

Day 2 – Practice game v Er Chong High School

The team played a practice game against Er Chong High School today (Sunday), our final hit out before the tournament begins on Monday.

Pitching was solid overall with Ray Song, Max Clarke, Eli Hardey-Abdy, Zak Stafilis and Andre Chang getting their work in today though there was one inning where we lost some control, and a few routine errors defensively allowed the game to get away from us. We need to tighten that up before the tournament

On the offensive side, the hitting was good. Caleb Duke, Ryley Shanks, Luka Moore, Zak Stafilis all recorded hits. The guys made some good pitch selections and squared up a lot of strikes. I’m confident they’ll find the gaps tomorrow when it counts.

We’re in a good place heading into the tournament!

The day ended up with the team heading out catching a Taiwan metro train to a local shopping mall to do some shopping, have some dinner and relax.

Day 1 – Training and Opening Party Ceremony

After a long flight yesterday and a much needed rest, the team was recharged and ready to hit the field for a 2 hour training session today. The energy was high and plenty of enthusiasm and was great to see the team bonding together.

We then headed off for some lunch at a local noodle restaurant in Taipei City, which the food was pretty good.

The opening party ceremony was the highlight of the day – a spectacular event where the team had a fantastic night and set the tone for the tournament ahead.

The team gears up for our first game of the tournament on Monday. Everyone’s excited and I look forward to seeing how we stack up against the local competition over the next week.