Category: Junior Baseball

Rounding Third by Line Drive October 2026

Posted on by LineDrive

Yes, hello again all you avid readers of Rounding Third. After a long time in between editions, you are fortunate enough to get two in a week! Some may think it is not enough, but for this ghost writer this could have been one. Welcome once again and this edition may be just as in depth as last weeks, but with a focus onto the future adventures of Cods Masters, Voodoo, Softball steps up, T-ball in November and musings over whether the end of season trip requires a reset. Line Drive hopes you are well and enjoy part two.

Softball season.

Have you been asked yet? Has the man with the poison pen, Kev Pool inquired about your availability for softball? Or should be the question be, are you playing? If so or if you are interested then, softball training has recommenced under the watchful eyes of “The Doc” Sean Warfe and Brooke, “The Watcher” Thompson. Look out on the Wangaratta Softball socials for more information, or just head to the website and the club will direct you in the right direction.

T-Ball November

Question…. Does Owen Godenzi ever stop? Answer, no. This year in late November to early December, the Wangaratta Rangers is running a T-ball competition aimed at 5 to 10 year olds. At the time of writing, the club already has 20 players signed up, and are looking for more.  T-ball will be played on a Tuesday evening in the twilight at Targoora Park. Boys and Girls are all encouraged to register on our Facebook page. Search for Wangaratta Rangers Baseball. Click on the link and register. It will be a heap of fun. Come along and be part of the most progressive club in Wangaratta. Or spread the word!

The Rangers trip. Does it need a reset?

For many a year, Line Drive has documented, been part of, and the envy of many a club across the land, known as the Ranger Ramble. From first meetings, to people being locked out, dance moves Gangnam style, walking frames in Brunswick, losing phones in Melbourne, treasure hunts and attempting to explain to Gus Young how it was cheaper to purchase drinks a certain way, there has always been plenty of banter and head scratching moments. However in season 2026, life just got busy for many of the usual suspects.  The 2026 players end of season trip has been postponed. Is it time for a reset? A rejuvenation? Is it time to sell people the virtues of a weekend away as a collective? Maybe learn from those who know the way? And for those who know the way, is it time to pass the trip baton on to someone else so THEY can get more involved? There is a tin, and the tin is for little misdemeanors throughout the year, however it’s a cash tin, and cash is definitely king! (card surcharges people!) Filling the tin throughout the season for use at the Ranger Ramble is easy… after each game, talking through the silly things those do in a game, and fining them for it. Easy! Moving forward, the trip needs to evolve and get each and every player/scorer/member the chance to be involved. The trip has a future and the future is the integration. It can work. Line Drive wants it to.

Cod season 2027!

Yes, as it has been mentioned for the past 12 years, Cod season is here. This year Ash, “Gig Guide” Meyers is up for some new merchandise and redesigned shirts. It has been twelve years of Cod teal and black and that has been great, but a refresh could be on the cards. Masters weekend is penciled in for Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st March 2027. The venue is still up in the air, but If you are keen, get in contact with Cods Masters Baseball on Facebook. Come spend a weekend with the best of the best that the North East has, and talk about how good you use to be, and still are. More information to follow. Its Cod season….

Voodoo files are returning.

You read it right, the Voodoo files will be returning during November to keep you updated on all things Voodoo from the Pan Pacific Games on the Gold Coast. Line Drive will be once more tasked with documenting the good, the bad, the indifferent, and interesting baseball abilities on and off the diamond. This will be the third appearance for Voodoo, and there has been a major upgrade to the merchandise.  Restless legs, Davis Long informs us all that the Voodoo shorts have pockets this time around. Huge news! Voodoo welcomes back many of the usual suspects with “Lego Man”, Ross Johnson returning and new Voodoo Neophytes, Andy Matthews and Brett Sharp respectively. Line Drives write ups will be often be random and quite unnecessary, but as Beato says, it’s all about documenting the history!  Look out November.

Now onto the swings and misses.

  • When are we going to see the Ciccone Dome? Thank you so much for your generosity in season 2026 Francesco Wines!
  • Don’t Worry Donna Smedley, Congratulations to the under 15’s for winning the 2026 pennant. Line Drive didn’t forget but the photo will work nicely in this edition with clear air!
  • Special mention to ‘Carmel Seymour Club Spirit Award’ recipient, Jess Blanchard. Well deserved!
  • Chris, “on Ponts” Ponting has new boots! Does this mean there is at least another two seasons left in one of Shepparton’s finest? Special mention to Ponts awarded B Grade Orange runner up MVP in 2026! Now….. will Travis Frost make the trek over too?
  • Ground improvements in the coming months. With the lights erected, the club are always looking to enhance the facilities at Targoora Park. Your assistance is welcomed.
  • A big thank you to the committee in 2025 and to those who are stepping onto the 2026 committee. The AGM was held and from all reports was a nice quick affair. The new lights got a preview too.
  • Long time Rangers know that they generally only go out for one night of the year together, and this was the case once more. Avid Rouding Third reader Pete Anderson was front and centre!
  • Good luck to Tanner “The big fish” Godenzi for being selected in the state under 18 side. Huge effort.

That’s enough from me this time around. Line Drive will return in November with the Voodoo files. They are always one of the more popular and random editions. I do look forward to it.

Till then

Go Rangers and go Voodoo!

Rounding Third By Line Drive Sept/Oct. The overdue edition.

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello again and welcome to the September (or early October) wrap-up of all things baseball in the North East and all things Wangaratta Rangers. Line Drive decided to hold off all the stories and musings from the past six weeks until all the dust settled on another enormous season for all the wonderful characters that make up this ever expanding baseball club. In the past few days at Ranger HQ, the light towers are being erected around diamond one and the program of works in the off season is ever expanding. A big shout out goes to all the parents, guardians, committee members, social members, supporters and players who have given up their time and supported the club, no matter how big or small the job has been. Each and every person has contributed in their own unique way. Plenty of early mornings, late evenings and many kilometres covered. It’s all a part of baseball in the North East of Victoria. There is much to tell you about, and one hopes you enjoy the tales which are following.

400 plus 400 plus 350. Divide that by three.

This season, we have seen some big game milestones. There have been many 100 game achievements, but to have two 400 gamers and a 350 gamer is certainly epic for the Rangers. This is not mentioning all the games that these three may have played for representative teams and Masters.  So where does Line Drive start?

350  Dropsy

Kelsey Burder. Long time Vice President, silver circle aficionado, leader of former groups as Esmond, Nambrok, and Larkin street gangs.  Chief proprietor of Club Nambrok. Kelsey has been many things to many people of the years. Besides all the nicknames, he is loyal and committed to the Ranger cause. It feels like yesterday that Kelsey went past 200 and 300 games, so to be surprised he has reached the 350 game milestone is something to be immensely proud of.         All for one club! It was great to see on Saturday night Kelsey celebrated in true Dropsy style with the rest of the Ranger family. Congratulations Kelsey on 350 games.

400 Brendon French

The leader of the Wangaratta Rangers, “French Connection” Brendon, “Frenchy” French achieved this milestone during the regular season. French has served many roles within the club since the amalgamation of Saints and Dodgers Baseball Clubs. Club President, Vice President, committee, coach, scorer, umpire, canteen, name a role French has not done. Frenchy has been a durable player and continues to be for Rangers B grade and Cods masters Baseball. Impressive. Well done Frenchy.

400 for Pool

In fear of missing out, Club President, coach, rubber arm, Nathan Pool reached his milestone in his last game of the season. Line Drive believes it is made up of 398 A grade games and two B grade games (though could be wrong on that statistic!).  Nath is a lot of things to a lot of different people. He continues to be versatile, enthusiastic, committed and constantly pushing the Ranger envelope to be bigger and better. How many A grade games are in front of him? Judging by his last outing on the hill, there is still plenty in the tank moving forward. Congratulations Nath for 400 games.

Three hour game Sam and Josh go play the simple things.

Let’s have a look back to a couple of weeks ago where two sides just did not know when to quit. For all who witnessed this game, it was one of the most enthralling, captivating and pressure filled games that many have seen in years of watching baseball in the North East. It was like the old days of playing ball until there was a result, no timed game, just two outfits desperate and not compromising on anything. After an hour of extra play and 12 innings of gritty, pure ball, a winner was found. Credit to Albury Gold who got a prized win 4 to 3. The crowd were exhausted, the canteen was empty. Many were just reflecting on an absolute classic game. However, a couple of Ranger boys weren’t done there. After the diamond was raked, dust settled and the cleats were off, Sam, “New Canada” McPherson and newly minted first baseman Josh Wells thought would have a game of catch to wind down and stretch out. Even after 3 hours of tough baseball, with a loss, still find joy in the small things. Playing catch is still one of the best things to do whenever there is a chance. It was noted at presentation night the effect that Sam has had on the young men in the group. His passion, experience and willingness to be involved in all facets of the club, has certainly rubbed off on the younger players of the club.      It has been a pleasure to watch from afar.

Motoki. What a guy!

What a player and what a guy. Motoki has improved the skills of our kids. Because “they want to have blonde hair like his!” Line Drive cannot recall who said that or something along those lines, but the sentiment is very accurate. Runner up in the league MVP and the Rangers A grade to Tanner “Go Fish” Godenzi, Motoki was the most consistent player in season 2026. Like big Sam Mac, Motoki has integrated, resonated and is admired by the Rangers young and old. One hopes Motoki returns in the future.

Night golf shenanigans….

The Ranger faithful came out again to support the Boorhaman Golf Clubs annual night golf fundraiser. It was organised once again by Rob, “Butts” Seymour. However there were a few late withdrawals due to Carlton finishing 10th! It was great to see Shaun, “Pronger” Whiteman  smack the ball into the night sky. A great feed, a great night, and a lot of fun by all who attended. Line Drive must say that the club’s drink cart got around rather quickly too!              The Ranger faithful got together, played some questionable golf, had a great feed and supported a fellow club. That is the Ranger way!

Life member Steve Peruzzo!

For a few weeks, there was a whisper around the Ranger circles, that a long time player, committee person, manager, coach and a voice of reason could be eligible for the ultimate honour. Life membership. There was a bit of movement behind the scenes and tweaking of the schedule. President Nathan Pool informed ‘The Soaks’, Lauren Grenfell and Cameron Scott to have Steve, “The farmer” Peruzzo there by 6pm. There was a bit of nerves within the ranks when the man of the moment had not appeared by 5.50pm. Where is he? Is he coming? At around 5.55pm, in walked The Farmer and his entourage, including The Soaks. Pool glanced towards the back and noticed this, shuffling his notes and went on to deliver his speech. Life member Steve Peruzzo. Another selfless servant to Ranger cause on and off the field, a part of many functions, trips away (meeting his now wife, Ranger faithful, everyone’s friend and party girl Lisa, ‘Mrs Farmer’ Peruzzo) and playing plenty of games. Steve has dedicated many a day, night and weekend to improve how the Rangers operate. Steve’s opinions are valued and he is one of the most reliable and dependable individuals we have at the club. Line Drive could go on and on. He will stop there. A massive honour Steve, congratulations and thoroughly deserved. Make sure you wear your life member badge with pride Farmer!

Club persons of the year.

Throughout each and every club or association, the most prestigious award has to be the ‘Club person of the year’. The selfless acts, the one per-centers,  the things no one notices, but stuff just gets done. This year, the Wangaratta Rangers were fortunate or blessed to have two individuals recognised for their commitment and  desire to improve the club for all. Both Mikayla, “KK” Pool and Matt, “The Colonel” Sanders were worthy recipients of this award. The old and the new. It works in harmony. Colonel from ground work, coaching, hitting home runs, sharing the diamond with is son Darcy, and winning the C grade pennant, Sanders had a year out. A players coach  Colonel had a year many could only dream of.

“KK” has been on trend and on point with many of the social media posts and engagements through our multiple social pages. KK represents the connection to the youth of the club and is a person who gets in and just gets the job done. The apple definitely doesn’t fall far from the tree!! Congratulations to two extremely worthy recipients. Also, Happy 18th Birthday KK!

Now for the club stuff….

  • Annual general meeting 7pm Wednesday 7 October
  • Registrations for T-ball are open. See the social pages for more information
  • Softball season beginning, good luck to all those involved
  • Merchandise arrived for the end of the season. Get into contact with the club if you are yet to pick it up
  • Look to the Rangers Facebook page for further things over the off season with ground upgrades on the agenda.

That’s enough. My editor says people will stop reading. I tend to believe them! There is more to follow later this week, all things Cods, Voodoo and summertime t ball and so forth. In the meantime,

Go Rangers!

Cannot forget to mention this. Well done to C Grade for their win. Photo credit to Don Smedley.

Rounding Third By Line Drive July 2026

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to a long overdue edition of Rounding Third. Many people have been wondering where Line has been, and to answer that question succinctly, they have been everywhere apart from down at the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club! It is not that Line Drive has forgotten about baseball in the north east, it has just been a busy few months in between playing, writing, and just doing Line Drive things. The season is in the depths of winter here in the sunny north east of Victoria, the ladders in all grades are beginning to take shape, and it has been great to observe some new additions to the club just fitting right in.

A recap of the weekend saw another good one for the Rangers. In C grade on diamond one Rangers Black got the win over Bears 11 to 3, while on a soggy diamond 2, Rangers Orange outlasted Wodonga Warriors by a score 7 to 6. In B Grade Brendon French got a win for his 400th game defeating Wodonga Warriors White by a score of 10 to 6, while Rangers Orange late charge was all to no avail being pipped by a young Warriors maroon 11 to 12. Then it was time for the main game and after a tight opening inning or two, the Ranger bats got going and ended up winning 12 to 2. It was good to sit back and watch how the blend of young and older heads in A grade is starting to gel very nicely moving towards the end of the season. This week Rangers around the North east with many up the highway in Albury, while Rangers Orange take on Porepunkah at home in a game that always feels like the end of a carnival, as there is no game after 2pm! The weather is getting better, the grounds are drying out, and everything is looking up running into August. A big thank you to those who have looked after the grounds, canteen, photos, social media and merchandise in the past month or so. A mammoth job and it has been noted. Now, let’s see if Line Drive can do some justice to the reports and tales that have come across their desk in the past month or so. Please note, the Line Drive’s editor (or the real Line Drive) is currently on leave, so the usual polished gramma, wording, sentence structure may be missing. There will be mistakes! However apart from that, enjoy the read.

Milestones and then a milestone

Over the past fortnight, many of you may have seen that a Ranger in pink brought up 100 club games in pretty quick time, while another is the first to the 400 game mark. Social media guru and queen Makayla “Kaye Kaye” Pool achieved 100 games for the rangers before the age of 18! And has since played game 101! Well done Kaye Kaye .Over the past weekend, Brendon “Papa” French had the honour of playing his 400 game for Wangaratta, with his two sons playing in the same game. French has done it all for the club; canteen manager, president, grounds person, many years on the baseball committee and countless hours down at Targoora park. It was great recognition by the club on Sunday to celebrate a true stalwart and legend of the local baseball community. Congratulations French on 400 games. Question is how many more are still in the tank? One hopes maybe another season or two. Line Drive commends the commitment and effort.

Picking off runners and extra bases.

On Sunday Line Drive got the opportunity to sit back and watch some of the A grade game between Rangers and Warriors. A fast solid start by both sides while there were some very solid defensive moves by the opposition to bamboozle the Ranger runners. The importance of hitting your cut off was very prevalent throughout this game, where Wodonga were able to steal an out here and there by having a smart cutoff and quick tag to find a ranger runner short. However it was on one of these said plays, that a young and spritetful Nathan Pool showed age was just a number. Here’s the scenario. Ball is hit to deep left field. Pool retreats to tag up on second base. Runner of thirds tags up too. Ball is caught, runner heads for home, and Pool decides to take off from second to third. Half way down the line a rather audible word of “*&^%” comes from the mouth of Pool, He doesn’t think he is going to get there. The crowd are in hysterics hearing this. A late slide and Pool was spared his blushes by beating the tag! One relived base runner. From all reports “The Pres” Nath may not being doing that again anytime soon.  To rub further salt into his rubbery legs, after a nice flick across his body to first base, newly minted 1st baseman Josh “Banter” Wells asked him to throw it harder next time. Or maybe 1st  base use those young legs to stretch out further and help him out! Anyhow regardless two nice little plays from the Pres!

Home run Matt Sanders.

Daniel Wells tracked down Line Drive on Sunday and asked if they had heard to story around a home run on diamond two during the C grade game. Luckily, Line Drive was there to witness this rare feat and achievement in C grade of a ball going OVER the fence. Late in the game Coach Matt “Colonel” Sanders comes on to replace Frank Ciccone, and hit a ball to straight away centre field for a majestic home run. Have we all got the picture? Well, it was not so much that. You see, the ball was hit to centre field and then there was a short delay while rounding second that was it a home run or not. After a short pause it was confirmed a home run. All good? What else is there to report in this tale? Wells, made the point that there was an under 12’s game on the back of diamond two and the fence was not in its regular position, a good 30m closer! So it was more like playing on a junior diamond! However, in Colonel’s defence, he just plays to the dimensions of the ground and it’s the same for both sides. Not to mention it is still a home run in the book. Keep the ball Matt. You deserve it.

Sponsors stuff

A wonderful addition this year across the socials has been the sponsor spotlight.  It is long overdue recognition and gives faces to some of characters who Line Drive has known for many a season. This year  the club has been fortunate enough to have Frank “hamstring”  Ciccone get on board and put his wonderful wines on the back of our new hoodies. His enthusiasm for the game and the club has been infectious to all. Any club would love another  5 Frank’s! Now, there is Deal for you. Order a hoodie through Wang rangers on Team app and two bottles of wine are yours! A great deal! Great hoodies, great merchandise and you look the supporter with all the gear! A big special mention the new sign on the back of the away dugout. It is one that certainly stands out.

Thank you Hamstrings!

Lets go OG

After a conversation with the president Nathan “Joe Cocker” Pool there is movement around reinstating some good old fashioned in house games. Joe has put the call out for a dart board. No context yet, but maybe its time for some after training games? Maybe it is required as  the young bulls Tanner and Josh playing indoor ball with Sam McPherson, making sure no windows was broken. Might be time to bring back the table tennis. Now that would add to Thursday night dinner don’t you think Mr President. 

Check out the You tube Rangers Chats

Owen “O” Godenzi has been busy honing his editing skills to bring two editions of the Ranger you tube recaps over the past few weeks. Line Drive was questioned O where this was at the other week while O countered about Rounding Third’s absence. However, it was great to see a recap and a sit down interview with new Mr Canada Sam McPherson. Now if have not met Sam yet, get around him. The young players have taken a shine to him and his calmness behind the plate is great to see. Look for this week’s edition sometime in the future. The chemistry between hosts makes the recap all the more entertaining. Again a way to keep a recorded history of the club!

Words and more words

In the past few months between editions, Line Drive has been thinking again about how we digest information around the club and the interactions with you the reader, the public and everything else in between. They have quipped on multiple occasions about who is still reading past the first 200 words and even if they read to the end. While on one of the reflective occasions and looking through the tens of thousands of words written over the years, that Rounding Third is actually a window into the history, stories and great things which have happened around the baseball club over the past 12 or so years. In a quick to digest and dispose of society, words and stories paint pictures more than photos can ever do. Photos show a snap shot but does not give the depth to the amazing characters who have pulled on a Ranger shirt and taken to the diamond. I mean can one describe Tetsu Kamiyama’s parking lately? Photos can, but to actually see it and how the car is completely perpendicular to every other car is really a sight to behold. Or how Chris Tracy when asked what did he have to say on the diamond on Sunday and he replies with “I have nothing” Putting those little bits and pieces in print as a friend told me once, this gives great depth, history and a record of what happened. The musings can always be used as a reference point for the good, the bad or the indifferent. Fads and trends come and go, but the written word is always the most useful medium for us to remember and create stories in our minds. 

Now for the hit and runs

  • Working bee this weekend. Tony “Spinner” Smith needs your help. Just an hour or two makes it all the easier for us all
  • Vic under 17’s have been rescheduled to the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August. Many hands make light work please assist. Check out the poll on Team App
  • The Doc Sean Warfe is rehabbing well, he told Line Drive he was having a hit in his cage at home and is looking at a return next year.
  • Good to see Mick Wyatt quietly slide into the club for a look over the weekend.
  • The Cowboy Cooper Bennett was spotted out in Wodonga with a lovely lady over the past few weeks. Up for a chat. Wonder if he’ll make an appearance for a catch up soon.
  • Kelsey was forced to talk to Jason Jonker and Cam Scott. His words not mine. Where is Griff?, Where is Undies? Gus King? Don’t make Dropsy talk to Cam and Jason.
  • There is one who could take the mantle of best mustache at the club from Brad Murdoch. With Undies work commitments, new player Trent Watkinson is red hot favourite to have best mo at the club. After witnessing it first-hand recently, it is very balanced.
  • Johnno “JT” Taylor has come back stronger than ever and his speed and hitting too. Great stuff JT.
  • Big thanks to those who play two games on the weekend. It is greatly appreciated.
  • Can B Grade Orange get out of the funk they currently in against the ladder leaders this weekend. It will be tough, and they are up for the challenge.
  • Training Tuesday night, Juniors Wednesday and Seniors Thursday night. Check Team app for food options A grade Mei Sato and Tetsu are putting on dinner. Let the club know if this is one for you!

Well that is about it for this edition. I do believe August edition may have a bit more depth of character analysis and shenanigans as it tends to do when it gets to this point of the season. It must have something to do with the weather improving. Again If you know how I speak, well this is just like listening to me at full throttle.

will be in correspondence soon

Go Rangers

Rounding Third By Line Drive April 2026

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello. Line Drive hopes you are all well. Welcome to the April 2026 edition of Rounding Third.

In what can only be described as glorious autumn conditions, the 2026 North Eastern Baseball Association got their season underway with all games being held at Wangaratta this past weekend. A mixed bag for the Ranger Ladies and Lads, but it was a great way to begin another big year for the club. A special mention to all the those who umpired, scored, worked the barbecues, in the canteen, set up diamonds, raked diamonds, moved dirt, and got Targoora park looking fabulous. A big thank you to Ausport for making the trip up the Hume once again, the North East Baseball community values your support of our opening round. Our next round will see all five of the Ranger sides take to the diamond at Targoora park on Sunday.

Line Drive hopes to see you there! Well, enough of the pleasantries, let’s see what has passed through the strike zone over the last four weeks.

Josh and names.

Yes that’s right, Josh Wells needs some assistance. Young Wells needs some guidance on knowing who half the Ranger playing group are. This was evident during the Ranger auction. Now as each player was auctioned off, Wells was heard multiple times saying, “Who is that?, who are they? Do they play baseball? Never heard of them!” And then proceeded to bid on them. Many of the individuals that Josh was unsure about were long time active playing members of the Rangers fraternity. Next time you head down to training, game day or just walking by Targoora Park, grab a sticker, a laundry marker and be sure to put your name on the front of your shirt, as the name on the back is not enough for young Wellsy. Or how about a photo book number 7?

High Sock Sunday returns

It was great to see the number of players on all North Eastern clubs, decide to take to the diamond with some old school get up on Sunday. There have been the long-time members of the high sock fraternity and some big time players. The number of high long sock wearers have taken the call to arms and came out with a vengeance to demonstrate that the combination of short pants and high socks, has not been consigned to the history bin. One hopes that more will think about how that can actually add some flair to the uniform with hoops, maybe a Ranger logo, the options are many and varied. Here’s to ensuring the sanctity of high socks continues for many years to come. High Sock Sunday is the vibe.

Was this a Line Drive?

Who is a fair Maiden?

Team Maiden have been busy. Not only they have taken the reins of a C grade outfit but they are always front and centre at many of the Ranger functions. This was certainly the case during player auction night where the young Isaac, “I own my brother” Maiden, got in on the act and purchased his older brother Oscar for a nice price. Line Drive has not checked the stats from Sunday’s C grade game but one might think that Isaac has got a bargain, as Oscar does lead the home run category after one game. I think mum Kate and dad Paul might have just bought Oscar on the side and, well, it is a nice investment already!

Pool’s acting masterclass

In case you have missed it (an in all fairness how could you not?) The number one FOMO individual in the club, Nathan Pool was at it again over the weekend being the main star of the Rangers social media activity. I don’t think I will go into specific to describe it but if you have been on the socials of Instagram and Facebook then you know what I am alluding to.  Pool was at his best once again for the video, and has now set the precedence for the remainder of the season? Where is he going to pop up next in full Ranger kit? One waits with trepidation….

Canteen keeps it up

Some information has come across the desk at Rounding Third, about the phenomenal effort the Ranger canteen put in over round 1 in Wangaratta. Here are the cold hard statistics from Sundays opening round:

44 Bacon and Egg rolls (nice work Candice and Owen)

144 Hot dogs and the cheese too

228 Dim sims

60 Schnitzel rolls

Close to 100 Gatorades and a few soda waters too.

A big shout out goes to all who assisted in the canteen, cooking, running errands. That is one big list!

A happy canteen customer

Stack TeamApp is here to stay.

It has been noted that many a baseball club across Victoria is taking up the use of Stack TeamApp for their clubs and their members. From Line Drive’s posts many moons ago, it was mentioned that this would be a thing, and in 2026 it has become the main way for all of your Ranger news, availability, team lists and everything else. The new merchandise shop is located through the app (not the website yet) and the new merch designs will get you, the Ranger faithful, looking sharp once more in 2026. The first lot of orders close on August 28th so check out Stack, look for Wangaratta Rangers, all of it is there!

Future looks Bright for NEBA

It was wonderful to see the number of Junior ball players taking the diamond again or for the very first time. Rangers President Nathan Pool mused to Line Drive that there were six under 12 sides across the association, and around 90 kids playing in that age bracket. Not to mention the under 15’s, and many Juniors now stepping up to C grade, and then those filtering up into B grade and then into the A grade sides. Full credit must go to the North Eastern Baseball Association and it’s clubs, for working hard for Junior baseball and giving the players pathways moving forward.

Now for some infield singles

  • Great job KK Pool on the roster and those who have jumped in for the upcoming weekend of Ranger Baseball at Targoora Park.
  • Good to see Ross, “Rossco” Johnson at the practice game a couple of weeks back. Rossco is ready to play when work commitments don’t get in the way, and it’s great to have him back.
  • Rob, “Butts” Seymour gourmet journey of Victoria continues. The seagull can find a good meal in the most unusual places!
  • The tin returns. Chief Orange scorer Jamie King has a rather large tin for all the usual indiscretions for season 2026. More information to follow.
  • Wellsy’s 45’s lotto continues and one thinks some numbers are just not in the draw. Well the odds of winning lotto are 1 in 92 million or more or something like that! But that’s still a chance! So is this…..
  • Good to see Rob and Kev Barbour enjoying the baseball on Sunday. Line Drive always enjoys his chat to these two Ranger Baseball stalwarts.
  • “Don’t delete me from the chat,” were Mick Wyatt’s words. If you know you know!
  • It is fantastic to see Ranger baseball on friends’ social feeds and those watching the Juniors for the first time. Line Drive is pleased that there are a few Juniors from Yarrawonga making the trip over!
  • Johnno, “JT” Taylor is back in the Ranger fold. Welcome back Johnno.
  • When will we see “The Cowboy” Cooper Bennett? Many down at the Ranch are asking about his recovery and if he could make an appearance in the near future.
  • Thanks to Michael, “Bill” Clear for wondering when the next edition was being written. It helps Line Drive get motivated to get it out to those who enjoy a read.
  • Training Wednesday Juniors, Thursday Seniors. Dinner is available Thursday night. Get down to Targoora Park, do some work, turn the corner.
  • Grounds are in amazing condition with so little rain. Tony, “Spinner” Smith and crew have got them absolutely mickey mouse. Thanks team!
  • Keep looking for those Big Cods in the River, Tanner Godenzi.
  • For the fixture and all the other news, the social media gurus will have all your information!

Line Drive will leave it there. Thanks for taking the time to read, digest, smile, cringe or ponder…did that really happen?

Till next time,

Go Rangers!

apologies I cannot remember who took the photo

Rounding Third By Line Drive March 2026

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome again to the March 2026 edition of Rounding Third. Line Drive has been out and about over the past four months, but has finally been cornered and told to sit still and write the first edition for the year of 2026. It has been one hot and dry summer around the diamonds of the North East, with many a Ranger going their own way and seeing one another sparingly. This edition will be a shorter one in nature, but just one to say “Hey! Line Drive is not done yet!” So let’s get to some half-truths, and some interesting observations of what has been going on.

Rangers see the light

It was great to see on recent social posts that the lighting upgrade of Targoora Park has begun over the past couple of weeks. This has been a big step forward for the club and has many an excited committee member posting whether they would like a night or a day match (or both!) The older ones would be happy to play under lights, but it might be left up to the younger brigade with better eyesight! One idea is to make sure we get an optometrist to sponsor the club since many have lamented their eyesight. Just one to keep an ‘eye’ out for going forward.

Cods preview 2026

This year the Cods will be returning to the diamonds of Ballarat as part of the Victorian Masters championships. They will be playing the 35B division. This is about the level the Cods are comfortable with, as we all do know that those who have read past reviews of this tournament love to have a good time. This year it looks like many of the veterans of Cods are returning for another run around, with a couple of younger members being added to the fold. The Ranger contingent consisting of Nambrok crescent royalty, Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder, Kyle, “Thrillmore” Gilmore and Brad, “Undies” Murdoch who are all ready to show Ballarat what they are made of. King Cod and all round organiser Nathan, “FOMO” Pool, has added players from Wodonga, with the usual suspects of Ash, “only pitch on day 4” Meyers, and Michael, “Bill” Clear. Joining them is the one and only Fraser Chadwick! Cods have been keen to get Fraser to come for the past few years, but had that pesky age issue in his way! That has now been cleared and Frase is ready to join his North East Cod mates on a weekend full of laughs, some good, better as well as some very interesting baseball! Welcome to the collective Fraser. Look for Line Drive for updates as the weekend progresses, as Line Drive does enjoy telling a story or two about how The Cods go on their annual trip to Ballarat. Who will play well? Who will get sun burnt? Will anyone do a Rob, “Duke Kaboom” Seymour or Brendan, “Camma” Cameron off a scooter? Does Jason Jonker stay the entire weekend and get some sun on his legs? So many questions that could be answered in the final weekend of March 2026.

Cods fixture

Thursday 26th the March Cods vs Tip Rats 4-6:30pm

Friday 27th March Cods vs Vikings 8-9:30am

Friday 27th March Cods vs Bald Eagles 9:45-11:15am

Saturday 28th March Cods vs Bendigo Dragons 3:15-4:45pm

Line Drive will be present and keeping you up to date with how the men are going both on and off the diamond. He is sure it will be a good weekend.

Undies declares his intentions

Overheard during warm up over the week, the man of sideburns, Brad ‘Undies’ Murdoch, has declared his intention and ambition to go after the Pufferfish award for best Cod in Ballarat. This is a bold strategy by Undies, as there are plenty of old Cods who have tried this approach. Rumour has it someone tried to jump into a pool while covered just to win. Undies, Line Drive likes the confidence but it will be an elite field in 2026. You might need to lean on both Kelsey, ‘Dropsy’ Burder and Daniel, “Chef” Griffin to help you over the line.

KK travelling the Hume

A big shoutout goes to those who have travelled back and forth each weekend to play summer baseball in Melbourne. One would think that a club this side of the city would be in exist, but heading out to the Bayside suburbs makes the drive all much the more involved.However, from all reports KK has very much enjoyed her time playing in the Panther colours over the past summer season, not to mention the choice of catchers gear was rather striking against the uniform. If you know KK, she is definitely one to stand out on the diamond!

Come and try Baseball

Over the month of February, the guys and gals of Wangaratta Rangers Baseball have been very busy running ‘Come and Try’ sessions on Thursday nights out at the Ranger dome. Line Drive went along to see what the hype was all about. There was hype, there were kids, excitement, baseball and a couple who could throw really, really hard! The Rangers committee have put in so much time, resources and effort, to make the Juniors comp sustainable. Seeing both young and old there recently made this long time baseball correspondent quite chuffed. With the recent announcements by the club, one hopes it will continue to grown baseball in Wangaratta and the broader NEBA community.

Let’s make a deal

The chat around the clubrooms on Thursday nights, turned to the flickering lights and how we could turn it into a nightclub. One remarked, it would be good if we had an electrician in the club so we could fix that. Cam, ‘The Soak’ Scott asked Kelsey Burder to hit the light with his bat, and Dropsy replied, “I’d miss that too.” Now back to the original idea. How about a trade period in the NEBA for jobs you need around a club. Club Coach, Owen Godenzi was all in for this idea as he was especially happy to give up a teacher or two who cannot run or throw for an electrician to help rewire Targoora Park. The Rangers might need to sweeten the deal by giving the club the player goes to, some re-numeration. Good idea? Or just do what everyone else does? Pay someone to fix it.

Let’s drop a few bunts down

  • Tetsu nice new Oakley eyewear.
  • O photos in this one. Line Drive has been a bit slack on the camera! Check out the socials for photos.
  • Grounds look grouse. Credit to Tony, ‘Spinner’ Smith for getting diamond one looking lush in difficult dry conditions. Now with the rain arriving they probably could do with a mow!
  • Facilities upgrade. Female toilets are getting an overdue freshen up, if you can help out next few weeks to finish them off watch this space.
  • The links to registration have opened check out the Team App for more details
  • Rangers 45 clubs are up and running. If you want to be involved see Dan Wells for more details. If you are involved please make sure you pay your tickets!
  • Be sure to make it down to training with Juniors and Seniors now in full swing. Line Drive was impressed with the numbers and the work rate this early in the season. If you cannot make it or are planning to play, please let our Coaches know. Let’s take the guess work out of it all.
  • Thanks to those who assisted with the working bee over the past couple of weeks. Your work is much appreciated.
  • Seen the profile pieces on the socials? Some license in there indeed. Good promotion. You won’t see Line Drives head there in any of them!

Well that’s it. It has been a busy time in the North East. But look to the next few weeks for Line Drive to return with some momentum and more importantly stories, no matter how factual or infactual for you to read. Look for Line Drive around Ballarat, he is looking forward to catching up with you. Thanks for reading and till next time…….

Go Rangers!

Rounding Third by Line Drive July 1st 2025

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the June/July edition of Rounding Third. The North Eastern Baseball Association season is well over half way completed, with the next few weeks very busy for our representative sides. It was another massive weekend down at Targoora park Wangaratta, where the entire round was played over the past weekend. It was typical cold north eastern winter weather. Grey foggy conditions greeted the players, supporters and volunteers on Sunday morning. Lucky there was some great baseball played in the morning, that lifted the fog for the rest of the day. Senior results for Wangaratta were as follows:

C grade lost to the Bears

B Grade Black defeated the Bears

A Grade Black defeated the Bears

B Grade Orange got the win over Wodonga Warriors

A Grade Orange also got the win late over Wodonga Warriors

More information of the scores and so forth are available from the excellent IT team down at Wangaratta. As usual if Line Drive makes any errors, then it is an error. But Line Drive deals in the  stretching of the truth.

Let’s now see who has made the edit in this week’s edition…

Winter time blues

Year in and year out, it does not ever change. June and early July have always been the most difficult weeks to field sides in, no matter what sport you play. Baseball is no different. From jet setters looking for warmer exotic climates, to the annual pilgrimage toward the northern states, as well as just life getting in the way of baseball, some players have been unavailable for one or two games. It has placed the Ranger roster under a little duress at times, but each week, Coach Owen Godenzi and his merry band of helpers have navigated their way through. A big thanks goes to those players out there who may have done double duty on a weekend, and there are a few. But with that comes more chance to play and get up to speed quicker too. Line Drive knows who you are and from their point of view they are very grateful. Here’s to the run into finals getting a bit easier for all involved.

Pronger’s new name

A long time favourite of Line Drive is the man we all know as ‘Pronger’. Sean Whiteman rolled into the B Grade Orange game unannounced on Sunday down on diamond two. This pleased the coach Kelsey “Marathon Man” Burder, as now he had an extra player at his disposal. The issue is that Pronger can be quite injury prone on diamond two. This lead to a few players thinking his name could remove the “g” and become known as “prone” to injury. After a little bit of dicey base running “Proner” got through the game unscathed. Well almost unscathed. He was quick to leave after the game after being picked off at 3rd base! Just to avoid the fine.

Traveling man

It has come across the desk at the office of Rounding Third, that there is one player who just loves to play, and the tyranny of distance is not a hurdle. New to the Rangers this year is one, Alex, “Traveling man” Williams. Williams is not new to the sport, having played the past few years with Benalla, but with no Benalla team, Alex chose to continue to ply his developing game with the Rangers. So far this year he has been a star. He has often doubled up to help out the Ranger cause. From throwing in Dropsy Burders Orange side and then with A grade Orange.

This was the case again on Sunday where Williams got the chance to show off his prowess as an outfielder.  He flashed the leather and fired the cannon of his arm by throwing a runner out at the plate from left field on two bounces. A very solid day of baseball all round from The Traveling Man.

Burder relays the “extra” mile

It has come to Line Drive’s attention that Rangers legend and all round good guy Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder, has taken up running. This doesn’t sound revolutionary as many people decide that they like to run, but Dropsy has taken to the sport of what is known as the ‘Beer Mile’. Basically, for those who are not sure what this involves, it means after each lap of a 400 metre track you are to consume a beer and then do another lap. In other words, 1600 metres of running with four beers dispersed throughout the run. His coaching team lead by Brad, “Undies” Murdoch, were there to make sure Burder was hydrated and ready to run. Coupled with his tracksuit, Burder definitely looked the part. This is the direct quote from the coach about Dropsy’s athletic prowess…

“Yeah went pretty well, was pretty cold but we drank ourselves a blanket, Kelsey ran well, he was set up as the anchor and ran last in the relay leg, to everyone else It was a 400m lap but to Kels  was a 100m sprint and his lap time was up there with the best on the evening. We came 5th out of 7, completing our task of not coming last” Brad Murdoch.

Kelsey Burder Beer mile
Coach Murdoch was most pleased

Great job team. Now to put that teamwork to make the dream work on the baseball diamond.

The Bestie at it

As mentioned in past editions, Shannon, “Bestie” Whiting, was down at Targoora Park trying to get his Wodonga Warriors over the line. Bestie had the usual repertoire of comments, sledges and all round pestering. One of his best was aimed at the bronzed Nathan “Nathos” Pool who has been sunning himself around the Mediterranean during June. “Nathan, I have not seen you out in centre field in 20 years. Are you lost?” (sic) Cam, “The Soak” Scott overheard the exchange as he wandered off at the change of inning and remarked “Not on diamond two at least. You’re right in that regard!” Good banter once more. The way it always should be.

Great to Strut

It was great to see on the socials of the North Eastern Baseball Association, that Strut Baseball ran a session for the emerging ball players in Wangaratta over the past weekend. A great take up of 40 young players took to Wangaratta diamonds under the watchful eyes of some of the best from Strut Baseball. From all reports and commentary, it was an extremely worthwhile exercise, with both players and coaches alike from across the clubs getting valuable insight and ways to improve their performances at their respective clubs. A big shout out to all those who took their time out of the weekend to attend and take their baseball to the next level.

Rangers turn 25.

Put it in your calendars if wish to have a day out watching baseball, and celebrating the fact that Wangaratta Rangers Baseball turns 25. Over the course of the day, all Rangers sides will be playing against one another, followed by a dinner catered by everyone’s favourite slow cook maestro Daniel, “Set it out” Griffin. There will be a collection of other offerings and one thing is for sure, Griff caters for all tastes and dietary requirements.

There will be a club photo taken during the day. This will be probably earlier rather than later as the club would love as many junior players to be part of the photo as possible.

Rangers seniors, please make sure you are available even if you are a bit sore to come together and celebrate, laugh, share memories and thank everyone for keeping the baseball story alive in Wangaratta. A ‘Quarter Century’ team will be announced on the day. Line Drive is pondering who will be in Rangers best 9 plus bench. Come along to Targoora Park on Sunday the 27th of July to catch up and find out.

Rolling the sleeves up and getting it done

Special mention goes out to the myriad of Rangers being players, parents, and people who are just around the club this season. It has been the biggest one yet with the number of games being held in Wangaratta for the season, and it has been fabulous that we have members willing to put their hand up and do their part. It has been great to see that the volunteer of the week is getting a run on the social platforms and we thank all of you out there for rolling the sleeves up and chipping in where needed. Line Drive knows the president and the committee really appreciate the assistance.

This is all straight out of left field!

  • Mei Sato likes to keep the fire burning. When not playing, Mei was happily tending to her fire pit. This was before and after the game see the before and after images!
  • Do some cleaning up, just throw those sticks on the fire as you go past Paul Maiden!
  • “That is some write up Line Drive does, always worth a read” a direct quote from a younger player Heath, “Bring the heat” French. Maybe there is still a place for the written word after all.
  • Meat tray winners this week were those who worked in the canteen late in the day, Dan and Matt. Nice work you two. Or is this too much coincidence of coercion?
  • Trip away theme this year is tracksuits to Canberra. A personal favourite of Undies Murdoch right? Cash is King!
  • Always have the right under garments on while you play Cooper Bennett!
  • Bunts gets the win. Shout out to Brendon French for dropping the game breaking bunt for Rangers Orange when called on at a pinch late in the game.
  • Welcome back to Cam “The Soak” Scott. He was overheard to say, “Yeah, O found me”
  • Tough hard fought win by Rangers Black over Bears. From the sounds coming from Line Drives position it was one arm wrestle of a match. Credit to all involved on both sides of the result.
  • Who left without paying their donations to the trip away fund? Those who know and go, know who you are! Tetsu even paid his dues for slip up at short stop! Long stops in next time.
  • Dan Wells is after you for the 45 club. Go find him as part of a small syndicate of people and you could win! A few places left, and if you are outside the club just send us a message on the socials to be part of it.
  • New jerseys are available and for a great price (if you have ordered one) it is yours. See the friendly people at training or on the weekend to get yours.
  • Dinner on Wednesday 2nd July, is brought to you by Rangers Orange B grade. Chef Kelsey is in the house this week. Get around him
  • Reminder that playing subs are now due. Please see a member of committee to sort this out.
  • Working bee reminders, always looking for those who have a spare little time to help out. Next one is Saturday 5th July…
  • Junior carnival coming up in July 12 and 13, so many hands make light work.
On the slow burn
Stay warm Mei

Another massive edition. Line Drive will be seeing you good folk soon. Stay warm and as always,

Go Rangers….

Rounding Third by Line Drive August 2024

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Rounding Third. It has been a little while since Line Drive has run his eye over the goings on in the North Eastern Baseball Association.

However over the past weekend, he was able to ride on out to the Ranger dome and catch up with some new, and many old faces who have been on the end of a bit of light hearted banter over the years in this little bit of writing.

This year the social media game has certainly gone up a notch which has been sensational for the clubs exposure. It’s been looking pretty schmick.

A big shout out goes to Rangers Grey who have been just out of luck most of this season. However they gritted their teeth yesterday and finished off the season with a walk off win over Bears Gold in A grade. It was fitting that Rob, “Butts” Seymour was the winning run across the plate. Great work ladies and gents.

A Grade grey season finished on a winning note. What is Kelsey looking at?

Next week sees the start of finals with the Rangers being represented across numerous grades. It is Grand Final weekend for the juniors too. The under 15’s will be playing Wodonga in the Grand final. Games to be played out at Targoora Park in Wangaratta. A BIG Sunday coming up this Father’s Day.

Line Drive will leave all other correspondence to the wonderful IT gurus we have at Wangaratta and the North Eastern Baseball Association. He is returning to his traditional values, with a bit of sass and some tongue in cheek observations of the varying individuals who play in the Orange,  Black (and Grey) of the Wangaratta Rangers. 

Now with all of that out of the way, what has been going on?

Soaks rambling dribble returns

Not much has been seen of Line Drive’s good friend Cam “The Soak” Scott over the 2024 season. Many have reported the diamonds have been much quieter, and let’s be honest, much more refined. On Sunday just gone, The Soak rode in to Ranger land to support his brothers and sisters of the Rangers with what many of you may know as his own unique approach to ‘talking it up’  Ably assisted by some current Rangers, Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker and past Ranger,

Scott “#Jenkoselbow” Jenkins, The Soak decided to run his mouth at Rangers B Grade vs Wodonga Warriors B Grade. First target. B grade “Skipper” Mick Wyatt, who had decided to take his turn on the pitchers rubber.

The Soak was in one of his upbeat weird kind of moods and he was choosing chaos.

“I’ve ridden down here just to watch you pitch number 11” Wyatt the chose to spike the next pitch into the dirt, and his next remark was “Shut up Cam!” When asked later about his grumpy outburst, Mick clarified that he was attempting not to laugh at what had been said.

With that in mind, many others in the B Grade dugout got a little bit of the bizarre inner workings of The Soaks mind too.

Another target was Paul, “6 dots” Maiden. Cam thought that one was pretty clever, however a little too clever for young Mikayla, “I find Line Drive boring” Jonker, where both Jenko and Cam had to explain the reference. Once explained, Mikayla doubled down on her dislike for cricket. Sadly still, the reference was lost. Sometimes, the banter is a little too refined and obscure and that is the way Cam likes it.

Peruzzo and his new veneers.

In between explaining obscure references to younger members of the side, The Soak turned his attention to Steve, “Fernando” Peruzzo and his nice looking veneers. It has been a while since Fernando has had a full smile, but they were certainly on show On Sunday. Cam asked Dan Wells if he should mention Fernando’s great, new looking chompers, and Dan was all in for it.

When mentioned, all Fernando did was well….smile.

Murdoch’s Moustache masterclass

Brad, “Undies” Murdoc, has been many things to many people over the years at Wangaratta. A great club person, knock around bloke, a great dancer to the odd midnight oil song, but one thing that is underestimated is the majestic nature of his upper lip. The Rangers do have a few great beards, but only one true superstar moustache. Undies owns that. The man of great beard, Scott Jenkins, did a little bit of commentary on the true style of Murdoch’s mo.

“Best tache in the Association” Jenko said…..It’s hard to argue with that commentary Jenko.

 It was also noted that Matt, “The Colonel” Sanders top lip is also looking nice and full of hair follicles too. Maybe Murdoch’s mo mantel is under threat in B grade? Watch this space for updates.

Dropsy’s new trick

It was duly noticed on the weekend, during the Rangers Grey vs Bears Gold game on diamond 1 that Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder has a new trick. Early on in the game, Burder surprised those watching by throwing his catchers helmet at the batter. Kyle Gilmore was even impressed as this was a new skill Burder has built into his repertoire this season. Dropsy no more? Never.

Always be Dropsy!

Mei see you around!

Mei Sato has really enjoyed her return to the diamond in season 2024. She is at every training and always looking for ways to improve. Mei had become ever reliable for the Wangaratta Grey in season 2024. Mei has filled a variety of positions over the season and under the watchful eye of Tesuya “Tets” Kamiyama, the improvement has been excellent. Mei was quoted as hoping the season was continuing. It’s always great to have positive up beat individuals like Mei involved at the club.

KK. The new queen of all things Rangers

Once just the domain of Line Drive, this year has seen many others take on small roles and responsibilities around getting information into the public domain. From creating many of the week to week posts on Instagram and Facebook, Mikayla “KK” Pool has turned her hand to the podcast world as guest host. From all reports, this has been well received as KK has basically threatened the playing group into listening to it. The players have responded by always having a a listen and giving it a like. If you would too would like to have a listen at what KK is producing, head over to the Wangaratta rangers Facebook page or look for it on Spotify or whatever podcast app you use.

What’s my name again?

It has come to Line Drive’s attention that a couple of the Godenzi’s like to mix names up.

Tanner Godenzi has a habit of calling Cam Scott Mick Wyatt, and Owen made a habit of calling Oscar Maiden “Issac”. It’s alright, Cam also gets Campbell a lot too. Coincidence?

Presentation time.

Line Drive may have had a little bit of a quieter year, but the club certainly has not. Games at Targoora park each week, to junior representative carnivals to social nights. The Rangers have certainly had a full plate in season 2024. Silver circle once again was a great night along with Junior Rangers movie night and now the upcoming presentation evening.

Leader of many, Owen “O” Godenzi was having a conversation with the young travellers from Melbourne and comparing presentation nights with their respective clubs. It was mentioned that this could be the biggest yet. Friday the 13th of September Wangaratta Turf Club is the venue. Food and entertainment is on the cards. Maybe a birthday song for the president too. Make sure you get your tickets. It is sure the be a great night.

Happy trails Ryan Kenny

Safe travels back home to treasurer Ryan, “Mr Canada” Kenny who has headed back to the northern hemisphere and home to Canada. Kenny managed a farewell appearance at a Rangers function over the Kings birthday weekend in June before relocating. True to form Kenny put in a big effort. Last to bed and was the first to rise from his swag. Rumour has it he was pretty happy the Rangers don’t have too many functions as they just always seem to be epic. That’s the Ranger way. Hope you have a read of this Ryan. You will be missed.

Anyone seen Old School?

Shaun “Old School” O’Neil got a little bit jumpy seeing Line Drive on Sunday. He was that jumpy that he decided to be named on the bench. “You can’t put me in there for anything this week!” However, true to Line Drive form, a special mention to Old School. Keep being you Old School.

Now onto the club stuff

Finals this weekend Sunday at Targoora Park. Murdoch road Wangaratta

Check out K.K’s podcast on Spotify. “you better” not my words, they are KK’s!

Training Wednesday from 6pm for Seniors

Presentation Night, Friday 13th of September at Wangaratta Turf Club. Tickets are available through the Rangers Facebook page.

C grade Rangers play Wodonga.

B grade  Rangers play Wodonga.

A grade Rangers Black play Bears Gold

That’s enough from me. Yes it is the old school way of doing things, but sometimes just writing it is a little bit easier and therapeutic for this scribe. Line Drive will be back again in the near future. Good luck to all this coming weekend for their finals no matter where you are reading from.

Have a great Fathers day out there. Miss you Dad.

Till then thanks for reading and….. just thought I would add another photo of Rangers Grey. Thanks to Mei Sato!

Some are the consummate professional for photos aren’t they!.

Go Rangers.

Rounding Third By Line Drive April 2024

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello there! Yes I’m back! The baseball tales from the North East of Victoria no one asked for, but you are aways here to read! It has been a while since the musings of Line Drive has been put down on paper. It was time to step away from the deck of the local cricket club and its unique blend of characters, and return to safe territory. It is time to place the spotlight back on the eclectic individuals who all come together to play under one banner. One club. The Wangaratta Rangers. It has been a great off season for many, so let’s get you up to speed with the goings on around Wangaratta and beyond.

Azza ties the knot

A massive congratulations goes out to Aaron “Azza” Parker who got married in the past couple of weeks to the lovely Kate. From all of us at the Rangers, we wish you a lifetime of happiness! Love your work #5!

Cods 2024

The start of the new baseball season brings together some of the older heads of the association, who combine their considerable talents into the one entity called The Cods. It has been a very quiet summer for The Cods with many being rather busy with other commitments. However, The Cods have been able to put a side together again this year, so they can see how good they ‘used to be,’ in the Victorian Masters Baseball championships, being held in Ballarat from the 5th to the 7th of April. Big Cod Nathan “FOMO” Pool has once again done the heavy lifting getting a place to rest some weary cod heads organised. There are a few new Codlings attending this year with some particular Rangers FINALLY being the right age now. Look for Daniel “The Griff” Griffin to put in a good display along with long time tailgater Brad “Undies” Murdoch, stepping up to be full Cod players. Not to mention Cod legends Ash Meyers and Damon Barker once again showing off their talents on the diamond in Ballarat. The Pufferfish award to the best Cod for the weekend is wide open, with some unavailabilities limiting the field. Line Drive is back in attendance after travelling the world last time around in 2023. Good luck gentlemen!

Driving the Hume.

It has been a big summer for a few families in the North East. After a very successful winter season in 2023, a clutch of Wangaratta Juniors thought they would play and refine their already considerable skills in different settings. Some headed off for Melbourne while others headed up to Albury to play in the Albury Wodonga Softball Association. Now with training back in full swing, it is definitely noticeable to Line Drive the confidence that this has brought to many of the younger players. This places them and the club in a good position for a great winter season in 2024. It is really pleasing to see this happening and full credit to parents, guardians, coaches, umpires and whoever else assisted in their development as ball players.

Juniors ready to go

Season 2024 is rapidly approaching. It has been a busy month down at “The Ranch”. The juniors are being put through their paces under the guidance of Under 12s coach, Daniel Wells and Under 15s coach, Nathan Pool. The numbers have been impressive in both junior grades coming off the back of a successful month of ‘come and try’ days. The club has decided to enter two Under 12s and two Under 15s teams into the winter comp for 2024. One of the Under 15s will be merged with the Benalla Bandits. If you are still interested come on down on Wednesday from 5pm to have a look and a throw.

New players a plenty

Another season approaches and it was time to find the baseball gear and head to training. The weather has been warm, training in natural light is something of an oddity. However, it has been worth the drive over to Wangaratta to see so many new and returning faces to the Wangaratta Rangers. Many have come off a season of softball over the summer time, while others have just heard about us and thought they would come down for a run around. It has been great. This scribe has a lot of names to learn and remember over the coming weeks of the season. Welcome to all, it’s wonderful to have you be a part of a great club.

Hitting the Gym

Line Drive has heard that a certain Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder has been hitting the gym in readiness for the upcoming season. This comes as a surprise to many that Kelsey has decided that NOW is the time to hit the weights. Maybe he is getting ready for the dancefloors of Ballarat? However it seems to have come at a cost. Poor Kelsey has been battling a bit of sickness the past couple of weeks. Coincidence? One wonders. Hope you’re feeling better Kelsey.

Trivia time

The Wangaratta Rangers is holding a trivia night on Friday the 19th of April which is to be held at the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Softball club located on Murdoch Road. Tickets can be bought via the Wangaratta Rangers Facebook page by clicking on the link below. It is sure to be a brilliant night for the club, however there will be a couple of noticeable absences with trivia masters, Line Drive and his wife being in Melbourne that night….. This does open up doors for another trivia master to take the helm and be awarded as the coveted champion of Targoora Park!! Congratulations to the ‘Cool Committee’ on arranging a ripper evening. Hannah Clancy and co have been working very hard!

Wangaratta Rangers Trivia April 19th 2024

Din Dins A doo dah

Training dinners will be back in full swing after training the week before the start of the season. This means there will be dinner on Wednesday 17th of April to be prepared by gourmet chef Aaron “Azza” Parker. Azza has kindly volunteered to cook the first week, and each week following will be on a volunteer basis. For those who are reading Rounding Third for the first time, then the deal is simple. Let us know if you are keen in partaking in dinner. And then for $10 you get a great feed and your first drink. A great way to sit down and have a chat after a good run around on the diamond. Line Drive is very appreciative of dinner at the club as much nicer eating at 7:30pm instead of 9pm! Please approach your coach if you would like to volunteer one week and whip up a feast for the masses after training.

Doing the groundwork.

A big shout out goes to the members of the club who have put in the hours over the summer time to continue to upgrade the diamond and surrounds at Targoora park. Just last week the running track from home to first and home to third have been completed. Not to mention a layer of sand that has been spread over the outfield filling in some of the lower spots. The ground is looking in good shape moving forward and that is a testament to many members of the club over the years.

Now onto the club stuff

  • Junior training Wednesday nights from 5pm at Targoora Park Wangaratta. All are welcome!
  • Seniors training this week is brought to you by Rob “Butts” Seymour and Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker. Be out on the field at 6pm ready to go.
  • First dinner will be the 17th of April. Thanks Azza.
  • Registrations are open and ready to go for the upcoming season. Check the Rangers player chat and the website (TBA) to register for the season. It is an easy process and quick too!
  • Trivia night Friday 19th April at the clubrooms- buy your tickets on Rangers Facebook page!
  • Good luck Cods for the weekend.

Anyhow, it is nice to be back, writing and bantering with you about the Rangers. Welcome to new readers and those who just like the musings of a rather average ball player. Much more will follow this upcoming season. So as per usual, spread the word, share and like.

Have a good week and…..

Go Rangers!

Rounding Third By Line Drive July 2023

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the July edition of Rounding Third. The season has been ticking along albeit in a stop start manner. This is due to weather, many a junior carnival and being the depths of winter in the North East, where many are looking to escape to warmer locations. Despite all of this, there was some baseball played over the weekend in Benalla and Wodonga respectively. Here are the results from Sunday 16th of July.

Under 12’s Rangers 11 lost to Wodonga Warriors 22.

Under 15’s Rangers 12 defeated Wodonga Warriors 6

C Grade Rangers 6 lost to Wodonga Warriors 11

B Grade Rangers Grey 15 defeated Benalla Bandits 8

B Grade Rangers Orange 19 defeated Wodonga Warriors 3

A Grade Rangers 15 defeated Wodonga Warriors 4

A big thank you to the hospitality of both Wodonga and Benalla respectively. Both grounds were in great condition, and from first hand experience, the Wodonga canteen was excellent. A big shout out to those who travelled to watch us play. It is much appreciated by all.

Now what else has been happening? In a word, heaps!

North East juniors represent.

At the beginning of July, the North Eastern Baseball Association headed over to Bendigo to play in the Under 14 Victorian Winter Baseball championships. In this case the North East were able to send not just the one side, but TWO sides to participate over the weekend. In a first for the association, North East were able to send a stand alone girls side to participate in Baseball Victoria’s all girls Winter Invitational. Line Drive must mention that the North East were the ONLY association who were able to put an all girls side together. On the Saturday the girls aged 11 to 17 got to play as North East, where on the Sunday, all the girls were mixed into the other Baseball Victoria Girls sides from throughout Melbourne. From all reports it was a hugely successful weekend with both boys and girls sides, learning a heap and playing very good baseball.

With thanks to Field of View sports photography

Over the past weekend North East headed off to Werribee as it was the under 12’s turn to test themselves against the other associations from around the state. They finished a very creditable 3rd overall in pool two with 2 wins and 3 losses for the tournament.

It has only been a few short years since the association took the plunge and relaunched the junior competition. In such a short span of time, the North East has been able to send a side away for all of the junior carnivals. Putting a girls invitational side together is fantastic for the growth of the game in the North East. One that every club should be certainly proud of. The next challenge for all of us in the baseball community is to continue to grow the game and gain opportunities and exposure for all our talented juniors. Line Drive has been talking this great game up for a long time. Now it’s up to the each one of us, young and old to keep the momentum up and show that we have a presence and a place in the communities of Albury, Benalla, Porepunkah, Wangaratta and Wodonga.

Get well Keith Quinn

a shout out to a great baseball/softball person Keith Quinn who had a bit of bad luck over the under 14 weekend in Bendigo. From all reports Quinny is on the mend. Hope to see you again at the local diamond Quinny.

Tetsu did what?????

Over a long, long period of time, Tetsu Kamiyama has had the reputation of being one if not the best import ever to play in the North Eastern Baseball Association. He has hit many a home run, turned dozens of double plays and thrown countless runners out with those slick soft hands of his. Last weekend in Wodonga Line Drive witnessed something that he has never seen before from the little master. A dropped ball on a tag play to second base. The play was executed to perfection by catcher Aaron Parker and pitcher Nathan Pool, who threw a perfect throw to Tets. All Tets needed to do was catch the ball and tag Jesse Griffiths, who all but given up getting back to second base. However, Tets dropped the ball! Much to the surprise of all on the diamond, both dugouts, spectators, scorers, and even people walking past the ground. Some cars even slowed down to see what the commotion was about. Never mind Tets. It happens to all of us from time to time. Better pay the tin on Wednesday night number 9.

Got the tricks here Tets! Photo courtesy of Lauren Grenfell.

Lucky ticket is a week away

The 2023 Rangers Lucky Ticket draw is on again on Saturday 29th of July. It is the one big function we have each year and it would be great for all to get behind it. From selling some tickets to helping out on the night, every little bit helps. Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder has done a power of work again to get the night up an running, and from those who have been before, it is always a great night. Tickets are $25 and drop the club a message if you are looking for a ticket.

Kelsey OMG!

It is hard enough to hit a moving ball. As mentioned above, it is very hard to catch a moving ball. However Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder has out done himself once again. Dropsy was his usual laconic self behind the plate, even throwing out a runner or two. However he saved his best work for in the batters box. At one point while a pitch was coming towards the plate. Kelsey let out a rather audible OMG! and in the next movement, he proceeded to hit the ball! A very interesting skill to demonstrate there Dropsy. One thing is for sure, you never cease to surprise us all at the Rangers.

Look up! Photo courtesy of Lauren Grenfell

The Soak a threat on the base paths

Well not really. If you have seen how Line Drive’s good mate Cam “The Soak” Scott runs it is no where near lightning pace. However a little useless stat for you people who like all things statistics, it may be the most bases The Soak has swiped in over 15 years! How many you may be wondering? The answer is two. Note this information has no real fact in it. Line Drive just though it would be of some interest to those who have known Cam over the years and knows how he runs! In a word, Poorly.

Sunday dinner at the Town and Country

Don’t forget after the games against Porepunkah on Sunday that the club head to our great sponsor the Old Town and Country Tavern for dinner. From a report which came across Line Drive’s desk over the weekend, the last one was the biggest one for the season. More surprisingly this was after all games were cancelled in Wangaratta due to the state of the grounds! Maybe see you there for dinner on Sunday.

The Club is the sum of its members

Again the weather has played havoc on the fixture, with grounds being waterlogged hampering the ability to get continuity into the season. All clubs throughout the association work very hard behind the scenes week in and week out to get their diamonds prepared and playable. All volunteer time and money from the clubs own pockets. If you have been down to Wangaratta recently, you can see a home run fence, and off diamond pitching area has been completed. Also to mention the undercover area in front of diamond one and the extension of fences on diamonds two and three. The club is only as strong as all of you who give up your time to help out after work on week days and the weekends. Remember when it’s your turn to help out, just get in and get it done. By doing that one little bit makes the club run all the more smoothly.

Late in the day vibes at Wodonga July 16th 2023 Photo Lauren Grenfell

Now onto the club stuff

Rangers welcome Porepunkah Panthers Sunday Targoora Park

Rangers Orange vs Benalla at Benalla.

Lucky Ticket July 29th

After home games dinner at Old Town and Country Tavern.

Training from 6pm Wednesday. Dinner next week brought to you by B grade.

If it reads a little different this week, Line Drive’s proof reader is having a break this week. Please like and share.

Till next time.

Go Rangers

Rounding Third by Line Drive June 2023

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to another monthly installment of Rounding Third. It has been a busy six weeks since the last edition. The weather has turned for the colder and many a player in the North East certainly felt that over the past weekend.

The many characters of Wangaratta ventured up to the picturesque Ovens Valley to a winter time Porepunkah. It was a big day of baseball in very wintry and slippery conditions, but all players who braved the conditions equipped themselves exceptionally well. 

C-grade were thereabouts once again, with a win just around the corner one feels. In B-grade it was an old school day, where it was a real team effort to get the win. A complete masterpiece from the veteran, Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker helped be the anchor for the Orange men.

In A-grade, a stellar outing on the pitching rubber from Aaron Parker, and plenty of hitting especially from a returning Ross Johnson and Brendan “CammaaaaaH” Cameron, saw Rangers grind out a win against the Panthers. 

This week, is a week off with the under 18’s winter championship being held in Wangaratta. Let’s hope the weather improves over the week. What else is news?

Results from Sunday June 19th

Below are the results from all teams Sunday June 19th 2023

Under 12’s

Rangers 18 defeated Porepunkah 17

Under 15’s

Rangers 7 defeated Porepunkah 2

C grade

Porepunkah 10 defeated Rangers 5

B grade

Rangers Orange 20 defeated Porepunkah 3

Rangers Grey Washout

A Grade

Rangers 16 defeated Porepunkah 1

A great week from all at Wangaratta. Special mention goes out to Josh Wells, who is the current owner of the Ranger homerun hat in under 15’s. How about that score in the under 12’s game!? A fantastic result for the youngest Rangers, by all reports they are getting better and better with each passing week. Line Drive ran his eye over the C-grade side, and there is a lot to like! Good to see the veteran, Ian “Dino” Dinsdale still plying his trade at first base too. That elusive first win is just around the corner one feels!

Winter has arrived up the Ovens Valley.

It’s been a while Nambrok.

As mentioned above, Rangers Orange had a solid win over Porepunkah. Excellent hitting from Mick, “the Skipper” Wyatt and a complete game on the hill from Jason, “Sunscreen” Jonker, helped reinvigorate the group and spurred them on to deliver a complete performance.

Special mention goes out to the members of a group once know as “Nambrok….” A name that has not been seen in these writings for some time.  The boys from Nambrok wound back the clock and put in a performance not seen for some time. Highlights included Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder throwing out a runner, Sam, “Goggles” Grigg getting a very rare hit to the catcher and legging it out to first.

For those who don’t know that would be scored as a hit to 2!  Let’s also not forget Brad, “Undies” Murdoch who played with a clear mind and a clearer stomach. I think that will be left there. Where was it left Undies?

Ross Johnson light it up!!!!

Ross, “Rossco” Johnson was back in Rangers colours for his first game of the year on Sunday. There was plenty of musings about Rossco from Cam, “The Soak” Scott and Shaun, “Old School” O’Neil about his numerous mentions on a baseball podcast. The funny thing was that Rossco had not even heard, nor known there was a podcast. Well there is a reason why the number 18 has been mentioned a lot in the local media. When on, he can really hit a good ball. When reflecting on the book after the game on Sunday, it was noted that he had had 5 hits from 6 at bats. He even managed to hit it into his own ankle as well. Good day on the diamond number 18.

CammaaaaaH

After a slow start t the season, Brendan, “CammaaaaaaH” Cameron is swinging a hot stick as of late. After breakout hitting against Wodonga, single handily getting the Rangers over the line, CammaaaaaaH continued this over the weekend in Porepunkah. Another three hits for Cameron. However, he did have to pay his dues for taking off for 3rd base late in the game. The tin graciously accepts your monetary donation. Stay swinging a hot stick CammaaaaaaaaH.

The upgrades continue at the Ranch

A few more upgrades down at Targoora park over the past month. The issues with the lighting have been fixed, while a new bull pen area has been put into use with lighting and all, giving extra flexibility and opportunities to refine ones skills. A new PA system has also been installed ready to go for lucky ticket evening on July 29th. Speaking of that if you wish to get a ticket, they are only $25. Please see someone from the club and they will be more than happy to sell you one!

North East finish fourth.

Big shout out goes to all the players and families who headed down to Geelong over the Kings Birthday weekend to represent the North Eastern Baseball Association. They boys once again acquitted themselves well over the six game being competitive right until Monday. Line Drive heard the new uniforms looked great too.

The tin is a rattling.

The past weekend in Porepunkah saw another sighting of the fines tin. This time some weight was definitely added to it. From strike outs, to errors, to people not recognising players in their own team, there was a gold coin donation or two going on. The usual suspects paid their dues but Line Drive suspects there are a few out there who are dodging the tin. Now who would that be????

Dinners have returned

A very welcome return this season has been the Wednesday night dinner.  After a bit of a false start last month with a wonderful Lasagna supplied by Lauren”Mrs Soak” Scott, dinners in the past few weeks have returned with a vengeance. Last week was team Orange turn, Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burders chicken and pesto pasta, and this week Tony “Spinner” Smith will represent team Grey. For $10 it’s a great feed with a drink. Most  importantly, a great chance to get together for a chat and a laugh after training.

Clubs are always better when you get involved!

Who is Line Drive

Yes, there was a voice of Line Drive on the latest Rangers podcast, but who is to say that it’s the only person who looks over these notes? Maybe as noted in the Rangers chat, just a mouthpiece and a bit of deepfake technology? Just food for thought. Those in the know, know the real story!

Now to the club stuff

  • Training Wednesday. Juniors 5pm, Seniors ready to roll at 6pm
  • Dinner after training. Spinners specialty this week $10 with a drink from 7:30pm on-wards.
  • Under 18’s winter championships on 24th and 25th of June. If you can spare an hour let the club know to help out.
  • Please make sure you are all paid up on the club fees front.
  • Rangers Lucky ticket on Saturday 29th of July. $25 a ticket. Talk to someone at the club for your lucky ticket.
  • Nothing to do Sunday? The Rangers are heading to the Wangaratta derby on Sunday 25th of June. Magpies vs Rovers. All are welcome to come along and spend the afternoon watching the local footy. Wangaratta showgrounds.
  • Lauren ‘Mrs Soak’ Scott will soon be hitting you all up to buy a ticket and a shirt, in support of Project 365, who are putting on another show at the Wangaratta Rodeo on Saturday November 25th…. potential end of season / pre Xmas gathering? Tickets will be available soon via their Facebook page, ‘Project 365 Wangaratta, U Can Cry’ All in support of positive mental health!

Well that’s it for this edition. Another enjoyable piece of writing. Till next time….

Go Rangers