Tag: Victoria

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 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

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 March 2025

Posted on by LineDrive

It’s a new year, a new season, and that means Rounding Third returns for its 12th year in 2025.

Hello, and welcome to Rounding Third for year 2025. Line Drive is back to look into the stories and characters that make up the largest baseball club in the North Eastern Baseball Association. The Wangaratta Rangers.

Rounding Third has always been at places online, and easy to find. This will continue to be the case. However, those with a short 45 second attention span (or 200 words) have probably already given up reading (Mikayla Jonker, just wondering if you are sticking with it?)

However for the rest of you, Line Drive welcomes you back and hope you are all well.

It has been a while, and to be honest Line Drive has certainly been soaking up the sun around the North East, amongst other pursuits, but now his mind has turned to what has been going on around the Wangaratta Rangers baseball community. One thing is for sure, what he does not know, he will certainly make it up and make it sound pretty plausible!

Let’s get to it.

New website.

The time had come, all things Wangaratta Rangers needed a refresh. It required a new spin on things! A new spin on the story of Wangaratta. The new and improved Wangaratta Rangers website is now live and taking hits. Candice Jones has spent a considerable amount of time talking to members of the club, getting the right feel and spin to propel the club forward. So, it’s time to update your bookmarks (Line Drive readers generally do bookmarks) and checkout Wangarattarangers.com

Cod season 2025

Cod season is only a mere a week away, and the King Cod, Nathan Pool has been busy once again making sure there are enough of his codlings migrating downstream to Ballarat over the March 29th weekend. It will be a bit of a different Cods line-up in 2025 but there will be some heavy hitting veterans appearing once more. It was declared last week to Line Drive that Ash,”The Game” Meyers is looking for puffer-fish award number four. Line Drive is aware that Meyers has put in some pre-season work and is itching to play.

There are a few new Cods swimming down south in 2025. Line Drive has been looking at the list and hearing the chat around the water cooler that Michael, “Bill” Clear is debuting this year. When asked about his preparation, Bill was happy with the schedule. He plans to play for two days then have a 35hr break for umpiring duties back on the border, then to come back to Ballarat.                                                                                                                                                                   For the Cods in the know, only one player in 12 years has gone back to the border and returned to the masters competition. This individual did go on to win the puffer-fish that year. Could it be done again?

Barks doesn’t miss

It has come to the attention of the Cods in the know, that since the inception of Cods, only two players have never missed a tournament. One being the Big Cod Nathan, “FOMO” Pool and the other, Porepunkah’s Damon, “Barks” Barker. It was looking like Cod trip 2025 was going to be the first one that Barks would be missing with other adventures planned. However, Barks had different ideas on this one and will be suiting up for at least one game on Thursday afternoon, keeping his streak intact before flying out to Europe. For that effort,  this deserves a vote in the Puffer-fish award. Safe travels Barks.

The Disco falls silent

Over the past month or so, Line Drive was informed that Shaun, “Old School” O’Neil, is having a sabbatical year in 2025. This has caused a bit of a stir in the office of Rounding Third due to Old School being a rich source of content over the years of Rounding Third. It looks like others are going to have to fill the big concrete holes left behind by number 2. Enjoy your season off Old School. You will be missed by this Ranger.

Trip away footy tipping

There is a little pocket of the Rangers playing and support cohort who have been on many an end of season trip away over the years. There have been many reports about masters weekend too. This year, the trip crew are going back to basics and looking for ways to raise revenue. One way that cohort decided raise a bit of cash, was to enter the footy tipping at a local establishment. The real test is that each member of the trip will be asked to tip a round.     Kelsey, “Dropsy” Burder offered to tip the last round. Line Drive will let everyone know when they will be tipping, so don’t worry! 

Training returns to Wednesday

It has been warm in the north east for the first three weeks of Rangers training. This has not stopped the numbers from being impressive. Coach Owen, “Sits at the big table” Godenzi, has been impressed with the attitude and the willingness of everyone to be involved and learning how to improve. So if you are yet to attend, senior training is from 6pm on-wards on Wednesdays. You might even sight Line Drive there too.

Taylor terrorising twos attacks

Dancing man John, “Johnno” Taylor, has had a very good season of cricket with the Yarrawonga-Mulwala Cricket Club. On more than one occasion, Taylor has dug the Yarrawonga-Mulwala Lakers A reserve side out of a hole with some lusty striking. One wonders if Taylor will be gracing the diamonds of the north east this winter with similar lusty hitting. One could only wonder.

Rangers Bringing Light to the Dark

Big thanks go to Steve and Lisa Peruzzo, Mick and Taylah Wyatt, Jamie and Gus King and Frenchy for helping out at the Project 365 concert at Avian Park on February 22nd. They ran the merchandise stand throughout the night in some very warm conditions, and in true Ranger style, helped put a very important message out into the community. The crew at Project 365 loved having the Rangers involved. Remember, ‘it’s ok to not be ok’ You can get some help. Talk about your feelings…. Lifeline.org.au 13 11 14

A big thank you for all your efforts

Now onto the club stuff

Congratulations to Kate and Azza Parker on the arrival of their son Nelson. Nice work, what a ripper!! It’ll be great to see young Nelson join his brother Patty on the diamonds in the coming years!

Need to pay your registration? Head through the club website and click through to winter registration. Process is quick and easy. See the club if having difficulties….

Anyone seen Scott “Jenko” Jenkins? One heard he may be making a comeback in season 2025.

Good luck to Cods Masters who head to Ballarat for the weekend. Have fun and stay safe,

Well that’s enough from me. Try and stay cool and hydrated in the heat (if it is warm where you are reading this) and speak to you soon…….

Go Rangers

And Go Cods!

Line Drive presents The Voodoo Diaries November 3 2024

Posted on by LineDrive


Hello from the Gold Coast. Line Drive is here with the Voodoo Masters once more, bringing you an insight into the people and the characters that are part of Voodoo Masters 2024.

Saturdays game has been played and won. There was plenty of nervous energy in the Voodoo squad as there always is in the first game of a tournament. Voodoo’s opposition came out and hit the ball hard. After a bit of a nervous start, Voodoo warmed to the task. Led by a Ben Laux double, this sparked the Voodoo to life and got them off and running. It was a grind after a morning meeting with so much more merchandise and competitions to remember, each at bat Voodoo hitter remembered what to do and got to work. Great team hitting by rookies Jay “Ray Ray” Ziersch, and Wayne, “Beato” Beaton, solidified the Voodoo, breaking the game open with Voodoo running out 10-6 victors.
Sunday sees the Voodoo having the day off, and they’ll return to the diamond on Monday for a game against Surfers Paradise.
Now the formalities are out of the way. Let’s get to what the Voodoo Diaries is all about and what  the people who make up Voodoo have been up to?

Welcome to Voodoo Masters 2024
The Pan Pacific Games has only just begun for the characters of the Voodoo, but many have already made their presence felt. No more so than Rookie Tom “Energiser” Simmons.
The rookie Simmons has been one very excitable fellow for the past few days leading up to the games. Many of the Voodoo faithful got the full treatment of Cyclone Tom on Thursday night. However, during game time, the energiser was able to repay the faith in spades. Simmons was tasked with the job of playing right field. Many a North East player could not think of a time when Simmons has played so far from the infield, if at all. However, the joy of youth for a 35 plus masters side, Simmons stepped up to the challenge by being flawless in windy conditions. At the plate, he managed to get hit twice. He did remark to the first base coach, “Did not get hit once all season in 2024” Welcome to Voodoo #43!

Butts arrives.
Ben Laux is relieved. After at least six mentions after Saturdays game, Rob “Butts” Seymour has arrived.
The last playing member has touched down on the Gold Coast. The man we all love, “Butts”  has had an eventful day. He is here, but his gear has not. It is”somewhere” between the Gold Coast and Sydney. However, Buttsy just rolls with the punches and will be ready to go for Bravehearts on Sunday. From the rest of Voodoo, we’ll be watching on from afar.

Catch the dream Boo
The first person award with the dream catcher for Voodoo 2024 was Brendan “Boo” Simmons. After a tough first up game, Cam “The Soak” Scott thought it was a very even performance and would be tough on anyone to get the dreamcatcher. However, after consultation with Bradley, “Groundspreson Willy” Pratt, there was a clear winner in Boo Simmons. His mind is as sharp as a tack, and the reason was simple. Boo made an error his first play of masters 2022 and then repeated it in 2024. Catch that dream Boo.

The Watcher
Every side needs a person to do the hard yards. Every side needs a person to watch over the players. Voodoo is no different. We have John, “The Watcher,” Kus.
The Watcher sees all from afar. Like a good shepherd, he knows his flock. Even when the watcher is not in attendance, Kus knows. Now, many would say this is creepy, but if you have to deal with middle-aged aged baseba, lers then you need a Watcher. Kus portrays the role perfectly.

Voodoo doctors
One thing is, for sure, the ability of Voodoo members to diagnose medical and social conditions that many of the general public may have never heard of.
Davis Long legs don’t seem to stop moving, so the Voodoo doctors declared ‘restless leg syndrome.’
Nathan “Joe Cocker” Pool has been diagnosed with hat fishing. Hat fishing is a condition where a middle aged men always wears a hat or cap. After looking down from above, or ‘where love lifts us up where we belong’,  as Joe Cocker crooned.
You can leave your hat on.

DJ Denouto
Every member has a role to play in the Voodoo machine. From Cam “The Soak” Scott making sure Jude Power is organised and on time, to Wayne “Beato” Beaton having the to Dennis “DJ Denouto” Smith spinning the decks in the dugout. No dodgy legal advice from Denouto, just great vibes and songs that you all know and love. Look for the DJ playing all the hits this week at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club Voodoo bench.

Now for baseball stuff
The Voodoo are enjoying the Sunday with a day off before getting back into it Monday. Line Drive will keep you all updated as the week progresses. More stories to follow. Hope you enjoyed the read with Line Drives’ mistakes and all.

Go Voodoo.



Luke Hornstra just deals in strikes.

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 March 2022

Posted on by LineDrive

Hello and welcome to the March edition of Rounding Third. Over the past month, the good folk in Wangaratta have been busy getting organised for the upcoming 2022 North Eastern Baseball Association season. Some great things are happening  down at the Ranch. Ground progress now real with the home run fence progressing, and the second annual country cup between Wangaratta and Strathfieldsaye has been played and won. Cods is fast approaching and the busy bees in charge of that have been frantically confirming birth dates and getting organised for the trip to Ballarat.

What else has been happening? Please continue reading.

Country Cup result- Rangers hold onto the cup for another year

Over the labour day long weekend, Wangaratta welcomed Strathfieldsaye to the ranch for the second edition of the Beyond Blue Country cup. New skipper Ross Johnson was looking forward to his chargers having a good hit out against a quality opponent. Numbers were good for Rangers with fourteen players putting their hand up to take part in the game for a great cause. The Rangers offence got started early, putting runs on the board to back up pitchers Jason Jonker and Brendon French. Johnson continued to tinker with the lineup tossing Tetsuya Kamiyama in as pitcher as well. The Dodger hitters jumped on Kamiyama’s variety of pitches and worked themselves back into the contest. Nathan Pool closed it out after a nervy last innings with the end result 16-12, Rangers way. Once again the game was played in great spirits. So much so, that one Ranger favourite took it upon himself to show some of the visitors the sights of Wangaratta later on. A big pat on the back to organisers on both sides from the visiting Strathfieldsaye Dodgers and Wangaratta Rangers.

A big thank you to the supporters of both clubs who came along and enjoyed the afternoon of baseball.

Special mention goes to Londrigan Meats for donating the sausages and hamburgers, and Greg Rothenberger for the donations of the two $100 Ausport vouchers. In all over $1600 was donated to Beyond Blue.

Next year back to Bendigo.

Cods update

The weekend is soon to arrive! The Cods are assembling! Car pooling details are being discussed! Uniforms are being dugout of the cupboard. Socks ensembles are being finalised. The Victorian Masters Baseball is upon twenty two intrepid Cods, on the weekend of April 1st in Ballarat. This year there is an even split between the two teams; 11 in the 35 plus division and 11 in the 45 plus. So it looks like many a Cod is going to get a bit of game time, which is great for all involved. One of the most difficult decisions for the masters of Cods is what to wear? You see with the balmy northern Italy like climate of the North East of Victoria (as I type, it’s 29 degrees) at this time of year, it comes as a bit of a shock to the Cods thermostats as they venture south and up the hill to Ballarat. One Cod has already packed for every weather event. Best be prepared one thinks. Once again Line Drive will be present giving an update here and there about the goings on of all Cods related content for the weekend.

Pufferfish goings on

With two sides once more venturing to Ballarat, the race for the pufferfish is sure to be red hot this year.With a few returning past winners, the race is looking to really step up a gear this time round. One thinks that there might be a dark horse or two looking to take the trophy out for the work on the diamond. Mick “Tap n Go” Wyatt is looking for a big return to Cods this year and has put in work over the off season. Another who is crushing the ball at training is his great mate, Steve “The Farmer” Peruzzo.

After his stellar performance off the bench over the long weekend telling everyone how to play and then backing it up, look for Shaun “Old School” O’Neil to be back with a vengeance and looking to gamble his way to the top of the vote cards. The Porepunkah men are return to the Cods this year, and with a smattering of superstars from Albury Wodonga area, anyone could snatch the trophy.

Good luck to all who are attending this year. Safe drive down the Hume and see you all in Ballarat.

Meyers, Carmody, Johnson and Whiteman…. Cods Carpool Karaoke

Two of the bigger personalities of the Cods collective are raring for Ballarat. They are Wodonga’s Matt Carmody and Ash Meyers. Meyers, a two time pufferfish will be regaling stories of past years, while for Carmody, this is his maiden voyage with the Cod collective. Just to add a bit more flavour to the car pool, Ross “Lego man” Johnson and Sean Whiteman complete the quartet. If you are fly on the wall in that car it will be an entertaining ride to Ballarat. Speaking of that, who is taking Tetsu? Those who have been on road trips with Tets, know what I am talking about!

Juniors take to the diamond

Over the past six weeks it has been great to see the Junior Rangers out on the diamond before the seniors.

The chatter about baseball has all been positive and the Rangers are looking for more juniors for the upcoming season. The club has the equipment, we are just looking for a more players. If you know of anyone who is interested please drop a line to The Rangers via email or on the socials.

We would love to see you in Ranger Orange in season 2022.

Warning track installed, now for a fence!

The warning track has been installed, the fence is soon to be erected. Head of all things fence related, Nathan “FOMO” Pool, is looking for more sponsors to place their advertising on the home run fence. I believe it is a very good deal as mentioned before. For $400 you get your business on prime real estate and that is for the lifetime of the sign. For more information please contact the club. It doesn’t matter where your business is, we are happy to advertise!

New warning track. Now for a fence!

Calling for umpires

Like all sports across the North East, baseball is not immune to the shortage of officials to umpire matches each week. The Wangaratta Rangers are looking for persons who are willing to umpire games on a Sunday each week. Re-numeration is available for each game. The club is calling out any former players or umpires living in the area who are interested in making a some extra cash and spending some Sundays on the diamond with us, to get in contact with the club via email wangarttarangers@hotmail.com or via our socials.

An umpires training course is slated at this stage for Sunday the 9th of April in Wangaratta.

Now to the club stuff

  • Victorian Masters Baseball- April 1st to 3rd 2022 Ballarat. Safe drive to all travelling.
  • Umpires course slated for 9th April in Wangaratta.
  • RSA course 26th April. Contact club if interested.
  • Training- 5pm Juniors, 6pm Seniors Thursday nights Targoora Park Wangaratta.
  • Special thanks this week to sponsors Old Town and Country Tavern, Londrigan Meats and Plumbforce Plumbing. Locals support us, let’s support them.
  • Pay your insurance via the logins on Teamapp or via the website https://wangarattabaseball.com/
  • Looking for more Juniors and Seniors, come down and find out how much fun baseball is.

Well that’s it for this edition. Line Drive will be reporting over the weekend so look for Cods updates from Ballarat.

Til next time

Good luck Codsters

and

Go Rangers !!