2024 Season

Mavericks Season Review

2024 saw the Mavericks have a number of changes in personnel from the season before. Ben Stobart returned as manager with Kiwi Helps and Will Frawley alongside, and with the club dropping from 3 teams to 2, it meant a much larger squad than in previous seasons. The season itself had vastly contrasting weather from week to week, but further development of the new facility at Kings College which included the construction of 2 new batting cages, helped tremendously with pre-game preparation.

Overall a competitive season, as the team ended with a 13-15 record. However what that doesn’t show is that the team went into the final weekend of the season still with a shot at the play-offs, and needing to sweep the league leaders, Bristol. However a loss in game 1, ended those hopes. It was an especially tough end to the season, as only the week before the Mavericks had been in pole position to claim the play-off spot. However a Bristol forfeit at Bournemouth, allowed the latter back into the race. But this shouldn’t be used as an excuse. The squad lost out, as it let go of the tiebreaker, due to a forfeit earlier the in the season. With a much larger squad than in 2023, forfeiting games should never have come into play. For various reasons, the Mavericks struggled with numbers across the season, but the 12 players that were committed must be commended for taking the season down to the wire, and Ben did a sterling job, managing these sparse resources. Much of this success was on the shoulders of the 4 main pitchers (Oliver, Jack, Hamish and Kimi), all of whom were under 21, which although not good with the new rules (which doesn’t encourage a reliance on junior pitchers), is good with regards the longer term development credentials of the club.

The season had started with a series of splits in the opening DH’s of the season, with 5 of the first 7 being split, and only a sweep of Oxford and the forfeit in a game at Bristol not following this pattern. This was the pattern for much of the season, with 4 teams who were not vastly different in abilities. Often the availability of certain players were the difference makers on a particular weekend, and also the travel which is part and parcel of higher division baseball in the UK, also had some impact. But it should also be noted that having DH’s and the pitching rules does lead to a lot of parity, as it can be hard to dominate DH’s without 4 competent pitchers every week.

As the season progressed, there were notable performances from within the Mavericks squad. Eventual MVP Rolyn Perez was Mr Dependable both with the bat and on the infield, closely followed by Will Frawley. He was also able to contribute mop up duties on the mound, as the season wore on. The teams most improved player, Oliver Perez (yes, related), made outstanding progress for someone who had only started the game 18 months previously. He covered acres of ground in CF, and was an ideal lead off bat, hitting for average and with speed on the bases. Behind the dish, Kiwi also drove in the most runs, whilst Ben Stobart and Jack Burdett, lead the team in OBP and OPS respectively. On the defensive side of the ball, pitching was a strength, if somewhat handicapped by pitch limits, with at least 25 K’s for the 4 starting rotation and a K:BB >1, with Oliver having a high of 68 (1.5 per inning pitched).

So despite missing the play-offs, there is plenty of optimism for 2025, but we shouldn’t finish the season’s recap, without giving thanks to those Millers who played up for the occasional game to make up for the lack of numbers on more occasions that should have been the case.

Millers Season Review

The 2024 season has come to a close, and we now shift our focus to the exciting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the 2025 season. This season saw the Millers, a developmental squad, make the playoffs for the first time—a milestone for many of the newer players as well as some seasoned veterans within the sport.

The Millers had an impressive regular season, securing victories against some of the most well-rounded teams in the league. A second-place finish behind Bracknell Phoenix earned the Millers a Wildcard spot in the postseason. In a long-anticipated Wildcard round, the Millers faced the 20-8 Croydon Pirates, defeating them in a thrilling Best-of-One game. After overcoming the Northants Centurions in the next round, the Millers ultimately fell short in the Quarterfinals to league rivals Bracknell Phoenix in a hard-fought and highly contested game. Despite this loss, the playoff run capped off a monumental season in the Millers’ history.

With many players either moving up to the AA squad or leaving the club, there was an influx of newer players joining in January 2024. The new and improved squad of more than 20 players, as well as new coaches including Chris Locke, Pascal Barras, and Ben Burgess, brought fresh perspectives to the team. Despite their limited experience, these coaches initiated a dynamic shift in performance and strategy, reviving hope among players. Managing such a large squad posed challenges in balancing game time and placing players in their best positions. However, every player made meaningful contributions to the team’s success.

Pitching emerged as a key factor in the team’s success within the league. With such an extensive squad, it was crucial to rely on as many dependable pitchers as possible to ensure the team started and finished the season strongly. Whether tasked with opening or closing games, each pitcher played their part effectively. Among the standout pitchers were Harry Thomas, Jordi Bottomley, and Maurice Wong, who consistently delivered strong performances in high-pressure situations.

This season presented its fair share of challenges and setbacks. Nonetheless, every player and coach demonstrated resilience, dedication, and a commitment to growth. Armed with this experience, the Millers aim to build upon the foundation laid in 2024 and push for even greater success in the 2025 season.