A long-standing tradition of developing players for provincial squads continues to be the benchmark of performance and progress for Helderberg Pirates Baseball Club, as eight players across various junior and senior divisions have been selected for the upcoming national baseball championships (NBC), along with two team coaches.
Added to this, and as the season draws to a close, the Pirates’ u-12 team has performed the best, having won the Plate League this season while senior Daryn Chalmers was selected for the South African team and attended the World Baseball Classic in Germany in October last year.
“We’re tremendously proud of all our players and coaches,” commented club chairperson Brett Leah. “It’s been a great season of togetherness, development and growth.”
Teams play under the umbrella of the Cape Town Baseball Federation, and according to Leah, the club has produced players to participate at nationals consecutively for well over 30 years. This despite the sport receiving much less interest from a community where cricket and rugby predominate.
Juniors selected for nationals include under u-10 players William Hart and Luke Sprowson, as well as u-12’s Liam Armitage, Luke Peckham and Ryan van Niekerk.
The seniors selected are Zack Crowther (17), Cassius Vlok (24) and Kevin Costigan (21), and the two coaches are Ian Smith and Simon Grantham.
Costigan, who has played for a number of years, coming up the ranks as a junior, will play in the u-23 squad. “It’s always a privilege to be chosen. I’m looking forward to locking horns with players from other provincial teams,” he said.
Crowther, a pitcher of note and all–rounder, will represent the u-18 team. “I’m hoping to bring my best performance to the tournament and hopefully leave a lasting impression,” he quipped.
As for Vlok, who was selected for the senior B team, the rivalry between Western Province (WP) and Gauteng is something he relishes. “Traditionally WP has the biggest rivalry with Gauteng but our biggest focus will be on reaching the final. We want to do the Pirates proud and be consistent.”
The national championships will take place in Boksburg, Gauteng over the Easter Weekend.
Simon Grantham, u-12 coach, hailed his team for their hard work this season, saying they’d been competitive and gelled well as a unit and as a family.
“We’re proud of the boys and are happy to see them make provincial teams,” he said. “We support them all the way.”
According to Leah, baseball has been “easy to sell” to the community as they have great coaches and always strive for participation.
Coach Ian Smith also appealed to the community to support the club during the upcoming tournaments, as transport and other costs, otherwise, come at the players’ own expense.
- To get in touch with Helderberg Pirates Baseball Club, follow it on Facebook, email helderbergpirates@gmail.com, or feel free to contact club secretary Ian Smith on 082 376 3268.
