All welcome with summer baseball to get underway on Sunday

And it is that same passion for the game, shared by the rest of the Tamworth Baseball Incorporated committee, that has led to the introduction of the new summer competition.

Set to begin this Sunday, February 20, the new-look competition will have relaxed rules to make it more welcoming and ensure all players can participate.

"We're going to make it so that everybody who turns up gets an opportunity to play the game," McMurray said.

"Normally you only have nine players on the field at once, and a couple of reserves. The last thing we want to do is have those reserves sitting down for most of the game, so there's going to be a rotation system where they'll get to go on the field.

"They will definitely bat all the time, so even though it's three bats and your [innings is over], and you only go to nine, if there's 10 or 12 in the team, then they will all get to bat.

"Everyone will get a chance to participate in the game."

Any players from 16 and up are welcome to come along, with both men and women encouraged to give it a try.

In most sports, men and women are divided due to the differences in physiology. But this competition, McMurray said, will be geared towards newer players and, as such, is open to both sexes who are looking to play in a friendly, relaxed environment.

"We're encouraging women to come down, we've got a women's side in our winter comp, and I believe the majority of them are playing in our summer comp," McMurray said.

This is the second season in which a summer competition has been attempted by TBI, after last year's was almost entirely washed out by the consistent rain and only one game was played.

In 2022, with a better forecast for the latter half of summer, the association will look to run the competition for eight weeks. It will begin this weekend and continue until mid-April, at which point there will be a brief interval before the winter season commences in May.

The concept of this new summer competition, McMurray said, was developed in part by player interest, along with the committee's desire to rebound from the dip in numbers it has seen in recent years.

"Because the interest was still there [after only one game was played last season], the clubs and players asked if we could have one this year," he said.

"We're kicking off the summer comp so we can build up our numbers. It's not like it used to be, with six or seven teams in A Grade. We haven't got that number now, and let's face it: Tamworth has so many sporting opportunities for people, and every sport tries to retain what numbers they can."

The players who do take part in this weekend's opening round can expect to play on what McMurray said were some of the best regional baseball facilities in the Southern Hemisphere.

Anybody interested in playing can come along to the Tamworth Baseball Incorporated building on Carter Street at 3pm this Sunday to register. Play will begin from 4pm, and individuals do not need to be a part of a team to sign up.

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