For more than 30 years, teen players from Redlands, California, and Redlands Shire, Queensland, have faced off in a friendly baseball rivalry. The Aussie Ball tour returns July 5.
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For more than 30 years, teen players from Redlands, California, and Redlands Shire, Queensland, have faced off in a friendly baseball rivalry. The Aussie Ball tour returns July 5.
“Aussie Ball,” a traditional series of games between teenagers from Australia and Redlands, begins in early July.
There are five games, starting with the opener at 9 a.m. July 5 at Redlands High.
The finale is at 9 a.m. Friday, July 11 at the University of Redlands.
The Australian Baseball Tour of Redlands began in 1990 when the Redlands mayor received a call from the Aussie coach, the late John (JM) Murray. Murray was from the Redlands Shire of Queensland, Australia. He asked whether a game between the two Redlands communities was possible.
Murray and his Expos team were attending the San Diego Baseball School. The Expos were less than a week away from making their annual bus trip to Sanger (near Fresno) to play a series of games.
Murray noticed Redlands on the California map and figured it would only be a slight diversion to stop there and play a game or two.
The late mayor of Redlands, Chuck DeMirjyn, contacted the president of Redlands Baseball for Youth, Steve Chapman.
“Steve, can you make it happen?” DeMirjyn said.
“I’m sure I can,” Chapman said.
And so, the games were born.
The coach of the Aussie Expos is Michael Crossland, who is an internationally known motivational speaker. The Redlands 909ers coach is Chad Zerbe, who pitched for the San Francisco Giants in the 2002 World Series.
“It’s a good brand of baseball on both sides,” said Richie Burgess, the president elect of Aussie Baseball who will take over for Chapman after this year. “The Aussies have improved significantly in recent years, with several players in college baseball in the US and a few in the pros as well.”
Burgess, who starred at Redlands High and played numerous seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization, played against the Australians as a teen.
“We hosted Australian players twice at our home and two Aussie players were part of my wedding party,” Burgess said.
Here are the rosters of both teams and the Aussie Ball itinerary:
AUSSIE EXPOS
Cormac Boggiss
Tyler Boggiss
Jayden Brown
Charlie Casey
Jake Connolly
Samuel Davis
Dash Fagan
Josh Hammond
Connor McCarthy
Lachlan O’Sullivan
Oliver Pickford
Alex Pool
Brooklyn Prindable-Garner
Noah Rodgers
Bailey Russell
Edward Ryan
Harry Spooner
REDLANDS 909ERS
Ethan Snellings
Evan White
Logan Spencer
Connor Flanigan
Nevin Zerbe
Brayden Bennett
Dominic Gibbon
Joey Luevano
Brody Burgess
Jax Gladue
Thomas Scruggs
Lincoln Sullivan
Jeremiah Lopez
Patrick Milroy
Eyam Eldevik
THURSDAY, JULY 3
3 p.m. meet and greet at Martinez Park, Redlands
SATURDAY, JULY 5
8:45 opening day ceremony followed by Game 1 at Redlands High.
MONDAY, JULY 7
9 a.m. Game 2 at Citrus Valley High.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9
5 p.m. Game 3 at Arrowhead Christian Academy, followed by barbecue.
8 p.m. Game 4 (second game of doubleheader), at ACA.
THURSDAY, JULY 10
5:30 p.m. pizza party at Uncle Howie’s Pizza in Redlands
FRIDAY, JULY 11
8:45 a.m. Closing ceremonies followed by Game 5 at the University of Redlands
SATURDAY, JULY 12
6 p.m. Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Burrage Mansion in Redlands.
SUNDAY, JULY 13
9:30 a.m. Aussie send-off gathering at Barton House Preschool, Redlands
10 a.m. Aussies depart for Anaheim for Angels vs. Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:07 p.m.
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