With the Perth Heat and Canberra Calvary sweeping their opponents, they will now be squaring off for the Australian Baseball League Championship Series. The winner will claim the 2025 Claxton Shield, while Perth will host all three potential matchups at Empire Ballpark. Here is how both teams performed during the season.
The Perth Heat finished third in the ABL Standings with a 20-20 record. They faced the Adelaide Giants in the semifinals, but they swept them in two games to advance to the Championship Series.
Three hitters who will be ready to contribute to the Heat’s offense are Jess Williams, Ulrich Bojarski, and Alex Hall. Williams would lead the Heat with a .324 average, as both Bojarski and Hall would lead them with eight home runs each. Tucker Smith looks to get the start for Perth’s first game against the Calvary, going 3-4 in ten appearances and nine starts, posting a 5.16 ERA, striking out 43 batters, and only walking four across 45.1 innings pitched.
As for the Canberra Calvary, they would finish in fourth place in the ABL with an 18-22 record, tied with the Melbourne Aces. They faced the Sydney Blue Sox in the semifinals, who finished with the best record in the league. The Calvary would defeat them in both games, securing their spot in the Championship Series.
A few hitters to keep close tabs on for the Calvary are Robbie Perkins, Jason Matthews, and Miguel Palma. Perkins continued his great performance from the Premier12 into the ABL this season, leading the team with six home runs while hitting for a .315 batting average. Matthews is currently in the White Sox organization, where he hit .292 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. Palma played in the Astros organization in 2024, where he hit for a .276 average, adding four home runs with 16 RBIs. Another player to watch is Miles Simington, who led the Calvary in stolen bases with 15 and hit for a .257 average.
The Australian Baseball League Championship Series will begin on January 31 and run until February 2.
All games can be watched at Baseball+.
All times listed below are in AWST
Game 1- Friday, January 31– 7 PM
Game 2- Saturday, February 1–7 PM
Game 3- Sunday, February 2–6 PM
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