The Australian Baseball League Championship Series will begin tomorrow between the Perth Heat and the Canberra Calvary. Both teams have released their official rosters before the action. The first game will take place tomorrow, January 31, and the series will run through February 2. The Australian Baseball League has series best-of-three, and each game is played in Perth.
Perth Heat
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Two players on lifetime contracts with the Perth Heat are pitcher Warwick Saupold and outfielder Tim Kennelly. Both have represented Australia during several international tournaments as part of their National Teams. Saupold pitched in 14 games out of the bullpen with the Heat, posting a 2-0 record, posting a 2.79 ERA, and striking out 24 batters in 19.1 innings. Kennelly played in 36 games, hitting .213 with a home run and 13 RBIs.
The Heat also had several Rays prospects participate in the ABL this winter. Carlos Colmenarez, Angel Mateo, and Jhon Diaz are all part of the Tampa Bay Rays minor league organization. Colmenarez and Diaz each hit six home runs, while Mateo hit three home runs and had 15 RBIs.
Perth’s roster also features two players who were part of the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Pitchers Ji Han Park and Jong Hae Won are featured on Perth’s championship roster. Park went 3-1 in 15 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 4.95 ERA, striking out 16 batters over 20 innings. As for Won, the 19-year-old went 2-2 in ten games and nine starts, posting a 3.42 ERA, collecting 40 strikeouts, and walking 19 batters across 47.1 innings of work.
One more player of note to watch throughout this series will be utility man and right-handed pitcher Jake Bowey. Bowey has represented Australia on their national teams, most recently during the Premier12. Bowey only hit for a .152 average, with one home run and three RBIs, but on the mound, he would pitch to a 2-3 record in seven appearances and six starts, with a 3.80 ERA, collecting 14 strikeouts over 23.2 innings.
Canberra Calvary
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During the regular season of the 2024-25 Australian Baseball League, the Calvary finished fourth with an 18-22 record. They were tied with the Melbourne Aces but still advanced to the semifinals to take on the first-place Sydney Blue Sox. The Calvary pulled off the upset, defeating the Blue Sox by sweeping them in two games to advance to the Championship Series.
Robbie Perkins will be someone to keep close tabs on, as the catcher has previously represented Australia on their national teams, most recently serving as Australia’s starting catcher during the Premier12 tournament. Perkins led the Calvary with six home runs and 21 RBIs while hitting for a .315 average in 36 games. Catcher Miguel Palma will also be someone to watch, as the Houston Astros farmhand hit four home runs and 16 RBIs while hitting for a .276 batting average.
Jason Matthews will also be someone to keep an eye on. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, the infielder is in the Chicago White Sox minor league system, spending the entire season with their Double-A affiliate. Matthews played in all 40 games this winter in the ABL, hitting for a .292 average, adding four home runs, 15 RBIs, and six stolen bases.
One pitcher who could truly make a difference during the Championship Series is starting pitcher Jack Mahoney. Mahoney dominated the regular season, posting a 5-2 record in ten starts, with a 1.99 ERA, striking out 63 batters and walking 15 over 58.2 innings of work. Other starting pitchers who could get a shot at the rotation for the Championship Series are Carlos Calderon and Takuto Takada.
In the bullpen, the backend looks to be protected by Jon Kennedy and Roy Kohigashi. Kennedy has pitched with Australia’s national team and served as the Calvary’s closing pitcher. In 14 appearances, he locked down nine saves, going 0-1, with a 2.31 ERA, with 23 strikeouts and six walks in 23.1 innings of work. Kohigashi pitched with the Quebec Capitales of the Frontier League during the 2024 regular season, where he continued his dominance this winter. He would go 3-0 in 18 games, posting a 3.28 ERA and striking out 33 batters while only allowing eight walks in just 24.2 innings of work.
The quest for the Claxton Shield begins on January 31, with the following two games on February 1-2. All games will be played in Perth. Fans can watch the action unfold on Baseball+.
