The Perth Heat will return to the Australian Baseball League this season under new ownership, as Black Pearl Sports Group has formally assumed the club’s license. The announcement was made Friday on PerthHeat.com.au and confirmed by the Australian Baseball League.
The move comes as the ABL prepares for a four-team 2025–26 schedule announced earlier this week. Perth will join the Brisbane Bandits, Adelaide Giants and Sydney Blue Sox when the season begins.
The Perth Heat will be out to rediscover the good old days under a new ownership, with US businessman Cole Sherray the saviour. pic.twitter.com/k4xVJhlWqb
— 10 News Perth (@10NewsPER) August 8, 2025
Black Pearl Sports Group, which also holds a stake in the Sydney Blue Sox, said the Perth Heat fit its strategy of owning and operating multiple elite-level teams. Managing Director Cole Sherertz cited Western Australia’s long baseball tradition, including 15 Claxton Shield championships, as a foundation for building “a championship culture” on and off the field.
Perth Heat's new owners have been revealed as Black Pearl Sports Group. They're the same organisation who owns Sydney Blue Sox, meaning they will own 50% of the four-team ABL.
I spoke to BPSG managing director Cole Sheretz about the plan.https://t.co/gz57ViBbRD
— Ben Smith (@BenSmith94) August 8, 2025
“From the Perth Heat franchise to our grassroots pathways and elite performance teams, competing for titles isn’t a goal; it’s the baseline expectation,” Sherertz said in the team’s official statement.
Founded in 1989 with the launch of the ABL’s first iteration, Perth has been one of Australia’s most successful baseball clubs, producing players who have competed professionally in Japan, Korea, and Major League Baseball. The state’s baseball history dates back to its Claxton Shield debut in 1937.
BPSG has pledged to deepen community ties, grow the game locally, and work with Baseball WA and Baseball Australia to enhance player development. The group also acknowledged support from the Western Australian Government and promised investment in youth programs.
Recent History of Innovation
The Perth Heat have not only built a reputation for on-field success, but also for off-field innovation. In November 2021, the club became the first professional sports team to pay players and staff in Bitcoin, a move covered internationally and praised by cryptocurrency advocates. Then-CEO Steven Nelkovski and Chief Bitcoin Officer Patrick O’Sullivan said the policy was designed to position the Heat as a leader in embracing new technology within professional sports.
Watch: Perth Heat’s 1992 TV Commercial
A look back at a vintage Perth Heat commercial from the 1992 season against the Sydney Blues, capturing the early days of Australian Baseball League action.
The 2025–26 ABL season is expected to draw attention from international baseball fans in the lead-up to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where Australia will compete. The Heat last appeared in the ABL in 2023–24, finishing outside the playoffs before the league’s temporary contraction.
For ticket information, schedules, and membership details, visit PerthHeat.com.au and follow the Australian Baseball League on Instagram and Facebook.
