Sunshine Eagles have kept their core group together as they look to stay at the top of the table in the Baseball Victoria summer league premier 1 first nine competition.
The Eagles last season broke through for its first top grade premiership in 37 years and are keen to make sure it’s not just a one off.
Eagles coach Stuart Clayton said the group was keen to have another real crack at it this year.
“We’re back at it again,” he said. “We;re looking forward to it.
“It’s always good to have a break but you can’t wait to get into it. We know it is our premiership until the end of the season.
“We’re excited to get back in and we know what it takes and hopefully we can go again this year.
“We’ll have a red hot crack.”
The Eagles have kept their core group together again for this season despite import rule changes.
Clubs can now have multiple imports which could change things.
“We lost our import, who was our catcher and picked up another catcher who arrived on Thursday and will be ready to go.
“Billy Parsons is staying in America and not coming back this summer.
“Some clubs will have two or three imports and it will be a tougher season. We’ve focused on home grown talent and we’re looking forward to the future.
“We’re setting the base for the next five to six years.”
Aidan Duda is the new import for the Eagles and met a lot of the playing group on the weekend leading into the season.
Nathan Rumbelow, who didn’t play last season as he was injured will be back for the Eagles giving them more depth.
Clayton said they were keen to see the development of some of the younger players this season.
Devin Leahy played in Australia’s under-18 team at the World Cup, is one Clayton is keen to see.
The Eagles season is set to kick off on Saturday against Sandringham.
Clayton said before the game they were as keen as mustard to get out there.
He said like last season they would work their way into the season and hopefully play their best at the right time.
“We’ll start the same way as last year,” he said. “We won’t have Darryl George until the middle of November with Melbourne Aces.
“Our pitchers have had a bit of a break which has been good. There’s no pressure and we’ll see how we go before Christmas.
“You just have to finish in the top eight and then it’s even from there. We’re aiming to finish as high as we can.
“If we can stay injury free we have a good line up.”
In other club signs for the club, it will have two women’s sides with some real growth in that program.
It will also have two masters sides along with the four senior men’s sides and juniors.
