Coast rivals taking different GBL path
THEY are united by their desire to turn the Gold Coast into a Baseball Queensland powerhouse but the Greater Brisbane League focus is very different for Surfers Paradise and Coomera ahead of tonight’s season opener.
While Surfers shocked the competition to end Windsor’s five-year GBL reign last season, Coomera will enter their second campaign still fighting for the respect of rivals.
The Cubs were far from disgraced on debut in 2017-18, winning 16 of their 35 games to show signs of promise.
But despite taking a leaf out of Surfers’ book to focus on rebuilding club culture, outfielder Marcel Vengoa conceded the new season would again be about proving they belong among the state’s elite.
“I guess you could look at us as the underdogs. We’re still learning and adapting to (other teams’) way of how they play in the GBL,” the 27year-old said. “I reckon (last season) was a really good season. Despite not going through to the playoffs, we still learnt a bit.
“It was a good eye-opener to see the professionalism of baseball and how high these players push themselves to play.
“This year we have taken a different approach, trying to do things as a team more and create that bond as a team. You create that morale outside of baseball and you work back together as a team.”
Having finished well off the playoff pace in 2016-17, Surfers bounced back in style last season, winning 22 of their 35 regular-season games before coming from behind to upset Windsor 2-1 in the grand final series.
First baseman Scott Hillier, an eight-season GBL veteran with the Bluewave, knows they won’t have the element of surprise this time.
“We have talked about it a little bit how no-one knew who we were last year and this year everyone will be playing hard and with a bit more grit, instead of taking us easy,” Hillier, 25 said.
“We’re still looking strong, if not stronger than last year. We have the team to compete, it’s just whether we can handle being the hunted.”
IT’S JUST WHETHER WE CAN HANDLE BEING THE HUNTED. SURFERS INFIELDER SCOTT HILLIER