Geelong Baycats veteran pitcher Sam Gibbons finds form with the bat
A Geelong pitcher, who avoided the batter’s box for more than a decade, is helping keep the Baycats alive with his form with the club.
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A veteran Geelong pitcher, who was forced to pick up the club after more than a decade away from the batter’s box, is helping keep the Baycats’ season alive amid a raft of season-ending injuries.
Sam Gibbons has been in consistent form with the bat after 11 rounds of the Victorian Premier season, recording hits in all of his past six games.
Growing up in Highton and now based in Grovedale, Gibbons’ baseballing talents took him to the states for five seasons from 2012 in the Minor League as a teenager – signing a seven-year deal with the Minnesota Twins – coupled with a lengthy stint with ABL outfit the Melbourne Aces.
These days a local landscaper, Gibbons has developed from a “pitcher only” to a first baseman and sometimes outfielder with the Baycats, depending on the required defensive mix.
He said as covid impacted on Geelong’s roster during recent seasons, he had to step up as a batter after essentially avoiding the skillset from 17 to 28 years of age.
“I’ve only really started hitting two years ago, I was always a pitcher and pitcher only, so I never hit,” the 30-year-old said.
It’s come in handy for the Baycats, who recorded a brilliant extra innings defeat of top two team Essendon on Saturday at home.
And it’s come amid a lengthy injury list with Jordan Ellis and Noah Brennan (elbow) sidelined for the rest of the season while it’s unclear when Harvey Mitchelhill (broken wrist) and Will Brennan (hamstring) will return in season 2024-25.
After the game was tied in the ninth through a Jared Cruz home run, Riley Peoples (sacrifice fly ball) and US import Tanner Riley with a walk off base hit – his second of the game – in the 10th innings saw Geelong to a 6-5 victory.
“I would say that was our best win of the year,” Gibbons said.
“It’s always a good game (against Essendon), no matter where we are on the ladder.
“It just shows the depth we have to be honest.
“Our injuries have been substantial.”
The Baycats had slipped down the ladder after recording just one victory from five games coming into the Round 10 match against Essendon.
On the mound, Gibbons allowed just one hit across five innings while picking up three strikeouts as teenage star Peoples struck out six batters across three digs.
Gibbons praised the talents of new recruit Tanner Riley, a man of deep faith who has brought something different to the clubhouse.
Gibbons himself had experience living within the US’s “bible belt” during his five seasons in the Minors before being released at 22 years of age.
“It seems like a past life to be honest,” he said.
“The experience that I had there, you couldn’t put a price tag on ... it was unbelievable.”
Geelong’s form slides amid lengthening injury list
A growing injury list has applied additional pressure on the Geelong Baycats’ season, dropping four games of their past five in the Victorian Premier competition.
Sidelined players include Will Brennan (hamstring), Harvey Mitchelhill (a broken wrist against Newport), Jordan Ellis (lower back) and Noah Brennan, who had surgery on an elbow issue this week.
Pitcher Hayden Peoples said the injuries had made life tough for the Baycats, as they take on second-placed Essendon this weekend at home.
“We’ve got five guys out with injury, a couple of broken bones ... everyone’s broken at the moment,” Peoples said.
The Baycats had addressed three consecutive losses – including a 5-4 defeat to Williamstown in extra innings – before belting bottom rung outfit Fitzroy 11-0 at Merri Park.
Jye Robinson, Sam Gibbons and Peoples all picked up three hits each in that Round 8 match, as Geelong smashed eight runs in the fifth dig and 11 runs across three consecutive innings.
However, Geelong would go down 0-3 to top team Waverley on Saturday and slide to seventh on the ladder after a bright start to the season where they won their opening four fixtures.
US import pitcher Joseph Cuomo allowed just one hit – to Sam Gibbons – and collected eight strikeouts as the Baycats’ offensive power was muted.
Cuomo has played the past two years in the Serie A Italian Baseball League as a relief pitcher, winning a championship in 2023.
“They pulled him out of nowhere, nobody had seen him so we didn’t have any intel on him,” Peoples said.
“It’s something we don’t get very often. He threw really really well.
“And I think Riley (Peoples) had a really good start against the top team.”
Geelong Baycats lose their first game of the season
The Geelong Baycats have tasted defeat for the first time this Premier season, going down by four runs to Malvern at home.
In Round 4 of the Premier League at the Geelong Baseball Centre, the visitors built a 4-0 lead after four innings.
The Baycats were able to draw within one run by the top of the ninth innings, but the visitors extended their lead with a two-run final dig to win 6-3.
Sam Gibbons and Wil Cavanagh both collected two hits apiece while US recruit Tanner Riley struck out four batters.
The loss means Geelong has dropped to third on the Premier table, with the 5-0 Upwey Ferntree Gulley on top.
The Baycats play Williamstown at Greenwich Reserve on Saturday.
See all the photos from Geelong’s game against Malvern
Baycats go 3-0 in stunning start to the Premier season
The 3-0 Geelong Baycats’ spotless start to the Premier League season has continued with a 6-2 defeat of Moorabbin on Saturday.
The club’s third consecutive win for the season was set up by a 5-2 lead after three digs as James Wood collected three hits and Sam Gibbons struck out nine batters.
The Baycats, who remain on top of the Premier ladder, play Melbourne on Saturday at Surrey Park Arthur Field.
Young catcher Tanner Stack said with the addition of US import Tanner Riley, the Baycats were clicking beautifully at the moment.
“It’s great that we have been able to continue our winning form from the end of last season to be 3-0 so far this summer,” Stack said.
“We have a lot of young players in our division one and two teams and some great mentors around the club so things are looking good for the Baycats.
“Hopefully we can keep it going.”
Personally, he had been solid behind the plate and his hitting could improve but was at least “making solid contact”, recording hits in all three games so far.
Geelong Baycats go 2-0
A renewed focus on hitting is paying off for the undefeated Geelong Baycats so far, starting their 2024-25 campaign in fine style with two straight victories.
Geelong opened its Premier League season on October 5 with a 13-3 hammering of Sandringham at home as Jordan Ellis picked up three hits.
The game was close to over after three digs as the Baycats held a 10-1 lead with US recruit Tanner Riley striking out five batters on debut.
Then, last Saturday, Geelong was locked with Newport on four runs apiece after seven innings before the Baycats brought four runners in during the eighth to win 8-5.
Jye Robinson, James Wood and Harvey Mitchelhill picked up two hits at KC White Reserve while Sam Gibbons collected four strikeouts on the mound.
Pitcher Hayden Peoples, who won his local club Guild All-Stars’ MVP award in the Geelong Baseball Association this year, said the Baycats had improved with bat in hand after last seasons’s 14th place.
“We’re hitting really well which was a downfall last year,” Peoples said.
“Against some pretty good pitching.
“As a pitcher you want run support from the bats ... it makes it easier for me to do my job and the other pitchers to do their job.”
Recording seven strikeouts so far this year, Peoples said he was coming off a “pretty big winter” – Guild lost the A Grade grand final to Belmont Saints – and was adjusting well to the sharp increase in standard.
“It’s just getting used to throwing to a better competition,” he said.
“Playing the GBA compared to playing in the Victorian league is a massive skill set jump.
“There are a few Australian guys playing in that league, pro guys.
“I think everyone on the team has thrown really well so far.
“We’ve had some big talks about accountability and doing the team thing.”
He said Riley, from Clyde in Texas, had been a strong recruit so far for the Baycats, while he expected his younger brother, also named Riley, to have a big impact in 2024-25.
“He’s definitely going to be a really handy addition, he knows what he’s doing and he’s played in some pretty high levels overseas as well,” he said of the US import.
“I’ve learnt a fair bit off him in the short time he’s been here.”
Geelong play Moorabbin this Saturday at home in the 16-team tournament.
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