Category Archives: Independent Ball

Independent Ball

Aussie in America (Part Three) – Ben Lodge

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(Photo by Ryan Schembri – SMP Images / ABL Media)

Luke Wilkins isn’t the only Aussie in the Frontier League this season.  Recently the Frontier Greys, the league’s travel team, played in Washington, PA where I was able to catch up with Grey’s outfielder Ben Lodge.

Lodge, who is 23 years old, is a native of Adelaide, Australia where he has been playing with the Adelaide Bite of the Australian Baseball League (ABL) since 2011.  Unlike Wilkins, Lodge did not play college baseball in America and was the only Bite player with no college or professional playing experience outside of Australia.

However, the lack of experience didn’t stop Lodge from being named Rookie of the Year for the 2012/2013 ABL season.

After winning the Rookie of the Year award, Lodge was then invited to play on Team Australia in Sydney for the MLB Opening Series with the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.  In 2014, he was once again chosen to represent Australia on the world stage.  This time he played in the 21/U Baseball World Cup held in Taiwan.

Lodge finished the 2014/2015 ABL season batting .247 in 42 games with career highs in home runs (6) and RBIs (26) all while having a perfect fielding percentage in the outfield.

In February, the Frontier Greys signed Lodge to play professional baseball here in America.

In 30 games so far this season with the Greys, Lodge is batting .224 with 6 doubles and 3 RBIs.

As with our other Aussie in America posts, you may comment or send in any questions you have for our next Q & A segment with Lodge.

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Independent Ball

The Heartland of America Baseball League is Done… At Least for This Year

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According to Jeff Kessinger of the CC Headliner, the Heartland of America Baseball League (HoABL) has officially left Ozark. In an article posted today, June 19th, Kessinger confirmed with manager Bart Zeller that the league is done for the 2015 season.

Players arrived in Ozark to begin preseason work at the beginning of June and league organizers told local media that the league’s first games would be held July 4. But sources informed the Headliner News earlier this week that those players were sent home. Bart Zeller, manager of the Heartland League’s Ozark Zephyrs, confirmed that June 19.

“The players were told to go home until further notice,” Zeller said. “There was no time limit given.”

Zeller himself is headed out of state.

“If I had to make a guess, I would say (the league) probably won’t happen this year,” Zeller said.

However, the Headliner reports that there still may be good news coming out of Ozark.  The Ozark Pro Baseball league is still planning on playing games starting next month and is still in talks with the owners of Price Cutter Park.

You can read the entire article from the CC Headliner HERE.