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A Claxton Shield Snapshot Round One Overview - South Australia vs Victoria With 36 National Championships between them, the opening round of the 2008 IndependentAdvice.com CLAXTON SHIELD between the Victoria Aces and South Australia is shaping to be one of the highlights of the tournament even before the first pitch is thrown. Reigning title holders Victoria will be eager to prove their dominance over their arch rivals, but with a South Australian side boasting a number of experienced pitchers on home soil – the two sides look more evenly matched than ever before. The Aces will turn to last year’s Claxton Shield MVP Mathew Kent to lead the Victorians both on offence and behind the plate, where his recent experience catching for Australia at the World Cup will bring an invaluable dimension to their roster. For South Australia , 2004 Olympic Silver Medallists Tom Brice and Ben Wigmore will form a powerful 1-2 punch at the heart of the home team’s line-up and could easily take the game away from the Aces if their bats get going early. Game 1 Friday 28th – 3:30pm Game 2 Saturday 29th – 11:00am Game 3 Saturday 29th – 3:30pm
All game times are listed as local time Round One Overview - Australian Provincial vs New South Wales Perennial favourites the NSW Patriots will take on Australia Provincial in their first series of the IndependentAdvice.com CLAXTON SHIELD in what could easily be called the “Crystal Ball” round of the 2008 event. With a bevy of the country’s up and coming stars on display, fans will be treated to what could well be the “future” faces of Australian baseball. In recent years many would have picked the powerhouse Patriots to walk all over the Provincials without breaking their stride – but be sure to expect some surprises in their first match up this weekend in Canberra . Missing some of their long-serving superstars, the Patriots will be looking to the next crop of emerging studs; including young professional prospects Mitch Dening (Boston Red Sox), Jarrod Eacott (Minnesota Twins) and Tim Stanford (Texas Rangers). Likewise, Australia Provincial will hang many of their hopes on the prodigious left arm of 18-year-old hurler Steven Kent who headlines a roster where almost half the players have yet to see their 20th birthday. While the youth movement will certainly be out in full force, look to a solid core of Olympic and World Cup veterans to steady the ship for both sides. Game 1 Friday 28th – 7:30pm Game 2 Saturday 29th – 3:30pm Game 3 Saturday 29th – 7:30pm
All game times are listed as local time |
