The Newton Aycliffe Spartans Baseball Club, formed in 2011, has been competing in the British Baseball Federation’s AA league (north division) since 2012 and is still the only North East club competing.
This year, the club starts the new season with a new name: County Durham Spartans Baseball Club.
To complement the name change, the Spartans have developed a brand new website: www.durhamspartans.co.uk which is regularly updated with photos, team news, training & game schedules, game reports, contact info and much more. It is the first stop for information about anything Spartan.
The Spartans joined the British Baseball AA North Division for their inaugural season in 2012. Going up against much more established teams, they finished at the bottom of the division, but did score their historic first win (an emphatic 21-10) at home against Oldham late in the season. 2013 saw a much more competitive Spartans move to their permanent diamond in Shildon, County Durham, and continue to travel across the north of England to move away from the bottom of the table with many more wins to their name. The following 2014 season was one to remember as an almost perfect run of victories saw the Spartans take the AA North League title, beating the likes of Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield to the crown.
Durham Spartans are members of the British Baseball Federation, with many different leagues and levels of players coming together on summer Sunday’s across the country to play competitive baseball. For the 2016 season, the AA North league will be split into three divisions, West, Central & East, with Hull Scorpions, Sheffield Bladerunners and Harrogate Tigers joining the Spartans in the Eastern division. Teams across all three divisions will play each other once too, resulting in a busy schedule, with the regular season starting on April 10th, continuing through until the end of August and the playoffs for national honours taking place in September.
The Spartans are always looking for new members male or female, regardless of skill level, wanting to try this different and fun sport. If it’s to compete, keep fit, or just enjoy being part of a team, a warm welcome will await.
Training takes place on Tuesday evenings (indoors during the winter) from 7-9 at Woodham Academy, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, and on Sunday’s during the off season at their home field (weather permitting) which is part of the Sunnydale Leisure complex at Shildon, County Durham.
For more details please go to www.durhamspartans.co.uk
Mike Holton, 07969 240494.
