ACT Baseball has undergone one of its busiest registration periods in history after signing up just over two hundred new players for the 2009-2010 season.

The increase in players has been experienced right across the board at both junior and senior levels. As an example, junior T-Ball looks set to double the sides from clubs around Canberra from last years competition.

Increasing numbers have also been felt at the senior level with Division 2 in C Grade also doubling in size from last years numbers.

The influx in new recruits for the upcoming season once again highlights the growth of the sport at grassroots levels.

The growth in participation comes as the ACT Baseball Association bids to join the newly formed Australian Baseball League, and has seen the ACT fielding their first ever women’s representative side.

ACT Baseball Association President, Theo Vassalakis, says that the increase in participation is clear evidence of the growth of the sport in the region and only serves to build the excitement in the baseball community for the upcoming season.

“This is fantastic news for the game in our region,” Vassalakis said.

“We have the ‘Let’s do it Canberra’ bid in full swing at the moment and I think some of the hype surrounding the bid can be attributed to the increase in numbers.”

“The future of the sport in our region really does look bright. If we are successful in our bid to join the ABL, we could be set for even more growth next year.”

With participation at all levels of the sport at almost record highs, the ACT Baseball Association has almost found itself not having enough diamonds on which its players can participate.

“We’ve had to spend a lot more time on the draw for all age groups this year. It’s a good problem to have.” Vassalakis said.