The Canberra Cavalry are gearing up for the 2020/21 Australian Baseball League (ABL) season, after the Australian Conference schedule was released late last week.
The local side will come up against the Perth Heat in Round 1 of what will be a slightly modified and shortened baseball season, kicking off from 18 December.
The Cavalry’s match-up with Perth will be a rematch of the 2019/20 Wildcard Playoff, that saw the Canberra side ending the Heat’s season.
However, Canberra Cavalry chief executive Donn McMichael said the side would need to perform better in Australia’s West after just one win in the region during the regular season last year.
“Perth have historically been, consistently, one of the strongest sides in the ABL,” he said.
“It’s the toughest road trip for the players and we’ll need to come out of the blocks quickly this season if we want to feature at the end it.”
The Cavalry will play in the Australian conference alongside Perth Heat, Melbourne Aces and Sydney Blue Sox, while Geelong-Korea, Adelaide and Brisbane will join the New Zealand hub after playing each other in Australia.
There will be no cross-over between the two conferences until the playoffs.
Canberra Cavalry director Dan Amodio said despite uncertainty surrounding some states and territories in the league, he was confident the ABL would be able to handle each challenge as it comes.
“We’re in a fortunate position where we have plenty of time between now and December. The safety of our fans, players and staff is paramount, so we’ll be making every effort to make that priority,” he said.
“The ABL are meeting with government officials, as well as the clubs, on a weekly basis to ensure all risks are mitigated and we can get the season up and running.
“It’s great to have some clarity around the schedule, and now that we know our home dates, we can start confirming some of the great concepts we’ve got planned for this season.”
The Australian Conference Schedule can be accessed online.
