Ballarat Royals have made the call to get back into baseball training this week.
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The Royals have asked players to submit their preferred nights to take part in sessions at Prince of Wales Park from as early as Monday.
The club was initially looking at a June 2 start, but with all required approvals in place the starting date has been brought forward.
Players will only be able to access the field, with indoor batting tunnels remaining closed.
Royals president Scott Jones said Geelong Baseball Association had tentatively chosen Saturday, July 4, as the starting date for the season, but this was dependent on government regulations.
Baseball Victoria last week released COVID-19 return to activity guidelines, allowing training from Monday in keeping with state government-set guidelines.
The state body had originally shut down the game until May 31.
Clubs will be permitted to have up to 10 players and two coaches in groups for training.
There can be two groups on the field - one in the diamond and one in the outfield with about 20 metres in between them.
Players are not permitted to change groups and must remain in their section of the ground for the entire training session.
The return to training for Ballarat is restricted to senior ranks.
Bats should not be shared whenever possible and tagging will not be permitted.
Bats provided by the club must be disinfected before and after use.
Jones said the GBA had decided not to go ahead with a winter junior competition this year. The Royals had planned to enter an under-14 team as an extension of its Baseball Victoria junior summer league involvement.
Baseballers given guidelines for return to training
Baseball next week joins the growing number of sports being able to return to a COVID-19 restricted training regime.
Baseball Victoria will allow training from Monday in keeping with state government-set guidelines.
The state body announced on Thursday it had adjusted initial plans to shut down baseball until May 31.
Clubs will be permitted to have up to 10 players and two coaches in groups for training.
There can be two groups on the field - one in the diamond and one in the outfield with about 20 metres in between them.
Players are not permitted to change groups and must remain in their section of the ground for the entire training session.
Ballarat Royals president Scott Jones said at this stage the club was looking to start training on Tuesday, June 2.
He said the Royals first needed approval from Geelong Baseball Association, with much to be coinsidered with the release of return to training protocols.
The GBA has mooted having a 12-round regular season, plus finals, on the condition it can get under way in July.
Jones said he expected to know more details after a GBA meeting on Thursday night.
Baseball Victoria return to activity guidelines include:
- Use of clubrooms, changerooms, showers and batting cages are not allowed. The only indoor club facilities that may be used are toilets.
- Dugouts cannot be used.
- If batting cage is enclosed (with roof) it cannot be used.
- Training drills involving close physical contact are prohibited. Regular catching, throwing and hitting drills are allowed so long as all participants remain at least 1.5 metres apart.
- Bats should not be shared whenever possible. Bats provided by the club must be wiped down with a disinfectant wipe or solution before and after use.
- Tagging will not be permitted during training. Players are to have no physical contact with one anther and remain 1.5 metres apart at all times.
- Groundskeepers, parents and other club members may not be on the field during training, otherwise they will count toward the maximum number of people.
- All athletes and coaches must use hand sanitiser before, during and after training. Hand sanitiser must be reapplied every 20 minutes during training.
- All training will be run so that there is no personal contact and appropriate space between participants.
- Non-essential baseball activity other than training in groups of up to 10 people remains shut down until at least May 31
- Committee meetings and non-essential small gatherings are not permitted.
