Tara Murray
The Werribee Giants have come a long way in the space of two seasons in the Baseball Victoria summer league division 3 west women’s competition.
Last season the Giants won just two games and finished in the bottom half of the table.
With the same squad back this season, the group has massively improved and will play off in this week’s grand final.
Coach Jacob Sigismondi said it was pretty exciting for the group.
“The girls are just rapt,” he said. “It’s a big change from last year, only winning two games for the season.
“It’s a big turnaround with the same group of girls. The big difference is experience. For a lot of them it was their first year playing baseball last year.
“They’ve got a better understanding of the game and how to play.”
Sigismondi said he realised early in the season that the group could be in for a special season. He said it took the playing group a little longer to believe him.
“About week two or three I thought we have something here,” he said. “I was telling them then that we should be playing finals.
“There was a bit of a laugh at the start, but they started to realise more and more each week.”
The Giants faced minor premiers Port Melbourne in their semi final on Saturday.
While they could have been easily daunted by the task of facing a side that won by 19 runs the previous week, the Giants took it on.
They claimed the win 9-6.
Sigismondi said he thought that the girls could get the job done.
“I thought for the last six or seven weeks that the girls could beat any team on their day if they go out there and do their best.
“The girls went out there and batted really well and hit the bases and moved on and stole bases to get the runs.”
The Giants will now face Fitzroy in the grand final. Fitzroy beat the Geelong Baycats in the other semi final.
The two teams split their regular season matches with the Giants winning the most recent one.
Sigismondi said he was unsure of the history of the women’s side in the club winning premierships, but said the most recent program had yet to win one.
The Giants men’s season came to an end of Saturday against the Newport Rams. The Rams won 14-4.
The Giants finished the season in eighth.
