Baseball:Pirates Climb the Rigging
JAMES YOUNG
Hastings Pirates baseball club are off to a flying start in 2026, winning five of their first six games of the season.
Slugger Marhil Romano at bat
An impressive 9-2 demolition of Brighton Jets in the team’s opening game on Sunday 10 May showcased the all-round strength of the Pirates’ early season play – slick fielding, notably from sure-handed third baseman Liam Drane, a crisp, confident pitching performance from Uduak Victor Robert, and swaggering hitting from shortstop Marhil Romano, who swatted two towering home runs. Romano is the first player in Pirates history to hit two ‘dingers’ in the same game, a feat which led to him being intentionally walked – where the opposition effectively gives a batter a free pass to first base to avoid pitching to them – for the rest of the afternoon.
But the Pirates’ win in their second game against Brighton was arguably even more notable. The team showed terrific determination in rallying from a six-run deficit to win 9-8, the winning run coming when outfielder Chris Cooper scored all the way from second base on a double by Colin Hubbock, who was playing in his first competitive baseball game. It was the kind of game that might easily have slipped away from the Pirates in recent seasons, when victories could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and sometimes fewer than that – the team won a total of eight games from 2022 to 2024, and perennially finished bottom of its division.
The wins over Brighton were followed by another victory and a narrow defeat away to Kent Mariners the following week – the latter coming on the very last play of the game, when a throw escaped the normally immaculate handling of first baseman Rory Dearlove, allowing the winning runs to score. And two more ‘W’s’ came on the road this Sunday, as hosts Hildenborough Hurricanes failed to field a full team, forfeiting both contests and giving the Pirates a sparkling five and one record, good for second place in BBF (British Baseball Federation) Division 5 South division.
According to experienced head coach Neil O’Warne, hard work and continuity are a major reason for the Pirates’ improved fortunes. “Most of the team have played together for a couple of seasons now,” he says, citing the benefits of combining experienced players like Robert and Romano with those still learning the game. “They’re starting to trust each other, to know where their teammates are going to be on the field. And we have a lot of players who want to get better. As a coach, it’s really satisfying when players take on board what you’re saying and build it into their game.”
Such a conducive environment is no coincidence, explains O’Warne, previously head coach and director of the London Mets, which he built from a local youth programme into one of UK baseball’s biggest and most successful clubs. After moving to Hastings with the plan of retiring from coaching, he describes the experience of getting back into the game with the Pirates as “a real joy”.
“We try to create a positive atmosphere of encouraging and helping each other,” he says. “Winning is great, but it’s not the only thing. Previously we’d lose week after week but still enjoy it, and that took us through the difficult times. And if you’re not afraid to make mistakes, it means you’re willing to try something new.”
The Pirates will need to overcome stiff opposition from their divisional rivals if they’re to make the post-season playoffs. This weekend’s forfeits notwithstanding, the Hurricanes organisation are the defending national champions at the Division 5 level, while Brighton and Tonbridge Bobcats are two of the longest-running clubs in the country. Bognor Cobras, meanwhile, were the subject of a recent BBC News feature celebrating the international make-up of the club’s squad, which boasts players from baseball hotbeds such as Taiwan, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
But the Pirates’ bright early season form means the team is suddenly aiming high. Irrespective of wins and losses, though, they will continue to play the game in a positive, supportive spirit. “Getting into the playoffs would be really enjoyable,” says O’Warne. “We’ve got the self-belief. But doing it the right way is just as important.”
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