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Player/coach Charlie Attard, outfielder Mark Buttigieg and utility player Steven Galea are preparing themselves for the European Qualifiers, which will be held in Antwerp, Belgium. These three gozitan ballplayers, along with other Maltese athletes, will represent Malta at this highly-anticipated tournament, being organized by the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB). The Maltese baseball team will be flying to Brussels on Tuesday the 8th of July, and will be traveling to Antwerp for this tournament. Malta will face Austria, Belgium and Switzerland in the qualifier.

Attard, Buttigieg and Galea have been instrumental during this year's National League Championship, as they helped the Tornadoes win their first championship since 2003. They should be bringing Ray Bartolo's team a veteran presence, due to the fact that the majority of the ballplayers on the national team are of 23 years or younger. This will not be the first time that Attard, Buttigieg and Galea have played for the national team. Attard, having the most experience out of the three, will be playing in his fifth international tournament while Buttigieg and Galea will be playing in their third. All three players have traveled to Antwerp five years ago, where they have played their last international tournament there.

The Gozo Tornadoes could have not chosen a better time to bring the championship title back to Gozo. Marking the club’s tenth anniversary since its foundation, the Tornadoes managed to turn a disappointing season into a memorable one, after beating the Mellieha Northenders last Saturday. The Northenders, who had won the title four times in a row, were no match for the Tornadoes, the latter having found its dominant form during the last quarter of the season.

2008 has turned out to be a memorable year not only for Gozo baseball but for Gozo sports in general. The year started instantly on a positive note, as the team struck a much-needed and important sponsorship deal with Uncle Ted’s Tavern and Il-Girna Restaurant, established in Sannat. The management of both establishments helped the Tornadoes re-open the Gozo Baseball School, after an absence of over four years. Charlie Attard and Gary DeBrincat have taken over the coaching responsibilities for the Baseball School, which was an instant successes. Kids from ages eleven to fifteen have regularly been attending Gozo’s weekly sessions. Attard and DeBrincat have also been helped by several other team members, allpassing on their experience to the young players. The Gozo Baseball School was so successful, that four of its students even made their senior debut this year, and were part of the 2008 championship roster. In February 2008, the Tornadoes celebrated their tenth anniversary by throwing a party at Uncle Ted’s Tavern. Committee members from the Malta Baseball Softball Association (MABS), opposition team members, fans and the Gozitan players attended this event, making it the most successful event planned by the Tornadoes team. This party was held on the eve of the first encounter between Gozo and their rivals Mellieha, which ended seven to six in favour of the Northenders.

The 2008 regular season was not so encouraging for Gozo, as injuries affected the team’s performance throughout the first three quarters of the year. The team finished third place in the National League standings, dropping two games out of three to the Northenders and Mustangs, and allowing the first and only victory to the Devils. However, Gozo’s fortune turned during the last game of the regular season, as they beat the Mellieha Northenders twelve to four. The Tornadoes’ bats stayed alive during the playoffs, sweeping the Mustangs in two games in order to advance to the Championships. During the two game series, Steven Galea ended as the playoff’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), after recording two saves, and hitting seven for nine with four doubles, a triple and a home run. For the Championship decider against Mellieha, the Tornadoes went back to the past by putting veteran pitcher Jeff Tabone on the mound. The game ended nine to one in favor of Gozo, bringing back the championship after five years. In order to celebrate Gozo’s success, MABS organized a five-inning game in Gozo, which later lead to the trophy presentation. The Tornadoes beat a selection of Maltese players eight to seven, thanks to a walk-off single by Rodney Debono, who has also been the most improved player on the Gozo team this year, and probably the most improved player in the league.

Gozo’s 2008 season does not end here, as three players from the championship team, along with other Maltese athletes, will represent Malta at the European Qualifiers, which will be held next July in Antwerp, Belgium. Pitcher Charlie Attard, outfielder Mark Buttigieg and utility player Steven Galea will be wearing the Maltese jersey during this highly-anticipated tournament.

2008 will also be remember as the year whiffle ball made its debut in Gozo. This mini version of baseball was introduced at Ramla Bay, as Attard and DeBrincat occasionally took the baseball school to the sandy beach instead of its usual baseball diamond. MABS liked the idea so much that they will be organizing a whiffle ball tournament at Ramla Bay. Whiffle ball will remain a permanent event throughout the summer, as the location should be a hotspot for free promotion.

Another important issue for 2008 has been the re-acceptance of Sannat as an official game venue for Gozo’s home games. Now, the Tornadoes cannot wait for 2009, as the Sannat Field will be surfaced with artificial turf.

One cannot forget to mention that the Gozo Baseball School will receive an upgrade later this year, as it will officially form part of the Sports School organized by the Sacred Hear Seminary Gym. Baseball will also be introduced to the first Gozitan secondary school, as the Sacred Heart Seminary School accepted the sport for next semester’s physical education lessons. 2008 will also be remembered as the first full season when the Tornadoes played in their new grey uniforms, which made their debut late last season.

So to sum it up, 2008 has been one of the most memorable and active years in Gozo Baseball’s history. And the timing could not be any better, as Gozo won their fourth title on their tenth anniversary. The Tornadoes will be organizing an awards ceremony in the next few weeks. This will also serve as a fundraiser for the club. More information will be put on our website in the next few days. We would like to thank all our players, supporters, the Sacred Heart Seminary Gym, the Sannat Lions Football Club, Il-Girna Restaurant and Uncle Ted's Tavern for their help this year.

Posted on the 20/05/2008 - Gozo Baseball Official News)

Just four days after the first playoff game, the Gozo Tornadoes and the Mustangs show downed for another nine innings, with Gozo sweeping the Mustangs two games to nothing. The Tornadoes have now made it to their eight consecutive Championship Finals, in their ten years of history.

The game started off with the Mustangs scoring the first run of the game, however, Gozo fought back in the bottom of the inning, by creating a three-run rally with two outs. Shaun Chircop, Jeff Tabone and Gary DeBrincat started the rally by hitting three infield singles, with the latter driving in Chircop to tie the game. An infield error allowed the second run to cross the plate, while centerfielder Steve Ellis lined the ball to right in order to score the third run.

Gozo scored another run in the bottom of the second, thanks to a double to left field by Steven Galea, which drove in a run. Starting pitcher Charlie Attard threw two scoreless innings in the second and third inning, keeping Gozo infront. Attard then drove in a run in the bottom of the third, to make the score five to one.

The Mustangs caught up in the top of the fourth, as fatigue started to hit Attard. Two runs crossed the plate to make the score five to three. Attard left the game with seven strikeouts thrown. But Gozo rallied for four runs in the bottom of the inning, with Galea leading off with a triple to center field. Galea then came in to relief in the top of the fifth, and the Mustangs quickly jumped all over him, scoring five runs. The Tornadoes responded back, thanks to a couple of doubles by Galea and Chircop, scoring another two runs, and making the score eleven to eight.

With the score eleven to ten in favour of the Tornadoes, Ellis started off the bottom of the sixth with a single to left field. With two men on base, Galea hit his third double of the game, clearing the bases. Chircop and Tabone later hit a couple of singles to drive in a two more runs, to extend their lead by five.

In the bottom of the eight, with the score fifteen to twelve, the Tornadoes rallied once more to tame the Mustangs. Four runs crossed the plate in this inning, making the score nineteen to twelve. Galea then pitched a quick one-two-three inning in the top of the ninth, to earn his second playoff save.

Outstanding performances by Steven Galea, who went 4 for 5 with three doubles, a triple and a run batted in; Shaun Chircop who went 5 for 6 with a double and four runs batted in and Steve Ellis who went 3 for 6 with three runs batted in.

Name	Position	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	GDP	SH	SF	BB	HP	SB	CS	K	RBI
Charlie Attard	P/C	6	3	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	1	1
Steven Galea	C/SS/P	6	5	3	4	3	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Shaun Chircop	2B	6	6	4	5	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	4
Jeff Tabone	SS/C/SS	6	3	3	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	0	1
Gary DeBrincat	1B	6	6	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Rodney Debono	3B	6	4	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	1
Steve Ellis	CF	6	6	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3
Manny Borg	LF	6	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	2	0
Joshua Gauci	RF	5	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Totals		53	41	19	18	4	1	0	0	0	0	12	0	6	0	8	12

The Tornadoes will now face the Mellieha Northenders in the Championship Series, which will be held in Marsa and Sannat, Gozo. Game 1 will be on Saturday the 17th of May at Marsa, while Game 2 will be held on Sunday the 18th of May at Sannat. Both games start at 1400 hrs.

Playoff week began last Sunday, with all National League teams playing in the playoffs, in hope to make it to the Championship Series in May. Reigning champions, the Mellieha Northenders had no trouble in beating the last-placed Devils 11 to 1 in just five innings, after a brilliant performance by starting pitcher Marlon Borg.

The second playoff game was definitely the most interesting one, where the Gozo Tornadoes and the Mustangs battled against each other in a long nine inning game, which took nearly four hours to complete. Starting on the mound for Gozo was veteran Charlie Attard, who kept Gozo in the game through the first half, thanks to his fastball and devastating slider, which kept the Mustangs off balance. Attard struck out seven batters in four and four and two-third innings. The Tornadoes took the lead in the top of the second, after Steve Ellis singled to get on base. Ellis was also making his first career appearance in center field, taking over Mark Buttigieg's duties while he is away. Ellis later came in to score to give the Tornadoes the lead. The bottom of the inning started with a bang, as Mustangs' slugger, Patrick Pace, crushed the first pitch over the left field fence to tie the game. Gozo scored again in the top of the third inning, after second baseman Rodney Debono drove in two with a single. However, the Mustangs replied back with another two in the bottom of the inning, to tie the game 3-3.

Catcher Steven Galea ripped a pitch in the top of the fourth for his seventh career homerun, giving Gozo a 4-3 lead. Gozo extended the lead to 5-3 in the fifth, after Debono scored that inning. First baseman Gary DeBrincat also hit his first double of the game, however, he got picked off in a run down between home and third later in the inning. Pace's playoff performance got even better in the bottom of the inning, hitting a towering two-run homer off reliever Jeff Tabone to tie the game 5-5. The sixth inning started off very well for Gozo, as Galea, Shaun Chircop and DeBrincat all hit doubles in this inning. Four runs crossed the plate during that inning, but it wasn't enough, as the Mustangs fought back with five runs scored, leading the sixth inning 10-9.

The seventh inning was the punch out for the Mustangs, as Gozo scored a total of nine runs in this inning. Tabone hit two singles, while Debono drove in another run with a single as well. Steven Galea came in to pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning, allowing only one run in the inning to keep the score 18-11 in Gozo's favour. The Tornadoes extended their lead to eleven runs in the top of the eight off reliever Mark Buttigieg. The Mustangs rallied for six runs in the bottom of the eight, but was not enough to top the Tornadoes, as Galea threw a perfect ninth to earn his first career save. Jeff Tabone was credited with the win. Key performances were made by Chircop, who hit three singles, a double and scored five runs; DeBrincat, who hit two doubles and a single; Debono, who drove in three runs; and Galea, who was a triple shy for the cycle.

The Tornadoes will now face the Mustangs again next Thursday, playing their home game at Marsa. Game starts at 1400 hrs. Gozo need at least one victory in the next two games in order to make it to the championship series.

The last week of the regular season ended on a positive note for Gozo, beating the reigning champions twelve to five in just seven innings, despite only fielding eight guys on the field.

The Tornadoes rallied on in the top of the first, scoring four runs in their first five plate appearances, thanks to consecutive singles by Rodney Debono, Gary DeBrincat and a bunt single by Charlie Attard. The Northenders replied back in the bottom of the third with one run, and another in the bottom of the fourth. After a decisive error by Gozo's defense, Mellieha rallied in the fifth, and tied the game off reliever Steven Galea. Galea came in for Attard with two outs in the inning, after the latter was dominating on the mound, striking out nine batters in just four and two-thirds of an inning and earning only one run.

Gozo then fought back in the top of the sixth, scoring six runs off reliever Clint Grima, and then scoring the twelfth run in the top of the seventh in order to win the game. Reliever Galea did a fantastic job by throwing two scoreless innings, taking away any hope left for Mellieha to make a comeback. First baseman Gary DeBrincat had a stellar performance at the plate, going three for four with a double while rookie sensation, Joshua Gauci had a spectacular game at second base, making a diving catch in the bottom of the second to prevent extra bases, and had five putouts and four assists.

The Tornadoes will now face the Mustangs next Sunday to start their playoff season.

The injury bug has hit Gozo this weekend, as they were unable to field nine guys against the Devils, therefore, forfeiting the game. The Tornadoes will now face the Northenders in the last game of the regular season, before taking the Mustangs in the Playoff Series in two weeks. Both games will be at Marsa. Please check our schedule for details about the games.

Last Saturday, the 3^rd round of the 2008 National League opened with a rivalry game between the Gozo Tornadoes and the Mustangs. Gozo had three important veteran players missing for this game, and were replaced by fourteen-year-old rookies Joshua Gauci, Manuel Grima and Dylan Xerri, who performed very well during the game. The game started off as an exciting one, with a score

of 3 – 2 up to the middle of the fifth inning. The Mustangs then came out as the stronger opponent, beating the Tornadoes 12 – 2 in eight innings.

Mustangs’ starting pitcher, Mark Buttigieg pitched a fine game, allowing just two runs in five innings, and striking out a career high of six batters. Gozo’s starting pitcher, Steven Galea also pitched well in four frames, allowing only three runs to cross the plate. The Mustangs jumped over Gozo’s Mark Buttigieg, after coming in to relief for Galea. Buttigieg allowed six runs in two innings. Mustangs’ first baseman had a productive game, going three for five with two runs batted in and a stolen base. Veteran third baseman Patrick Pace also had a good offensive game, going two for four with a double, one run batted in and a stolen base. Gozo’s Buttigieg drove in the only two runs, thanks to a two for four performance.

The Mustangs have now climbed up to second place in the standings with only two games left. The Mustangs will now face the unbeatable Northenders next Saturday while Gozo will host the Devils at home.

Hey fans!!!! Check out our new Photo Gallery. More photos will be posted very shortly.

Sunday's home game against the Northenders was expected to be thrilling and fun to watch. Unfortunately this game turned out to be a blowout for the Northenders, beating the Tornadoes 16 - 6 in 9 innings. A vast amount of errors committed by both teams' defense shadowed this game, as less than half of the runs scored during the game were earned. However, looking on the bright side, the pitching from both teams was spectacular, as both starting pitchers Charlie Attard and Mike Bartolo had great command of all their pitches, combining eighteen strikeouts. Relievers Marlon Borg and Steven Galea made excellent appearances on the mound, although Galea showed sign of fatigue during the last two innings, allowing seven Mellieha runs to cross the plate. Attard came back in relief in the top of the ninth using his last sixteen pitches, however, most of the damage was already done and it was almost impossible for Gozo to make a comeback in the bottom of the inning. In total, Gozo's and Mellieha's pitching threw twenty-five strikeouts and earned only 9 runs.

The game started off as a nail biter, were it was tied 1-1 during the first three innings, and starters Attard and Bartolo had already thrown four and five strikeouts respectively. First baseman Gary DeBrincat also managed to turn an unassisted double play, where he caught a fly ball committed by short stop Marlon Borg and tagged first base after Keith Bartolo was caught on his way trying to steal second on the pitch. Mellieha's first baseman, Matthew Grima, hit a liner to left field which landed on the foul line to lead off the third inning. Outfielder Ryan Borg then singled to left in order to drive in Grima, for the first run of the game. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the third, a collision between Attard and first baseman Matthew Grima managed to sprain Attard's knee, which effected his delivery through the rest of the game. The collision at first base allowed the aggressive Rodney Debono to round third and score easily to tie the game.

In the top of the fourth, five Mellieha runs crossed over the plate, thanks to several errors committed by the Gozo defense. Noticing the uncomforting delivery of his starting pitcher, manager Neil Newton switched the battery around, putting Steven Galea on the mound, who was stellar in the fifth, sixth and seventh, throwing three scoreless innings and striking out four batters. Galea also tripled in the bottom of the fourth to drive in Jeff Tabone, which then resulted into a throwing error by the left fielder, allowing Galea to score easily on the overthrow. Gozo managed to pull another one back in the seventh, thanks to an error by Grima who dropped the ball at first, which should have been the final out of the inning.

Gozo's misplays in the eight inning did not help Galea at all, allowing three unearned runs to cross the plate to bring the score 9 - 4 in favour to Mellieha. The top of the ninth was the final blow to Gozo, as a total of seven runs crossed the plate. Attard came back in relief for Galea, but unfortunately, Mellieha's offense kept on pounding the baseball and scoring more runs. Gozo got two back in the bottom of the inning, but still was enough to earn a respectable score in the papers, despite earning an important point in the National League standings.

The Tornadoes will now have two weekends off, and will face their rivals, the Mustangs in Marsa, on the 5th of April. Game starts at 1:30 pm.

Photos - (Top) Charlie Attard strikes out Mike Bartolo in the third inning. (Bottom) Steven Galea hits a triple in the bottom of the fourth.

The last time Gozo won a game at Sannat was over two years ago. Last Sunday, the Tornadoes beat the Devils thus ending a two-game losing streak. Starting on the mound for Gozo was Mark Buttigieg, making his second appearance as a pitcher this season. Buttigieg pitched the first three innings of the game. The Tornadoes also saw the return of veteran Jeff Tabone, making his first start of the season.

During the game, Gozo took advantage of the Devils' poor pitching control and inexperienced fielding, scoring fourteen runs in the first three innings. Buttigieg came up big in the second inning, hitting a two-RBI double. Tabone also had a great season debut, hitting three for three, driving in three runs batted in and stealing three bases. Tabone also made a comeback on the mound in the 4th inning, pitching in relief. Dylan Xerri had an impressive National League debut against the Devils, hitting an infield single on his first National League at bat.

Gozo only needed two runs in the bottom of the fourth, in order to beat the Devils by mercy rule. Unfortunately, the Devils scored six runs during the game, preventing the Tornadoes from taking three points.

The Tornadoes will now face the Northenders at home next Sunday. Game starts at 2pm

The Tornadoes lost their second straight game last Saturday, against the Mustangs at Marsa. Unfortunately, Gozo had to play without some key players, forcing manager Neil Newton to put some players out of their usual batting order. Starting pitcher Charlie Attard only pitched two and two-thirds of an inning, after feeling some pain in his throwing shoulder. Relief pitcher, Mark Buttigieg kept Gozo in the game for more than two innings, until a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth allowed the winning run to score.

Mustangs' starter Patrick Pace took a perfect game into the third inning, which was unfortunately stopped by a throwing error by catcher Shaun Ritchie, trying to get the speedy Earl Vella out at first. However, Vella was later picked off leaning to much off second base. The Mustangs hit very well off Attard, who up to this game, had only allowed one hit in eight innings. Attard allowed five hits, struck out four and earned four runs. Buttigieg in relief, threw one strikeout, and allowed two earned runs.

On the bright side, young Manuel Gauci made his debut. He became the second player to be promoted from the Gozo's baseball school, and played left field. Earl Vella made an impressive second appearance by hitting his first hit while Matt Vella Muscat drove in his first run batted in with a single to short, plus making a nice running catch in the fourth to end the inning. Emanuel Borg also had a great day at the plate, going two for three with a double, run batted in and a stolen base. Unfortunately, the veterans playing in this game did not do that much in order to help the offence, as key hitters such as Shaun Chircop, Attard Gary DeBrincat and Buttigieg went two for ten.

Now the Tornadoes will be facing the Devils at home, in hope to turn back to the winning side.

GOZO TORNADOES BASEBALL CLUB CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF BASEBALL AT UNCLE TED'S TAVERN

Last Saturday, the Gozo Tornadoes celebrated their 10th anniversary by organizing a fund-raising event at Uncle Ted's Tavern. Uncle Ted's Tavern, along with Il-Girna Restaurant, is sponsoring the Gozo Tornadoes Baseball Club through this very important year for baseball in Gozo.

The event was a great success, as nearly seventy people turned up to celebrate along with the Tornadoes. Everybody present had a great time, thanks to the delicious food and lovely atmosphere at Uncle Ted's. MABS' president, Mario Debono attended this event not only as the president of baseball, but also as the person who had accepted the new challenge of coaching the Tornadoes ten years ago. Other former Gozo players also attended the anniversary party.

During the ceremony, people had the opportunity to look back into the past, by watching a photo presentation prepared by the Gozo Tornadoes, showing all the photos taken during their ten years of existence.

At the event, Mario Debono said that his years with the Gozo team were some of the best of his life, as he had won several trophies while managing the team. Newly appointed manager, Neil Newton and Mellieha's Ray Bartolo also said that they cannot wait for the game on Sunday, as the whole baseball community in Malta enjoys the rivalry between Gozo and Mellieha year after year. Finally, Charlie Attard, who has been with the team throughout the whole ten years, said that he appreciated the fact that so many people showed up for the event. He also thanked the late Jason Muscat for giving Gozo the opportunity to play baseball, as he was the person who had contacted MABS in order to start a team on our island.

The Gozo Tornadoes would like to thank all the people who came to its 10th anniversary party, especially the team's family members, friends, the Mellieha Northenders, Patrick Pace and the president of baseball, Mario Debono. The Tornadoes would also like to thank Uncle Ted's Tavern and Il-Girna, for such a wonderful night at Uncle Ted's, and also for supporting our team this year. The support this year from Uncle Ted's Tavern and Il-Girna has definitely been a boost in such an important year, especially since we have also opened up the baseball school for youths

On the day after the highly-anticipated anniversary party, the Gozo Tornadoes faced the defending National League champions, the Mellieha Northenders, in their first game in Gozo for over two years. Despite the fact that it was extremely cold in the afternoon, many fans showed up anyway, to cheer for the home team in Sannat. Starter Charlie Attard pitched extremely well in the first four innings of the game, taking a no-hit shutout to the top of the 5th. Mark Cauchi's two RBI single broke Attard's impressive feat, after pitching eight consecutive no-hit innings.

The bottom of the first could have not started any better, when leadoff hitter Shaun Chircop, drove a line-drive to center field, which barely missed the glove of a diving Clint Grima. With the ball rolling to the center-field wall, Chircop rounded the bases easily for an inside-the-park homerun, putting the home team in front one-nothing. Mellieha starter Mike Bartolo recovered well after this initial shock, retiring both Rodney Debono, Gary DeBrincat and Attard in succession.

In the top of the 5th, the Mellieha Northenders took advantage of some wild pitching by Attard. They loaded the bases and also tied the game after the fifth walk allowed by Attard in the inning. Mellieha scored a total of four runs in the inning, giving a comfortable 4 - 1 lead to Mike Bartolo.

Reliever Steven Galea kept Gozo in the game, despite allowing three runs in three innings. Mellieha scored another two runs in the 6th to make it 6 - 1. In the 6th inning, catcher Keith Bartolo hit a long shot to left, which cleared the fence in time to stay fair, giving Mellieha a 7 - 1 lead.

In the bottom of the 8th inning, some fans thought that it was over for Gozo, giving up their hopes of any comeback by the Tornadoes. But they were wrong, as Gozo's bats came alive, as they started pounding Marlon Borg's pitches all over the field. A walk to second baseman Steve Ellis allowed a run to score in order to make it 7 - 2 for Mellieha. With the bases loaded, catcher Shaun Chircop drove a long shot over the wall in deep right-center, to circle the bases for a grand slam homerun, making the score 7 - 6 for Mellieha. The Northenders eventually won the game, after Borg struck out Debono for the final out of the game.

Despite losing the game, the Tornadoes are still on top of the National League standings, with one point over Mellieha. However, Mellieha still has a game less, where they will be facing the Mustangs this weekend, and will have the opportunity to climb up to the top of the table.

Great start for the Tornadoes, beating the Devils 17 - 0 in five innings. Last Saturday was the first time we saw manager Neil Newton on the field, as his debut was delayed by a week due to the previous forfeited game. Starter Charlie Attard dominated on the mound, striking out eight batters in four innings and throwing only forty-six pitches to complete his second career no-hitter. Despite missing some key players, Gozo was no match for the still-improving Devils.

Mark Buttigieg, playing second base for the first time in his career, cleared the bases in the top of the fifth in order to finish the game (due to mercy rule). Buttigieg also made a couple of fine plays at second, to keep Attard's no-hitter intact. The Tornadoes also welcomed back Earl Vella, who was part of the Gozo Astros' team in the minors.

The Tornadoes will now be facing the Mellieha Northenders next Sunday at Sannat. On the eve of this highly-anticipated game, the Gozo Tornadoes will also be celebrating their 10th anniversary at Uncle Ted's Tavern. The Anniversary Party is open to everyone. Tickets can be purchased from Il-Girna Restaurant, Uncle Ted's Tavern or from the club members.

Twelve weeks ago, the Gozo Tornadoes Baseball Club chose a playing field in Xaghra to be its venue for the new 'Baseball School for Kids'. The decision to open up this school in Xaghra was an instant success, as children from the village showed up to try the sport and loved it. The playing field is basically a magnet for passersby, as many children play in the park on weekends.

Today, we can say that ten kids regularly attend our weekly sessions, eagerly waiting for coaches Charlie Attard, Gary DeBrincat and Emanuel Borg to show up on the field with the baseball equipment every week. We would like to thank the Xaghra United Football Club for allowing us to use the field on a regular basis, thus giving us the opportunity to start this much-needed school.

Due to the forfeit game of last weekend, the Tornadoes will be making their season debut tomorrow at Marsa. Gozo will be facing the Devils.

Saturday's game starts at 1.30 pm. Those wanting to come over to Malta to see Gozo play, please contact any of our team members.

Last Sunday, the Mustangs unfortunately had to forfeit the game. The Tornadoes took the 9 - 0 win, due to the forfeit. Neil Newton's debut will have to wait for next weekend, when the Tornadoes face the Devils in Malta.

During the 2008 season, Il-Girna Restaurant and Uncle Ted's Tavern in Sannat, Gozo, will be sponsoring the Gozo Tornadoes Baseball Club. The new sponsorship logos will be attached to all Gozo uniforms, and worn in 2008.

We would like to thank Il-Girna Restaurant and Uncle Ted's Tavern for their generous support.

On Saturday, 16th of February, the Gozo Tornadoes welcome everyone to its 10th Anniversary Buffet Party, being held at Uncle Ted's Tavern, Sannat, Gozo. The buffet will be held on the eve of the anticipated game between the Tornadoes and reigning champions, the Mellieha Northenders. The buffet menu consists of:

All Maltese ballplayers, former Gozo members, family, friends and fans are expected to be at this large event. The buffet opens at 7pm. Accommodation could also be booked for the weekend. Ticket prices are € 15 for adults and € 9.50 for children. Tickets could be bought from Uncle Ted's Tavern, Il-Girna Restaurant or from any member of our committee.

The Gozo Tornadoes will be back in action this weekend, facing the Mustangs on Sunday at Sannat, Gozo. The season opener will mark the 10th anniversary of Gozo's participation in the National League. Neil Newton, who took over the coaching job of the Gozo Tornadoes, will also be making his league debut. Newton has also been recently appointed as Malta's National Team coach.

The Tornadoes welcome back many veteran players, who are looking forward to play on home soil for the first time since 2005. Game starts at 2pm.

The Malta Baseball and Softball Association (MABS) released the National League's 2008 schedule. This year, each team will play nine regular games, and all teams will qualify to the playoffs.

The National League will also return to Gozo this year, where five games are scheduled at Sannat Field.