Richmond Dragons (AA)

The Dragons secured 549 outs in 2024. One more, and it would have been playoff glory for the mighty fire breathing serpents of AA baseball, but they couldn’t quite get over the line and lost in heartbreaking fashion in the playoff final.

You can’t have a glorious redemption arc without the tough times, however, and the Dragons have reloaded for another crack at the trophy in 2025. They’ve lost the best hitter in AA baseball, Martin Visser (relocated for work) but added some serious talent to fill the gap.

New faces include Jack Senneff and Will Flockett, both coming over from Kent, alongside Chuck Liou, who joins the Dragons from Oxford. Jack plays like his hair’s on fire, and Chuck looks like he was born to play infield, and will be called on to pitch for the Dragons too. All have fine pedigrees and will be assets, and Will has already laid claim to the most ludicrously great fielding play of 2025 in week 1.

Dragons are also joined by Jorge Arocho, a fine utility player who has been away from the game for some time - he’ll get better and better every week as he gets back into his stride. He also has already made as good a play from Left Field as you’ll see.

Internal transfers into the Dragons from the newly restocked AAA team include Chris Wallis-Brown, purveyor of gigantic bombs, as well as the return of Ben Carter, the smoothest infielder around, and doubles machine. Coming across from Richmond Knights is Tomosaku Sohara, to join the Japanese contingent and show off his skills all over the diamond.

There’s plenty of returning talent too, in the form first and foremost of the Yasu twin pack, Ichige and Minowa. Both these dominant pitchers in 2024 return, and while Chris W-B and Chuck are more than capable, on these two mound wizards hangs the season.

There is plenty more quality on the Dragons’ roster, from Edgar Simbajon and Jefferson Villasmil behind the plate to outfield student athletes Matty Wall and Harry Stokes. Brett Johnston returns to continue his triumphant return to baseball into year 2, and the squad would not be the same without club legends Craig Abouchar, Euan Shields and Dave D’Urbano (also assistant manager) in the fold.

Paul Sculpher will return to the manager spot for his second year.

While the pain of the end of the 2024 season still lingers, that’s history, and with 2025 kicking off, there’s only one way to look - forward. The Dragons have the firepower and the commitment to challenge again this year, and while you might say it’s about the journey, not the destination, that destination is a long cherished goal for many of the Dragons. One more out…..

Managers

Active Roster (TBC)