A LIFELONG passion of baseball and a desire to develop young players into baseball stars has seen John Yard create a legacy in the Hills area.

John started playing baseball for teams in Petersham as a teenager, before running on with Parramatta City but left baseball when he was transferred to work in the country. When he returned to Sydney, his son was ready to play and they joined Baulkham Hills, where John coached juniors. His passion for player development led him to establish and run the Hills Junior Association, where he has served as secretary for over four decades. John’s involvement in baseball around the Hills has resulted in several national championships for Hills representative teams and numerous Little League Hills teams earning the chance to play at the Little Leage World Series held in Williamsport, USA. Many of the players who have gone on to represent NSW and Australia, play for US colleges and even star in several MLB teams, are a testament to his impact. Now, the John Yard Academy stands as a tribute to his dedication, ensuring that future stars emerge from the Hills region. Read more about John in this Hills Shire TImes article.

COMMITTEE

 Craig Cusbert   President

From early days at Carlingford Baseball Club onto representative teams such as Hills Juniors, Cumberland Junior, Manly State League, NSW School Boys, to recognition at both national and international levels, including with the Australian under 19's and the Australian Mens World Cup teams, Craig has enjoyed playing baseball at all levels.

Craig has also coached at various levels, including Carlingford Baseball Club, Hills Junior Reps, Baulkham Hills State League, and Castle Hill Sydney Winter, imparting invaluable knowledge to aspiring players. With coaching accreditations at Level A and B he is committed to developing talent across the Hills.

Beyond the diamond, Craig has gained a wealth of experience as a Company Director of a Transport and Logistics Firm.

 Scott Tunkin   Vice President

 Brett Elsley  Treasurer

Brett Elsley, a seasoned figure in the realm of baseball, embarked on his journey in 1965 as a junior player at Lane Cove. Over the subsequent years, he honed his skills and ascended to play in the 1st grade Sydney Winter Baseball League for a decade, followed by a notable stint in the 1st grade Ku-ring gai. Transitioning from player to mentor, Brett delved into coaching at a youthful age of 17, earning his first accreditation in 1982. Throughout the 1980s, he steered rep sides for Ku-ring gai, showcasing his adeptness in nurturing talent. He undertook coaching responsibilities at Ryde from 2002 to 2009, and subsequently led the Hills rep side from 2019 to 2023. Brett has also coached 1st grade at Lane Cove and has been the assistance coach for the U18 sides at Baulkham Hills for the last 3 years. Brett has a current Level B coaching accreditation.

Brett has been a self-employed builder since 1986. Presently, he serves as the proprietor of Ensure Constructions and Restoration Pty Ltd and C & D Restorations. 

 Andrew Borg   Secretary

For over 35 years, Andrew has been a dedicated "park" baseball player, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to the game. His coaching career has spanned 25 years, encompassing all junior age groups from 7U to 17U. Andrew has devoted 25 years to club management and administration, including a significant 12-year tenure as President at Carlingford, showcasing his leadership and dedication to the sport's development. His coaching expertise is backed by a formal Level 3 accreditation.

Beyond the diamond, Andrew has 40-plus years of experience in General, Sales, and Operations Management across various industries, including Manufacturing and Automotive, indicating a strong background in business leadership. Andrew's academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Business and an MBA.

 Brendon Wallace  Program Co-ordinator

Brendon has been involved in baseball for 40 years as a player, coach and administrator.

His playing career began at Winston Hills, playing from Junior to Senior level. From there he moved into the Major League Summer and Winter Grade competitions, now known as State League and Sydney Winter respectively. He spent a number of years at Blacktown and Baulkham Hills in the Summer and concurrently with the then Sydney Winter club, Holroyd Giants. 

As a coach, his involvement has spanned 38 years, starting with Juniors at the Winston Hills club. Since then he has coached Sydney Junior and NSW U16 teams;  Sydney Major League Under 18, Second Grade and First Grade with Baulkham Hills; Juniors with Castle Hill and now with their Sydney Winter First Grade team. He was also an Assistant Coach with the Hills Little League team that went to the Little League World series in 2017.

For a number of years, Brendon was also employed with the NSWIS (NSW Institute of Sport) Baseball Program as their Strength and Conditioning coach.

Brendon has also been involved since 2002 with Baseball in the education sector, coaching the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges, NSW All Schools and Australian Schools teams. 

Outside of baseball, he is currently employed as a Sportsmaster and PDHPE teacher in the Catholic Secondary Education system.

 Brett Piper   Coaching Co-ordinator

Brett 'Pip' Piper started as a young player with Blacktown at Under-11 and advancing through the State league from Under-18 to 1st grade, playing for both Blacktown and Western Suburbs. With over 30 years of coaching experience, Brett has mentored various junior club teams, led the Hills Junior league in 2021, the Senior league in 2022 and 2023, and the Sydney Cup Senior league team in 2023. He continued his involvement with the Junior league in 2024 and managed Castle Hill's Sydney winter 2nd grade team in 2021 and 2022. Off the diamond, Brett has served on the Castle Hill committee for the past five years. He is also a qualified coach with a Level B accreditation.

In the business world, Brett is the owner and director of Air Elec, an air conditioning company.

 Scott Wright   Coaching Co-ordinator

Scott found baseball after many years of cricket and representative indoor cricket. He has been involved in playing (parkball) and coaching for over 20 years and started at Winston Hills as a club coach. Scott has coached all age groups at club level and has been coaching representative teams and touring teams for over 10 years. This has given Scott the opportunity to be involved with many touring teams such as U16 NSW Womens teams and NSW touring teams to USA. Scott has also been heavily involved with NSWJBL and has toured to Japan and USA. He has also taken 4 Hills sides to Little League World Series (2 Little League and 2 Junior League).

Scott also holds a Level B coaching accreditation and has also assisted in the accreditation of many other coaches through NSW Baseball.

Outside of baseball he has over 35 years of sales experience ranging from construction equipment to most recently medical devices and has also completed a Bachelor of Business majoring in HR Management, and Vocational Education and Training.

 Brad Abel   Equipment & Venues Co-ordinator

Brad's baseballing began in 1988 at Winston Hills with T-ball and has continued at the same club to this day! His dedication to the sport saw him play for Petersham in the Sydney Winter League for five seasons from 1999 to 2004, and he played grade baseball at Baulkham Hills between 2000 and 2003. A highlight of his playing career was representing Hills from 1993 to 2000 and NSW in 1997, 1999, and 2001, including a stint at the NSW Institute of Sport from 1999 to 2001. Brad started coaching at Winston Hills in '96 alongside his father, contributing to the club for approximately 10-12 seasons. He first served as an assistant coach for Hills in 1999-2000 and has been the head coach for the past four seasons, leading the LL side to the Little League World Series in 2023. Brad has been a committee member at Winston Hills since the early 2000s and has been serving as the Vice President for the past three seasons. His coaching expertise is certified with a Level A accreditation, having previously completed Level B.

Brad has been running his own building company since 2007, designing and constructing custom homes and renovations at Birch Residental.

 Lindsay Chappell   Membership Liaison

Lindsay has a diverse background that spans sports, coaching, administration, and business. Initially drawn to the game for social reasons and the chance to connect with other dads from his sons' baseball team. As a player, Lindsay participated in several seasons with the Castle Hill Knights men’s senior team, primarily as an outfielder.

In coaching, Lindsay served as an assistant coach for junior teams at both the Castle Hill Knights and Hills representative teams. Lindsay holds a Level B coaching accreditation. His interest in batting technique and player development was sparked by working closely with his own sons. Lindsay dedicated over five years to the Castle Hill Knights committee, taking on roles such as secretary, grounds management, and council liaison.

Lindsay has valuable experience in the health industry, particularly with medical devices and allied health. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Applied Science with a specialisation in speech pathology. Lindsay continues to contribute significantly to the sports community and beyond.