Baseball Down Under: Aussie Drop Bears’ unorthodox road to Cape Girardeau

The Australian flag flies in the Aussie Drop Bear dugout during a Friday, August 9, 2024 Babe Ruth World Series game between the Aycorp Fighting Squirrels and the Australia Drop Bears at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Aycorp defeated Australia, 6-0.

Cole Lee ~ clee@semoball.com

After his defeat in Australia’s first game at the 2024 Babe Ruth World Series, skipper Lance MacKichan said it best:

“Baseball isn’t the biggest thing in Australia compared to other sports.”

And yet, here they are. For the second consecutive year, the Aussie Drop Bears made their way to Cape Girardeau for a slew of games against some brutal American competition.

Against 12 American sides, along with international sides from Aruba, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, the deck was stacked against the Aussies from the start.

Over 9,000 miles separate Sydney, Australia from Cape Girardeau, Missouri – equivalent to nearly 15,000 kilometers for the visitors from Down Under.

Better yet, the trip for Australia also included a visit to Texas last week, where the Drop Bears played their first six games as a team before coming to the World Series this week.

For head coach MacKichan, a big advocate for Aussie baseball, it’s been a long road to get to the City of Roses, and he reflected on that after the opener against the Aycorp Fighting Squirrels.

“Texas was an interesting experience,” MacKichan laughed “They were fantastic for us down there, but the heat absolutely killed us with the doubleheaders.

“But these boys actually really, really bonded in that week, and that prepared us for this.”

The selection process for the Aussies is a lot different than that of teams like the Squirrels and Tropics, with MacKichan outlining the process that helped create a real national team.

It begins with a club tournament in the Gold Coast back home in Australia, with players competing not just for their squad but for a chance at national selection.

From there, the Australian selection committee scouts local talent and selects a handful of players who are capable and willing to represent their country on the world stage.

This year, it’s 12. MacKichan and Company selected 12 players to represent the Drop Bears this week in Cape Girardeau, and despite the limited roster, it’s been a solid turnaround.

Charleston opened Friday night’s contest with a five-run first inning, but then the Aussies held the Squirrels to just one run across innings two through seven, marking a strong turnaround.

In Saturday’s contest, it was the opposite. Australia came to play offensively, scoring four runs in the fifth inning but ultimately succumbing in a 15-6 loss to Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Now halfway through their stint in the City of Roses barring a playoff berth, the message remains clear for Team Australia ahead of Sunday and Tuesday games against the Netherlands and Manassas, Virginia.

MacKichan, not one for cricket, as he joked, wants his boys to enjoy the moment and revel in what it’s like to play the game of baseball against some of the world’s best.

“At the end of the day, for us and for me, it's just making sure that these guys enjoy their time,” MacKichan said. “As long as these kids just enjoy baseball and play their heart out, that's all I can ask.

“They'll not only serve themselves right, but they'll serve their country right as well, and I can't ask for anything more than that.”