Sri Lanka international Prasad set to make Herts return

The new baseball season is approaching fast. Picture (c) Richard Lee, www.richardleephotography.org

Prasad originally joined Herts in 2010, and in that first season he was part of the Herts Eagles team which finished third in the Triple-A National Championships after a heartbreaking loss to the Oxford Kings.

Prasad’s outstanding performances were recognised with three end of season awards – Home Run Champion, Outfield Gold Glove and Most Stolen Bases.

In 2011 he was added to the Herts Falcons roster in the National Baseball League, looking very much at home moving up to Britain’s top league.

In a difficult season for the Falcons, Prasad stood out and was deservedly voted the Herts Falcons 2011 Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was also awarded the Outfield Gold Glove.

His batting average during the 2011 NBL season was .277 and on-base average of .393, slugging average .447, five stolen bases and one home run.

In 2012 Prasad left the UK, and the club has missed him – making him a valuable addition for the 2015 campaign.

Defensively he will bring a gold glove to the outfield with outstanding speed and range.

His speed will also help the team offensively. At first sight he may not have the body structure of a home run hitter, but in previous seasons he has punished pitchers by hitting one or two home runs per season.

It will be interesting to see if Prasad has changed much as a player since 2011, but Herts will no doubt be boosted by his arrival.

However, Herts Falcons’ build-up to the start of the 2015 NBL season has had a setback as it has been revealed that Pau Sancho will not be making his debut, as originally believed.

He joined the team this winter after his move to London from Germany where he played for the Bonn Capitals in 2014.

But a change in Sancho’s personal circumstances mean that he will be moving from London back to Germany in April where he is expected to rejoin the Capitals.

The Spanish infielder was expected to fill one of the middle-infield positions for the Falcons and add some serious power to the batting lineup.

Herts players have enjoyed his presence in Spring Training, and Sancho will continue training with the teams right up until his departure to Germany in April. This will give him an opportunity to prepare for the new Bundesliga baseball season.

There is hope that circumstances will bring Sancho back to the United Kingdom in the future, so it is not out of the question to see him eventually wearing the Herts jersey.