New North Devon baseball team seeks regional glory

Baseball is coming to North Devon, with a new team set up to compete with rivals across the South West.

Called the Torrington Riptides, the team was founded by Devon baseball fan Charlie Capener, who previously played for the team in Newton Abbott.

The Riptides have been training every week at Great Torrington School and are keen to recruit more players. They have entered the South West Baseball League, and will be playing against teams from Exeter, Plymouth, Newton Abbott, Taunton and Truro.

“I really wanted to see North Devon included in the South West League,” Capener said. “Baseball is a fun and exciting sport. It would be great to see more people keen to get involved and support their local team.”

Torrington residents Dawn and Mike Curtis joined the team when it was first proposed in October and have been attending the weekly training sessions on Monday evenings.

“Baseball was completely new to us, and we wanted to try something different,” they explained. “Like any sport, it’s easy to pick up the basics, but it takes practice to get good at it. We’re really excited to be playing against other teams and to keep developing our skills.”

The team’s first home game, against the Taunton Pistols, will be on April 6 at Great Torrington School, with the competitive season running to mid-August.

Team membership is open to men and women of any age (over 14). Contact Charlie Capener torringtonriptides@gmail.com for more information.