2025 - Year In Review

By Chairman

Jack Parsons

The holiday season is always a time for reflection, and for us here at the Outlaws there is certainly a lot to look back on. From our first training session to our first game, and all the off-field work that went into making it happen, it has been an incredibly busy and exciting year.

What started as an idea shared by a handful of players has grown into something nobody anticipated, least of all the club’s co-founders.

At the beginning, it was little more than a vague concept. A new club built around a fun-first ethos. A brand and identity that people would be excited to play for, and an environment that could offer a home to anyone looking to be involved in this great sport.

Of course, nice ideas are the easy part. Turning them into reality is where the hard work begins. Sleepless nights and emergency meetings quickly became a theme of the early days.

How do you start a new club when nobody really knows what they are doing? How do you finance such an endeavour? And, perhaps most importantly of all, what colour should the jerseys be?

Late nights in the pub, scouring the internet for equipment, eventually led to a stockpile of balls, a few bats, and some protective netting. We were ready for launch.

Our first training session saw 26 people attend. It was at that point we truly knew there was a future for the club. From that first session alone, we have gone on to welcome dozens of new players to the Outlaws.

A National Lottery and Sport England grant, along with the support of several sponsors, helped ease the early financial worries. All that was left was to do the thing we were all here for. Play baseball.

On the 3rd of August, we played our first ever games as the Outlaws, travelling to Exeter to face the Spitfires in a double header. We arrived with a rag-tag assortment of equipment and only around half the team in matching uniforms, but none of that mattered. Two wins from two certainly contributed to the celebratory mood, but more important than the results was the belief that had formed around the club.

When we faced the Torrington Riptides in another double header, things started to feel more familiar. Players were settling in, learning how to work together, and backing each other on and off the field. Two more wins followed, but more significantly, the group was beginning to feel like a team rather than a collection of individuals.

Our final competitive games of the season came against the Newton Brewers. By this point, we knew our routines, trusted one another, and played with freedom. Another double header, another two wins, and a fitting way to close out our first season. Six games against three opponents, six victories, and a journey that, not long before, had felt like nothing more than an ambitious idea.

Since those summer games, we have also enjoyed our first interclub friendly. A cold, damp November morning was not enough to stop 24 of our players from duking it out in a seven-inning game.

Off the field, we have enjoyed half a dozen socials, ranging from bowling and pub quizzes to my personal favourite, an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse evening. We have also seen huge success on the social media front. Showcasing the weird and wacky world of British baseball has seen us pass half a million views in 2025 alone.

The Outlaws are more than just a ball club. While baseball is clearly at the heart of what we do, our identity is built around offering a genuine community for our members. Whether you are striving to be the best baseball player you can be, or simply looking to blow off some steam by hitting a ball as hard as possible, there is a place here for you.

To wrap up this retrospective, it is only fitting to say thank you to the people who have helped get the Outlaws to where we are in such a short space of time.

To the Outlaws committee, thank you for stepping up when the club needed you. Running a new club is rarely glamorous and often happens quietly in the background, but it matters more than most people ever realise. James Platten as Head Coach, Nathan Joy as Team Manager, James Pollard as Social Secretary and Players’ Representative, Jordan Brennan as Treasurer, Nathan McCarroll, and Stuart Kellie as Secretary have all given their time, energy, and experience to keep the club moving forward. Their involvement has truly turbocharged the Outlaws.

First and foremost, though, none of this would exist without my fellow co-founders, Jordan Brennan and Callum Lyons. Without their action, commitment, and resolve, the Outlaws would almost certainly have remained just a nice idea talked about over a pint. There would quite simply be no club without them.

We would also like to thank the clubs and players who gave up their weekends to play against us in friendly games. Without the support of other clubs, there is no baseball. The Exeter Spitfires, Torrington Riptides, and the Newton Abbot Brewers will always find a warm welcome at the Outlaws.

The club would not be where it is today without the backing of our sponsors. Thank you to Sports Cards Direct, PVC Building Supplies, Everything Pop Culture, Victoria at Nest Associates, Arcane Blade Barbers, Tym Bats, and Chris Rodriguez from 9 Inning Nomad. Without your support, we simply would not have been able to operate. We would also like to thank our personal player sponsors, who have played a huge role in supporting individuals across the club. More details can be found on our sponsor page.

And lastly, and most importantly of all, thank you to the players. To everyone who has attended a training session, pulled on an Outlaws jersey, and backed this club from the very start, this is your club.

The Outlaws are still young, but the foundations are strong, and the journey ahead is one we are looking forward to together. Catch you in 2026.

Jack Parsons