As we shake off our wintry slumbers here in the States and look forward to warmer climes, our focus is on the start of the new baseball season. However, for the folks down in Australia, baseball season is winding down and colder temperatures are on the verge of settling in.

In fact, the Australian Baseball League (ABL) Championship Series is headed to its third and final game, as yesterday the Melbourne Aces defeated the Perth Heat in 13 innings by a final of 3-2. Brad Harman, who last played at AA Reading (Phillies) in 2009 drove in the go-head run on his second single of the night. As everyone knows, when a series reaches its final game, anything is possible. The game will be televised today on MLB Network at 9am PST.

Baseball in Australia? Really? At Friarhood.com? You bet.

Australian baseball can trace its roots as far back as the 1850’s when it was brought to the country by American gold miners. The first game reports started appearing in Ballarat, Victoria in 1857. Teams were formed and made several tours both locally and internationally; however, it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that organized leagues began to take root. The current professional league, the ABL, was formed in 2009, though it was sort of a reboot of the league by the same name that ran from 1989-1999. Obviously, Australian rules football, soccer, and especially cricket are the major sports in the country, but baseball is on the rise and gaining a strong following.

Now, the list of Australian-born major league players isn’t exactly of the All Star variety, but there are a few names you’ll recognize from the past: C/1B/OF Dave Nilsson (837 G, .817 OPS), P Graeme Lloyd (553.0 IP, 1.353 WHIP), IF Craig Shipley (582 G, .673 OPS). All three are members of the Baseball Australia Hall of Fame. Then, some current guys: P Grant Balfour (335.2 IP, 1.242 WHIP), P Peter Moylan (255.2 IP, 1.291 WHIP), P Ryan Rowland-Smith (362.2 IP, 1.420 WHIP). Again, no one jumps off the page, but the organization of the sport is still relatively young.

Of particular interest to Padres fans, however, would be the Aussies in San Diego’s system. They include: Corey Adamson, Hayden Beard, and Josh Spence.

Adamson is an OF currently in the lower levels of the Padres’ minor league system. Thus far, in three seasons, he’s hitting: .230/.308/.296 (.604 OPS). Playing left, center, and right, he’s committed 8 errors in 153 chances. As a 19 year old last season, Adamson saw some time in low-A Ft. Wayne. He’s not a player who shows up on prospect lists, but he is still young. Adamson finished 1-4, batting 9th in yesterday’s ABL Championship game. Overall, he is hitting a solid .325/.357/.350 (.707 OPS) in this year’s ABL.

Hayden Beard is a 27 year old pitcher who spent most of last season in hi-A Lake Elsinore. In three seasons, Beard has pitched 163.0 innings. He holds a 1.509 WHIP, a 4.1 BB/9, and a 7.5 K/9. His age is a concern, especially for A+ ball.

Josh Spence is certainly a name to notice. He rocketed through the system last season, having been drafted in the 2010 amateur draft. He was one of two in all of baseball from that draft to crack the big league roster in 2011. In a brief 71.1 career minor league innings, his WHIP was 0.925. Over those innings, his K/9 was an impressive 10.6. While in AA San Antonio last season, Spence got the call to the bigs and finished out the 2011 season in San Diego. He pitched a total of 29.2 innings to go along with a WHIP of 1.112. His K/9 was an impressive 9.4. Spence doesn’t have dominant velocity, but relies on control, deception, and a devastating changeup. He’s also got a strong pickoff move. With the many offseason bullpen moves by GM Josh Byrnes, combined with a healthy Joe Thatcher, and it seems that Spence will start the season back in the minors, either AA San Antonio or AAA Tuscon.

There you have it. An article on Australia that did not include the following: down under, men at work, shrimp on the barbie, Fosters, bloke, mate, bush, dingo, Mel Gibson, g’day, roo, walkabout, and water hole. Wait…ahh…nevermind.