Round 8 Series Preview vs Perth Heat

BRISBANE, Australia - The Brisbane Bandits return to the road for a pivotal Round 8 matchup, opening a four-game series against the Perth Heat beginning Thursday night at NSR Hire Ballpark in Perth. With only three rounds remaining in the Australian Baseball League regular season, both clubs enter the series needing wins as the race for postseason positioning tightens.

The series opens on January 2 with a 9:00 p.m. AEST first pitch, followed by a doubleheader on January 3 with games scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., before wrapping up with a Sunday afternoon finale on January 4 at 2:00 p.m. Brisbane arrives in Perth with a 12–15 record, sitting six games back of league-leading Sydney, while the Heat are close behind at 11–15, just half a game back of the Bandits, adding further importance to the four-game set.

This will be the third and final meeting between the two clubs this season, with Perth holding a slight edge in the season series. The Heat took three of four games the last time Brisbane visited NSR Hire Ballpark, while the teams split a four-game series when Perth traveled to Brisbane earlier in the season. The Bandits will look to reverse their fortunes and secure their first series win of the season in Perth as they push toward the final stretch of the schedule.

Brisbane is expected to rely on a rotation featuring Jon Kennedy, Connor MacDonald and Kolby Kiser, with the fourth starter still to be determined. Kennedy has been Brisbane’s most reliable arm, posting a 2.75 ERA across seven starts while holding opposing hitters to a .222 average. Kiser impressed in his lone start with six scoreless innings, and MacDonald brings strikeout ability that will be tested against a Perth lineup capable of generating extra-base damage. Overall, the Bandits’ pitching staff enters the series with a 6.62 ERA, placing an emphasis on early offense and bullpen execution.

Offensively, Brisbane has leaned on power and on-base ability throughout the season. Robbie Perkins continues to set the tone in the middle of the order, batting .343 with his ABL leading seven home runs and a 1.046 OPS (2nd in ABL), while Rixson Wingrove has provided consistent production with five home runs and an .879 OPS. Liam MacDonald has delivered impact at-bats in limited appearances, and Seungmin Ryu has made an immediate impression since joining the roster, hitting .333 with a .400 on-base percentage, and was the game hero in the series finale against the Sydney Blue Sox hitting the walk-off RBI single in extra innings.

The Bandits have also shown patience at the plate, drawing more than 100 walks, an area they will look to exploit against a Perth pitching staff that has issued its share of free passes.

Perth enters the series with a balanced offensive attack, batting .264 as a team and ranking near the top of the league in extra-base hits. Alex Hall has been one of the Heat’s most dangerous hitters, carrying a .347 average and a .984 OPS, with Leonardo Pineda and Owen Cobb providing additional depth and run production. On the mound, the Heat own a 4.82 team ERA, led by Tucker Smith, who has been their most consistent starter, posting a 3.38 ERA over seven starts.

Brisbane will also welcome back Logan Wade to the active roster after he did not see game action following Round 1 in November, adding versatility and depth as the Bandits navigate a demanding road series. With both teams separated by just half a game in the standings and the postseason picture still unsettled, the four-game set in Perth looms as a defining stretch for Brisbane as it looks to build momentum heading into the final weeks of the regular season.