HALTON Baseball & Softball Club, the borough's reigning sports club of the year, are recruiting for the new season.

It will be whole new ball game for some of their juniors with the British Baseball Federation board having increased the diamond size at two age groups.

Although the Rookies will continue to play on a 60ft diamond, the Bronco version is now 75ft and the Pony diamond changes to 90ft with pitching at 60ft 6in. Pony players will now play on the full-sized diamond and bases will be in the gravel cut-outs.

John Mills, the club's head coach, said: 'There is no change to the official home-run boundary distances.'

The club has the following vacancies

* Teeball (boys & girls, ages 7-10).

* League baseball with Halton Polecats for boys & girls in school years 6 to 11 inclusive.

* Senior League Baseball (Over 16s) - Halton Jaguars are newly-promoted to National League North as North-West Premier Division winners.

* Softball for girls aged 14 plus and women.

For further information, prospective players can visit www.haltonbaseballclub.org.uk, contact John Mills, tel 07810 641494 or email jmillsat1b@ntlworld.com

During March, the junior teams have indoor practice as follows:

* At Brookvale Recreation Centre, Runcorn, on Saturdays - ages 7-10 at 10am and ages 10-13 (11am).

* At Heath College's Sports Centre, Runcorn, on Wednesdays - ages 13-16 at 7.30pm and 17 plus at 8.30pm

Next month, junior teams will have outdoor practice on the club baseball fields at Halton Sports ground, Murdishaw, Runcorn, on Saturdays. Senior baseball training will be on Sundays and softball sessions for women starts on Monday evenings in May.

The season begins at the end of April with junior baseball games on Saturdays and senior games on Sundays.

The club has top-up equipment available, mostly fielding gloves, if any primary schools who took part in its schools teeball programme last year would like to continue with the sport.

The club is also appealing for extra volunteers to help with administration, umpiring, providing home-game refreshments and maintenance work.