Brighton Jets are hoping to get a head start on their rivals – as they bid to end a long wait for National Baseball League glory.

The Jets launch their new campaign a week on Sunday when they travel to Herts Falcons for a double-header aiming to improve on their fifth-place finish in the country’s top division last year.

It is 15 years since Jets won the title for the third time in the space of four years during a period of dominance which also saw them finish runners-up three times.

Jets dropped out of the top league for a number of years but returned in 2016 and after an encouraging campaign are looking to challenge at the top end of the division this season.

Fielder Spencer Corish said: “Every year we are getting better and better.

“Our young core players continue to develop and get better while our wonderful youth programme continues to produce young talent who will be coming up to the top club within the next few years.

“This is the third year we have held an indoor winter training programme and it has proved to be a great success. It’s an integral way to get everybody ready for the season and sharpen skills but more importantly it lets us reach new people who have never played the game before.

“We really encourage people to come out and give it a try if baseball is something they are interested in.”

Jets are part of the Brighton Baseball Club which was first established in 1965 and has fielded teams under the banner of Brighton Buccaneers and Hove Tuesday over the years.

They play their home games at Waterhall on Sundays between April and September and also run a second team called the Brighton Redhawks which competes in the AA League.

There is also a thriving junior section with the club’s under-11s finishing second in the National Youth Championships last season under the guidance of Robin Banerjee and Jared Hendrickson, who were voted Youth Coaches of the Year in 2016.

Corish added: “The focus of our top team is to win. We are playing in the top league in the country against the best in our sport so competition is keen.

“But the youth element is our primary focus because it permits us to cement the club firmly in the local area as virtually every one of the youth players is from the Brighton area.

“Our coaches go into schools and do taster sessions over a four or six-week period to introduce the game and get children excited about playing.”

The Jets are on the road for the first four weekends of the season with their opening home match at Waterhall against Herts Falcons on Sunday May 14 from 12pm.

For more information go to brightonbaseball.co.uk.

By Luke Dennis