JEWISH BASEBALL NEWS — Baltimore Orioles prospect Robbie Widlansky is honing his skills in a most unusual place this offseason: Australia.

As a member of the Perth Heat, 1B Widlansky is participating in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League, a 6-team, 40-game league sponsored by Major League Baseball and the Australian Baseball Federation. The ABL features “homegrown talent” as well as some “high-profile imports,” according to MLB.com.

Back in the U.S., Widlansky is a solid contributor. An 11th-round pick (339th overall) in the 2007 amateur draft, the 26-year-old Florida native played for the “AA” Bowie Baysox in 2010, where he batted .269 with 5 HRs and 30 RBIs in 279 at-bats.

In 2009, Widlansky hit .340 with 7 HRs and 59 RBIs for the “A” Frederick Keys.

Perth has a 3-1 record so far, and Widlansky is batting a crisp .357, with 3 doubles, 1 HR and 2 RBIs in 14 at-bats.

###