THE country’s best baseball players will call the region their home after it was announced Team GB will be based at Farnham Park.

The UK’s only purpose-built baseball and softball complex, off Beaconsfield Road, Farnham Royal, will host a special GB All Star series later this year to mark the announcement.

Team GB will train at the facility from next month after it was unveiled last year as a centre of excellence for the two sports, with a full-size international standard baseball field and three softball/youth baseball fields.

Marty Cullen, director of Great Britain Baseball, said: “Farnham Park will be where we call home. It’s great news for the local area. Baseball is a minority sport but it is something different and always draws a crowd.” More than 500 people packed into the complex to mark its opening ceremony last year, and Mr Cullen added: “Farnham Park rivals facilities of that in the USA. It is the biggest thing to happen to our sport here in the UK since, well, ever.” Team GB currently has a makeshift base in Milton Keynes, but will move into the complex ready for the start of the Great Britain All Star Series. The current GB team, U-19 side and a team made up of the best domestic league players will compete across four weekends, starting in April.

Farnham Park will also become the home of three-time domestic league champions Southern Nationals. They will start the defence of their crown in April and are due to play 12 games at the centre.

The club is ranked 27th in Europe, out of more than 2,500 teams.

The £1/4m centre was funded by Sport England and Major League Baseball. It was built to be a national centre and catalyst for growth of the sport. Developers hope the national championship will be staged at the centre in the future.