funded by Major League Baseball features six teams, Sydney Blue Sox, Melbourne Aces, Canberra Cavalry, Brisbane Bandits and Adelaide Bite. The first season featured a 40-game home-and-away regular season, with the top four teams qualifying for a three-round playoff format. The Heat's first game was at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground against the Brisbane Bandits on 11 November, won by Brisbane 8–3. The Heat won their first home game 4–2, on 17 November against the Adelaide Bite at the newly renovated Baseball Park. The Heat made several key signings in preparation for the new season. 2008 Claxton Shield MVP Clint Balgera returned to the team after sitting out the last two seasons, while pitching prospect Liam Baron is another key acquisition, with the former collegiate pitcher expected to lead the Heat's rotation. Allan de San Miguel, Warwick Saupold, Daniel Schmidt and Mitch Graham, who have been some of the Heat's most significant players in recent Claxton Shield seasons, as well as Jesse Baron, Clint Knight, Brandon Dale, Aaron Bonomi and Tyler Anderson have also signed on for the upcoming season. However, 2009 MVP and former Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim minor league centre fielder Nick Kimpton is leaving the Heat to return home to play for Canberra, while Tim Kennelly will miss the first half of the season after it was announced he will be sent to the Arizona Fall League by the Philadelphia Phillies. In early October, Perth announced a deal with the Baltimore Orioles, which saw the Major League Baseball outfit send four of their top prospects to play for the Heat during the first ABL season. Left-handed starter Cole McCurry, right-handed reliever Brett Jacobson and outfielders Ronnie Welty and Robbie Widlansky were the prospects Perth secured. Jacobson is the most noteworthy of the four, having been drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 2008 MLB draft, before he was traded for Aubrey Huff. Jacobson was traded by the Orioles to Minnesota in the middle of the ABL season and he returned to America. 2010–11 season The Heat started the 2010–11 season with a loss to the Brisbane Bandits, but quickly bounced back by winning the final three games of the series. They then won two out of four games in their next three series' before sweeping the Canberra Cavalry at home. Perth's season hit a snag when they lost every match of a four-game series to the Sydney