Baseballers pitch at World Series - again

A team of baseballers from the Moreton Bay Region has made history for the second year in a row – booking a back-to-back berth on the world stage in the United States.

Last year, nine of this year’s 13 Brisbane North Baseball players travelled to Williamsport in Pennsylvania to take on the best 11 and 12-year-old baseballers in the world at the Little League World Series.

This year they’re headed to San Francisco for the Little League Intermediate Baseball 50/70 World Series.

Manager David West says the boys secured their spot representing Australia again after winning the Australian Intermediate League Championships in Victoria this month undefeated, trouncing Ryde Hawks in the gold medal match seven home runs to three.

“That’s what made it so good – it was six from six and we had a target on our heads,” David says.

“Obviously they were ecstatic and reliving past memories.

“I think they’re the only Little League team in Australia that’s done back-to-back wins.

“It’s crazy – at the age of 13 they’re used to going to world championships – but this year they’re aware of what’s going on.

“Every team we played was tough and the expectations were always there, but we had to play it down.

|“No-one could say ‘America’ in case it jinxed our chances,” he laughs.|

Meet the team

David paid tribute to last year’s coaching team - head coach Keith Land and assistant coaches Chris Clem from Narangba and Shane Wilson from Pine Rivers, saying their influence laid the foundations for this year’s success.

“The boys are a credit to those guys from last year.”

Brisbane North is made up of players drawn from the Pine Rivers Rapids, Narangba Demons and Redcliffe Padres baseball clubs.

David says while most of the boys – Fletcher Adams (Rapids), Archie Baert (Padres), Mason Clem (Rapids), Alonzo Zaire Griffin (Padres), Xavier Honza (Rapids), Kauri (Cody) Hunter (Padres), Oliver Lyall (Rapids), Lachlan Richards (Rapids) Keita Tsujinaka (Demons), Tirrell Waiwai (Padres), Thomas White (Padres), Khyden Wilson (Padres) and Tyler Wilson (Rapids) – have played for years, Archie and Oliver are only in their second season and this is Cody’s first year after transferring from softball.

Joining David, who hails from the Padres, on the leadership team are assistant coaches Adam White (Padres) and Graham Honsa (Rapids) and executive officer Daniel Wilson (Padres).

Making sacrifices

David says training’s already in full swing.

“It’s about the competition – they’re all training three nights a week and a lot do additional sessions on top of that.

“They know they have to put the work in to achieve it and they have to make the sacrifices – going to bed early, eating well.

“They certainly have a good idea of what to expect – now it’s serious.”

Expenses for the team’s trip to America are covered by Little League Intermediate World Series organisers and David says families are already considering travelling to the US to watch their sons compete.

“I think there will be as many families going over (as last year).

“And the boys will get another kit with all their equipment and it will be screened on ESPN as well, with top commentators.”

The Little League Intermediate World Series is in Livermore, California from July 30-August 6, with Australia taking on five international teams - the Asia-Pacific Region, the Canada Region, the Europe-Africa Region, the Latin America Region and the Mexico Region, as well as six from regions across the United States.