Chris Owen has spent the last few years playing for Werribee Giants Baseball Club, and he’s excited about the club’s potential looking ahead to the rest of this VSBL season.
A regular in the Division 2 Fourths competition, Chris is a valuable contributor to his team, even earning Werribee’s first ‘The Park’ player of the round for the opening weekend as he went 4-for-4 with three RBI’s and two runs in Werribee’s 13-4 win over Malvern. This wasn’t the first time Chris earned recognition from his beloved club, as he has previously received MVP honors in Werribee’s winter season.
The third baseman has continued his strong form since, putting in the effort week-in and week-out as Werribee looks to achieve a winning record. Regardless of what the final results are, Chris is just happy to be playing and making memories with the Giants.
After moving from the northern suburbs to Werribee several years ago, Chris has found a new baseball home with the Giants – a friendly family club that makes him and fellow new players feel welcome. “What keeps me coming back is the mates and the good feeling around the club you get on a Thursday night when you have a dinner and do selections,” Chris said. “Even on a Sunday when you wake up, you go out and your mates are there. You’re having a throw and just having fun, and that’s what it’s all about.”
There’s plenty of fun for Chris to look forward to in the second half of the season, as his team shows plenty of potential to keep improving in the coming weeks and months. “We want to go out and we want to do well,” Chris said. “We want to perform for the supporters and the fans that come down and watch us every week, do it for the club and get our name out there. It’s all we can really do, go out and try.”
Chris is committed to doing his best in every game while encouraging his teammates to do the same. While their end goal is a premiership flag, Chris knows they will have fun no matter what. “I’m most looking forward to being with mates, giving it a crack and just seeing how we go and where the season takes us,” Chris said.
Chris prides himself on being a team player who tries to make a difference on his team. “What helps any club is probably what you can do as a player – pick your teammates up when they’re down and just go out and try every at-bat to get on base,” Chris said. “It’s like clockwork. It goes round and round. You just do the little things and nine times out of ten it works.”
After picking up the sport seven years ago, Chris understands that it can be a challenge, but he think it’s so worthwhile. “It’s not easy trying to hit a small ball with a bat, but it’s so fun and enjoyable.”
It certainly helps that Werribee warmly welcomes new players, as Chris experienced himself a few years ago. “We’ve got great facilities, great atmosphere and great people,” Chris said. “It’s definitely a club you want to be at.”
Chris has so many fond memories, from huge victories with Werribee to taking a superman-style catch in the infield when he first started playing. He’s hoping to make many more in the future as Werribee looks to succeed in VSBL Division 2, both against familiar faces and new opponents.