In a potential first step toward recognizing their dreams of playing in the Majors, five Victorians have been invited to attend Spring Training later this month.
Among the squad of 26 ages 15-18, Max Barrett, George Callil, Jarryd Dale, Oliver Dunn and Mitchell Holding will represent Victoria.
Barrett (18 years old) and Dunn (17) are right handed pitchers, Holding (18) a catcher and Dale (15) and Callil (18) shortstops. The latter is currently starring for Cheltenham in the Division 1 Grand Final.
“This initiative is a fantastic achievement for our high performance pathway in Australia,” said Damian Shanahan, Baseball Victoria’s High Performance Manager.
“The international exposure and opportunity to work with such a fine coaching staff is a vital component of their continued development. Congratulations to all the Victorian players on their selection. It’s well-deserved and a testament to the dedication they have shown in their pursuit of excellence.
This prestigious squad was assembled based on the recommendations of many knowledgeable baseball people in Australia, including over a dozen professional scouts stationed here.
They will play against MLB academy teams from Canada and Europe before graduating to testing their talents on rookie-league competitors from the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins.
Said Glenn Williams, Baseball Australia’s Head of High Performance:
“The training camps are hopefully the first of many such trips, which will allow Australia’s next generation of ball players to not only experience what Spring Training is all about, but also showcase their talent on the biggest stage.
They will be managed by Luke Hughes, with Trent Oeltjen and Jason Pospishil serving as assistant coaches, Graeme Lloyd as pitching coach and Williams as the executive officer.
The contingent will decamp for the U.S. on 15 March.