Junior baseball has opened up many opportunities for Lauren Romanin at Malvern Braves Baseball Club, and she’s looking forward to the rest of the VSBL season.
As a valued contributor on Malvern’s Intermediate League team in Eastern Athletics baseball charter, Lauren loves taking the field every week and going out and trying her best.
Baseball is a family affair for Lauren, as she’s followed in her brother Jack’s footsteps. She first became involved in baseball five years ago after watching him play. “I got excited and learned to play the game,” Lauren said. “Because we are different ages and different genders, whatever he does, I don’t really need to compete with it.”
Lauren is focused on herself and making constant improvements, and her intense determination has helped her go far. Her athleticism and willingness to work hard earned her a spot on the Victorian Youth Women’s Team, and after doing a great job at the national championships in April, Lauren is more driven than ever before to keep up the good work. Throughout the tournament she batted .333 and pitched well to support Victoria as the team finished with a bronze medal.
For Lauren, her coaches’ feedback and advice has been invaluable as she progresses with her training. She credits the skills she learned from the state team as key takeaways she’s now using in her summer season with Malvern. “I got to learn all new skills from them. It was just really fun going with all the girls and playing with them,” Lauren said. “One of the things I took out the most was just learning how to work with your team and using your skills on the field. If you know what the other person can do it’s really helpful and you can see it when you’re playing.”
Lauren couldn’t wait for the VSBL season to begin because she enjoys spending time with her teammates and welcoming new players into the fold. Seeing how everyone has improved last season is also exciting. “The goal is just to practice more and use everyone’s knowledge,” Lauren said. “I think my teammates’ batting is really strong.”
Week-in and week-out, Lauren is showcasing her pitching and fielding skills to try and get the Braves into winning positions as they compete for the championship. No matter what the result is at the end of the season, Lauren is happy regardless because she loves playing for Malvern. “My club has lots of families and they’re really nice,” Lauren said. “It’s fun and it’s just a really good time.”
Lauren is especially interested in encouraging new players to join in and get involved in the sport. She stresses how important it is to give it time when starting out, just as it took her lots of practice to adapt to the rigours of baseball.
“I would tell new players to just try it and if you like it, keep going,” Lauren said. “It becomes more fun after you learn more skills.”
Lauren and the Braves are currently 5-3 in the top four of the Twins/Eastern Athletics Intermediate League competition at the halfway point. Their next game is against Essendon Jets.
Lauren and the Braves are currently 5-3 in the top four of the Twins/Eastern Athletics Intermediate League competition at the halfway point. Their next game is against Essendon Jets.