U16 Award Winners
Gold Glove (Fielding)
– Ben Fierenzi (Victoria Blue)
Displaying silky skills at short-stop, Ben Fierenzi was a
worthy winner of the Gold Glove Award. A member of the history making Southern
Mariners Senior League team, Fierenzi’s hands and footwork are second to none,
as he claimed the Golden Glove award in the U16 division.
Batting Award – Dante
Caruso (Victoria Blue)
Another one of the Victoria Blue members that claimed a gold
medal and an individual award was Dante Caruso. Caruso finished the tournament
with an astonishing .684 batting average, with the second best hitter recording
.579. Caruso finished with 13 hits from his 19 at bats, and 12 RBI to boot in a
stunning display of hitting.
Pitching Award – Liam
McCallum (New South Wales)
New South Wales’ Liam McCallum claimed the pitching award at
the tournament following his standout performances on the mound. McCallum made
three starts, and only gave up three earned runs in 10.2 innings of work.
Hitters only managed to hit .189 off McCallum, who lead NSW on the hill.
MVP – Ben Fierenzi
(Victoria Blue)
As well as claiming the Gold Glove award, Ben Fierenzi was a
standout choice for Most Valuable Player at the 2017 U16 National
Championships. Fierenzi was outstanding at the plate, hitting .565 for the
tournament, and claiming 13 hits and 10 runs from his 23 at bats. Fierenzi also
picked up four RBI and walked seven times, a sign of patience at maturity at
the plate.
U18 Award Winners
Gold Glove (Fielding)
– Dawson Summers (Western Australia)
The Championship winning second baseman from WA Dawson
Summers was named the Gold Glove winner at the tournament. Summers possesses
great skill and impeccable reflexes in the middle infield and has a
exceptionally low error rate, as he turned a championship high 10 double plays
and 38 assists.
Batting award – Jake
Amos (New South Wales Country)
NSW Country brought an imposing lineup to the U18 National
Youth Championships, and one of their stars was Jake Amos. Amos lead the
division in hits, runs, RBI and total bases, all of that was compounded by a
.475 batting average and selection in the Australian U18 team.
Pitching – Frazer
Brice (Western Australia
A first year player and member of the U18 Gold Medal winning
team, Frazer Brice was a worthy winner of the pitching award. Brice threw an
outstanding game in the final for Western Australia, and only gave up four
earned runs in 15 total innings during the tournament. Brice finished in the
top 10 for strikeouts with 11 and will be a player to watch for the future.
MVP – Rixon Wingrove
(New South Wales Country)
16-year-old Rixon Wingrove put together an extremely
memorable tournament for NSW Country, as he finished with 13 RBI, 16 hits and
an average of .400. Wingrove, a catcher kept opposition players honest by
throwing out eight runners (most by any catcher), as well also showing speed on
the base paths himself, stealing a tournament high six bases.