The Australian roster for the 2018 U23 World Cup in Colombia was recently announced, and six talented Victorians have made the elite squad that includes Australian Baseball League stars and MLB prospects.
Mitchell Ellis, Jack Enciondo, Mitchell Holding, Lachlan Madden, Jeremy Young and Jackson Boyd are the six VIC players on the team, joining 18 other impressive players from around the country.
Seven players will return after taking home a silver medal at the 2016 tournament in Mexico, including Detroit Tigers prospect Zac Shepherd. Shepherd, along with Robbie Glendinning and Alex Hall, made their debut for the Men’s National Team in their two-game series against Japan in March. Australia defeated powerhouses Panama, Korea and Chinese Taipei en route to the 2016 U23 World Cup final.
Seven members of the 2017 U18 World Cup team that finished 5th in Thunder Bay will travel to Colombia, including Milwaukee Brewers prospects Jess Williams and Alex Hall. Team Australia general manager Glenn Williams said the team was well placed to continue Australia’s success at the U23 level.
“2016 was a great example of a team that brought energy, competitiveness and a great attitude to the ballpark every single day,” Williams said. “We’ve retained a number of key athletes from our 2016 campaign, and added some new faces with experience at the international level. With many of these athletes keen to feature in our broader plan for 2020 Olympic qualification, we’re excited to see how they handle the high-pressure moments that international baseball throws up."
Williams added that a lot of coordination and preparation goes into successfully preparing for the event. “As always, there are many logistical challenges when putting together a team like this. We are grateful for the cooperation of many college and professional organisations who have made their players available for the U23 World Cup.”
Australia will take on Korea, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and the Czech Republic in Group B, with their opening game against Venezuela on Friday, October 19. The top three teams will progress to the Super Round.
To view the full team list, please visit here: http://web.theabl.com.au/documents/9/1/0/297346910/BA2018_U23_World_Cup_Camp_roster.pdf