HAWKESBURY baseballers Ethan Treble, Cody Brian and Chris Swan will travel to America in August for the Little League Baseball World Series.
Teenage players Ethan and Cody will be joined by coach Chris on a three week trip to America with team mates from their Hills District representative team.
Gazette readers may recall Ethan, who graced our back page last year. Ethan and fellow Hawkesbury team mates Ryley Gonzalez and Roan North went to the same tournament last year.
Pitt Town’s Ethan described last year’s tournament as ‘incredible’ and ‘magical’.
“The crowd atmosphere was fantastic. There were huge crowds, I played in front of about 42,000 people,” he said.
“It was nerve-wracking but you just blocked it out and did your job.
“I have a bigger respect for the game now. Over there it is baseball, baseball, baseball, everyone is there to play baseball.
“We were the first Australian team to go there and win two games. We had a great team and hopefully we can do even better this year.”
Ethan said all the teams playing in the tournament lived in Olympic village-style accommodation, where they were treated very well by their hosts.
Wilberforce’s Cody did not make the trip last year, but is expecting big things.
After qualifying for the world series tournament, Cody’s team mates started regaling him with tales of what to expect when they touched down in Pennsylvania.
“When we won, they were saying we would get treated like superstars,” he said.
“I was just trying to believe we were actually going to America.”
The right-fielder and occasional pitcher said he had been brought up around baseball, and could not wait for this experience.
“I am really pumped and ready for it. I can't wait to spend three weeks with all my mates,” he said.
Cody said knowing he had qualified for the tournament was a great feeling.
Hawkesbury Baseball Club major league player Chris Swan is the man in charge of making sure Ethan, Cody and their team mates give their best performance while overseas.
Last year he went with the team as assistant coach and has now been promoted to coach.
“I just hope to have the boys prepared as best as possible for their toughest baseball, but most enjoyable experience of their lives,” he said.
Chris said the tournament was a life changing experience, not only for himself, but his charges.
“Last year was incredible. Words don’t do it justice,” he said.
“You have to experience it to understand how big and how special this opportunity is.
“Going in with no real idea as to what was in store for us, you are just blown away by it all. You sometimes forget that all this is for 12-year-olds playing baseball.”
Chris said the team’s goal was to finish the tournament with a few wins under their belt, but also leave knowing they had acquitted themselves well and were good representatives of Australia.
The tournament will run from August 17-27, and the players will be based in America for three weeks.