What position/s did you play during AYC?

I played outfield and pitcher.

Your proudest moment individually or as a team?

I was really proud when my coach put me as starting pitcher against NSW, and I felt like I pitched well for the team.  Our proudest moment as a team was when we came back from being 5 runs behind against VIC and we walked it off.  Every person in the team played so hard to get the win.

What did you do during the rain delays, did you bond as a team, or did you take the time for some personal reflection/training?

We bonded as a team the whole time at AYC, we all got on really well together.  During the rain delays we went to the games room in the hotel and it was also really good hanging out with players from other states.  On the last day when finals were rained off the coaches took time with each of us to give feedback on the tournament.

How is playing in a national tournament, different from playing in the Qld state titles?

Nationals are more intense and it’s where you want to play your best baseball.  I was really proud to represent my State at Nationals and it’s good that you have scouts watching, it’s a big deal.  As I was a second year, it was also good being one of the leaders with the other second year players. 

How did you feel when you found out that you were awarded silver?

I wasn’t expecting us to get silver, we were supposed to play in the bronze medal game so it was a surprise when we got silver. We were really happy, but we all would have liked to play finals and win the medal, but it shows you never know what is going to happen in tournament baseball, and how important our first round results were when we battled every game.

From your AYC experience, what do you think you could work on, as an individual or as a team?

I am always working hard to improve my game and it is important to learn from every game.  As a team we bonded well and worked well together, it was great how everyone supported each other and encouraged each other, I think we can work on reducing errors in the field, our bats were pretty aggressive so we need to keep that up.

Favourite FUN moment from the whole experience (it doesn’t have to be baseball related).

The baseball was always fun and we had a great time playing, but it was also really fun playing in the games room with the other teams.  When we went out for dinner as a team we had a good laugh with the coaches too.

What position/s did you play during AYC?

My position was catcher, I also played a game as a first baseman.

Your proudest moment individually or as a team?

My proudest moment was when the team was down against WA. After already playing a game in the afternoon, the boys were down by three runs going into the last inning and we managed to claw our way back and tie it up in the pouring rain! The fellas were scrambling to get tarps on and off the field just so we could keep our momentum rolling, which is something you don’t see every day from a group of under-18-year-olds.

What did you do during the rain delays, did you bond as a team, or did you take the time for some personal reflection/training?

During the rainy days we were given some options of what we wanted to do, go see a movie, shopping, etc. I used this time to try and relax and recover in case we were going to be able to get back out on the field and just enjoy being around the boys for the time we had left. I also used the time to get some holiday study done.

How is playing in a national tournament, different from playing in the Qld state titles?

Playing in a National tournament is a lot different playing environment, it turns up the intensity and the speed of the game. You have a lot more eyes on you all of the time and the expectations increase big time. But the pride factor is definitely something for me that doesn’t change whenever I am playing it’s with a purpose and that’s not to let my people, club, or state down, I want to give it my all, all of the time.

From your AYC experience, what do you think you could work on, as an individual or as a team?

As a team, what we can definitely improve on as a whole, is having that one same goal, to win a national championship! I felt like that was lost in Sydney and there were times when the individual goals of players may not have always aligned with the team’s goal. Also learning or understanding how to block out the distractions, sure, having scouts watch is great and exciting, but being able to learn to block them out and just show up as a team, stay present and keep focused on the common goal.

Favourite FUN moment from the whole experience (it doesn’t have to be baseball related).

Favourite FUN moment for me was on one of the rainy days. We got to use a function room at the hotel, which had all sorts of games and fun stuff to do to keep us occupied and enjoy ourselves.