Age and Playing Position?

26, Right-handed Pitcher

When did you start playing baseball?

Either at age six or seven, the earliest I could play T-Ball I was signed up and down there ready to go.

When did you join Melbourne Baseball Club?

I officially joined Melbourne Baseball Club in the summer of 2018/19. I went down and trained at MBC when I was home over the Christmas period while I was still in college.

My dad was involved in the coaching staff. Club coach Matt Kent gave me the opportunity to get my work in at MBC when I wasn’t even a member of the club yet.

When I graduated from college in 2018 and moved home full time, Andy Tierney was the club coach.

This only cemented the move across to Melbourne as he was such an important part of my success and development over the years.

Did you play any Representative Baseball through Juniors?

I was fortunate enough to travel to Japan with the U/12 Victorian team and then the USA on the Australian Cal Ripken side.

This helped me fall in love with baseball and recognise the opportunities the game could provide. I was also selected in the Vic Blue team in top age U/14’s.

The years that followed however I didn’t make another Blue team and was either a White team representative or not selected at all for the national championship squads.

You were signed by a Major League Baseball (MLB) Team – which one?

I signed with the Kansas City Royals Organisation in January of 2020.

Describe a typical day in-season with your Baseball Team

During the season we usually report to the field sometime around 1 o’clock for a 7 o’clock game.

The first thing you usually do is get in some treatment with the physio and then your movement prep/activation exercises, so your body is feeling ready to go. Pitchers will then go warm up with the strength coach on the field, prior to our daily throwing program which usually last 15-20 minutes.

This could be followed up with some throwing off the mound if you haven’t thrown in a game or off the mound in a couple days. After that we get to shag batting practice which generally means just chasing down balls for an hour and a half. Following BP, depending on what you have for the day, it’s either some conditioning (running) or you go into the weight room and get one of your lifts in for the week.

Then we crush the pregame spread and relax a little before game time. The game starts, as a reliever I’m down in the bullpen following along with the game waiting for the phone to ring to get in the game.

Following the game, you get your recovery work in, shower, eat and head home. Usually getting home between 11PM and midnight depending on the length of the game, get some sleep and do it all over again.

Biggest influence on career?

Unequivocally, my dad. He was my coach the whole way through my juniors and the person who pushed me to be the best player I could be. I used to tag along to his games from the moment I was born, transitioning from bat boy to being lucky enough to play some senior games with him.

The sacrifices both he and my mum have made throughout my entire baseball journey have been the driving force behind the opportunities I’ve been lucky enough to have. Many late nights in the cage, hours upon hours of batting practice, and long drives to and from trainings and games. To this day he still has an impact on my career, as my throwing partner during the offseason most days out of the week.

Best thing about living in the USA?

Probably just living in a country where baseball is at the forefront. In Australia its very much a secondary sport, so it’s nice to have decent crowds and be involved in a culture where baseball is looked at in such a desirable way.

What are your future Baseball ambitions?

Compete in the Major Leagues.

You’ve played at the highest level in Australia – the ABL. Which teams?

My first year in the ABL I played in Brisbane for the Bandits and was fortunate enough to be part of their fourth consecutive championship in 2018/19. I returned home for both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons in Melbourne helping the Aces win back-to-back Claxton Shields.

How have you seen the transformation of baseball at the higher levels in Australia since your journey to the USA began?

The ABL has seen tremendous growth over those years in both quality of play and quality of players it’s been able to attract. I think the league has certainly gained a lot of recognition and began to really emerge as a true professional sport within the Australian landscape.

When I first set off for junior college in 2014 it wasn’t that common a path for young Aussies. Compared to now where there are hundreds of Australians playing college baseball across all levels in the USA.

However, I think there is a disconnect between how many are going over and how many are returning home to continue playing. More could be done to make sure the players who set off to college return to not only impact local baseball with their play, but also share the wealth of knowledge and information they’ve gained.

As briefly as you’d like, what advice do you have for any aspiring Melbourne Baseball Juniors wanting to emulate you and follow your path to the USA?

Fall in love with the game. It’s an incredibly difficult sport, filled with failure. If you don’t really love the game, it’s impossible to make the sacrifices needed to achieve success within it.

Focusing on small improvements each day is how you grow as a player.

You don’t need to fix everything overnight, use each day as an opportunity to get 1 percent better.