By Sean Talbot
Three of the Upwey Ferntree Gully Baseball Club’s most promising Tiger Cubs and a grizzled veteran coach are off to represent Victoria in the upcoming U/16 and U/18 Australian Youth Baseball Championships in Blacktown, NSW beginning Wednesday 10 January.
Ryder Wilson and Jack Ratcliffe (U/18), Daniel Williams (U/16) and Simon “Oz” Ratcliffe (U/18 assistant coach) were all chosen to represent the Victorian Aces at the upcoming national tournament where they will take on the nations best as they compete not only to bring home a National Championship to Victoria, but also for the opportunity to sign a professional contract with a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise as multiple big league scouts will be in attendance throughout the tournament.
For Wilson and Ratcliffe, this will be their last chance to pull on the Big V after both having outstanding junior careers, whereas Williams will have two more chances as he graduates from U/16 to U/18 competition next season. For Simon Ratcliffe, it represents another opportunity to hone his craft as a high level coach after a stellar junior career in the nineties representing Victoria and Australia before transitioning to full time coaching after retirement.
Wilson and the Ratcliffe’s will miss the first Tigers game after the break due to the championship, which concludes on Tuesday 16 January, the same day that the Tigers host Sunshine at Kings Park as they look to continue their midseason momentum and defend their back-to-back title victories.
