West Australian Bjay Cooke is the latest Aussie to sign a professional contract with an MLB organisation.
The 19-year-old pitcher-infielder from Swan Districts Baseball Club inked a deal with Oakland Athletics over the weekend. He had previously committed to Weatherford College but will instead join the A’s. "Bjay is a special type of athlete. He has an amazing self-awareness for a kid his age. He knows what he wants, has a plan, and is confident in his process," Baseball WA High Performance Manager Andy Kyle said. "It's one thing for an athlete to say they want something, but they have to put actions to those words, and it has been a pleasure to see Bjay work so hard on his trade the past few years." "He is an exciting talent - athletic, can play multiple positions, showing ability to hit for average and now some power and on top of that could easily jump on the mound and flash a low 90's FB. Bjay has a bright future in this game and I can't wait to follow his journey." Since first picking up a bat and ball in 2009, Cooke has racked up a long list of accomplishments representing his charter, state, and country. He was part of the Team Australia U23 side that qualified for the upcoming World Cup with a sweep of New Zealand last month. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI and threw a scoreless inning in game two. Cooke previously played for Australia at the 2018 U15 World Cup and was also part of the Team Australia Futures’ series against Adelaide Giants earlier this year. Cooke won a gold medal with WA at the 2020 Australian Youth Championship in Geelong and took part in the 2015 Cal Ripken World Series. Reflecting on his baseball journey so far, Cooke says all these representative opportunities and the support of his family and coaches have helped him get where he is today. "I started my career at Kalamunda Rangers with my dad and one of my career-long coaches, Arnie Noel," Cooke said. "I was there with six or seven guys that I then grew up playing with at Swan Districts. I was fortunate enough to have great coaches and programs growing up." "I am very grateful Baseball WA gave me the foundation and resources to build my career, whether that be facilities, coaches, camps, tournaments and all the extra stuff that was put together." While Cooke has many highlights from his junior career, he says the thing he looked forward to the most was playing charter and taking trips with his team. "Those trips were the most fun and Swan Hills was always a competitive team which was a bonus. I have so many of my favourite memories coming from those tournaments," Cooke said. "I must also mention winning the U18 National Championship in 2020 with all the guys that I grew up playing with and playing against, we are all a very close group now and I hope that never changes." As for signing with the A's, Cooke says there is no better feeling in the world. "I’m extremely proud to be wearing the A’s uniform. The club has a rich history and I can’t wait to be apart of the family they have! The A’s have shown me nothing but support and what they can bring to the table since the start." "From the conversations that I’ve had with the people in the front office, they run the organisation in the most professional way possible and I will be in a great position as a player to further develop myself not only on the field but off the field too which is most important to me." No matter what the future holds, Cooke knows he will be happy chasing his dreams and playing ball. "My end goal like any kid that plays baseball is to become a Major League All-Star… but the main reason why I play is to inspire people to be better and chase their dreams. I love playing for my family, friends and the kids, I feel that as long as I can continue to inspire and make the people around me better, my goal has been achieved." Cooke says none of this would have been possible without his family. "Honestly, there are so many people that I could say thank you to and who I am very grateful for. Those people know who they are, and I can’t explain how much time I have for them," Cooke explained. "Above everyone else though comes my parents, Dee and Andy. We really made it our lives, they have done so much for me and been apart of my baseball life since the beginning." "For dad it was the coaching, the thing that I love the most is that it isn’t always about me, he fell in love with the game just as much as I did and puts his heart and soul into it and being able to share something like this is beyond amazing. Mum just went above and beyond what any mum should do, supporting me from the scorer’s table, the stands, or back home I knew she was cheering for me even if I couldn’t hear her. I love them both very much!" For any younger players who are dreaming of signing an MLB contract one day, Cooke has a few bits of advice that helped him along his journey. "I like to keep things short and simple, two things mainly. First, the harder you work, the luckier you get, and second, be able to understand and let things ride out. If you’re well prepared and want something bad enough, nothing will ever stop you!" Baseball WA is seeking coaching expressions of interest ahead of the inaugural Barclay Cup on the Gold Coast from 25 September to 1 October 2022.
A combined group of state participation managers created the Barclay Cup as a brand new national event for youth girls in honour of Jacinda Barclay, who sadly passed away in 2020. Rather than a state team v state team event, this tournament encourages participation by welcoming multiple teams from each state depending on interest levels – BWA plans to send two teams, so two head coaches are needed. Interested applicants must have their Certificate C and WWC. All interested coaches should email BWA Participation Manager David Hayes at [email protected] outlining their experience and availability. Applications close Thursday 26 May. Click HERE to read more about the Barclay Cup. Baseball WA is pleased to announce registration is now open for the 2022 Pro-League season.
Pro-League provides players with a high-level coaching experience and enhanced match play, helping athletes improve their skills and further develop their baseball abilities across all areas of the game. Pro-League Major is the primary program for players who have turned 13 to 16 inclusive prior to 1 September 2022. The program will run in term 3 for two sessions per week over ten weeks. The Pro-League Futures program is for players who nominated for the Majors program but are not selected. Both programs feature a combination of skill sessions, strength and conditioning, and gameplay with the support of expert team coaches and staff. New this year is a dedicated women’s team, which will be the fifth team in the program with no age eligibility criteria. Click HERE to learn more about Pro-League and complete registration HERE. Just weeks after winning bronze at the 2022 Australian Women's Baseball Championship, seven WA representatives have been named to rosters for the upcoming women's showcase from 5-8 May in Geelong, Victoria.
The 2022 Australian Women's Baseball Showcase splits the country's best women's players across the Adelaide Giants, Brisbane Bandits, and Victoria Aces for seven top-level games, culminating in a decider on 8 May. Grace Spano and Caitlyn Eynon will suit up for the Giants while Kelsey Brennan, Yuuki Ishikawa, Meaghan Haggart, Leah Cornish, and Kaila Borgamastro will play for the Bandits. Baseball WA congratulations these players on such an excellent achievement and wishes them the best of luck for an action-packed showcase. Read the latest roster releases from Adelaide Giants and Brisbane Bandits, and head to the showcase hub for the latest news. Make sure to tune in as all seven games will be broadcast on Kayo Sports. The WA Women's Team has plenty of reasons to celebrate after a bronze medal finish at the 2022 Australian Women's Baseball Championship in Adelaide.
WA went 5-2 overall with back-to-back walk-off victories and 71 total runs scored. The side just missed out on a return to the gold medal game with Wednesday's loss to NSW, the eventual national champions. Head coach Kurt Russell says WA has a lot to be proud of in this tournament. "The bronze is a bittersweet one for us, it's certainly rightfully deserved but we felt as though we were in a position to really shake things up this tournament," Russell said. "We really feel as though we had a successful tournament. Bringing home a medal when you take into account that we have a squad with an average age of 21 and only had a 6-week preparation with just two full squad sessions due to COVID restrictions solidified that." Just getting back to the national stage was a fantastic feeling for the WA Women's Team after three years and a global pandemic. "I feel as though this tournament was able to create a ton of exposure for women's baseball in Australia. Our 4 hour extra innings walk-off win against SA had a bit of everything and the responses on social media shows that we are starting to reach a bigger audience." "From our perspective, the biggest takeaway was this squad's ability to deal with adversity. We had a few line in the sand moments this tournament and the playing group's ability to dig deep and respond shows that we are in the process of building something special. The big highlights for us are obviously the back to back walk-off wins, walking away with a medal, and watching the younger girls coming out of their shells and proving they belong at this level." The team made the most of their individual strengths and came together to form a tight-knit group that was ready for anything. "One of the main keys to our success this tournament was a clear understanding of player roles and having everyone pulling together to achieve the common goal," Russell explained. "We changed the structure this year to allow the athletes a relaxed environment with more freedoms off the field and that positively transitioned onto the field and was evident by just how close the playing group is and just how much they enjoyed themselves this tournament." After an action-packed week in Adelaide, the future of women's baseball in WA is bright. "We have just taken bronze with one of the youngest squads at the tournament and we have a core group of players that have the potential to play together for the next 5-10 years," Russell added. "You couple that with the exciting young junior players that are coming through the program at the moment, and it's clear there is the DNA to build a championship winning culture for years to come. We discussed this as a playing group and there is a hunger/determination amongst this group to make that a reality." Also, several WA players have been selected for the upcoming Australian Women's Baseball Showcase in Geelong from 5-8 May. "Kaila Borgomastro and Caitlin Eynon have already been announced on the lead into nationals and we are awaiting the exciting news to come around a number of other WA players and their involvement in the upcoming showcase," Russell said. "It's an exciting time for women's baseball in WA with a number of athletes getting the rightly deserved recognition and opportunities that are coming their way. Hopefully this paves the way for the young girls currently playing in our junior club programs." |
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