Kurt Russell will serve as head coach for the U16 team, with Aaron Ottoway, Gerard Prosper, and Raleigh Pelkonen as assistant coaches.Leigh Moyle has been appointed head coach of the U18 team alongside assistant coaches Daniel Calverley, Brandon Migro, and Stuart Howell.“Congratulations to our 2024 WA State Team coaching staff, who we know will do a fantastic job of leading our athletes on the field and setting them up for success on the national stage,” Baseball WA CEO Lachlan Dale said. “Thank you to these experienced coaches for stepping up to the plate to support our U16 & U18 State Teams. The 2024 Australian Youth Championships will kick off another big year of baseball and encourage players to make the most of this exciting opportunity.”
The tournaments are slated for early January, with dates and venue TBA by Baseball Australia. WA State Teams will have their sights set on championship glory after a silver medal finish in both age groups at #AYC2023.
“Coming off the back of a 2nd place finish last campaign, we are looking to go one step further this time around,” Kurt Russell said. “We believe the U16 talent pool is extremely deep, and we are looking forward to the selection process and upcoming tournament prep as we work towards putting the pieces together for a potential championship run.”
The WA State Team Program offers an amazing opportunity for players who can compete and excel in a high-pressure environment.
“Utilising the experience of the coaching staff that we have assembled, they will be put through a program that will have them ready to take on the rest of the country in early 2024,” Leigh Moyle said. “I’m excited to see the players grow within this program and take those developed skills into nationals and go one step better than last year.”
Expressions of interest are now open for players who want to try out. Please click on the links below to register:
Baseball WA – 16 State Team
Baseball WA – 18 State Team
Registrations will close on Wednesday 27 September and trials will commence in early October with further details to come for players that register.
Please note these are the last years of each age group that are eligible: U16 – 2008 and U18 – 2006. Competing players must be under the specified age for the particular program being staged at 31 December of the preceding year. Example: Under 16 players who turn 16 on 31 December is not eligible, whereas a player who turns 16 on 1 January is eligible for the Under 16 AYC.