Cougar power to hit the US
It’s a story fit for a movie – the under-12 baseball team set to take on the world. Brent O’Neill traces the Cougars’ journey
THEY made history as the first team from the Glitter Strip to claim the Australian Little League Championship.
But the Gold Coast Cougars have another national record in their sights as they step up preparations for a World Championship assault in the US.
Still riding high after taking out the national Little League (under-12) crown in Lismore in June, the Cougars are now desperate to become the first Australian team to win more than two games at the world event.
First-year coach Klae Calvert, a former Australian representative and pro star in the US, said a “perfect storm” had given the Cougars a golden shot to defy that record in Williamsport from August 16-26.
“It’s incredible really, what has been accomplished. Historically, the Sydney teams have been the strong ones that end up going (to the world championships), no other Queensland team has ever done this,” Calvert, who will fly the Virgin Airlines plane that takes the team to Williamsport, said.
“The best team that’s ever gone there from Australia has won two games so our goal is to go there and win at least three. We want to be the best Little League team ever (from Australia) to go there.
“It’s the hardest competition in the world over there and places like Japan, they’ve just got military precision. But (our players) will hold their own and now that you’re there, anything can happen on the day.
“I look at the draw and the pitching that we have, they’ve actually got a chance of going a long, long way. They’re no joke.”
With TV audiences of up to 30 million a game and 10,000 to 30,000 fans in the stands, the players will have the chance to put their names before scouts from some of world baseball’s biggest brands.
However, Calvert is hoping Cougars’ impact – led by young guns Oscar Hyde and Billy Baker – can reach the Coast as well.
“It’s a really good time at the moment to be able to promote this (success) and have the kids do well over there to really push baseball ahead on the Gold Coast,” he said.
The Cougars leave Australian today before playing their first game against Mexico on August 16.