Talented teen picked for Oceania squad
Levin pitcher in NZ U18 team bidding for World Series berth
Young Levin baseball pitcher Flynn Warren will take the mound for the New Zealand Under 18 team at the WBSC Oceania Qualifiers held in Auckland next week.
Warren, 16, has been named in a 20-strong NZ team attempting to qualify for the World Series by playing in the Oceania qualifying tournament against Australia, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands, the winner gaining a spot in the WBSC U18 World Cup next year.
The United States, Panama, Mexico and Venezuela have already qualified by virtue of a top-four finish in the American qualifying pool. The World Series was limited to the top 12 qualifying teams, with Asia (three), Africa (one), Europe (two) and a wildcard joining Oceania’s single entry in the final field.
Warren had pitched ever since he was a youngster for Levin Hustle club teams, but this season he had played his baseball in Auckland with no local league in his age group. It had meant a lot of travel, but it was all worth it in pursuit of a dream.
Flynn and his younger brother, Fletcher, were bitten by the baseball bug as youngsters on a family trip to the United States in 2015. It had become almost a religion ever since, watching baseball on television and playing at any opportunity.
Their passion was infectious and
the code quickly took root in Horowhenua with father Hendrix helping to form the Levin Hustle club. Player numbers grew, culminating in a New Zealand title for a Levin Hustle U13 team.
The Warren brothers set up an impressive net at home to catch the stray shots, playing it in the backyard whenever they had the chance. It helped that Flynn was a pitcher and Fletcher a catcher.
There was a real art to pitching . . . curve balls, fast balls, slow balls, change-ups, knuckle balls . . . and Flynn said he was always learning and adding variation to his repertoire in the search for more speed and skill.
“I’m always working on speed, speed and accuracy,” he said.
Meanwhile, NZ U18 national team manager Toshiki Nakao had said whittling down the final team from an initially larger squad wasn’t easy.
“The roster has been selected from a great group of both talented and developing players, making the final selections for this team very hard for the coaching staff,” he said.
“We are excited to take on the challenge of the tournament with a young, talented, and passionate group of players.”
The team reports for a preparation camp today in Auckland leading into the Oceania Qualifiers at Lloyd Elsmore Park from December 12.
■ NZ U18 baseball team for WBSC Qualifier: Ben Sinclair, Brandon Wilmshurst, Branson Matsumoto, Caleb Dufty, Damian Feagaiga, Emile Nel, Felix Galichan, Flynn Warren, Gabriel Lesoa, George McCarroll, Harrison Carmichael, Jack Rust, James Matthews, Jaxson Baldwin, Joseph Yamamoto, Liam Marshman, Mason Carey, Maximus Russell, Tait Anderson, Thomas McGrath. Nontravelling reserves: Keenan Easthope, Connor Findlay, Tane Landon-Lane, Wade Senden. Head Coach / Manager: Toshiki Nakoa. Bench Coach: Connar O’Gorman. Pitching Coach: John Lee. Hitting Coach: Marty Grant. Executive Officer: Kiri Hay.