Sunshine Baseball’s Devin Leahy wasn’t expecting a call up to the Australian under-18 side let alone on one of the biggest stages, the World Cup.
Leahy was one of 20 players named in the squad after a week-long selection camp on the Gold Coast.
The outfielder did enough at the camp to earn his first Australian selection.
“It’s very exciting, but I was mainly in shock to be honest,” Leahy said. “I was just trying to fight for a spot against the best players in Australia and I was not expecting much from it.
“I ended up getting a spot.”
Leahy said the selection camp was full of games against the rest of the squad and then training sessions.
He said not only was it his first Australian team but the first time he had been in the larger squad.
“It definitely makes it more special.”
The World Cup kicked off on September 5. Before flying out, Leahy said that he thought they would put up a good fight.
“The coaches say any team can beat any team on any given day,” he said. “We have pretty high hopes.
“I would like to see how much better the game is over there compared to what I play and try to keep up with it.”
Leahy said he had spent every day in the lead up to the event training and getting in as many reps as he can.
For Leahy, there wasn’t really any decision for him to start playing the sport.
“I’ve played my whole life,” he said. “I was born into it and grew up playing it.
“My dad played and both my uncles did and my grandfather did and I watched them play.”
Leahy said he had never been bored of the sport and made a lot of friends out of it.
He started playing with his home club, the Werribee Giants, before moving to the Sunshine Eagles when he was 15.
Leahy made the move to play in the higher grade.
“Being around the boys at Sunshine, I’ve got to know a lot,” he said.
Leahy, who still lives in Wyndham, was part of the Eagles premier league 1st nine premiership last season, alongside one of his heroes and Australian star Darryl George.
He said it was amazing to play alongside him and pick his brain.
Leahy said he would like to take his baseball as far as he can and maybe play in the Australian Baseball League or go to college in America next year.
His focus after the World Cup is helping the Eagles go for back-to-back titles.
Tara Murray
