By Russell Bennett
Young Kooweerup rising star Matthew West is far from daunted by the task that awaits him and his Australian under-15 Baseball World Cup team mates on foreign soil next month.
In fact, he’s spurred on by it – excited by the chance to prove himself on the biggest stage in Panama.
Matthew, who plays at both Berwick City and Dandenong, has only ever been overseas once before – also to play baseball in Japan.
This time around, the left-arm pitcher will feature for Australia from 10 to 19 August in a tournament group that also includes some genuine powerhouses of the sport such as Japan, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic in addition to the Netherlands and South Africa.
Matthew was one of only 20 players selected to play for Australia in the competition, which is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). Along with the World Baseball Classic, it’s one of two active tournaments considered by the WBSC as a major world championship.
Matthew follows in the footsteps of fellow Berwick City Cougar Jesse Hunter, who represented Australia in the same tournament back in 2014 in Mexico.
To even be invited to Sydney to trial for a place in the national squad, Matthew was scouted for roughly a year in the games and tournaments he’d competed in.
At the time, he had no clue.
They were looking for varying factors, such as his attitude and how he performs in pressure situations.
And Matthew, who plays with the Melbourne Aces’ high performance academy, relished the opportunity to show what he’s made of.
He was one of the initial 35 players invited by Baseball Australia to try out in Sydney, and didn’t know he’d made the final squad of 20 until after training one night.
The Year 9 student’s dedication to his craft and commitment to succeed is incredibly impressive. On training nights at the Melbourne Ballpark in Altona, he first has to eat his dinner at school at St Francis Xavier before his father picks him up for what can be a two-hour drive to the other side of the city.
But it’s all worth it.
Matthew’s accurate left-arm pitching is what sets him apart.
“I’m the only left-handed pitcher on the team so that gives me a big advantage over other people,” he said, adding that he also tries to maintain a positive attitude at all times.
“I always stay calm and don’t show my emotion too much,” he added.
“It’s all about confidence as well – if you think you can hit your spot, you probably will.”
Matthew thanked two his mentors at the Cougars, in particular, for helping him along his journey – Craig Barnett and Dan Betreen.
They’ve both been a constant source of support throughout his journey so far – particularly on the mental side of the game.
When it comes to his idols, Matthew spoke glowingly of fellow left-arm pitcher, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw.
Ultimately, Matthew wants to take his baseballing journey as far as he possibly can – with one particular thought front of mind: “If I could do what I love doing as a job, that’d be a dream”.
With the commitment and determination he’s shown so far, he’s well on the way to achieving it.
Australia’s first game in the under-15 World Cup is on 10 August against Japan.
