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Blake Townsend is still only 24 years old.

He has pitched in a World Baseball Classic, a Premier12, an Under-23 World Cup and an Under-18 World Cup. He has reached Triple-A in two different organisations. He is coming off the best professional season of his career.

And yet, ahead of his second World Baseball Classic, the left-hander from Traralgon is only just beginning to understand who he is on the mound.

“I think before I was pitching for other people,” Townsend said. “Now I’m pitching for myself.”

It is not a selfish statement. It is a freeing one.

At the 2023 WBC, Townsend was just 21 years old. Despite already reaching Triple-A with the Seattle Mariners, he was still a young kid from country Victoria — legally old enough to compete against the world’s best, but barely old enough to order a drink in the United States.

Signed by Seattle as a 17-year-old in 2019, Townsend spent five seasons in the Mariners system and climbed to Triple-A before his first WBC appearance. In the middle of 2024, he was released — a moment that forced reflection.

“A lot of guys who have gone through what he’s gone through are done playing,” Team Australia pitching coach Jim Bennett said. “The beauty is that he’s seen the next step.”

Townsend signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates soon after, finishing 2024 in their system and returning in 2025 to produce the best numbers of his professional career.

Across 92.1 innings in 2025, he compiled a 1.76 ERA, again reaching Triple-A. Prior to that, he dominated the 2024-25 Australian Baseball League season with the Adelaide Giants, posting a 0.60 ERA in 15 innings.

Now, he is signed with the Texas Rangers and was in Spring Training before linking back up with Team Australia.

The commitment meant he missed the pre-tournament camp in Fuchu, instead joining the squad in Miyazaki as preparations intensified ahead of March 5.

The difference in Townsend today is less about velocity and more about conviction.

“It definitely changed my perspective,” he said of being released and starting again. “I’ve changed my approach from trying to please a specific team or pitch a certain way that doesn’t feel natural to me. Now I get the opportunity to do what I think is going to work.”

He said he really started pitching.

“I used the misses and had confidence to be in the zone, no matter what the count is, no matter what I’ve done the pitch before,” said Townsend. “Just knowing my stuff is good enough to compete with these guys is pretty huge.”

Bennett sees a different pitcher than the one from three years ago.

“It’s almost night and day,” he said. “Not only his stuff and his competitiveness, but the conversations we have are a whole other level. There’s less worry, more trust. He sees the game differently now.”

Townsend describes it as maturity — not a buzzword, but lived experience.

“Having a better idea of what pitches to throw in which count. How to attack specific hitters. Really just committing to my plan,” he said.

Simply making it to this level from a town of just over 25,000 people — two hours from Melbourne — is remarkable.

Doing it after being released, re-signing, reaching Triple-A twice and earning another major league opportunity is something else entirely.

He was 21 at his first World Baseball Classic.

He is 24 now.

Still young. Still ascending.

But this time, Blake Townsend is pitching for himself.

And still figuring it out.

MORE STORIES

Eric Balnar is writing features from the World Baseball Classic build up, thanks to Aces Sporting Club.

Here are some more:

– Australia adjusts on the fly as rain washes out WBC tune-up vs Japanese Champs

– 5 Minutes Apart: The absurd odds that brought Brisbane brothers Connor and Callum MacDonald together in Fuchu

– Competing at Everything: Inside Team Australia’s Relentless Fuchu Camp

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

Team Australia’s pitching staff looked the part on Saturday afternoon, standing tall against NPB powerhouse the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in a World Baseball Classic tune-up.

Facing a perennial Japanese contender that rolled out many of its top-line pitchers and much of its premier lineup, Australia’s arms showed up in the 2-0 loss.

Josh Hendrickson set the tone early in front of a loud environment filled with boisterous Baystars supporters.

The left-hander worked 2.2 innings and allowed two runs, four hits (a couple of them infield), while attacking the strike zone against the BayStars’ A-team.

REPLAY: Watch the Game on Baseball+

“Hendo got a great chance to see how fast the game goes,” pitching coach Jim Bennett said. “He faced their A-team. I like that he really attacked.”

“I like that the guys went after it. They didn’t seem phased by the crowd noise. They threw a lot of strikes and worked quick.”

Connor MacDonald delivered a pivotal out with runners on base to halt early momentum, before Jack O’Loughlin took control.

The left-hander fired three perfect innings, carving through the middle of Yokohama’s order in front of a lively Japanese crowd.

“It was good to be in a big stadium again,” O’Loughlin said. “Some guys aren’t used to playing in front of fans like this, so it was great that the pitchers were unfazed and were able to execute in a big game.”

Todd Van Steensel followed with a perfect seventh inning, Coen Wynne retired all five hitters he faced, and Kieren Hall recorded a key out to close the door on a composed all-staff performance.

Manager Dave Nilsson said the experience was invaluable as Australia transitions from its Fuchu training camp toward the World Baseball Classic.

“I think playing here, in this environment, really adds to our preparation and builds from our Training Camp towards the WBC,” Nilsson said. “Our pitchers did well and it was good for our hitters to see some good pitching.”

Aaron Whitefield had two of Australia’s three hits.

The Aussies fly to Miyazaki tonight, where they will be joined by the MLB and KBO affiliated players.

MORE STORIES

Eric Balnar is writing features from Fuchu, thanks to Aces Sporting Club.

Here are some more:

– 5 Minutes Apart: The absurd odds that brought Brisbane brothers Connor and Callum MacDonald together in Fuchu

– Competing at Everything: Inside Team Australia’s Relentless Fuchu Camp

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

A feature story from Fuchu brought to you by Aces Sporting Club. Written by Eric Balnar.

The odds are almost absurd.

Two brothers from Brisbane. Two professional athletes. Two different sports played on opposite sides of the world.

Yet today, Connor and Callum MacDonald find themselves in the same Tokyo suburb of Fuchu — one preparing for the World Baseball Classic with Team Australia, the other playing professional rugby in Japan.

After years chasing their careers across continents, the brothers are now living just five minutes walking distance from each other.

To reach this point required an almost impossible chain of events.

Australia first had to choose Fuchu as its World Baseball Classic training base.

Connor then had to fight through Australia’s competitive baseball pathway, reinvent himself from professional hitter to full-time pitcher, and earn selection to the national squad.

At the same time, Callum had to build a top-level rugby career, secure a long-term contract in Japan, and end up playing for a club based in that same Tokyo suburb.

Separate journeys, different sports, different timelines — all somehow leading both brothers to the same place at the same moment.

A Brisbane Household Built on Sport

For the MacDonald brothers, competition has been part of life from the beginning.

Connor is one of four boys — Connor, Callum, LJ and Liam — raised in a sporting Brisbane household.

Their father, Ken, is a legend of. Australian Baseball – both in the professional competition, for Team Australia and for Queensland in the Claxton Shied.

“It was awesome,” Connor said of their upbringing. “It started with coming home from school and playing cricket in the backyard and that translated to any sport. It was always me, the oldest, and Liam, the youngest, against the two middle boys in LJ and Callum. We didn’t have a PlayStation or anything, so we were encouraged just to get outside and play.”

That environment helped shape the work ethic that would carry all four brothers into high-level sport.

“We had a home gym and it’s hard to get up early, so I would ask my younger brother Liam to work out with me. It was a competitive household in a good way. We always pushed each other to be better.”

Dave Nilsson, Team Australia’s manager, played with Ken in the ABL. He’s also known the four MacDonald brothers since they were babies.

“He’s a hard-working country guy,” said Nilsson. “He passed on a lot of his qualities to his boys. Worth ethic, the way you interact people. I see a lot of him in the boys.”

Different Roads Around the World

As adults, their careers took them in completely different directions – although they all played baseball at some point.

Connor pursued baseball professionally, spending time in the Houston Astros organisation before continuing his career in Australia and eventually transitioning full-time to pitching just three years ago — a move that helped open the door to his Team Australia debut.

Callum followed rugby, first playing in Canberra before moving to Japan five years ago to pursue a professional contract, eventually landing with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in Fuchu.

For most of that time, the brothers were “passing ships” — living in different countries while chasing their respective careers.

But the connection never faded.

“We are super close. My brothers are my best mates. We talk all the time. We wouldn’t go three days without calling,” said Connor.

Now, for the first time in years, their professional journeys have crossed in the same place.

While Team Australia trains in Fuchu, Callum has become Connor’s local guide.

“He’s been showing me all the restaurants, little spots, and the sights and scenes of Fuchu. It’s been amazing to have my home here and spend some time with him that I don’t always get,” he said.

Even Connor admits the situation still feels surreal.

“It’s crazy it’s worked out this way. I don’t think I truly appreciated the things that have had to happen for us both to be doing what we love at a high level for this to happen. I want to make the most out of it while he is five minutes down the road.”

Connor says his younger brother’s journey in Japan has been a major source of inspiration.

“My brother inspires me because rugby is such a gladiator sport. The mentality he has to get into for a game is so different than what I have to get into,” he said.

“He moved his whole life to Japan by himself. When I was in pro ball, I had other Aussies with me and they speak English in America. He came here alone and even had shoulder surgery here. That takes amazing strength. I admire that — not just physically but mentally.”

For Connor, the responsibility of being the eldest brother has always carried meaning beyond the field.

He hopes his own journey shows the younger boys what persistence looks like.

“I hope I set a good example for my brothers. Just always keeping focused on your goal, always working hard. Champions are made when nobody is looking, and I hope I set that example for them.”

Baseball Still Runs in the Family

Back home in Brisbane, the MacDonald baseball legacy continues.

Connor and youngest brother Liam shared the field this season with the Brisbane Bandits — a moment Connor calls one of his proudest.

“His first hit was a grand slam. That was one of my proudest moments,” Connor said. “Just seeing him do that, showing people he belongs… it was indescribable. I was so proud of him because I’ve seen how hard he works and how much the Bandits mean to him. Our dad played, I played, so to share the field — yeah, that was pretty special.”

Team Australia pitching coach Jim Bennett says the family’s reputation in Brisbane baseball is well earned.

“The MacDonald family — that’s Brisbane baseball right there,” said Bennett, the Brisbane Bandits’ manager. “The pride all the boys have is amazing… Connor puts a lot of thought into everything he does. It means so much to him and now Liam is following in his footsteps.”

Bennett added that Connor brings both leadership and flexibility to Australia’s pitching plans for the tournament.

“He gives us a lot of options at the WBC. He can pitch an inning, he can pitch a few, and you know he’s going to compete. He’s a big-time strike thrower and an excellent human being to have in our group,” he said.

In Tokyo, With Love

For Connor, the rare chance to share the same city as his brother — even briefly — is something he refuses to take for granted.

“So many things had to happen for this to work out,” he said. “And while he’s five minutes down the road… I just want to make the most of it.”

And the coincidences don’t stop there.

Professional rugby schedules only allow a handful of bye weeks each season, yet Callum’s happens to fall during the exact week Australia plays its World Baseball Classic Pool C games at the Tokyo Dome.

Which means when Connor takes the mound on one of baseball’s biggest stages, his brother will be there in the stands.

MORE STORIES

Eric Balnar is writing features from Fuchu, thanks to Aces Sporting Club.

Here are some more:

– Competing at Everything: Inside Team Australia’s Relentless Fuchu Camp

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

by Eric Balnar, feature story thanks to Aces Sporting Club. Photos by Scott Powick.

Spend five minutes around Team Australia’s clubhouse in Fuchu and one thing becomes obvious.

These guys compete at everything.

It’s not just when the uniform goes on. It’s not just when an opponent is standing across the diamond.

It’s at everything. Everything.

I noticed it almost immediately after arriving in camp. Sure, these are elite athletes preparing to face the best players in the world at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) – the kind of tournament where you might look up and see someone like Shohei Ohtani on the other side. Competing on the field is the job.

But what stood out here was what happens in the hours nobody sees.

In training breaks, they’re playing a modified cricket game on the grass. In the locker room, it’s trivia battles. At the hotel, cards in the lobby. In the rooms, Mario Kart. Before practice? In testing metrics.

At one point, team physio Greg Castle even organised a full ping-pong tournament at a local venue. Logan Wade walked away as champion — a result that, judging by the reactions, remains a sensitive topic for a few teammates.

There’s even an infamous fantasy football league inside the squad. If you want to keep the peace, don’t ask Robbie Glendinning where he finished.

This is a group that simply doesn’t switch competition off.

The Race to Be the Most Competitive

Out of curiosity, I asked players and staff a simple question:

Who’s the most competitive person on this team? Three names kept coming back.

Tim Kennelly.
Robbie Glendinning.
Aaron Whitefield.

When I put the question to Glendinning, he didn’t hesitate.

“People aren’t saying Whitey and TK are they? Because I’m the most competitive.”

Even the debate about competitiveness turns into a competition.

Later, sitting with both Glendinning and Whitefield together, neither wanted to fully concede.

“Probably us two… maybe we’re tied,” Whitefield laughed. “But we definitely have a competitive rivalry going and it’s one of my daily highlights.”

Their rivalry doesn’t stop at the field — or even the same continent.

Glendinning explained that while playing in Kansas City and with Whitefield in Melbourne, the two still call each other constantly.

“It’s like, how fast did you sprint today? I can go faster. How did you golf today? I shot lower. It’s honestly a way to help hold each other accountable,” said Glendinning.

The Loud Competitors… and the Quiet Ones

Manager Dave Nilsson isn’t surprised by any of it.

“Well, they’re athletes, right? They grow up in this environment and they wouldn’t be here if they weren’t competitive,” he said.

But Nilsson points out something important — not all competitiveness looks the same.

“Sometimes the most competitive people aren’t necessarily the most outwardly competitive or vocal. It’s the quiet competitors who battle. Look at Connor MacDonald for instance. He won’t be loud about it but he’s ultra competitive and with himself,” he adds.

That internal competition shows up daily in the strength and conditioning testing run by Jacob Nilsson.

Players track vertical jumps. Power numbers. Speed results. Leaderboards form naturally.

“You see in their groups they are all competitive with each other,” Jacob said. “Everyone wants to climb a leaderboard in testing. Some are quiet, some are loud, but they’re all into it and they want to be the best they can be.”

And more than anything, he says the biggest battles happen away from the spotlight.

“I don’t think you make this team if you don’t have a deep desire to be better every day… the best battles happen against yourself,” he said.

Brothers Compete

For Whitefield, that mindset has existed since childhood.

“I grew up that way. I just wanted to be the best at every sport we did,” he said.

But within Team Australia, the competitiveness carries something deeper than ego.

“We’re like brothers. And brothers get competitive,” said Whitefield. “It’s not a bad thing — we just want to compete and be better.”

Glendinning agrees the competitive energy actually strengthens the group.

“Because we are all close mates, when we get in this environment, we all want to one-up each other,” he said.
“I think the competitive nature helps bring people together too — it helps us unite off the field by playing games, but then it helps us win games because we always have that fight.”

Even the Veterans Are Still Competing

When catcher Robbie Perkins was asked who the most competitive teammate is, his answer came instantly.

“Tim Kennelly. For sure. TK wants to be the best at everything.”

Kennelly himself didn’t exactly argue.

“Oh, it’s me,” he said confidently when the question came up mid-conversation.

But his reasoning spoke to something bigger than personality.

“We’re a family and we will compete in anything. It brings us closer as a group but also shows how we play the game in all aspects. We’re always trying to find an edge.”

Why It Matters

Watching this camp unfold, the pattern becomes clear.

The games in the hotel lobby.

The testing leaderboards.

The sprint comparisons across continents.

The ping-pong grudges.

None of it is meaningless. It’s culture.

Because for this Team Australia group, competitiveness isn’t something they turn on for nine innings.

It’s something they live every day.

And in a tournament where the margin between winning and losing can be a single pitch, a single swing, or a single defensive play…

That mindset will be a pretty handy weapon.

MORE STORIES

Eric Balnar is writing features from Fuchu, thanks to Aces Sporting Club.

Here are some more:

–  Growing Up Green and Gold: Chris Burke’s journey through national teams to the World Baseball Classic

– The shoe finally fits: Inside Josh Hendrickson’s Three Year Battle to Team Australia

– From Dirt to Turf: Inside the near 1 Billion Japanese Yen Upgrade Preparing Australia for the World Baseball Classic

Written by Eric Balnar. Photos by Brad Rathbone and Scott Powick (Team Australia Media). Pre-tournament report thanks to Aces Sporting Clubs

When Team Australia arrives in Fuchu this week for its pre-World Baseball Classic training camp, the players will step onto a brand-new synthetic baseball surface.

A fully turfed field now replaces the traditional dirt infield and grass outfield that stood here for decades.

The surface is modern. The facilities refreshed. The training areas upgraded.

It looks new. It feels new. But the stadium itself tells a much older story.

Within walls shaped by generations of local baseball and community pride, Fuchu Citizens Stadium has undergone upgrades worth over approximately approximately ¥1 billion (JPY) the last three years designed not to replace its history, but to strengthen it.

A significant investment – equivalent to about $9,000,000 Australian dollars – has transformed playing conditions while preserving one of the city’s most cherished sporting homes and important cultural centres.

A BIG, COMMUNITY MINDED, AND IMPORTANT INVESTMENT

Over the past three years, Fuchu City has invested heavily in the venue as part of a major redevelopment.

City officials say the goal was to create a stadium where people of all ages, from children to adults, can both watch and play baseball while strengthening community pride and local connection to the facility.

The project included the installation of a synthetic turf field, development of indoor training facilities, and renovation of the second-floor restrooms.

The field was closed from August 2025 until late January 2026, reopening roughly two weeks before Team Australia’s training camp scheduled for February 17 to 28.

The push for redevelopment had been building for several years.

Weather, combined with extremely high field usage, became a major concern, officials explained.

Local baseball organisations, including the Fuchu City Baseball Federation, had long requested a training environment less affected by weather conditions.

“In recent years, Fuchu Citizens Stadium has experienced extremely high usage, exceeding a 99 percent utilisation rate in 2023,” one stadium official said. “Maintaining a natural grass field required a seasonal closure from January to March each year for turf recovery. In addition, rainfall often led to poor field conditions, resulting in suspensions of use and long recovery times before play could resume.”

Above: Rain affected play during the 2024 Premier12 Training Camp. Photo: Scott Powick.

Requests for a synthetic surface were formally submitted in July 2023 by user groups including the Fuchu City Baseball Federation.

“To ensure more stable and continuous use of the stadium for a greater number of citizens, the decision was made to install a synthetic playing surface as part of this redevelopment,” the official added.

The indoor training facility was another major component designed to address both weather limitations and heavy demand.

“These requests intensified following the hosting of an Eastern League official game in 2024 and previous training camps by the Australian national team,” one official explained. “In response, space beneath the stadium stands, previously used for storage and work areas, was repurposed into a new indoor training facility. This allows for flexible training even during inclement weather, improves convenience for users, and makes more effective use of existing stadium space.”

Above: various sections of the stadium now features batting cages and training facilities that remain unimpacted by weather. Photo: Scott Powick. 

Funding for the project was approved by city council as part of Fuchu’s broader vision as a sporting hub.

The city of roughly 260,000 residents proudly brands itself a “Sports Town,” home to elite rugby clubs, a major racecourse, a strong baseball culture, and Olympic and Paralympic training activity.

As Mayor Takano wrote in the city’s official training camp guide:

“Athletes of sports teams based in our city and from our city are succeeding, not only within Japan but also in international events such as the Olympics, Paralympics and the Rugby World Cup. Many adults and children of the city also participate in a wide range of sports.”

At the centre of that sporting life sits Fuchu Citizens Stadium — a stadium owned not by a professional club, but by the community itself, and a home for Fuchu baseball since the 1950s.

“The main purpose of this stadium is to be a place where children can look up to baseball and dream about playing it,” said another stadium official.

There’s a reason it’s called a “Citizen’s Stadium” – it is literally owned by the people.

PERFECT FOR PREPARATION

For Team Australia staff, the new playing surface is more than just an aesthetic upgrade.

It is also a crucial part of tournament preparation, with World Baseball Classic games in Tokyo played on artificial turf.

“The city has done an amazing job,” Australian coach Shayne Watson said. “The new surface will best prepare the guys and replicate what they will be playing on in the Tokyo Dome.”

Above: Turf between the infield and the outfield is similar to turfed stadiums like the Tokyo Dome.

“The surface is clean, new, immaculate and fresh. I am expecting the guys to take advantage of the upgrades to best prepare themselves for the WBC.”

Australia has trained in Fuchu ahead of major tournaments since 2018, and this February marks the fifth official Team Australia camp in the city.

Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams says the relationship has become one of the program’s most important international partnerships.

“This will be our fifth official Team Australia camp in Fuchu City. Mayor Takano and the City of Fuchu could not be more supportive of our team, and our players always feel genuinely welcome when they arrive,” Williams said.

“The support from the local community is incredible, and we’re really looking forward to being in our home away from home.”

CULTURAL CONNECTION

Each visit has strengthened the connection between the team and the city.

Streets are often lined with Australian colours and flags during the camp period, while locals attend open training sessions and exhibition events at the roughly 5,000-seat venue.

According to Shogo Mukoyama, chairman of the All Fuchu Baseball Club, the impact on the community — particularly young players — has been significant.

“By watching the game at Fuchu Field, fans become more familiar and more supportive of Team Australia,” Mukoyama said in an interview at the Premier12.

Photo: Brad Rathbone. One of the main streets of Fuchu.

“The most famous team for Fuchu kids is now Australia. We feel closest to them.”

For stadium management, the redevelopment was never just about international teams. It was about strengthening baseball’s place in the community.

“Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Japan,” explained a representative of Fuchu Citizens Stadium. “We have many lovers of the sport in Japan and of course in Fuchu. We need a place for our kids to develop their skills at.”

“But this field is for baseball around the world, other organisations and the community. It is a meeting place, it is a place for people to become more skilled, for them to be inspired.”

The ground hosts city teams, federation events, community competitions, the Tokyo Giants Women’s program and international camps, with the gates frequently open for fans to enjoy local baseball.

“By reforming the stadium, we were also aiming to have Fuchu citizens feel more attached to our land,” explained another official. “I hope that by doing so we can contribute to people feeling more proud about Fuchu. When Australian baseball is here, people feel more proud to be here too.”

Just minutes from the ballpark stands Okunitama-jinja Shrine, one of Japan’s oldest, with a history stretching back nearly 1,900 years.

The entrance to the city is lined with historic zelkova trees, said to have originated over 1,000 years ago. Around two hundred of those trees remain today, forming a scenic gateway into Fuchu and standing as one of the city’s most beloved natural symbols.

That connection between heritage, place and community is part of what defines the city today.

Photo: The entrance to a park home to Okunitama-jinja Shrine

Soon, Team Australia will step onto a fresh synthetic field in Fuchu, sharpening their preparation for the world stage in Tokyo.

But long before the first pitch of the World Baseball Classic is thrown, the message here is already clear.

This is more than a training venue, more than a stadium upgrade and more than a stop on the tournament schedule.

It is a place where a city has opened its gates, its community, and its pride to Australian baseball.

And in Fuchu, that welcome matters just as much as the field itself.

Above: Fuchu Citizens Stadium. Photo: Brad Rathbone.