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Glenelg Baseball Club’s Kai Reid has become the latest Australian to commit to college, and he credits his South Aussie community in part for helping him reach his baseball goals.

Reid, an outfielder and utility specialist, has announced that he will attend Clarendon College in August 2024.

It’s the same school which fellow South Australian Liam Scott recently graduated from, and the same program Giants’ head coach Chris Adamson went through.

“The college process is a lengthy one. I had interest from various colleges including a Junior College in Michigan. But Clarendon was a clear choice with good gym facilities along with the quality of competition and housing on campus – all the criteria was checked,” he says.

“Coach Russell played an instrumental part in my decision to go to Clarendon with him always making himself available to answer questions.”

Reid, who is coming off a season playing Division 1 for Glenelg, says the South Australian Baseball community greatly helped him reach this point in his baseball career.

One person he checked in with was the aforementioned Liam Scott.

“Liam Scott has been a great help on providing a good perspective of what it’s like over there and as a player who has also played in the South Australian Baseball League,” he says. “He has given an idea of what to expect – just having him to bounce ideas off is great.”

He says another local South Australian player for helping him pursue his dream – another college athlete in Max Stagg.

“I don’t think the next opportunities would have occurred if it wasn’t for Max Stagg,” says Reid. “He took me under his wing for the four months leading into his departure for college. That also coincided with the SA state school boy’s tournament so we would hit and work out at the gym together every opportunity we got. Max’s dedication, focus and determination has rubbed off on me.”

Reid has gained a reputation in the South Australian community as a high work-ethic individual.

One coach said he is “always looking for ways to work hard to improve.”

Reid also says the coaches at Glenelg were hugely influential in his development.

“I have been lucky enough to have a lot of great coaches who have all had their different strengths. Luke Thompson would have thrown me thousands of rounds of BP over the years. My current head coach Tony Muzzini and junior coach Andrew Gluyas helped shape me into the baseballer I am today. My first senior year was a challenging one but luckily Andrew Qualmann must have seen something in me and encouraged me to come back the following year and thank goodness I did.”

Reid played all his juniors at Glenelg and started his senior career at age 14.

It’s a game he’ll never forget.

“My first seniors game was a memorable one – I was going for a catch in the outfield and collided head on with the centrefielder. I got a concussion and spent the rest of the afternoon in the emergency room. Football was always my number 1 sport until I broke my leg in my U18 qualifying year. This was when I started to really focus on my baseball. I got an opportunity in the SABL season to play some Division 1 and really enjoyed it.”

Reid will head off to Texas in mid-August in advance of the 2024-25 academic year.

For more college stories, visit here.

Ryan Williams, a two-way baseball player from Victoria, has committed to Coffeyville College to continue his baseball and academic career.

“After discussions with more than a dozen other junior colleges, I decided on Coffeyville because of their baseball program, coaching staff, and facilities. They have solid results which I believe I can contribute to,” says Williams.

He will be the first Australian to attend Coffeyville, a Junior College, when he lands in Kansas in August 2024.

Williams is a unique college placement. He is a two-way player from Sandringham Baseball Club.

National Player Development manager Andrew Riddell says this developed some great conversations with prospective schools.

“Ryan is a talented player who was at our U18 National Camp last year and can impact the game both as a left-handed pitcher and hitter,” he says. “As a college recruit, being able to be versatile adds another dimension to a potential roster spot.”

Riddell says Williams had some great conversations with coaches at various schools about pitching and hitting and Coffeyville were very receptive to the idea.

“He has power in his bat and also a very deceiving forkball on the mound so we are looking forward to following his college journey and wish him the best both hitting and pitching,” he says.

Williams says he hopes to develop both sides of his game at college.

“I hope to continue to improve and fine tune aspects of my swing while facing quality pitching,” he says. “As for my own pitching, I hope to gain more consistency with my control and improve my velocity.”

Williams has a four-pitch arsenal at the moment. In addition to a usual fastball, slider and change-up, he can also throw a forkball.

He was using it more often in the summer season with Sandringham.

“Sandringham was my first and only summer club where I’ve been fortunate enough to have had amazing coaches and been presented with great opportunities. A special call out to Rick Wills – my first coach who I was lucky to have for most of my junior years.”

Williams also worked with Performance Pathway and National Team coaches in Damian Shanahan and Kelli Zablan. He says he was also buoyed by members of the Victorian community like Luke Abels, who helped him recover from an injury.

He worked through the Baseball Australia systems – competing in U16 and U18 state teams and also Senior League charter competitions. In August 2023 he attended the U18 National Camp after impressing at the 2023 AYC earlier in the year.

“That was an unbelievable experience. I was able to compete against the best U18 players in Australia and get feedback on my game. It gave me a taste of what it might be like to compete in the USA.”

Team Australia’s catcher at the last two U18 World Cups will head over to the United States to continue his baseball and academic career.

Western Australian Josh Davies has announced his commitment to Vernon College, a school in Texas.

He joins fellow 2023 World Cup teammate Koby Chesterton at Vernon. They will head to Texas in early August for the school year and pre-season baseball for the Junior College program (JUCO).

Davies, a product of the Carine Cats in Western Australia, says previous Australian athletic success at Vernon college helped make his decision.

“Aussie players Zak Skinner and Dylan Bojarski enjoyed the program,” says Davies. “I played a lot of junior baseball with Dylan and I was able to have conversations with him about their academic programs and high-quality baseball. You face a lot of talented schools and pitchers [there].”

Bojarski, also from WA, is in his second year at Vernon.

Skinner starred in 2022 and 2023 for the Texas-based program, hitting .447 and being named a two-time all conference player. His success led him to a transfer to Lamar University, a top NCAA Division 1 school.

Davies says he hopes to follow in his footsteps. 

“Zak did a great job there as a fellow catcher and was able to transition to a Division 1 school,” says Davies. “That is also my goal.”

Baseball Australia’s Player Development Manager Andrew Riddell says he and Josh had been working together for a while, and had multiple conversations with top-tier junior college programs. 

Riddell says he agrees with Josh in that Vernon feels like a great fit.

“Vernon College first saw him on our trip to Florida during the 2022 U18 World Cup. The coach and I stay in touch and he would regularly check in on Josh and how he was doing,” he says. “They’re getting a really good player. He is a leader behind the plate that we’ve trusted with our junior pitching staff the last two World Cups.”

Davies has found success on the international stage, hitting over .300 at each of the last two U18 World Cups.

“He has great bat-to-ball skills, rarely strikes out, and pairs great at-bats with his quality defense. He’s been around the Perth Heat program with their manager and U18 coach Andy Kyle the past couple years, and keeps making strides in his development. I think he’s going to fit in well with Vernon,” he adds.

Davies has impressed locally in Western Australia, too.

He grew up playing for the Carine Cats and earned selection to the U12 World Cup squad, two U18 World Cup teams, and multiple national charter and youth championship experiences.

He says hopes he can take his game to the next level at college.

“I want to grow my ability to drive the baseball with power and to be able to consistently do this while facing high quality arms,” he says. “Furthering my catching skills and arm strength to be able to get recruited by Division 1 coaches will also be huge for me.”

For now, Davies will stay in Perth and prepare for the season.

He says he needs to thank his dad for all his efforts.

“My Dad was a massive influence in my baseball career and I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for him. He sacrificed hundreds of hours for my baseball over my career and I will be forever grateful for him,” he says.

Stay up-to-date with other Australian college commitments and players abroad via Baseball.com.au.