News

Baseball Australia – in partnership with Perfect Game – will be touring the USA with the Under 16 and Under 18 National Junior Squads in September and October 2024.

Australia will name an Under-18 and Under-16 national squad to play in Perfect Game-run events in America.

The Under-16 event will be held in Atlanta, Georgia in September.

The Under-18 event will travel to events in Florida – in Jupiter and Port St. Lucie – from late-September to early October.

The tour will be 12 days-long and see these players battle against some of the best American talent of the respective age groups.

The squads will be named in the coming weeks. This comes after the Australian Youth Championships last week in Sydney.

The international events will be played in front of an audience filled with scouts and colleges. It is run by well-known international baseball organisation Perfect Game.

“This is a great opportunity to play in front of all the top junior colleges, universities and professional organisations,” says National Player Development Manager Andrew Riddell. “Experiences like this provides an opportunity to represent your country while facing tough opposition including top college commits, all while representing our country in a non-World Cup year.”

Riddell says the teams Australia will play are all made up of players who have already committed to top schools.

“It’s about providing our players with a glimpse into what facing future college competition may look, while also helping create exposure for scholarships and college opportunities for our players as they graduate out of high school.”

Perfect Game is the world’s largest baseball scouting service. They host high-quality travel team tournament and individual showcases across the world. It offers major scouting, signing and MLB draft opportunities for players.

The USA-tours will be preceded by the hard work players do in their respective states through the Baseball Australia endorsed ‘State Performance Pathways Program.’

Baseball Australia’s General Manager of Performance Pathways & Player Development Michael Crooks says states are critical in developing Australian talent.

“We saw first-hand the talent from states across the country this week at the Australian Youth Championships. These are the principal environments for talented played across the country to work on and develop their skills for transitioning into places like college, the ABL and professional baseball,” says Crooks of the state-based Performance Pathways Programs.

The national team’s selection panel is concluding the player assessment process, with the National Junior Squads to be announced prior to the end of January.

Please visit one of our event hubs for recaps of the 2024 Australian Youth Championships.

• U18 Event Hub: 2024 U-18 Australian Youth Championships (U18 AYC)
• U16 Event Hub: 2024 U-16 Australian Youth Championships (U16 AYC)