Western Bay of Plenty Softball has two new NZ reps

New NZ softball reps Rikaiah Te Wheoro, left, and Cassidy Brown. Photo / Andrew Warner

Western Bay softball is celebrating its first New Zealand reps in four years.

Cassidy Brown and Rikaiah Te Wheoro have been selected for New Zealand teams to compete at International Softball Association tournaments. Rikaiah, 12, is in the New Zealand Under-13 team to travel to Los Angeles and Canada in July while Cassidy, 14, flew out to Sydney with the New Zealand Under-14 team this morning.

Western Bay Softball junior co-ordinator Linda Thurlow says it means so much to the club.

"These two boys are practically joined at the hip, their fathers are softball-mad and they have put in the hours. It is just nice to see their hard work finally paying off," she says.

"It has been about four years since we had one let alone two players in a Softball New Zealand team and it is just fantastic for Western Bay softball. It encourages and shows the kids who are not necessarily in that situation what they can achieve."

Both boys are wearing the silver fern for the first time.

"I am excited about it all. I got picked up at the Under-15s national tournament in Wellington in mid-January," Cassidy says.

The highly regarded pitcher has learned quickly playing in the men's senior grade. He loves striking out much older batters — something he has been doing since he first started playing at age 5.

"It is fun. It is good experience for me. I just love playing and seeing everyone having fun. I would love to make the Black Sox one day," he says.

Rikaiah pitches and is a leading batter for the champion Tauranga Intermediate Devils. Like Cassidy, he started playing when he was 5 and lives for the game.

"I like batting best. I am either lead-off or batting fourth. I try to hit home runs and do it sometimes. There was a tournament up in Auckland last month and I had to trial and the New Zealand selectors were there.

"I am excited about the trip. We are fundraising selling raffles so hopefully we get enough."

Western Bay Softball president Paul Goodall says the sport is in good stead.

"The overall game in New Zealand is growing on the back of the Black Sox wins and also Junior Black Sox boys and girls are doing very well. We are doing very well here. Our three objectives we have done this year is to get Under-8 and Under-13 competitions going plus a men's competition going which we haven't had in four years.

"We have some pitching machines in from the States and that just helps the Under-10 grades to enhance their skill sets. We have a sound committee now of about 20 people who are working very hard and we are all moving in a common direction."

Thurlow agrees softball is on the way up again.

"We have our men's teams back and we did the hard yards and got the College Ball and the T Ball back. It is just a matter of getting out to the schools and getting them to have a go and having mini tournaments and things like that.

"The kids who play softball are pretty committed. That makes a huge difference."