Softball: Youngsters feature in Black Sox squad

New Zealand coach Eddie Kohlhase said it was up to the trio to make the most of their chances. Photo / Supplied

A young Wellington trio feature in a 30-strong New Zealand men's softball squad named today.

Josh Pettet, Te Wera Bishop and Jerome Rameke were all part of the Junior Black Sox team which won a seven-games series against their Australian counterparts last month.

New Zealand coach Eddie Kohlhase said it was up to the trio to make the most of their chances.

"We have got some outstanding young players in our game and we have to give them the opportunity to show what they're capable of," he said.

The training squad marks the first step toward an assault on the 2013 world championship on Auckland's North Shore.

Kohlhase is under no illusion about the challenge the team faces after losing their world crown to Australia last year.

"Losing to the Aussies was an ordinary experience but it made us address several issues we had within the Black Sox," Kohlhase said.

"We've done that and will continue to do that, working on several aspects of our game including our pitching."

The extended squad will take part in a training camp at the Millennium Institute of Sport and Health on the North Shore in mid-September.

Following the disappointment of last year's loss to Australia in the final of the world championships in Canada, the Black Sox had gone through some serious soul-searching.

"We've undertaken a thorough review of where we are heading, and I want to get players competing for their places," Kohlhase said.

"We've also got experienced players who need to front up as well."

Kohlhase believed the squad was a " great blend of youth and experience", and emphasised he was looking for real fire from his players. "There's no question we need to be ruthless with our selections, so I'm looking for hunger and passion from our players."

After the camp, this squad will be trimmed to 17 players for a tour to Australia in December, where the Black Sox will play the world champions in a nine-test series in Canberra.

The training squad is: Rhys Casley (captain), Tyson Byrne, David Butler (Hutt Valley);

Brad Rona (vice captain, North Harbour); Regan Manley, Josh Harbrow, Daniel Milne (Canterbury); Shaun Jamieson, Frank Pointon, Te Wera Bishop, Josh Pettet, Campbell Makea, Wayne Laulu, Jarrad Martin, Jerome Rameke, Thomas Makea, David Bishop, Daniel Tarapi (Wellington); Heinie Shannon, Johnny Munden, Nathan Nukunuku, Bobby King, Ben Enoka, Matt Hicks, Jerome Haretuku, Bernard Hale, Patrick Shannon (Auckland); Aaron Kuru, Josh Gettins, Curtis Huata (Hawke's Bay).

- NZPA