At Victoria Ave [primary] School Witters played baseball in an inter-school competition.
"I never had an inkling to play softball but have played only the odd game over the years," said Witters who had his first taste of the "big time" when selected to play in the New Zealand under-13 Little League team. "Playing baseball very quickly became a dream and a goal."
As a 14-year-old he went to the US as a member of the New Zealand under-18 team where he played both as a pitcher and in the in-field. And, playing in the under-17 Little League went away with a none-too-shabby .400 batting average.
"On that trip when I was in Seattle I spoke to a couple of coaches but nothing came of that. More recently when I was in Maine a college scout was there and we have had on-going discussions.
"My ultimate goal at this stage is to get a scholarship which I feel is now a real possibility. I have a couple of friends who have already done that."
Witters' emergence comes at a time when the baseball versus softball war in New Zealand is again hotting-up after the Black Sox success in winning the World Softball Championship on Sunday.
Next week, baseball will host their national secondary school championship during Summer Tournament Week. But don't look for the name of Witters or any other Kings players. Only the school's rowers, at the Maadi Cup regatta, will have been given the time off to compete although Witters said he and his teammates will be free to play in term four.
Witters has also tried his hand at coaching.
"The reaction at school has been varied from the time I helped set up a team in Year 10. Fortunately one of our teachers got on board and we have taken it from there."
The local schools competition, now in the final stages of their term one competition, is played after school on Wednesdays.
Two of those competing schools, Glendowie College and One Tree Hill College now have baseball academies which are attracting students/athletes from Japan and Korea specifically as the sport continues to grow.
These schools, along with teams from AGS, Botany Downs, St Kentigern, Glenfield and Cambridge High will play in the national championship at Crossfield Reserve from next Monday to Thursday.
COLLEGE SPORT RESULTS
BASEBALL
Division two: Rangitoto 18 Auckland International 2, Dilworth 19 Botany Downs 2 1, St Kentigern bye.
Division one crossovers, One Tree Hill 3 Kings 2, MAGS 16 Botany Downs 1 3, Glendowie 11 Glenfield 1, AGS 14 Waiheke 5.
CRICKET
AUCKLAND
R H MARRYAT CUP FINAL
MAGS 211/7 (Jared Donell 43, Adi Dhadwal 33, James Michie 30) bt WBHS 76 (Aniket Parikh 5-11) by 136 runs.
TWO-DAY CHAMPIONSHIP
Round one.-
AGS 361/6 (Ben Rainger 76, Taffarel Monterio 77, Shawn Hicks 76, Jack Leggatt 86; Connor Ridge 3-110) beat Rosmini 212 (Connor Ridge 45, Alex Du Rand 53, Josh Du Rand 36; Jamie Hall 3-34) and 120/3 (Ridge 65) on first innings.
St Kentigern 150 (Daniel Young 36; Brett Bakkerus 3-12, Clayton Floyd 3-34) and 161/6 (Young 42, Aditya Edekar 35) beat WBHS 75 (Chris Farnell 4-4, Jeremy Myers 3-34) on first innings.
MAGS 296 (Amit Dhadwal 114, Aniket Parikh 68, Jordan Dashfield 36; Mitchell Butler 4-43) beat Sacred Heart 162 (Tom Ritchie 67; Parikh 7-43) and 100/2 (P Rassie 38no) on first innings.
Points: AGS, MAGS, St Kentigern 2; WBHS, Sacred Heart, Rosmini 0.
TWO-DAY PLATE
Round one.-
St Peters 306/9 (Jack Parsons 168; Harsal Vyas 4-73) lost to Avondale 307/5 (Wynan Classens 33, Andrew Glubb 35, Harshal Vyas 119, Mark Van Tillburg 85; Connor Kelly 3-52) on first innings.
Macleans 144 (Mitchell Murray 3-24) and 60/5 beat Kings 127 on first innings.
Rangitoto 329/9 dec (Patrick Thomson 95, Jackson Tredray 75, Reid Hastie 32, Tyron Carter 60no; Travis Ngatai 3-49) beat KBHS 99 (Troy Brown 6-21) and 259/9 (Jared Challis 103; Nathan Banks 3-51, Ulrich Boshoff 3-84) on first innings.
Points: Avondale, Macleans, Rangitoto 2; Kings, St Peters, KBHS 0.
Auckland Secondary School teams to play in the Frank Grattan tournament from March 17-19 at Waikaraka Park (10am start).-
A team: Glen Phillips (Sacred Heart), Shawn Hicks (AGS), James Parslow (AGS), Connor Ridge (Rosmini), Mitchell Murray (Kings), Amit Dhadwal (MAGS), Adi Dhadwal (MAGS), Mitchell Atkins (WBHS), Jarrod Baker (WBHS), Pierce Fletcher (Sacred Heart), Harshal Vyas (Avondale), Jamie Hall (AGS). Coach, Tony Sail.
B team: Jack Parsons (St ), Taffarel Monterio (AGS), Alex Du Rand (Rosmini), Jack Leggat (AGS), Jared Challis (KBHS), Chris Dunn (Macleans), Cole Briggs (Rangitoto), James Belz (AGS), Brett Bakkerus (WBHS), Jake Fitzgibbon (Rosmini), Jarred Curtis (AGS), Wesley Healiss (WBS). Coach: Neil Gray.
GOLF
PREMIER 9-HOLE
Auckland division one: S Kentigern 1 110 AGS 1 109. Division two: Lynfield 144 AGS 2 122; St Kentigern 2 default to Macleans 2; AGS 3 129 St Peters 92. Division three: Botany Downs 2 138 AGS 4 133; Green Bay 162 KBHS 148; Strathallan 147 St Kentigern 3 131.
North Harbour pool one: Rangitoto 1 117 WBHS 1 103; Rosmini 129 Rangitoto 2 108. Pool two: Massey 118 Wentworth 117; WBHS 2 124 Kristin 120.
ROWING
NORTH IS SS CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Lake Karapiro)
A finals.-
Boys.-
Under-18.-
Single sculls: Rutherford College 7m 18.13s 1, MAGS 7m 20.37s 2, Rosehill College 7m 22.52s 3.
Pair oar: Hamilton BHS 6m 47.36s 1, WBHS 6m 42.41s 2, AGS 6m 54.66s 3.
Double sculls: Tauranga BC 6m 50.46s 1, Rosehill 6m54.62s 2, St Peters School 6m 55.91s 3.
Double sculls (novice): John Paul College 7m 07.95s 1, Te Awamutu College 7m 13.66s 2, St Pauls Collegiate 7m 15.19s 3.
Double sculls (lightweight): Cambridge HS 6m 51.17s 1, Tauranga BC 6m 52.43s 2, St John 6m 54.67s 3.
Coxed four: Hamilton BHS 6m 24.56s 1, St Kentigern 6m 27.96s 2, WBHS 6m 29.35s 3.
Coxed four (lightweight): WBHS 6m 43.43s 1, St Johns 6m 44.94s 2, Hamilton BHS 6m 46.52s 3.
Coxed four (novice): Wanganui Collegiate 6m 41.50s 1, Hamilton BHS 6m 46.76s 2, St Pauls Collegiate 6m 50.82s 3.
Coxed quad: Tauranga BC 6m 17.07s 1, St Kentigern 6m 20.81s 2, St Peters School 6m 21.51s 3.
Eights (novice): Scots College 6m 17.44s 1, Sacred Heart 6m 17.52s 2, AGS 6m 20.38s 3.
Eights: Hamilton BHS 5m 42.67s 1, WBHS 5m 44.02s 2, AGS 5m 48.34s 3.
Under-17.-
Single sculls: Wanganui Collegiate 7m 27.44s 1, St Johns 7m 28.79s 2, Wanganui HS 7m 32.18s 3.
Double sculls: Whakatane HS 6m 48.34s 1, St Peters College 6m 55.78s 2, St Peters School 6m 57.39s 3.
Coxed four: Western Heights 6m 41.42s 1, Wanganui Collegiate 6m 45.92s 2, St Kentigern 6m 48.41s 3.
Coxed quad: Hamilton BHS 6m 31.20s 1, St Peters School 6m 32.65s 2, Kings 6m 33.23s 3.
Eights: Hamilton BHS 5m 58.42s 1, AGS 5m 59.79s 2, Wanganui Collegiate 6m 02.03s 3.
Under-16.-
Single sculls: Liston 7m 33.25s 1, Francis Douglas Memorial 7m 34.68s 2, Hillcrest HS 7m 36.65s 3.
Double sculls: Whakatane HS 6m 48.60s 1, Lindisfarne 6m 49.44s 2, St Peters School 6m 56.55s 3.
Coxed four: Hamilton BHS 6m 46.10s 1, Onslow College 6m 49.61s 2, Macleans 6m 56.38s 3.
Coxed quad: St Peters School 6m 35.90s 1, Macleans 6m 41.98s 2, Whakatane HS 6m 43.33s 3.
Eights: Hamilton BHS 6m 10.44s 1, MAGS 6m 13.46s 2, St Pauls Collegiate 6m 17.41s 3.
Under-15.-
Double sculls: Whakatane HS 7m 17.74s 1, St Patricks 7m 24.84s 2, Wellington College 7m 26.20s 3.
Coxed four: Hamilton BHS 7m 04.26s 1, St Pauls Collegiate 7m 15.04s 2, Sacred Heart 7m 16.32s 3.
Coxed quad: AGS 6m 58.34s 1, Hamilton BHS 7m 04.91s 2, Tauranga BC 7m 08.71s 3.
Eights: Hamilton BHS 6m 12.86s 1, AGS 6m 16.05s 2, Sacred Heart 6m 21.13s 3.
Girls.-
Under-18.-
Single sculls: Woodford House 8m 09.76s 1, Cambridge HS 8m 13.80s 2, Glendowie 8m 18.30s 3.
Double sculls: EGGS 7m 26.58s 1, St Peters School 7m 34.31s 2, TGS 7m 36.64s 3.
Double sculls (novice): St Peters School 7m 46.57s 1, Waikato Diocesan 7m 47.15s 2, Rotorua Lakes HS 7m 54.29s 3.
Double sculls (lightweight): EGGS 7m 40.95s 1, Tauranga GC 7m 46.14s 2, St Peters School 7m 49.44s 3.
Pair oar: WGHS 7m 43.48s 1, Diocesan 7m 46.45s 2, Waikato Diocesan 7m 48.79s 3.
Coxed four: Waikato Diocesan 7m 21.61s 1, WGHS 7m 23.73s 2, Wellington GC 7m 28.77s 3.
Coxed four (lightweight): WGHS 7m 32.74s 1, EGGS 7m 33.89s 2, Tauranga GC 7m 36.60s 3.
Coxed four (novice): Waikato Diocesan 7m 28.80s 1, Hillcrest HS 7m 35.60s 2, WGHS 7m 45.08s 3.
Coxed quad: Kings 7m 16.45s 1, Diocesan 7m 18.83s 2, Te Awamutu College 7m 20.65s 3.
Eights (novice): EGGS 6m 59.67s 1, Waikato Diocesan 7m 06.41s 2, St Peters School 7m 07.33s 3.
Eights: Waikato Diocesan 6m 48.34s 1, Wanganui Collegiate 6m 52.51s 2, WGHS 6m 53.08s 3.
Under-17.-
Single sculls: Kings 8m 04.45s 1, Napier GHS 8m 06.08s 2, Woodford House 8m 07.93s 3.
Double sculls: EGGS 7m 43.55s 1, Nga Tawa Diocesan 7m 48.15s 2, St Peters School 7m 50.43s 3.
Coxed four: Waikato Diocesan 7m 24.49s 1, Wellington GC 7m 30.43s 2, Sacred Heart Girls 7m 31.12s 3.
Coxed quad: Western Heights HS 7m 14.00s 1, Glendowie 7m 20.01s 2, Wanganui HS 7m 24.25s 3.
Eights: Waikato Diocesan 6m 46.05s 1, Wanganui Collegiate 6m 50.16s 2, Sacred Heart Girls 6m 55.53s 3.
Under-16.-
Single sculls: Whakatane HS 8m 19.22s 1, Wanganui HS 8m 22.60s 2, Gisborne GHS 8m 25.57s 3.
Double sculls: Gisborne GHS 7m 43.75s 1, Pukekohe HS 7m 45.36s 2, St Peters School 7m 45.93s 3.
Coxed four: WGHS 7m 26.27s 1, Waikato Diocesan 7m 37.96s 2, Hauraki Plains College 7m 38.68s 3.
Coxed quad: Glendowie 7m 25.19s 1, Waikato Diocesan 7m 26.42s 2, Pukekohe HS 7m 26.90s 3.
Eights: WGHS 6m 54.20 1, Waikato Diocesan 1 6m 57.06s 2, Waikato Diocesan 2 7m 02.24s 3.
Under-15.-
Double sculls: Hillcrest 7m 56.70s 1, Hasting GHS 7m 59.95s 2, EGGS 8m 02.17s 3.
Coxed quad: Hillcrest HS 7m 27.01a 1, EGGS 7m 44.07s 2, TGS 7m 47.73s 3.
Coxed four: Hillcrest HS 7m 27.87s 1, Sacred Heart Girls 7m 41.66s 2, Waikato Diocesan 7m 43.33s 3.
Eights: EGGS 7m 04.49s 1, Baradene 7m 14.06s 2, Wellington GC 7m 19.88s 3.
Overall points: Hamilton BHS 52 1, Waikato Diocesan 43 2, EGGS 32 3, WGHS 25 4, St Peters School 24 5, Whakatane HS 21 6, Wanganui Collegiate 20 7, Hillcrest HS 19 8, Tauranga BC, AGS 14 equal 9, WBHS 12 11, Kings 11 12.
SOFTBALL
SENIOR
Central.-
Girls: Aorere 12 Marist 0; Pakuranga 8 One Tree Hill 3; Diocesan 20 James Cook 2. Diocesan 8 Marist 4; Selwyn 5 One Tree Hill 3; Pakuranga 22 James Cook 0.
Boys: St Peters 8 Aorere 0. Green Bay 17 Aorere 1; Avondale 3 Rutherford 1; AGS 2 St Peter's 1.
TENNIS
A1.-
Senior boys: WBHS 5 AGS 4, St Kentigern 9 Sacred Heart 0, Kings 8 MAGS 1. Points: WBHS, St Kentigern 29, AGS 19, Sacred Heart, Kings 10, MAGS 2.
Intermediate boys: St Kentigern 9 Sacred Heart 0, AGS 8 King 1, WBHS 8 MAGS 1. Points: St Kentigern 233, AGS 32, Kings 20, WBHS 10, Sacred Heart, MAGS 2.
Junior boys: AGS 1 9 Sacred Heart 0, St Kentigern 6 Kings 3, AGS 2 6 Macleans 3. Points: AGS 1 32, Kings 24, St Kentigern 21, AGS 2 16, Macleans 4, Sacred Heart 2.
Senior girls: St Kentigern 1 9 EGGS 0, WGHS 9 St Cuthberts 0, St Kentigern 2 6 MAGS 3. Points: St Kentigern 1 31, WGHS 29, St Cuthberts 15, St Kentigern 2 14, MAGS 5, EGGS 3.
Intermediate girls: Baradene 5 EGGS 4, St Kentigern 5 St Cuthberts 4, Macleans 6 TGS 3. Points: St Kentigern 22, St Cuthberts, Baradene 20, TGS 13, EGGS, Macleans 12.
Junior girls: Baradene 1 6 St Kentigern 3, St Cuthberts 9 EGGS 0. Points: Baradene 1 30, St Kentigern 24, St Cuthberts 22, Diocesan 8, EGGS 4, Baradene 2 0.
TOUCH
SENIOR
Counties.-
Boys, Wesley default to Papakura; Manurewa 4 Rosehill 2; Tangaroa 3 Alfriston 2. Manurewa 5 Alfriston 2; Wesley 5 Rosehill 0; James Cook 7 Tangaroa 1.
Girls: Alfriston default to Pukekohe; Papakura default to James Cook.
Mixed: Manurewa 6 Tangaroa 2; Alfriston 9 James Cook Puutake 1.n Alfriston 8 Manurewa 4; Tangaroa 6 Tuakau 5.
Southern.-
Boys: Otahuhu 14 Kia Aroha 1; Kings 5 Southern Cross 1; Auckland 7th Day Adventist default to De La Salle.
Girls: Mangere 6 Otahuhu 1; McAuley 4 Auckland 7th Day Adventist 1; Aorere 3 Southern Cross 1. McAuley 3 Aorere 2; Southern Cross 3 Otahuhu 0; Mangere 3 Auckland 7th Day Adventist. 2.
Mixed: Mangere 7 Papatoetoe 5; Otahuhu 6 Aorere 2.
Eastern.-
Boys, A grade cross-overs: St Kentigern B 6 One Tree Hill 3; Sacred Heart B 3 Edgewater 2; St Kentigern A 8 Botany Downs 0; Sacred Heart A 11 Macleans 0. B grade cross--overs: St Kentigern C 7 Michael Park 2; Pakuranga 6 Glendowie 2; Tamaki 7 Howick 0.
Girls A grade: St Kentigern B 5 Howick 3; St Kentigern A 11 Macleans 0; Sancta Maria 4 Botany Downs 4. St Kentigern A 7 Botany Downs 4; Sancta Maria 7 St Kentigern B 0; Macleans 4 Howick 1. B Grade: Pakuranga 3 Edgewater 2.
Mixed: Macleans 4 Howick 2.
Central.-
Boys A grade: AGS 4 St Peters A 2; Dilworth A 6 MAGS 5. B grade: St Peters B 12 Dilworth D 1; MRGS 5 Lynfield 4. Lynfield 5 Dilworth D 1; Dilworth B 3 Dilworth C 3.
Girls A grade: Diocesan A 5 St Cuthberts A 0; EGGS 5 St Marys A 2; MAGS 12 Baradene A 1. St Cuthbert's A 5 St Marys A 1; AGGS 5 Baradene A 4. B grade: St Marys B 8 Diocesan B 1. St Cuthberts B 3 Diocesan B 2; Baradene B 5 St Marys B 1; Marist 5 Lynfield 2.
Mixed: MAGS 8 Onehunga 3; MRGS 5 Marcellin A 4.
Western.-
Boys: Waitakere 3 Massey C 2; Liston 7 Massey A 3; KBHS 4 Avondale 1. Avondale 1 Massey B 1; KBHS 6 Waitakere 1; Rutherford 4 Massey C 3. Rutherford 2 Waitakere Mixed 1. Liston 6 Waitakere Mixed 1.
Girls: Massey 1 6 Waitakere 2; Avondale 13 St Dominics 1; Rutherford 6 Massey 2 0.
North Harbour.-
Boys A grade: WBHS A1 10 Hato Petera 0; WBHS A2 6 Orewa 3. B grade: WBHS Red 6 Kristin 4; Glenfield 4 Long Bay 2. Hato Petera B 3 Long Bay 3; WBHS Green 8 Kristin 1; Glenfield 4 WBHS Red 1.
Girls A grade: Mahurangi 2 WGHS 2; Whangaparaoa 7 Carmel 1; Orewa default to Rangitoto. Carmel 2 Pinehurst 0; Rangitoto 5 WGHS 0; Orewa default to Whangaparaoa. B grade: Kristin 4 WGHS B 0; WGHS C default to Northcote; WGHS D 3 Rangitoto 1; Long Bay 5 Hato Petera 4. Kristin default to Northcote.
Mixed: cross-overs: Albany Senior High 4 TKKM O Te Raki Paewhenua 4; Kaipara A 10 Long Bay A 5; Kaipara B 5 Long Bay B 4; TGS 6 Mahurangi A 5; Northcote 4 Mahurangi B 1.
VOLLEYBALL
AUCKLAND SS SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
(Trusts Stadium)
Final placings.-
Girls, division one: Orewa College 1, Mangere College 2, McAuley High School 3.
Boys, division one: De La Salle College 1, Orewa College 2, One Tree Hill College 3.
Girls, division two: Macleans College 1.
Boys, division two: Avondale College 1.
WATER POLO
Premier boys: AGS 2 6 Northcote 1; Kristin 13 Kings 7; AGS 1 9 MAGS 5; Rangitoto 9 St Kentigern 1; WBHS 7 Sacred Heart 6. AGS 1 16 Kristin 6; AGS 2 8 MAGS 6; St Kentigern 15 Northcote 5; WBHS 10 Kings 3; Rangitoto 4 Sacred Heart 4.
Premier girls: Diocesan 14 MAGS 3; St Kentigern 9 St Marys 5; EGGS 9 Kristin 7. Rangitoto 2 8 Baradene 5; Kristin 15 St Marys 4; Rangitoto 1 20 St Kentigern 0; Diocesan 8 WGHS 5; St Cuthberts 12 MAGS 0; EGGS 6 TGS 2.
Senior B boys, division one, pool A: Sacred Heart Red 18 St Kentigern 1; St Peters A 12 Kings B1 1. Pool B: TGS 3 Long Bay 2; Rangitoto 6 Rosmini 3. Pool D: Kings B2 9 Glendowie 7; Howick 8 Sacred Heart Blue 2; Macleans 12 Botany Downs 4. Pool E: Strathallan 5 Kings Jun A 2; Senior College Of New Zealand AGGS 3 AGS Gold 3. Pool F: Rutherford 5 Massey 2; Waitakere 12 Albany Senior High 1; Avondale 20 Liston 3. Waitakere 15 Massey 2; Avondale 16 Albany Senior High 3; Liston 9 Birkenhead 3. Pool G: MAGS 15 Lynfield 0.
Senior B girls division one, pool H: Western Springs 6 Avondale 3. Pool I: Kings 6 EGGS 2; Carmel 14 Macleans 0; WGHS 7 Green Bay 1; Selwyn 8 Strathallan 5.
YACHTING
63rd Annual Inter-secondary Schools Fleet Racing
(Wakatere Boating Club)
29ers: Leonard Takahashi-Fry/Rory McCutcheon (Kristin 6pts 1, Markus Somerville/Aidan Nicholas (TGS) 9 2, William McKenzie/Scott Webber (Glendowie) 15 3.
420: Eliza Wilkinson/Nicole Davey (Diocesan) 6 1, JJ Marie/Leo Pagani (Kings) 11 2, Ritva Vilpolla/Chloe Fuge (St Cuthberts) 17 3.
P Class: Cameron Moss (Rangitoto) 9 1, Thomas Morton (St Kentigern) 12 2, Oscar Barrett-Garnier (Glendowie) 16 3.
Laser 4.7/%Laser Radia: Andrew McKenzie (Sacred Heart) 5 1, Lachy Grimwade (Kristin) 12 2, Jack Rogers (Kristin) 14 3.
Optimists: Kerensa Jennings (Rangitoto) 21 1, Jordan Stevenson (Mahurangi) 22 2, Tom Fyfe (WBHS) 23 3.
Splash: Amelia Masters (Glendowie) 5 1.
Starlings: Libby Porter (Diocesan) 22 1, Ellie Lane (Albany Senior High) 24 2, Jeremy Mitchell (Albany SH) 27 3.
RSX: Charlotte Delisle (Long Bay) 7 1, Ash Wilson (Kings) 8 2.
TECHNO: Finn Croft (WBHS) 6 1, Coral Heady (Otumoetai) 9 2, Harrison Hill (Kristin) 16 3.
Teams (four to count): WBHS 107.8 1, Rangitoto 203.2 2, TGS 209.5 3.
