Nowra's, 17-year-old Stephen Pearson has America knocking on the door as he looks set for future stardom.
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Pearson started playing baseball back in 2010 when there was a tryout day for the Shoalhaven Mariners and from there he never looked back. His passion for the sport has never wavered.
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"I just love it. It's the great friendships you make, the feeling you get when you play well, I don't know, I just love everything about it," he said.
Pearson, who's currently in Year 12 at Nowra Anglican College, attended the CIS Baseball Team selection trial in North Ryde on February 15.
The trial saw more than 50 young players competing to make the team of 15. Having made the team twice in the past, Pearson had an advantage knowing the ropes of the sport and trial very well.
Pearson played strongly as Starting Pitcher. He pitched 2.1 Innings with 4 Strikeouts. This strong performance secured his third selection to the team.
"It feels great to be one of the older kids in the team, and help through my previous experience to let the new players know how the other teams will play," he said.
The one-day tournament is set to take place March 24 with three different streams- combined independent schools, combined high schools and combined catholic schools - all competing to take home the win.
Pearson is now looking to the future as he will be heading to Kentucky in the United States after committing to the Lake Area Rattlers Baseball Academy.
This massive achievement is exciting to Pearson not only because it takes him one step closer to his dream of a shot at an elite college program but will give him access to training and facilities unlike any he's ever had.
"I'm just so excited to play against some very high level competition and basically experience baseball from their point of view," he said.
"Coming from a small town where I do baseball two to three times a week, to America where they live and breathe the sport, I think I'll see my game grow a lot."
The Rattlers Academy help newly graduated students to grow and shape their game and help them on the path to be collegiate athletes through professional instruction, and an emphasis on discipline, commitment and hard-work.
Pearson shouldn't have any problem as these are all character traits he has showcased so far in his young career.
He has stated that the Illawarra Academy of Sport's (IAS) Lonestar program has really helped him in moulding his game to the point where it's at now.
"It's really been fantastic. It has provided training support as well as seminars and webinars on topics such as personal development, mental health and social media."
Pearson continues to have a lot on his plate as he juggles his baseball commitments along with being a prefect in Year 12.
In the next six months he has a number of different tournaments including Tamworth, Lismore and the Gold Coast. On top of that Pearson also has State League, his winter season with the Dapto Chiefs as well as continuing with the Lonestar program at IAS.
Even as he continues to see his achievements pile up Pearson remains humble and will continue to always approach the game he loves the same way.
"You can never go into a game thinking you're going to win. You have mentally approach every opponent the same because baseball is a sport that truly isn't over until it's over. To be the best you have to treat every side as equal."