By Baseball New Zealand
Two former Major League Baseball players have been named to lead the 21U New Zealand Baseball National Team – one of two nations representing Oceania – at next month’s world championship, the inaugural 21U Baseball World Cup, in Taichung, Taiwan.
Current Seattle Mariners first base coach Chris Woodward has recently been named as manager, returning for the third time in as many years to work with New Zealand’s top young ballplayers.
He will have plenty of experience around him with former MLB catcher and current Los Angeles Dodgers advance scout Josh Bard.
Former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher Naoyuki Shimizu, who pitched for the Japanese National Baseball Team in both the 2004 Olympics and 2006 World Baseball Classic — winning gold in the latter — will be the General Manager of this young 21U national team.
Woodward’s side will have plenty of international baseball experience with a number of team members having played for the New Zealand Diamondblacks at the 2012 World Baseball Classic qualifier in Taichung in 2012.
The national squad will be headed by Baltimore Orioles rookie league infielder Pita Rona and Diamondblack outfielders and current US college players Max Brown from Kansas State University.
The national selection will also feature North Iowa Area Community College’s Daniel Bradley, former Colby Community College infielder and Junior Diamondblack Duncan Izaaks, who appears to be over his broken wrist.
These national team members will be joined by Diamondblacks Boss Moanaroa and catcher Beau Te Wera Bishop, both former Boston Red Sox farmhands.
It is a different story for the pitching staff with some valuable experience missing in the form of Diamondblack Joe Boyce, who was not available to join the team for this tour.
The pitching staff has been bolstered by WBC Qualifier veteran Wayde Bremner and extended squad members Blair Johnstone and Mitch Austin Watts, who will be backed up by MLB Academy attendees Sam Harvey and Ben Thompson on the mound.
This will be the first time New Zealand’s baseball programme has fielded a team at this level of IBAF World Championship events.
“With this elite world championship following our National Team at the 15U Baseball World Cup in Mexico and the 12U club team in the U.S., we view 2014 as a critical year in our sport’s long-term development and growing appeal among young people in New Zealand,” said Baseball NZ CEO Ryan Flynn.
“Our international footprint, especially competing against the best National Teams and future superstars in Mexico and Taiwan, is proof that the future of the sport is bright here in New Zealand.”
21U Baseball New Zealand Roster
* – Each country is allowed to name up to 6 players aged 23 and under.
Position Players:
1. Boss Moanaroa* – 1B
2. Daniel Bradley* – OF
3. Max Brown – OF
4. Pita Rona – 3B/UTL
5. Connar O’Gorman – C/UTL
6. Dewald Deklerk – UTL
7. Duncan Izaaks* – IF
8. Matt Reeves – IF/UTL
9. (Beau) Te Wera Bishop – C
10. Luke Hansen – IF/P
11. Quinten Niu – UTL
12. David (Cooper) Hutchinson – OF
Pitchers:
Roland Shaw* – RHP
Wayde Bremner* – RHP
Blair Johnstone* – RHP
Ben Thompson – RHP
Sam Harvey – RHP
James Boyce – RHP
Mitchell Gray – RHP
Mitch Austin-Watts – RHP
Brendan Jones – RHP
Mackenzie Quarterman – LHP
** Two more players will be added in the coming days to round out the 24-player roster.
Coaching Staff:
Chris Woodward – Manager
Josh Bard – Coach
Riki Paewai – Coach
Cola Yeh – Coach
Naoyuki Shimizu – General Manager
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