Australia Baseball Hall of Famer Simone Wearne stepped down as Emeralds manager after a six-year tenure as Women’s Baseball Australia National Team manager, and three World Cup campaigns. Baseball Australia will begin the process for appointing a new Australian Emeralds Manager in April.
Wearne was Australia’s Pitching Coach during the 2012 World Cup, and one year later she was named Manager of the team. In her first World Cup as a Manager, the Melbourne native guided Australia to its second medal ever, claiming the Bronze at the 2014 World Cup in Miyazaki, Japan, defeating Canada in the Bronze Medal Game. Then she led the Emeralds in two more campaigns, ending fifth and seventh at Gijang 2016 and Viera 2018 World Cups respectively.
According to Baseball Australia, Wearne said: “Representing your country with energy and passion is the proudest thing I’ll ever do. I’ve given every bit of myself to the Emeralds program for nearly half my life, but the time is right to bring new faces and fresh ideas to the program”.
During her playing days, Wearne became one of the best pitchers in the world, making the 2006 Women’s Baseball World Cup All-World Team. Australia’s most decorated female ballplayer, she became the first female and youngest member to join the Australia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012, being the only woman inducted so far.
In 2013, she was named one of the 100 top Australian sportswomen of all time.
