By JARROD POTTER
VICTORIAN baseballers everywhere will be glad Berwick’s Steven Hughes is finally on their side.
Built like a tank and capable of pitching down cannon-fire like fastballs, Hughes, 17, is one of the School Sports Victoria (SSV) most powerful assets at the upcoming Pacific Schools Games where he will suit up against the other states and Pacific-rim countries.
While he can fill in at first base, Hughes prefers to stride to the mound and dominate the match with his power-packed arsenal.
“I’m a pitcher – I just like it there most,” Hughes said.
“Probably just like to start a match and see how long I can go.”
The Berwick College student splits his time between Springvale in summer and Berwick in winter, absorbing as much knowledge as he can from Melbourne Aces dynamo Scott Wearne and evergreen pitcher Rob Hogan.
Taking that knowledge and flinging it at the opposition pitch-after-pitch at a rapid clip, Hughes has already put his pitching up to state scrutiny and passed with flying colours, helping the Dandenong Baseball Association’s (DBA) under-18 side take out the State Winter Baseball Championship.
“We knocked off Diamond Valley for the title,” Hughes said.
“They were unbeaten through the round robin rounds and we finished second on wins – played six games – we won two and lost one on the Saturday which was good, then we came up against Geelong and Sunraysia and we beat Geelong to lock us in to the final.
“I started and was feeling alright – bit sore from playing five games before hand – one other guy came in ‘Jai’ – he came in and closed the last two innings out and got us to win it.”
Hughes puts the south-east’s success down to stellar coaching at all ranks – with former players always the first to put their hand up and help develop the next generation.
“Definitely the coaching that’s around – Rob Hogan, Scotty Wearne lives in Berwick… all the guys from Cheltenham… David Clarkson who has played and coached for Australia… there are heaps of guys around who chip in and help out,” Hughes said.
America is always on the minds of young baseballers in this country and Hughes is no exception – with college a strong option or even potentially MLB dreams on the horizon.
He’s taking life a tournament at a time and hopes everything else pans out for the best.
“Hopefully I can get over to the states, that would be ideal, but you never know,” Hughes said.
“Whatever happens – I haven’t really looked into it much, but I’m just hoping and will see what happens after the two tournaments coming up this year.
“Hopefully we also finish well in the winter – we’re sitting first at the moment – and keep that going.
“Get on to nationals as well and keep that going too.”
Hughes wanted to thank Rob Hogan and Scott Wearne for their advice throughout the last couple of years and his dad for driving him everywhere pursuing his baseball ambitions.
Hughes’ SSV campaign runs in Adelaide from 21 to 28 November.
