By RUSSELL BENNETT
THE young Berwick City Cougars baseballers are growing from young cubs into full-grown beasts right before the eyes of the club’s faithful.
Exciting things are on the horizon for the club under manager Daniel Betreen and his assistant Shaun Surtees. They’re both Cougars lifers and bleed blue and white, and this season they’re taking the club’s young stars on the path to sustained success.
Berwick City’s firsts lost 4-1 to Werribee at home on Sunday afternoon but currently share top spot on the Victorian Summer Baseball League Division 2 ladder with six wins through their first eight games this season.
But the depth at the club extends way beyond its first team. The thirds is stacked with promising teenagers, and the seconds are also developing quickly.
“I look at the whole program and everyone is moving forward,” said Betreen, who has just turned 26 himself.
“If the ones succeed that’s great, but the whole club has to succeed.”
Betreen has been associated with Berwick for 20 years, since he first started playing the game, and has since gone on to coaching roles at state and national level, as well as spending last season with the Melbourne Aces. He’s also spent time in Arizona for Spring Training, and with the Oakland Athletics’ MLB setup.
“When I looked at the role and coming across, I’ve known a lot of these guys since they were nine or 10 years of age,” Betreen said of his position at the Cougars.
“Now I see them flourishing, inspired and ignited to do what they want to do in baseball. It’s awesome to come on board and be the manager; be the face along with a whole bunch of other people, and get something really special happening down here. We believe that the Berwick Baseball Club, which is only 20 years old, can be a Division 1 club in the next couple of years.”
The likes of Will Day, Aaron Ouwehand, and the Beasley brothers – Sam and Lachie – are shining in the Cougars set up and, along with a huge group of prodigiously talented players, look certain to be a part of some sustained success at the club.
Betreen said it was all about self-belief for the group.
“We’ve got players who’re 17 or 18, and those young guys who’re 15 coming through as well,” he said.
“People will start to take them seriously and I’m pretty big about being that face of structure for them and being the guy, as their manager, who will go into battle for them.
“But the kids are standing up for themselves now and becoming young men in elite baseball.
“We’re not kids anymore – we’re men and we’re going to stand up for ourselves.”
Surtees last season managed the seconds to their first flag in club history and has been soaking up everything he can from Betreen.
“It’s been a great learning process already and we’re only a quarter of the way through the season,” he said.
“I’ve been at the club for 18 years this year and it’s a really exciting period for us. If we want to be successful we need to start with the cement before we can build the house.”
