Jared Van Hoon was fully aware of the pressure he’d face as Sunshine Baseball Club’s import player.
That pressure extends beyond the diamond to the way the American conducts himself around the club and the community.
“I pride a lot of things on character – the things that you do when people aren’t looking,” Van Hoon said. “I try to get my work in off the field as much as I can.
“I coach an under-16 team, so that’s been great being able to pass along what I know in the game.
“I try and share what I know.”
Van Hoon has been the complete package for Sunshine, the 26-year-old’s on-field work living up to expectations.
A key part of the most menacing pitching roster in Baseball Victoria division 2, Van Hoon has a 5-1 record and a save, to go with an ERA of 0.47.
In the batters’ box, he has the second most hits of the Eagles team, with 18, and a batting average of .321, so he’s certainly kept his end of the bargain on the field as well.
“I came here for my fielding and hitting, and the fact I can help out with pitching is a plus for me and the team,” Van Hoon said, whose life has largely revolved around baseball.
The chance to travel with fiancee Cherice and play ball in a foreign land was ideal for a player resigned to the fact his dream of playing in the majors would not come to fruition.
“I’m 26, so in the baseball world, unfortunately that’s pretty old, and my time is slowly ticking down as far as possibilities,” Van Hoon said.
“That was a huge reason why I came here, to not only further my career as much as possible, but to experience a whole different culture.
“I tried playing a higher level in America and me being my size, I’ve always been overlooked – you don’t throw hard enough, you’re not big enough … I’ve had to deal with that my whole career, but it’s motivated me to work even harder.
“There’s really nothing better than travelling, and for me to play baseball along the way is a blessing, and the fact that I get to share it with Cherice is huge for me.”
Van Hoon looks back on his baseball career in the United States with fondness. Born in California, he moved to Oregon aged six, and got the chance to travel on the west coast to play baseball, taking in the states of California, Oregon, Colorado and Washington along the way.
His highlight was winning a title as a semi-pro with the Seattle Studs. That’s what he wants to experience with Sunshine, and he believes a premiership is within reach.
“A couple of losses early on weren’t ideal for us, but baseball is a game of momentum, and I think we have the momentum going into the second half of the season,” Van Hoon said.
“Defence and pitching, we’re top of the league with that, so as long as our bats come around in the second half, I don’t think there would be anybody else that could beat us.”
Van Hoon has settled into Australia with the help of host family, the Murphy’s from Caroline Springs, who have made him and Cherice feel a part of the family.
Van Hoon is already used to driving on the left side of the road and has adopted the Western Bulldogs as his footy team, naturally.
“It’s been awesome here,” he said.
