Young Caroline Springs softballer Nathan Duvall will be chasing strikes and home runs at the Pacific School Games in December.
The Brookside P-9 College student has been selected as part of the state’s 12 years and under boys’ softball team.
The 11-year-old reckons one thing he thought made him stand out from other potential players.
“I reckon it’s because of my fielding,” he said. “I can throw hard, I can play on all the bases and I can pitch. I need to work on my batting.”
This year was the second time he has tried out for the team.
He missed out last time around as he was unable to attend the squad’s first training session because of commitments with a state baseball team. Duvall said softball was his favourite of the two sports, having taken it up first.
“My brother plays footy and I found it boring,” he said. “My dad got me into cricket … it wasn’t the type of sport for me.
“Dad said, ‘How about softball?’ – because he used to play. That’s how I started – and dad’s playing again.”
Both father and son play for the Sherwood Knights in the Sunbury Softball Association.
Several Knights players are joining Nathan in the state school team.
He said he expected there to be a lot of hard work at, and in the lead up to, the Adelaide event.
“Hopefully it will be fun and hopefully we’ll win,” he said.
Nathan is also part of the Softball Victoria under-13 development program.
