There will be a strong Sunshine element to next year’s Softball Australia national championships.
Five players from the Sunshine-based Kotuku Softball Club have been selected to represent Victoria.
Dallaz Holtz-Ewe, Nathan Holtz-Ewe and Caleb Carter will travel to Canberra with the under-12 boys’ team, while Tai Crean and Noah Afu will pull on the Big V for the under-17 boys’ side, which plays in Toowoomba.
Kotuku assistant coach Marlaina Hurinui said the selections were a big thrill for the club.
“Representing Victoria is a big step. It’s going to be a great experience for them,” she said.
“It’s the first time all of them have trialled for a Victorian team so they’re doing pretty good. Most of these kids have only been playing a couple of years; they’re all naturals.”
The outstanding individual achievements continue what has been a hot run for Kotuku, which has dominated the Sunshine Softball Association in recent times.
Each of the Sunshine players to make the grade for Victoria has played in teams that finished first or second on the ladder in the local competition.
Hurinui believes state selection will be just the start of promising softball careers for the Sunshine players.
“The Aussie teams don’t start until the ages of under 19, so they just have to wait a little bit,” she said.
