By Sean Talbot
It’s not often you find two baseballers from a local area with international tournament quality talents, however Ryder Wilson and Jack Ratcliffe are more than happy to buck the stereotypes after receiving news last week they will be representing Australia in the Under 18 National Junior Squad which will tour the United States in September and October of this year. For Ratcliffe, it represents his second opportunity to pull on the green and gold at this level after competing in the World Cup last year in Taiwan, however it will be the very first time Wilson will fly the flag for his country.
The squad, made up of 43 of the country’s best young players (including fellow Victorians Tane Graham, Robinson Smith, Addison Bishop-Worn, Ty Daniels, Ben Howard, Will Kent (a teammate of Ratcliffe and Wilson during winter season at Greenhills Montmorency) and Pittsburgh Pirates recent signee Jayden Kim) will take part in high intensity training sessions and games against other local representative squads and will be witnessed by professional scouts and college recruiters from multiple Division 1 schools from around the country in an opportunity that is sure to lead to more signings for the young group.
Wilson and Ratcliffe recently sat down with one of their summer and winter coaches (and weekly Star News contributor) Sean Talbot to discuss their thoughts on making the team, their preparations for the trip and what motivates them to strive to try and be the best.
ST: Boys first off congratulations to the pair of you on this amazing achievement. I’ve been fortunate to coach you both during summer season at Upwey Ferntree Gully and winter season at GMBC so I’ve had a front row seat to the hard work you’ve been putting in off field and the results it has garnered on field, but I know there are plenty of people both UFTG and GMBC that probably don’t know you quite as well as they’d like to, so we’ve set up a little Q & A to take a peek behind the curtain at what makes you both tick.
First things first, all great stories need an origin. What can you tell me about what got you originally into baseball, and what motivates you to keep training hard to achieve more?
JR: I was basically born straight into the baseball world as both my dad Simon and uncle Brendan both played for Upwey, Victoria and Australia, and I was always at the field watching dad’s games. From a young age, I always wanted to play baseball and that all started with playing t-ball from the age of 6. Shortly after I started, I joined the U10 baseball team and immediately fell in love with the sport. Since then, I’ve worked really hard and have been fortunate enough to see my hard work pay off as I’ve been selected in multiple representative teams at a Charter, State, National teams and have even played for a US touring team in January of this year. The reward of selection in last years’ U18 Australian World Cup team provided me with more knowledge and confidence to strive to develop to keep playing at an international level.
RW: My dad Mark is from England and played a lot of cricket, so I grew up watching a lot of cricket and really enjoyed watching Glenn Maxwell play, especially given how well he hit the ball and how strong his throwing arm was in the field. My parents found a local baseball club for me to try as a way to keep my throwing arm in shape and continue to work on my hand-eye coordination during the winter as we are fortunate enough to have conditions suitable enough (just) to play year round in Melbourne. Since then, I’ve given away cricket and focused all my time and energy on baseball as I realized I had a really good chance to play at a high level.
ST: Which positions do you play, and how would you describe your style of play?
JR: I have predominantly been a shortstop since I started playing, however I play second base for Upwey and GMBC’s 1sts whilst also mixing in some pitching appearances. I have been described as a gamer, someone that plays hard and does all the little things (the one percenters as we refer to them) really well to always aim to be one step ahead of the game.
RW: I am more of a utility player, as I’ve seen game time in the middle infield (shortstop and second base), all three outfield positions and more game time as a pitcher, especially since I was selected as a pitcher only for the recent National Championships which we won. I’m ultra-competitive and love to win, and I will always go out there and do everything I can to be my absolute best and try and make that happen.
ST: Have you been to the USA to play before, or will this be a brand new experience for you?
JR: I have previously played in South Carolina representing Australia at the Senior League World Series, a tournament my dad was the head coach for and that Ryder, Ash (Geary-Smith, an Upwey teammate) and Ethan (Jenkins, another Upwey teammate) all played at after we won the Australian Senior League Championships.
RW: As Jack just mentioned, I was also in South Carolina playing in the Senior League World Series a few years ago. That was an incredible experience, and it was really great to see how Australian kids stacked up against everyone else around the world in our age group.
ST: When do you begin training as a whole squad, and how will practice be managed with players in the team being scattered across the country? Will this impact the way you prepare in any way?
JR: Practice will be coordinated through the High Performance Coach from each state who each will run the same program for all the involved players. We won’t actually play as a complete squad until we get to America. For me, I will continue to take batting practice and groundballs with dad and be working out in the gym to be ready.
RW: Until then, as well as all of the group stuff with we will do three times a week with Shannas (Victoria’s High Performance Coach Damian Shanahan) I will be in the gym working out multiple times a week to ensure we are in peak shape once it’s time to go away as we want to put our best foot forward for the coaches and scouts in attendance.
ST: You have both previously won multiple National Championships as well as receiving end of tournament awards to go along with those wins, how does the feeling of playing for Australia compare to the thrill of winning a National Title for Victoria?
JR: The feeling of playing for your country is a really unique and special feeling, knowing your dedication, discipline and hard work has paid off to get this opportunity. You will forever be able to say you played for Australia, nobody can take that away from you. It’s an amazing honor to be able to pull on the green and gold, something I will do with great pride.
RW: The thought of pulling on that green and gold jersey that says Australia on the front is absolutely electric, easily one of the best feelings on my career so far. Playing for my state is an awesome feeling I always loved being able to do, and winning a National Championship is a in a league all of its own, however I doubt anything will ever top being able to play for my country.
Upwey Ferntree Gully club coach Donavon as well as Greenhills Montmorency Baseball Club head coach and Upwey Ferntree Gully teammate Wade McConnon also reached out to Sean wanting to wish their two superstars the best of luck.
DH: I couldn’t be prouder of Ryder. A young man who has had to work so hard on not only his baseball but himself as a young man. His maturity, focus to detail and work ethic have provided him these recent opportunities in the game. This young man has talent and charisma to go with it, and an ever longing desire to be great that keep driving him.
I’m extremely proud of Jack for his exceptional year and all his accolades in recent years. Jack comes from great pedigree but is forging his own path now. Being able to help him on his journey these past few years has been an absolute pleasure. A brilliant ball player who knows the game and what needs to be done. His foundation will take him wherever he wants to go in the game.
WM: These young men have worked incredibly hard to earn the opportunity to pull on that green and gold jersey, and the opportunity in front of them is a testament to their unwavering commitment and passion to their craft.
I continue to be amazed at Jack’s progress. His game has gone from strength to strength over the past 3 years and he’s now solidifying himself as one of the best juniors in the country. It’s no surprise to me as I see how hard he works on a daily basis, and his work ethic alone will have him ready to go come October.
Ryder possesses a real X factor which is always entertaining to see in action. His competitive nature and will and want to be the best he can has allowed him to thrive in big moments, such as those which he made his own at the recent National Championships. I’m incredibly happy to see him to get this opportunity, and I know this means a lot for him and I’m sure this is the start of something bigger.
Not only is it a pleasure to coach these two young men, but I also get to play alongside them which is really special to me. They both provide me with a ton of energy when I take the field and I’m sure they will offer their teams mates the same, and I hope they love pulling on the same jersey as these two fine young men like I do.
ST: Ryder and Jack will continue to both play key roles for the Upwey Ferntree Gully Tigers as they march towards finals and a potential three-peat of the Division 1 championship before turning their attention to winter season, where they along with Wade and Sean will represent Greenhills Montmorency as they continue preparations leading up to their departure.
