Sharks Little League team to compete in NSW

The Coastal Bay Sharks Little League Baseball Charter Team will be the first Little League side from the Peel region to compete in the Australian Little League Championships when they take to the pitch this week.

The Sharks qualified for the Australian Championships earlier this year when they finished fourth in the WA State Championships at Easter.

The team flew to Lismore, NSW on Sunday and will play at the Albert Park Baseball Complex from June 8-13.

The Sharks team includes 11 and 12-year-old players from the Rockingham Rams Baseball Club and the Peel Diamond Sports Club.

Assistant coach Troy Flynn said he was looking forward to seeing how his team played against the top sides from around the country.

“We have been training three times a week since the team qualified and out hitting has improved dramatically,” he said.

“We have a very good defence and a fast team once we get out on to the bases so we are looking to be really competitive.”

Flynn said even though they were young, many of the Sharks’ players has outstanding skills.

“Some of our best pitchers can throw 60 miles per hour and faster,” he said.

“We are also looking at a 65 per cent strike rate in our batting.”

There are 10 Little League charter teams allowed for the Perth area and the top five teams qualify for the Australian Championships.

Twenty teams from across Australia will compete in the event this week with the winner gaining an automatic place in the Little League World Series, which will take place in Willamsport, Pennsylvania, USA in August 2016.