Young hitter earns World Series berth

He’s only been playing baseball for one year and now talented 12-year-old Caleb Goodwin is heading to the United States to represent Australia in the Cal Ripken World Series.

Goodwin was a member of the Coastal Bay Sharks Charter team which travelled to NSW earlier this month to compete in the Australian Little League Championships.

It was during this competition that Goodwin was spotted and out of almost 300 players he was selected as one of 14 to represent the country.

“I was not expecting national selection so it has been pretty exciting,” Goodwin said.

“I am nervous to compete in the US but I love the sport and I am hoping to have a really good time over there.”

A confident all-rounder, Goodwin played T-ball from the age of four but only made the transition to baseball in the past 12 months.

Coastal Sharks assistant coach Troy Flynn said the team was excited to have one of their own selected for the Cal Ripken World Series.

“Caleb is an exciting player for us, he throws hard from outfield, he throws strikes when pitching and gets batters out on his velocity,” Flynn said.

“He is very tall and a strong kid for his age and when he hits the ball, it’s normally crushed to outfield or hit so hard that it beats the infield.

“We can’t wait to see Caleb in the green and gold representing Australia and we are looking forward to seeing him return with greater knowledge on what it takes to succeed in baseball.

“He will only benefit from this experience and we are very proud.”

To fund his trip to the US, the Goodwin family is hosting a social night at the Port Kennedy Indoor Beach Volleyball Centre on Friday July 8.

Teams can consist of 6 players with a fee of $60 in support. Children of all ages are encouraged at the non-competitive event with door prizes and raffles to be drawn throughout.

Contact Lisa on 0433 726 181 for more information and to confirm attendance.

Caleb can also be supported through his Go Fund Me page https://www.gofundme.com/2a78z9w.