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Ellwood student to play in Australian all-star baseball tournament. . VA'i,____lt;:y:- sktcv ZttiMukcxiftft a /, v ’ .■ . v*.v.v •• * *»//»V Wk 4 * • ». .• ^7*Wr 1* 4** * •^E: w ' . ■ •Wn-fftj *-’vvy / y ’M lt;v. '.v«lt;,'/,•,■,•.v/.-. . .v/,v.4. w.-• , * //s^vXftW.. VA*kv,Cvvv.//',.‘ y Tipms#$w;v.,eases.:W;v vBy MaryAlice MeliNew Castle NewsAn Ellwood City baseball player is about to go down-under to improve his chances, one day, to be picked up by a major league team.At 16, Brad Welsh is already a 10-year veteran of the game. “I’ve been playing all my life as long as I could play,” from about age six, he said.On June 29, Welsh will leave his white uniform with a blue pinstripe behind. He’ll pack a new gray with navy blue set, complete with a warm jacket since it’s chilly in Australia this time of year.The 6-foot-l, 165-pound outfielder will leave Pittsburgh for a pretraining camp at the University of California at Los Angeles until July 3. On the Fourth of July, he’ll fly to Australia where he’ll participate in the International Friendship Series Baseball Tournament in Adelaide through July 18. He’ll stay with an Australian family during the games.Why Australia?Welsh said he’s heard that’s where the toughest competition is. He’s looking for the best competition to become a better player, he said. Another incentive is the promise that major league scouts and Olympic team representatives will be there watching for talent.The program is sponsored byBrad WelshEast-West Baseball Ambassadors headquartered in Columbia, S,C., a non-profit organization in operation as long as Welsh has been playing ball.In Australia, his group will be hosted by the Australia Baseball Association, a national governing body for baseball there.Welsh’s dad, Jeff, first heard of East-West when Sonny Olayer,Brad’s Little League all-star coach, told them about the 1994 tryouts in Three Rivers Stadium last August. The call was for players ages 11 to 20.Welsh said he had to show what he could do at bat, in the outfield, throwing the ball and running the 60-yard dash.“It was only $30 to try out and, even if you didn’t make it, yougot to play on the field at Three Rivers,” he said. About 200 hopefuls tried out. Six weeks after the tryouts, he received his letter of acceptance.Not many are chosen and of those who are, Welsh said, the expense makes some drop out. Atabout $4,000 for travel, lodging, food, uniforms, training and the tournament, Welsh said he’s been selling a lot of candy bars. Some area organizations and merchants have helped sponsor him but, he said, his family is still working on raising the money.Welsh’s mom, Doreen, said Brad is well-intentioned but not focused on the financial aspect. “All he wants to do is play ball,”she said.The Ellwood City team is doing well so far this season. Under the coaching of Jeff Fotia and Vic Sharek, the Wolverines are in a five-way tie for first place in Section 9-AAA with three games left before the playoffs.Welsh said he’s always played on winning teams. “We weren’t always in first (place) but in second or third.” He plays summer ball sponsored by First National Bank and fall ball on Nick Frisk’s N.A. Law team.Up until now, Welsh split his playing time between the outfield and catching. But now, he said, “My catching future is over. I’m left-handed. No one in the majors catches left handed.... I’ll probably play outfield the rest of my life.”
Newspaper Details
New Castle News Weekend
New Castle, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, May 07, 1994
Page 20
Full Page
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USA 07 May 2021
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