Baseball WA Announces Pro-League to become part of State U18's selection process

Baseball WA, through its High Performance Department, has today announced an exciting initiative which will integrate the newly launched Pro-League into the existing process of talent ID, particularly in the process of selecting the annual State U18's National Youth Championship team.

From 2018-onwards, the Under 18 State Team coach and the BWA High Performance Manager will select an Under 18 State Team training squad out of, and based on, player performance within the Pro-League. With the Pro-League running from late-May through to late-July, the training squad under the tutelage of state team staff, will continue to work as a group after the Pro-League has concluded, to provide players with the best possible preparation leading up to the final team selection, and ultimately the Under 18 National Youth Championship tournament itself.

"This is an exciting time for the sport and to further enhance our talent ID pathway by integrating the Pro-League into the process of State Team selection is an obvious next step", said Baseball WA CEO Lachy Dale. "We see the Pro-League as becoming our primary talent Id program for 16 to 18 year old players, providing up to 100 players each season with the highest quality coaching and personal development both in terms of physical fitness and skills development".

Whilst the existing process of tryouts towards the start of the new season will, for the present, be maintained for those players who chose not the participate in the Pro-League, the emphasis on becoming a part of the Pro-League is all too clear.

"The benefits of entering a state team selection process having just participated in a high intensity development program like the Pro-League, that not only turbo-charges player development but highlights performance levels of the peer group, make this a very attractive career pathway", Mr Dale concluded.

The Pro-League coaches will be conducting a tryout session for all nominees in late-January with nominations being taken up until the draft process which will begin in early April.