Newport’s Liam Vicary-Lovegrove is one of several young players coach Grant Weir us looking to develop this season. 59311 Picture: SARAH MATRAY
BY MICHAEL ESPOSITO
NEWPORT coach Grant Weir is not expecting his side to jump straight back up into Division One.
But he does believe his side can become a Division One force within five years.
Being at the helm of such a young group, Weir is treating this season as a development year, but he’s still out there to win.
“It’s a development year, but these kids have got to learn to win as well,” he said.
If the first round of the Summer League is anything to go by, it will be a challenging year for the Rams, who went down 14-3 to Mulgrave on Sunday.
Most of Newport’s side will consist of players under 20, including Weir’s son Griffin who will be the starting pitcher, 16-year-old catcher Tyson Foreman and 20-year-old pitcher Stephen Pengelly.
The oldest player in the team is American import Billy Krause, 24. Krause played Division One baseball in college for four years and his father was scout with the Seattle Mariners.
Krause is a power hitter who was recruited to boost Newport’s offensive stocks. The Rams will not have an import pitcher, preferring to develop their local lads on the mound.
Newport has recruited from Werribee young player Cameron McNish, who will start in the seconds but is expected to make his way to the firsts.
The Rams, who were demoted to the second division after last season, will need its pitchers to keep walks to a minimum and fielders to be cleaner than last year, according to Weir.
“They’ve all got ability. The ultimate goal is to get back and be a good performer in Division One within five years.
“That might mean we get back into Division One in two or three years, but the goal would be to get back there in five years, when all these kids are 22-23 and be a good team in Division One, not just a team that comes back down again.
Weir said the team’s great strength is that most players are locals who have played together for years.
“All of them have grown up in the junior program, they’ve all played in various junior state teams or academy teams. They’ve all got some ability, but we’re going to make some silly mistakes along the way, as young kids do.”
