Sport
20 February, 2024
Win for softballer in U23 national titles
Burpengary resident and Caboolture Comets soft baller Jaiden Holly played in the Queensland team, which recently continued its winning streak in the U23 men’s championships.
It was the first time Jaiden took part in this U23 tournament, having played in the Queensland team, which won the U19 men’s championships in Brisbane, back in 2017.
“This year was a lot more involving for myself than the year I played 19s, as I was the oldest player in the team (this year), so I had more relying on me to play better,” he said.
Queensland’s U23s won the Laing Harrow Shield in Brisbane from 2017 to 2019, before the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 championships due to COVID, was followed by a hat-trick of titles on Victorian soil.
The 2022 tournament was played in Waverley, before the next two were played in Hume.
The team in maroon lost its opening match 6-2 against the host state, before winning seven games in a row: two against ACT and South Australia, and one against each of NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.
Queensland lost 16-14 to NSW on the Saturday, before edging out Western Australia 2-1 and then thumping NSW 9-1 in a semi-final later that same night.
NSW topped the ladder but missed the decider, with the second-placed Queensland pipping the third-placed Victoria 9-8.
Jaiden said he and his teammates had been concerned about NSW, who had a highly-ranked pitcher, before Victoria turned out to be Queensland’s toughest opponent.
Jaiden’s regular fielding position was short stop, before he played at third base in the grand final and made a vital contribution in the tight contest.
“I believe our success was key by our teamwork and all-round ability to play,” he said.
“I don’t believe that one part was stronger than the other. “We both batted amazing and fielded great.
“Without one or the other we wouldn’t have won.” Jaiden said the Maroons lost their first game “due to some little mistakes we made as a team”.
“But it didn’t affect us. We went out and beat them every other time we played them,” he said.
With this year being his final year of U23s, Jaiden said he hoped to go on and make the Queensland open’s team.
