Baseball: Vintage grad Colton Jezycki slated for Australia tourney
Colton Jezycki, a 2013 Vintage High School graduate, has been selected to compete in the 12-game Goodwill Series XVIII Dec. 19-31 in Adelaide and Perth, Australia against the state teams from South Australia, Western Australia and Singapore.
His team will be coached by Tampa Bay Rays scouts Josh Arhart and Chris Paterson. Two other U.S. teams, coached by New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds scouts, will also be part of the Goodwill Series’ 19th trip to Australia.
Jezycki earned the spot on the Goodwill Series team by competing in an SSK tournament Aug. 5-7 in Healdsburg.
“I heard about it online and (in June) through a guy who was offered a chance to play but wasn’t able to. I’d never met him before, but we were talking about baseball in class,” Jezycki said. “I contacted the coach. He said I got a good recommendation from a friend and that I should go out there and play some ball. I went out there and did my thing and it turned out well, and now I’m looking to further it.
“I’ve been training consistently, five days a week, weight training at the Sheriff’s Activities League gym as well as running at Alston Park, and doing light work Sundays with (rubber) bands, which help strengthen my tendons to help prevent Tommy John surgery (through resistance training).”
According to a release sent by the Goodwill Series, the games will test the players day after day.
“This journey to the land down under will help prepare players for a future career as a baseball player, either at the collegiate or professional levels, as they need to be in top physical and mental condition in order to compete every day,” it read. “The State Team Australian baseball players are the best in their country. Many are professional players and Olympic team players. Our Goodwill players will train with professional coaches, scouts and athletic trainers and stay with ‘Australian billets,’ or host families, so that they may truly understand the meaning of Australian hospitality and the “Goodwill” part of the series.”
Jezycki, 17, will be 18 by the time he leaves for the trip. He’ll probably feel even more grown up by the time he gets back.
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