Toti teen chases baseball dream
He will attend the IBF All African Qualifiers Series in Kenya in December.
TOTI’s Chase Wasserman is living his sporting dreams, as he was recently chosen for the U17 SA baseball squad to attend the IBF All African Qualifiers Series in Kenya from 13 to 22 December.
The Durban School for the Hearing Impaired pupil is part of an 18-man squad and the only player selected from Toti.
Depending on the team’s performance, they stand a chance to be chosen to represent SA at the World Cup in Japan in 2015. According to his dad, Deon, Chase was chosen for the SA squad out of 32 players at a national training camp in Johannesburg in October.
“Chase is excited, he has worked hard and it has been his dream to get his SA colours and make the national team,” said Deon.
The teenager started playing baseball at the age of five at Cardinals, where Deon was a junior baseball coach. He is currently a member of Rockets Baseball Club based in Durban North. He showed potential early on and at the age of nine was selected for the U10 KZN Seals squad. He has since made the provincial team every year.
The teen plays the position of pitcher/outfielder and has experience playing internationally. In 2011, he represented SA in Poland at the European Middle East African junior tournament. The SA team placed fourth out of eight countries.
The grade 11 pupil is training five days a week. On Thursdays, he trains in Durban North and the rest of the week at Queensmead under coach, Darryn Smith, who has also been selected as the pitching coach for the squad.
“Chase’s dream as a junior player has been fulfilled. His next goal is to play baseball in the States.” As SA Baseball has only covered half of Chase’s expenses, Deon has to fund the balance. If anyone is able to assist, call him on 061-310-3645.
