Sport
26 October, 2026
Grose steps up to the plate in NZ
TOLGA’s Myles Grose is riding high after getting the opportunity to represent his state for baseball in New Zealand over the school holidays.
Grose was selected in the Under 16 Baseball Queensland Tour which travelled to New Zealand to compete recently, with the local being just one of two students selected from the Cairns region.
Grose travelled with 30 other players and coaches across two teams and played a number of games in Auckland.
Whilst he didn’t progress into the Australian Youth Championships Team, Grose said it was a wonderful experience to make new friends, play some fast and furious baseball, and experience another culture.
“It was a huge honour for me, especially in my baseball career, to be playing overseas and representing my state. It was a great chance to experience overseas baseball,” the 14-year-old said.
“I was very excited to have been selected and although I had faith that my baseball capabilities would be enough to represent at such a level, it was still a huge excitement for me and my whole family.”
He said his favourite experiences were seeing the competitiveness of the New Zealand teams, making new friends who share the same love of the sport, and experiencing the Maori culture.
Grose has been playing baseball since 2024 after trialling for the Peninsula school boys team. “Ever since then, baseball is all that’s on my mind,” he said.
He’s just wrapped up his third season playing in Cairns and officially “fell in love with the sport” during his time playing last year.
“I love every aspect of playing the game, whether it’s hitting, pitching, catching, or fielding,” Grose said.
“No matter what position I’m playing, I’ve always got a smile on my face because baseball gives me a thrill no other thing can. But I especially love just hitting the ball.”
Earlier this year, Grose was also the youngest player to be selected in the 15-19 years Peninsula team and is set to play in the State Baseball Championships in Ipswich later this week.
