Nick Shailes and Jack Besgrove reflect on Australia’s softball World Cup victory

While many in Australia had their eyes glued on the Socceroos, another national team brought home the World Cup. We caught up with the veteran and rookie who helped the Australian Steelers make it happen.

Nick Shailes admits that it didn’t feel perfect off the bat.

It was the top of the sixth. Australia was leading Canada 3-1 in the softball World Cup final.

A pitch came in from Canada’s Justin Schofield. Shailes’ eyes lit up. He swung the bat. CRACK.

The ball sailed up and over the infield, straight back over the pitcher’s head.

As Shailes made his way around the bases a Canadian fielder positioned himself close to the fence, craning for every last inch.

He stretched back, lent against the fence and jumped. But it was all to no avail. The ball sailed over his head and into the crowd for a home run, much to the delight of the Australian players and fans.

“There were definitely some nervous moments,” says Shailes. “I didn’t get it fully, but just enough for it to get over the fence. I think a little bit of wind might have helped me too,” he laughs.

“I’m pretty stoked with that. It was definitely good to have that extra insurance run.”

Shailes’ home run more or less sealed victory for the Steelers in the final against Canada. Photo: supplied.

That extra insurance run took Australia out to a 4-1 lead, and more or less assured them of world cup victory.

“There’s nothing quite better than winning a World Cup, but to be able to help in the game like that was definitely a big buzz and to see all of the boys’ reactions as we got back in was great,” says Shailes. “We all sort of knew how big that was as a moment, and that all but sealed it. It was a really great feeling.”

On a day in which many Australians watched the Socceroos exit the FIFA World Cup in gallant performance against Argentina, a few hours later the Steelers, the country’s men’s softball team, raised the trophy aloft after beating Canada 5-2 in the final of the softball World Cup at the Whakaata Māori Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand.

It was a second taste of glory for the 37-year-old Shailes, who was part of the squad that won the 2009 World Cup in Canada, Australia’s first world title.

“It never really sinks in. It’s an amazing feeling, that’s for sure,” he says.

In fact, the victory has put Shailes in rare territory as far as Australian softball goes. He was one of just two players in the squad – alongside Adam Folkard – who were there for the inaugural win 13 years ago.

“Winning that first one was an absolute buzz for us, being the rookies on the team. And now this time being the stalwarts and the veterans, it was definitely a different feeling,” he says.

“In the first one (in 2009) we had the feeling throughout the game of, ‘We’ve got this, we’ve got this.’ But then in this one it was like, ‘Alright, we’ve got to keep working.’ So it definitely changes as you get older.”

The Steelers celebrate after winning the 2022 World Cup final against Canada. Photo: supplied.

Although his home run was a match-defining moment, Shailes’ contribution to the World Cup victory went far beyond one good hit in the final.

The boy from Lismore finished the World Cup with the best batting average for the Australian side and was selected in the tournament’s All World team.

Alongside tournament MVP Marshall Kronk, Shailes was one of Australia’s key players.

But if the veteran had a big hand in the win, so too did one of the rookies at the other end of the scale.

With the ball in his hand throughout the final was 18-year-old pitcher Jack Besgrove.

Young enough to be Shailes’ son, the left-hander pitched 10 strikeouts and conceded just four hits in an incredible pitching performance that restricted Canada to just two runs in the final.

“The young fella Jack was unbelievable, unreal. He grabbed the ball and threw the hell out of it all week for us,” says Shailes.

“It was a no-brainer in the final. We said: ‘Alright, here you go, young fella. Get at them, throw it as hard as you can and let’s see where you take us.’ He stepped up really well. Just the composure he showed as such a young age really speaks volumes for where this kid’s headed.”

The starring role in the World Cup final marked a whirlwind last couple of months for Besgrove, who only recently completed his HSC in his hometown of Orange in NSW’s Central West, and only made his debut for the men’s national team in a pre-World Cup warm-up tournament.

“If you’d have told me, I’d have said that you were joking,” says Besgrove. “Being 18 and pitching for the top team in Australia in the World Cup final, I would have said that you’re lying. It’s still a bit surreal but really exciting.”

Besgrove put in an incredible pitching performance for the Steelers in the final. Photo: supplied.

While his statistics in the final were impressive, Besgrove was focused more on the big picture.

“It doesn’t matter how many strikeouts you have or what the score was, but to be the pitcher when Australia won is the best stat you can have,” he said.

“It’s great. Not many people get to experience winning a World Cup and I’m just lucky to have been able to do it at the age of 18. It’s all pretty exciting and still sinking in a bit.”

While the team is still basking in their World Cup glory, attention is slowly turning towards what comes next.

For Besgrove, who still lives in Orange and makes the three-and-a-half-hour drive to Sydney anywhere from two to four times a week for training and games with the Mounties Softball Club, his focus turns to the Australian National Championships at the end of January and the under-23 World Cup later in the year.

“We (NSW) won it last year but we’ve never gone back to back. And then for the under-23 World Cup, hopefully we can get another gold medal for Australia.”

Meanwhile for the veteran Shailes, he will return to Canada where he plays for the Hill United Chiefs in the International Softball Congress. Given his recent form, the 37-year-old appears to have plenty of good years left in him.

And as for the national team, could we see Shailes come back again for a crack at becoming a three-time world champion?

“It’s still undecided for now,” he says. “The World Cup is another three years away. Being 40 when the next one rolls around will definitely be a lot tougher, but I haven’t made any decisions yet.”