Cain McClelland hunts dream to play pro league in America

Third generation baseball catcher Cain McClelland wants the golden contract to play in the big time. Read what he is doing to get there.

Cain McClelland practicing at Albert Park Baseball fields Lismore.

Cain McClelland, from Lismore, has baseball in his blood.

The 18-year-old has been signed to the U19s National Australian baseball team after a successful showcase earlier in the year.

His grandfather, Bob McClelland, and dad, Scott McClelland, also played for Australia in the U17 and U19 teams.

All three generations have watched and controlled the game from behind home plate as catcher.

The youngest is now facing some exciting prospects.

“I got a phone call from Andrew Riddell, the national player development manager after our U18s showcase in Queensland and he said I better pack my bag for Brisbane,” Cain said.

“He gave me a phone call for Brisbane and then he gave me another one not long after telling me I was going to Adelaide with the big boys’ Australian Futures team.

“It was pretty exciting.”

Cain McClelland in action during the Australian Futures Showcase Series this year. Brisbane Hub played between the Brisbane Bandits, and Team Australia U19 at Viticon Stadium in Windsor, Brisbane. Picture: SMPIMAGES / Baseball Australia.

The prodigy said he didn’t get nervous; he just “showed up and played”.

“Sometimes I put pressure on myself, especially catching, I put pressure on myself to make sure I don’t let anyone anywhere, let anyone advance, to keep the ball in front of me, help the pitcher out, throw every guy out I can,” he said.

“I try to make myself better than I can be, I put pressure on myself that way.”

Amie Weekes from the Far North Coast Baseball Association said Mr McClelland has always been a leader within his club and any team he is in.

“He has been speaking the language of baseball since he was in nappies as a toddler running around Albert Park,” she said.

Melissa Parkes-McClelland, Cain’s mum, said her son would trip over a blade of grass as a young boy.

“We weren’t sure what would become of him,” she said.

Bob McClelland said his grandson was now carrying on baseball as a family affair.

“I used to roll a ball across the carpet to him but he couldn’t pick it up,” he said.

“We were wondering where Cain was going to fit.

“But a few years on and – bang! He just got it.”

At age four, Cain started playing with Lismore Workers alongside his older brother Seth, his Uncle Micka, his dad and grandfather.

His mum and grandmother have scored and gathered his batting and fielding stats for years.

“Ever since I got out of T-ball I started catching,” Cain said.

“I pretty much followed in dad’s footsteps and had to be the guy with all the gear too.

“The guy with the biggest bag and all the gear.”

As a junior Cain has taken home most valued player, the Baxter, and the McGrath medals like older brother.

At 16, he earned Far North Coast Rookie of the Year and last season was honoured with the most valued player Moulder Medal.

It is not the first time the young man has donned the green and gold.

He toured Taiwan with the U12s Australian team in 2015.

The Lismore catcher was also part of the Queensland U16s team that won the Australian Youth Championships beating favourites NSW Metro in 2020 before Covid.

When he’s not on the baseball field, he spends his time completing schoolwork in his last year at Woodlawn College.

One baseball season not being enough; Cain plays in the Greater Brisbane League for Pine River Rapids in the Queensland summer season before returning to Lismore to catch for home team Lismore Workers Club in the winter season in NSW.

“I play baseball all year round pretty well,” he said.

Playing with the Brisbane clubs motivates the homegrown talent to grow his game.

“It’s good to play with all those guys because a lot of them have been in the Australian side before or played with the Brisbane Bandits,” he said.

“There’s a lot of veterans around with a lot of knowledge.”

Cain is eyeing the American baseball league as a career goal.

“I’d like to sign a professional contract with a big-league club in the States towards the end of this year or early next year,” he said.

“It’s an opportunity, it’d be straight into their camps over there and work my way up their levels.

“There are five or six before you get to the big leagues.”

With the Queensland season coming to an end the next steps for the young catcher are to train hard and play well in his age competitions, state representations in Canberra during April and the world cup in September.