South Morang baseball star wows American scouts
South Morang baseball star Jarrod Belbin is on the fast track to the minor league after wowing American scouts and earning a US college scholarship.
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FINISHING year 12 exams with a fast-track ticket to the minor league is a dream for many.
For 18-year-old Jarrod Belbin it is a reality.
The South Morang baseball star is set to play college baseball after he wowed 300 of America’s top baseball scouts during the Arizona Fall Classic last month.
Jarrod said the competition was an invitation only event in which rising baseball players from around the world were invited to play in front of top college and professional scouts.
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Despite feeling “pretty nervous” he caught the eye of two college scouts and had accepted a scholarship to play and study at Arizona Western College.
“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to play in front of the scouts,” Belbin said.
Under the scholarship he would play for the college against some of America’s top college baseball teams and be considered for the minor league.
He would also have two years tuition fully paid to study either business or sport management.
While being offered two college scholarships was great, it was an easy choice to study in Arizona over an offer to study at the University of Northern Iowa because he feared the Iowa diamond would be under snow for much of the year.
Belbin will move to Arizona early next year, but had no plans to cut ties with his local clubs.
“I play for Greensborough in the winter and Preston in the summer.
“Leaving is exciting, but it’s also pretty upsetting.
“Obviously I’ll come over and visit.
“Maybe in the off season I’ll come back to Preston.”
Jarrod was one of 12 Australian players to play in the Fall Classic.
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