Jamie Bastian: Australia debut at WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2024 a great learning experience

World No. 39 Australia made an impressive debut at the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2024 on the opening day on Monday. After putting up a tough fight against world No. 7 Mexico in the third game of the tournament in the morning, going down (4-0, 6-1), Oceania's only representative in the tournament then learnt plenty of lessons against world No. 5 Japan, in a (10-0, 13-0) defeat in the afternoon.

But third baseman Jamie Bastian, representing Australia for the first time, was excited about the journey her team is on and their fight to prove themselves on the international stage.

"The weather here is really hot, but the tournament itself is really cool, and we're so excited as a team to be here," the 22-year-old said. Despite the heat, Bastian and her teammates are embracing the experience, driven by their passion for the game.

The opening day was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions for the Australian squad. In their first game against Mexico, the team fought hard but would ultimately suffer a tough loss in extra innings. “We came out really hard we weren’t expecting to do as well in the first set, and then we went into extra innings but eventually lost,” Bastian recounted. However, the team remained proud of their performance, especially given the level of competition.

Their second match against Japan, the silver medalists from the 2022 World Cup, presented another set of challenges. After a long game against Mexico, the Australians found themselves worn down and a bit fatigued going into the competition. “It was a bit tougher, we were all a bit drained from a long game,” Bastian said. "We're still keeping hopes high. We've still got more games to come and a few more days."

In addition to fatigue from the first game, Bastian also noted Japan’s ability to control the game.“We got sucked into their tempo, their mindset... we just needed to stay in our own game instead of getting caught up in it.”

Despite the hardships Australia had faced on Day 1, Bastian was clear about the team’s mission for the tournament: "Put up a fight, that's our goal. At the start of every game, we say Australia, we fight, because no one's expecting us to be very good, so we're just fighting, putting up some competition that no one's expecting."

Bastian, a baseball player from Melbourne, also reflected on the journey and growth Baseball5 has had in Australia. “In Australia, it's slowly growing. It's a very small sport at the moment but with our coach Adrian [Medina Scull], he's helping it grow interstate and internationally,” Bastian shared. The Australian team, made up primarily of baseball players, is adapting to the nuances of Baseball5. “We know the fundies - the fundamentals. It's just a bit of a change."

Medina Scull led Australia to the WBSC Youth Baseball5 World Cup last year in Türkiye where Australia collected a win against Zambia. Amelia Wright also played in Türkiye.

For Bastian and her team, the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2024 is not only a chance to compete but also to learn, adapt, and contribute to the growth of the sport for those around the world.