Godenzi earns Big V call up

Wangaratta Rangers pitcher Tanner Godenzi has earned one of the biggest opportunities of his young baseball career after being selected in the Victorian Under 18 team for the 2027 Australian Youth Championships. The 17-year-old right-handed pitcher has been named as one of just 20 players selected to represent Victoria at the national tournament, which will be held in Melbourne from 8–14 January 2027. For Tanner and the Wangaratta Rangers, the selection is a significant achievement, made even more impressive by the commitment required to compete for a place in the squad. Tanner is one of only two players selected from outside the Melbourne and Geelong areas, meaning his pathway to selection has involved plenty of kilometres on the road. The trip from Wangaratta to Altona for Victorian trials is about a six-hour round trip, with Tanner and his family making the journey in the hope that the opportunity would pay off. It certainly has. “I’m really excited to be selected and to have the opportunity to represent Victoria,” Tanner said. Tanner’s development received another significant boost earlier this year when he was selected to participate in Baseball Victoria’s Performance Pathways program, which ran from June through to August. The 12-week program required Tanner to travel to Altona every Wednesday night to train alongside some of the best young baseball talent in Victoria. The additional specialist coaching and high-level training have played an important role in Tanner’s development as a pitcher, helping him add valuable velocity to his fastball. That fastball now sits at around 83mph (approximately 134km/h) a significant weapon for a young pitcher competing at under 18 level. While Tanner jokingly considers himself a “PO” (pitcher only), anyone who has watched him play for the Rangers knows there is more to his game than standing on the mound. When required, he has shown he can patrol the outfield and swing the bat with plenty of conviction. Tanner began his baseball journey with the Wangaratta Rangers in 2018 as an under 13 player. Over the past eight years, he has progressively developed his pitching, turning it into the standout part of his game and now earning recognition at the highest junior level in the state. However, the work is far from finished. Tanner will return to Altona for additional Victorian squad training from November, with preparations continuing right through to the Australian Youth Championships in January. The 2027 championships will see the best under 18 baseball talent from around Australia converge on Melbourne, with games to be played across Essendon, Port Melbourne and Preston. The tournament also provides an important opportunity for young players to put themselves in front of baseball scouts and talent evaluators from Australia and overseas, with representatives from across the globe expected to attend as they search for the next generation of baseball talent. Victoria will enter the tournament with plenty of confidence after claiming the 2026 Australian Youth Championships Under 18 title. With the championships being played on home soil, the Victorian squad will be looking to go back-to-back in 2027. For Tanner, it represents an exciting next step in what has already been an impressive baseball journey. It is also a proud moment for the Wangaratta Rangers, who continue to see their players progress beyond the North Eastern Baseball Association and onto the state and national stage.

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