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December 30th, 2002
The Ball Games

An Astros batter


Brewers Vs. West Australia Under 18 State Team
The Brewers lost 11 - 1 today in the Championship game against the West Australia Under 18 State Team. Matt Murphy, Casey McDermott, Austin Witt and Sebastian Miles pitched. Jake Hoffman hit a double, and J.J. Garcia got a triple. This is the Brewers last game of the Australia Tour, and they will depart Perth January 1st.

Mariners Vs. West Australia Under 14 State Team
The Mariners lost 8 - 3 today in the Championship game against the West Australia Under 14 State Team. Pitchers were Isamu McGregor and Brandon Gisi. Brandon was given an award for the highest batting average of the team, and Lucas Sanford was given an award for outstanding pitching. Brad Riddle hit two doubles.

Blue Jays
Information not available yet.


Interview with the Minor League Player Coaches

The Goodwill Series Baseball Teams on the Australia Tour have been pleased to have three minor league players as coaches. All three are teammates, playing for the Houston Astros.


Coach Humphries with a catcher displaying "Man of the Match" medal
Justin Humphries, coach of the Astros, began Little League as a ten-year-old. At age fifteen he was chosen for a select ball team, where he played until he began high school. He made the varsity team his sophomore year, where he played the next three years. He was drafted out of high school for the Houston Astros in the 2001 draft.

Justin's father is an Australian citizen who came to the States in the early 70's, giving Justin dual citizenship. He especially loves the people in Australia; they are friendly and let you have fun. He says his favorite thing about the Goodwill Series tour is "the fact that I'm coaching baseball in another country," and for the first time. He also enjoys the near-perfect summer weather.
He is currently playing for the Houston Astros.

John Fagan, a coach for the Mariners, got his first taste of baseball as a four-year-old in Little League, and has been playing ever since. He progressed through the Little League system until high school, where he made the varsity team his senior year. He attended a Goodwill Series tour twice, as a fourteen-year-old and a fifteen-year-old, going to Canada and Hawaii. He went on to play ball at California State in San Bernardino, Mission Junior College and San Jose State. His team at San Jose State participated in the College World Series in 2000. During two of his college summers he played summer ball with the North Woods League. He was drafted for the Houston Astros in the 2001 draft.

John likes the summer weather in Australia. He also loves the extraordinary friendliness of the local people. He says about the Mariners Team he coaches, "they're great kids" with "great talent."
John currently plays first base for the Houston Astros.


Coach Lorsbach (left) and Coach Fagan (right)
Mike Lorsbach, also a Mariners coach, began little league when he was eight years old. Being from Nebraska, the weather made fall ball difficult, but he says, "I played as much as I could, and enjoyed it." He played CABA league, similar to a Babe Ruth League, from age eleven to fourteen. He made his high school varsity team as a junior, and from high school went on to play college ball for Oklahoma State and Rice University. He went to the College World Series with both universities, once as a freshman and once as a senior. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 2002 draft.

In reference to the Goodwill Series Baseball Tour, Mike says, "The whole situation is outstanding." His favorite thing about being a coach on this tour is "seeing the unbelievable talent on this team." He loves the laid-back way of life in Australia. He says, "It's kind of refreshing, being from the States where everything is go, go, go."
Mike currently plays outfield for the Houston Astros.

"Updates from Australia" generously provided by Sarah Brown


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