‘It was unbelievable’: Aussie cricket prodigy’s sliding doors moment before MLB draft history

Six years ago, during a Green Shield cricket match in Sydney’s inner west, a skinny teenager from the northern beaches was bombing sixes onto the hill at Drummoyne Oval.

Representing Northern District in the state’s premier under-16 competition, the left-hander clobbered 34 (31) during the qualifying final against Sydney Cricket Club to help chase the 208-run target with a few balls to spare.

That budding cricketer was Travis Bazzana, who this week became the first Australian to be selected in the opening round of the Major League Baseball Draft.

On Monday morning, the Oregon State second baseman was snapped up by the Cleveland Guardians as the No. 1 overall pick with a potential signing bonus of up to AU$15.5 million, although the exact figure is yet to be confirmed.

But before embarking on a lucrative baseball career, Bazzana was a talented cricket prodigy compiling hundreds at school, club and representative level.

Cricket coach Josh Miller, who has mentored the Northern District Green Shield side for nearly a decade, still remembers Bazzana’s Drummoyne blitz.

“It was an unbelievable innings,” Miller told Fox Cricket this week.

“You don’t really see stuff like that in Green Shield cricket.”

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Miller, the Director of Cricket at Barker College and the Junior Pathway Manager at Northern District, coached Bazzana for two seasons between 2016 and 2018 before the sporting phenom committed to baseball.

“He was a very, very good batter and a very talented ball-striker,” Miller continued.

“Certainly not a slogger in any way, but he took the game on. He could score all around the ground.

“The thing that stood out with him was probably his athleticism. He obviously had a cannon throw, as guys that play baseball do, but just the way he moved in the field, you knew he was a special athlete.”

Bazzana, who also played basketball, rugby and football during his youth, led Turramurra High School towards its maiden Alan Davidson Shield title before playing third-grade cricket among adults at Roseville District CC, becoming the club’s youngest centurion.

He was selected for the Green Shield side in 2016, playing alongside future Sydney Thunder player Toby Gray and Australian under-19 representative Corey Miller.

But his true calling was baseball – before cricket matches, Bazzana would warm up by practising his baseball swings.

“He was a handy cricketer, it’s often discussed whether he could have been a cricketer or not,” Bazzana’s father Gary told CODE Sports.

“But he was always more passionate about baseball.”

Apart from his raw skill and unnatural athleticism, Bazzana’s competitiveness and professionalism were immediately apparent to Miller. He may not have been the most talented cricketer in the Northern District squad, but he worked harder than any of his teammates.

“Travis’ dedication was second to none. I’ve not seen a young sportsman as driven,” Miller said.

“The hard work, the drive, that was all very obvious to see.

“He excelled when the game was tough and when he had a really clear objective to be aiming for. That always holds you in pretty good stead as an athlete, if you have that competitive streak when you’re under pressure.”

Although juggling the two summer sports was taxing for the school student, with cricket and baseball consuming his entire weekend, Bazzana benefited from the skills he attained in both sports. Last year, he told MLB Pipeline that cricket’s emphasis on consistent contact helped develop his bat-to-ball skills.

Since moving to the United States in 2021, Bazzana has received praise for his plate discipline, knowing which pitches to swing at or leave alone. His hand-eye coordination and decision-making at the plate can, at least partly, be attributed to his time as a cricketer.

“The way he struck the ball and the swing of the bat was elite,” Miller explained.

“It was quite obvious how well his baseball side transferred across.”

In a sliding doors moment, Bazzana chose to prioritise baseball in 2018, making his debut for the Sydney Blue Sox later that year and representing Australia at the 2019 Under-18 World Cup.

Needless to say, it turned out to be the right call, but baseball’s gain was cricket’s loss.

“His performance coming into Green Shield screamed that he was going to be an outstanding cricketer,” Miller continued.

“Just because of his dedication and how much time and effort and discipline he had to what he was doing, I think he could have found a way to be a pretty good cricketer.

“He didn’t have the best year in Green Shield … my guess is baseball was the right option.

“Those guys, they tend to find a way to succeed in whatever they do, just through that willpower and discipline.”

However, speaking to The Book of Joe podcast earlier this year, Bazzana confessed he occasionally misses the feeling of leather on willow.

“A lot of my best friends were playing cricket and I was playing with them and enjoying it thoroughly, but I was always putting in the extra work for baseball,” Bazzana said.

“I’d be hitting baseballs before I went to go play my cricket game.

“I had a great time playing cricket and did miss the sport after I fully committed to baseball at sixteen.”