At Sydney’s suburban Turramurra High School, Industrial Arts Head Teacher, Will Delves, remembers former student Travis Bazzana as a sporting all-rounder “who built a culture of success” in the school and community sporting pursuits he was part of.
“He held the school high jump and long jump record and also played basketball; whatever he put his mind to, he’d excel,” Delves says.
“He had the ability to bring others up to his level. He brought out the best in his teammates. Everyone wanted to play with Travis.”
Keeping determined eyes on the prize
As of this week, Bazzana’s new teammates will be the players in the USA Major League Baseball (MBL) team the Cleveland Guardians, after the former high school cricketing champion was named the number one overall pick in the high-profile draft – the first time an Aussie has ever been taken in the draft’s first round, let alone as the number one selection.
Bazzana, 21, played at Oregon State University for the past three years, and hit .407 with 28 home runs and 66 RBI this past season as a junior. He also played for Australia at the 2019 U18 World Cup.
But before that, Delves remembers a determined athlete who captained the school cricket side to their first ever victory in the prestigious Alan Davidson Shield, while also playing third-grade district cricket in an adult club, where he became the youngest player to score a century. It’s a pathway – from bombing sixes onto the hill at Drummoyne Oval to attracting a rumoured slot value of US$10.6 million under the league’s bonus pools system – achieved with hard work and dedication that has clearly paid off, with Bazzana already being hailed by US baseball experts as a potential “franchise-altering player”.
Bazzana began playing baseball as a four-year-old and spent his junior playing years with the Ku-ring-gai Stealers team.
School has proud history of sporting success
Turramurra teacher Delves says this week’s achievement rivals the success of the school’s other famous sporting alumni, swimmers Shane Gould and Gail Neall, who both won Olympic Gold medals.
“He is unbelievably driven and always had a vision,” Delves says. “At 15 years old, he and his dad mapped out his career using elite Major League baseballers – and their career pathways – as benchmarks for his own career. They set out his entire baseball pathway to today.”
Turramurra High School principal David Arblaster says he is “thrilled” for Bazzana’s success.
“He’s a remarkable young man; he’s just so driven and positive but not without a sense of fun,” Arblaster says. “It’s no wonder he’s been able to turn that into this great achievement.
“I’m really proud of the opportunities that Travis was able to have at school. The way he made most of those opportunities at school and in the community was a big factor in his development.”
