Scouts from some of the top baseball teams in the USA are in Lismore this week, hoping to find future stars of the sport at a national high school championship.
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The best under 18 baseball players from across Australia are in action at Albert Park this week for the School Sport Australia National Baseball Championships.
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School Sport Australia National Baseball advisor, Mr Chris Norrie said the championships offered players "a real pathway" to professional baseball, with scouts attending games, looking for talent.
"It's not unusual for players to end up with a professional contract. There's a high success rate of picked players from this competition," Norrie said.
A national team is selected each year, with players taken on tour in the USA every couple of years to play in places like Oregon and Arizona, the exposure opening doors for players to enter the lucrative college system in the USA.
Tony Harris, a scout for the Pittsburg Pirates was in Lismore to follow players they already had a history on, or to find new talent.
Harris said the championships offered the chance to see the top players from across the country in one place, from a variety of age groups. He said this was important, as they began following players from as young as 13.
Scouts were looking at players with specific skills to complement their teams - things such as how the player moves or their arm action, for example.
Harris said holding national titles at venues such as Albert Park helped "fly the flag" for baseball at a grassroots level, to show young players what was possible.
The fields at albert park have only recently been reopened after sustaining damage in the February 2022 flood. The school championship is the first national sporting event held at Albert park since the disaster.
Lismore City Council said: "Bennett Constructions has done an exceptional job in restoring the clubhouse, canteen, netting and four playing fields to international standards. The rebuild effort has put Albert Park back on the map, and we're excited to welcome players from all around the country to compete in the championship".
Norrie praised the work done to repair the complex, saying it was in "magnificent condition" after what the town had been through.
More than 350 people are in Lismore for the championships, including 160 players and 30 officials. The week-long event was estimated to generate $350,000 for the economy.
The competition finishes on Saturday, May 13.
