BASEBALL might not be part of this year's Olympic program, but Newcastle's Rixon Wingrove still has a Games double within his sights.
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The Adelaide and Philadelphia batter, who turns 24 in May, hopes to continue representing Australia and, if all the stars align, eventually make appearances in Los Angeles (2028) and home in Brisbane (2032).
"We [baseball] miss out in Paris because the infrastructure wasn't there but back to LA in 2028, which seems far away but now it's 2024 it really isn't that far away," Wingrove told the Newcastle Herald.
"Preparing for things that we [Aussie men's squad] want to do and where we want to put ourselves in position to play.
"That opportunity to be an Olympian will be special. Australia's had some success in that tournament before [silver medal, 2004] and that's our goal as a national team, to become one of the best tournament teams in the world."
Baseball returned to the Olympics in 2021 after a 13-year absence, but Australia didn't make Tokyo amid a COVID-impacted qualification process. The sport pauses for Paris in 2024.
Regarding the next Games cycle in the US in four years time, Wingrove says "that'll be when I'm in the prime of my career ... in baseball you're usually at your best around that [28] age".
Wingrove describes the prospect of an Olympics in Australia as "even more special. Brisbane in 2032, I don't know if anything could be any better".
"The opportunity to wear the green and gold has been the favourite part of my career," Wingrove said.
"It's something as a kid, no matter what the sport in the backyard, you pretend to be playing for Australia. So actually doing it feels surreal.
"I've been lucky enough to put up some good performances, it's something I look forward to and last year we were only one win away from being in the semi-finals of a World Baseball Classic."
Premier 12 (later in 2024) and World Baseball Classic (2026) are scheduled down the track, but Wingrove's more immediate assignment with Australia will be against Korean outfit Hanwha Eagles in Melbourne next month (February 17-18).
He'll be joined in the national side by fellow Novocastrian and resurgent pitcher Lachlan Wells, twin brother of former MLB player Alex.
They'll then travel onto America together for spring training at the Philadelphia Phillies and a campaign overseas.
"We'll have a month in Florida and hopefully both be heading to Double-A with Reading, Pennsylvania. You're only two levels down from the big league, so only an injury or phone call away," Wingrove said.
However, the current challenge on the agenda for the Hunter Academy products - a Claxton Shield.
Adelaide, having recently sealed the Australian Baseball League's minor premiership, are now vying for back-to-back titles after breaking a 43-year drought in 2023.
The Giants host fourth-ranked Melbourne Aces in a best-of-three series from Friday to Sunday, determining who progresses to next weekend's decider.
Perth Heat and Brisbane Bandits meet in the other semi.
Wingrove and Wells have been among the competition's best performers this season.