The Tamworth baseballer will take to the diamond for the NSW Country Blue Sox at the National 18s Championships.

It will be his fourth time at the nationals, but first in the 18s after playing for the 16s last year.

“We won, brought home gold,” Ridgewell recounted.

He’s one of about six or seven players from that side jumping up to the 18s and hoping to replicate what they did last year.

“It was the first time (winning) for me, but second time for Country in that age group,” he said.

The championships begin on January 7 and run through to the 19th.

“We should go all right,” Ridgewell said.

“Our pitching is pretty good. I don’t know hitting- wise.”

They will be chasing a maiden title. 

Country hasn’t won at 18s level before.

Ridgewell is in the side as a pitcher and isn’t definite where he’ll fit into the roster.

“I’ve been doing a bit of starting and a bit of closing,” he said.

There will also be the added incentive of a national call-up.

From the championships, there’ll be an Australian team selected to play in New Zealand.

It will be a pretty quick turnaround. The tour departs only a few days after the championships finish up.

Ridgewell would love to be on that plane. It will be his only chance. 

They only do it every two years.

Locally he plays for Cougars.

But baseball doesn’t stop for Ridgewell when the local competition does.

Over summer he plays for the Central Coast Marlins in the Sydney competition.

“We’re going all right. We’re middle of the pack at the moment,” he said of their season so far.

He also likes his cricket and played for Steggles in the just-completed McDonald’s Tamworth Premier League.

It’s his first year playing in it, and close to a successful one.

They lost the final to Halpin’s Plumbing.

When he can, he also plays for South Tamworth.

So far this season he’s played three games – two in first grade and one in second grade.