Rongo Rapaea (left) in action for his Fast Pitch club side with Josh Tipoki in support. Photo / File
Hawke's Bay softballer Rongo Rapaea thought his brother and Fast Pitch teammate Puhi was kidding with him on Monday night.
"Puhi rung me to tell me I had been selected in the Black Sox extended training squad. I was working late and while I was surprised I had never counted myself out," Rapaea said.
That was despite the fact the left-handed centre outfielder had last tasted international duty 10 years ago as a member of the Junior Black Sox side which finished fourth at their Junior World Series in Canada.
"Since then it has always been a case of trying to work hard and seeing where it takes me. Now the Black Sox have a different coach who is looking for new blood and he happens to be Mark Sorenson who was my Junior Black Sox coach," Rapaea said.
An insulation worker for Smart Energy Solutions, Rapaea and Hawke's Bay's Wellington-based outfielder Campbell Makea are among 13 players selected in the extended squad which has been named in addition to a 26-man training squad which includes Hawke's Bay's Jovaan Hanley who plays alongside Makea in the Poneke Kilbirnie team.
Makea and Hanley played for Sorensen at this year's World Series in Saskatoon when the Black Sox won silver.
However, because he is committed to a masters degree this year Makea couldn't commit to the full Black Sox programme.
Rapaea put his hand up by winning the top batter award at the North Island Classic in Hastings earlier this month.
"There is a shortage of quality left-handed batters at the moment. I just have to keep doing my job ... nothing special.
"I've got one foot in the door as the countdown to the next World Series begins," Rapaea said, referring to the 2017 World Series in Canada.
Because of work commitments Rapaea hasn't travelled to Wellington with the Vikings team which plays in the capital's intercity competition. However, he intends to do so in the new year and like Saints pitcher and Junior Black Sox training squad member Adam Woon, Rapaea will play for Eden Roskill at Auckland's Vic Guth tournament with the aim of enhancing his chances of international honours.
Rapaea is the first player to make a Black Sox extended squad without having to leave the Bay since his Fast Pitch teammates Curtis Huata and Aaron Kuru, who has since established himself as a handy hurdles jockey, did in 2010.
"I'm sure there will be more in the future as there is a new wave of quality players coming through," Rapaea added.
Sorenson said the selectors had named an extended squad "to keep an eye on their progress and to throw a lifeline to those guys by letting them know they are on the radar, and they are doing well".
The 26-man training squad will attend a training camp in Auckland from January 15-17.
It doesn't include veteran Black Sox stalwarts infielder Brad Rona, catcher Stephen Ratu and pitcher Heinie Shannon, but Sorenson stressed the door isn't closed on the trio and if they are the best in their positions in 2017 they will be selected.
-The 26-man Black Sox training squad is:
Pitchers: Kurt Schollum (Marlborough), Nik Hayes (Hutt Valley), Penese Iosefo (Canterbury), Bailey Pearson-Hoani (Auckland), Ethan Johnston (Canterbury), Eruera Drage (Auckland). Catchers: Connor Peden (Auckland), Cory Timu (Hutt Valley), Zane van Lieshout, Matt Oxley, Kallan Compain (Auckland). Infielders: Jerome Raemaki (Wellington), Tyson Byrne, Joel Evans (Hutt Valley), Josh Harbrow (Canterbury), Nathan Nukunuku, Cole Evans, Isaac Fletcher (Auckland). Outfielders - designated players: Ben Enoka, Thomas Enoka, Campbell Enoka, Alfons Oveinikovas (Auckland), Josh Thomson (Canterbury), Hohepa Monk (North Harbour), Jovaan Hanley, Wayne Laulu (Wellington).
-Extended squad
Pitchers: Blake Radford (North Harbour), Josh Pettett (Wellington), Campbell Gibson (Auckland). Catchers: Ihaka Davis, Antony Stuart (Canterbury). Infielders: Pita Rona (North Harbour), Rhys Evans (Auckland), Dante Matakatea (Wellington). Outfielders - designated players: Vincent Harris (North Harbour), Jerome Haretuku (Auckland), Campbell Makea (Wellington), Rongo Rapaea (Hawke's Bay), Frank Pointon (Canterbury).