Wangaratta Rangers teenage baseball ace Tanner Godenzi (16), has been selected to represent Victoria in the New Taipei City International U18 Baseball Invitational Tournament this December.

Tanner, who turned 16 in June, was selected as a pitcher/outfielder for the Victorian Under 18 Development Squad after four intense two-and-a-half-hour tryouts in Melbourne over the past month.

Despite being a bottom-age player for the under 18 squad, his selection places him among the top 40 under 18 baseball players in the state.

The team of 17 players will travel to Taiwan to compete from 12 to 22 December.

The tournament is a fantastic opportunity for the young athletes to develop their skills on a global stage, represent Victoria with pride, and experience a unique cultural and sporting environment while competing against teams from across Asia.

Tanner has been playing baseball since he was eight, led by his dad Owen, Wangaratta Rangers player and Club coach, and other friends to the sport when the family lived in Traralgon.

He has been pitching for about six years starting with the Wangaratta Rangers under 13s.

His strength according to Owen, is when he is on the mound pitching, having been clocked at throwing the ball 78mph (125.5kph) at the state try-outs.

Tanner had a great last season with the Rangers with both the bat and ball, pitching as well as playing short stop and outfield.

Pitching in B grade he recorded a 3.70era (Earned Run Average) and managed a .417 batting average in A grade, both exceptional feats.

He was named in the A grade North Eastern Baseball Association All-Star team as shortstop, and collected the league B grade best and fairest.

This summer season he is playing for Moorabbin Panthers in the under 19s competition and also men's 2nd division.

For Tanner, baseball remains his main sporting passion and his sole athletic pursuit.

"I mostly prefer pitching over batting but it depends who we’re playing against," he said.

"I’m focusing more on pitching at the moment, trying to throw harder.

"I don’t really have many baseball ‘heroes’ but someone I love to watch is definitely Bryan Woo (Seattle Mariners pitcher in MLB), he’s a great pitcher."

Tanner looks a little closer to home for his main mentor.

"My dad has the most influence on my development for sure," he said.

"He is always telling me how to be better and helping me improve little by little."

Like any rising sports star, Tanner has some big dreams for the future, particularly for athletes involved in popular American sports like baseball, basketball and, more recently, NFL.

"My short term goal is making the state team next year, and a long term goal would be to make it to college baseball [in the USA]," he said.

"For now, I am mostly looking forward to the experience I’ll get from playing in Taiwan and making some memories along the way."

Micheal Nakamura, head of baseball performance for Baseball Victoria said Tanner showed selectors what they were looking for during the trials.

"Being selected enables Tanner the opportunity to travel Taiwan and play in the New Taipei City International invitational Tournament among players from 24 teams from across Asia," he said.

"The level of the competition is very high.

"Prior to leaving he will be introduced to Baseball Victoria's high performance staff, which could be a springboard to future state, national and overseas possibilities.

"As an organisation we love seeing our young players flourish and get amazing opportunities.

"This is a testament to Tanner's hard work and positive attitude."

Training for the Victorian side will commence in the following weeks with training being held at the Altona Ballpark before flying to Taiwan mid December to compete.

Enjoy the ride Tanner, and continue to aim high, you never know where you may go.

The Wangaratta Baseball season runs from April through to August with training starting in late February.

The Rangers usually run come and try days for juniors in January. If you are interesting in knowing more about the sport and how to get involved visit www.wangarattarangers.com.