KAI REID OFF TO CLARENDON COLLEGE

Glenelg Baseball Club’s Kai Reid has become the latest Australian to commit to college, and he credits his South Aussie community in part for helping him reach his baseball goals.

Reid, an outfielder and utility specialist, has announced that he will attend Clarendon College in August 2024.

It's the same school which fellow South Australian Liam Scott recently graduated from, and the same program Giants’ head coach Chris Adamson went through.

“The college process is a lengthy one. I had interest from various colleges including a Junior College in Michigan. But Clarendon was a clear choice with good gym facilities along with the quality of competition and housing on campus – all the criteria was checked,” he says.

“Coach Russell played an instrumental part in my decision to go to Clarendon with him always making himself available to answer questions.”

Reid, who is coming off a season playing Division 1 for Glenelg, says the South Australian Baseball community greatly helped him reach this point in his baseball career.

One person he checked in with was the aforementioned Liam Scott.

“Liam Scott has been a great help on providing a good perspective of what it’s like over there and as a player who has also played in the South Australian Baseball League,” he says. “He has given an idea of what to expect – just having him to bounce ideas off is great.”

He credits another local South Australian player for helping him pursue his dream – another college athlete in Max Stagg.

“I don’t think the next opportunities would have occurred if it wasn’t for Max Stagg,” says Reid. “He took me under his wing for the four months leading into his departure for college. That also coincided with the SA state school boy’s tournament so we would hit and work out at the gym together every opportunity we got. Max’s dedication, focus and determination has rubbed off on me.”

Reid has gained a reputation in the South Australian community as a high work-ethic individual.

One coach said he is “always looking for ways to work hard to improve.”

Reid also says the coaches at Glenelg were hugely influential in his development.

“I have been lucky enough to have a lot of great coaches who have all had their different strengths. Luke Thompson would have thrown me thousands of rounds of BP over the years. My current head coach Tony Muzzini and junior coach Andrew Gluyas helped shape me into the baseballer I am today. My first senior year was a challenging one but luckily Andrew Qualmann must have seen something in me and encouraged me to come back the following year and thank goodness I did.”

Reid played all his juniors at Glenelg and started his senior career at age 14.

It's a game he’ll never forget.

“My first seniors game was a memorable one – I was going for a catch in the outfield and collided head on with the centrefield. I got a concussion and spent the rest of the afternoon in the emergency room. Football was always my number 1 sport until I broke my leg in my U18 qualifying year. This was when I started to really focus on my baseball. I got an opportunity in the SABL season to play some Division 1 and really enjoyed it.”

Reid will head off to Texas in mid-August in advance of the 2024-25 academic year.

WRITTEN BY ERIC BALNAR