Weightlifting twelve times a week. Two hundred-fifty bat swings. Hours of throwing every day, on top of working a fulltime job. This is the life of North Shore’s Brad Morris, who this week heads to Minnesota in the United States to prepare for junior college life beginning in January.

The hard-swinging outfielder has secured a walk-on place with the Riverland Community College program after just two years playing the game and will be based in Austin, about 160km south of Minneapolis.

“It’s been great to get this chance, and having already played in Austin over the summer, I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in at college,” said Morris, who has just returned to Austin to prepare for his arrival in January by playing and training with his new college team. “I’ve been really lucky to have great people around me to get this opportunity, given I’ve only been playing baseball for two years.”

In his short time in the game, the North Shore outfielder has proved his worth on the local front, being named MVP during April’s United Airlines Men’s National Championship, helping his side to a win in the championship game over favourite’s perennial powerhouse Howick-Pakuranga.

Morris then headed to Minnesota to play for the Blue Sox and performed well, batting .333 in 30 plate appearances spread over nine games. He will be back in Austin to play fall (autumn) ball with his new college team in inter roster games and trainings prior to beginning school in January.

As with many who have and are heading to the United States for college, the 20-year old is having to fund the bulk of his education and living costs himself, and while he’s been home he has been working as a CNC Operator/Programmer for Brendon Engineering, who he’s hoping will take him back when he returns to New Zealand in October.

“I don’t start classes till January in a bid to save some more money, so when I return in November, I’ll be working and playing for North Shore until I leave early in the New Year,” said Morris, “School starts on 8^th January, so it’s full on saving money as there’s no scholarship money available.”

“It’s a really big ask for a lot of these young men heading to school in the U.S., but if they want to succeed in the game, it’s the best place for them,” according to Baseball New Zealand CEO Ryan Flynn, who said, “We're continuing to explore ways in which we can better assist young men like Brad who I personally admire as much as any ballplayer in our system right,” said Flynn, adding, “What Brad has accomplished in just a couple of years in the sport is one of our sport’s great stories, and it’s still developing along with his talent.”

Baseball New Zealand’s new charitable trust will play a pivotal role in the future in raising money to assist young men like Morris as they head to college in the United States, Flynn said. “We’re building a culture of solid baseball and young people who wish to do more with sport and academics than ever before, and this first major wave of young players will lay the foundation for future generations,” he added. “We cannot allow them to be turned back at the border simply due to a lack of funds. We need to do whatever it takes to allow them to see how great they truly can be, while they see the world and mature as young men, too.”