MATTHEW  BENNETT

MATTHEW Bennett longs for the day Australian baseball has a national league again.

Until then, Bennett, who plays with NSW Major League club Baulkham Hills, is happy to be part of the NSW Patriots in the Claxton Shield.

The historical competition has been expanded from a week-long tournament in a single city - as hosted by Blacktown Olympic Park for a few years - to a home-and-away format over seven weeks.

``I think it's a good idea because it's one step closer to a full regular season,'' Bennett said.

NSW play their first series at Blacktown this week, against Australia Provincial. The games are at 7.30pm on Friday and 3.30pm and 7.30pm on Saturday.

Their other home series is against Queensland on February 1-2, which may well decide the divisional winner to progress to the following week's finals series.

The left-handed Bennett starred as a starting pitcher in the Patriots' sweep of Provincial in the opening round.

At 26, he's among a generation of players who missed out on the Australian Baseball League after its demise at the start of this decade.

``I'd love to play in the ABL or whatever they call it when it comes back,'' Bennett said.

``As long as I can keep my name up there somewhere amongst everyone else until it happens, then that's what I'll try and do.''

Bennett grew up at Kings Langley and started playing baseball for the suburb's renowned junior club.

After a stint with Castle Hill, he joined Baulkham Hills in under-18s and has been there ever since.

He has represented Australia at under-19 level and in a World Cup qualifier in Guam.

Bennett went to high school at Patrician Brothers Blacktown and Seven Hills High before going to junior college in the US for two years.

He later had a season of independent league - outside the major and minor league structure - with Brockton Rox in Massachusetts, playing with Baulkham Hills clubmate and Olympian Craig Lewis.

© 2005-2006 Cumberland Newspaper Group