INTERVIEW WITH TAD GOLD ON PLAYING IN AUSTRALIA

BEVERLY, Mass. – Former Endicott baseball standout Tad Gold '14 (Vineyard Haven, Mass.) will take another positive step in his professional baseball career come October as the former All-American and D3Baseball.com Player of the Year is slated to play with the Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League (ABL).

"I couldn't be more proud of Tad for what he accomplished this past season in pro ball," said Endicott baseball head coach Bryan Haley. "To jump from low A (Aberdeen) to High A (Frederick) and to excel at the plate, on the bases and in the outfield was extremely impressive."

The ABL is Australia's premiere professional baseball league, and will enter its sixth season of action in October 2015. The ABL features a 45-game season and serves to elevate baseball's profile on the Australian sports landscape as well as fuel participation in the game.

ABL teams boast elite national players from across Australia along with personnel from Major League Baseball feeder clubs (Minor League Baseball), the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB, Japan), the Korean Baseball Organisation (KBO), and the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). The ABL pioneers the pathway of development for many emerging Australian baseball talents, as well as offers a highly competitive alternative offseason league for competitions hosted in the Northern Hemisphere.

"It's no surprise that Tad was one of four players chosen from the Orioles farm system to play in the ABL this winter," said Haley. "He is a special player and more importantly, a special person. Tad is an extremely charismatic leader with a consistently positive outlook. He is also a player willing to work at his craft day in and day out. The Endicott Baseball Family wishes Tad the best of luck in Australia this winter!" 

Gold will enter play in the ABL after a successful year in minor league baseball (Class A) with stints between both the Aberdeen IronBirds and the Frederick Keys. Between both clubs, Gold sported a .335 on-base percentage, 13 runs scored, 35 hits, five doubles, one home run, 16 walks, three stolen bases, a perfect fielding percentage on 85 total chances, and six outfield assists – three of which turned into double plays.

One of his grabs in the outfield was featured on SportsCenter's Top-10 Plays as the No. 3 play of the night: Tad Gold Diving Catch For Frederick Keys Makes #SCTop10.

In 2014, Gold was named the D3Baseball.com Player of the Year as well as the Player of the Year regionally for D3Baseball.com All-New England, ECAC New England, NEIBA All-New England and at the conference level as CCC Player of the Year. The three-time All-CCC honoree finished his career as Endicott's all-time leader in hits (222), runs (163), stolen bases (94), and triples (23), while hitting .355 in 178 collegiate games. 

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