![ALWAYS A WARRIOR: Jake Forsythe is enjoying his time helping coach the Warriors A grade side this season. Photo: Ben Jaffrey ALWAYS A WARRIOR: Jake Forsythe is enjoying his time helping coach the Warriors A grade side this season. Photo: Ben Jaffrey](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/JJAXMCtTuAnFPeUKCfF8jc/c94bdd86-97b6-4cce-96f6-0a86e096436b.jpg/r0_100_4088_2725_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Jake Forsythe has spent much of his adult life away from Tamworth but whenever he comes home, he finds himself back with Warriors Baseball Club.
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Forsythe grew up around the club and can't see himself playing for any other team in town.
"When I first came back from the states, the core group of senior players were still there, so it was like coming back to the same family again," Forsythe said.
"Those guys have started to move on now but I'm just a Warrior through and through.
As an 18-year-old in 2006, Forsythe moved to the US where he played college baseball in Oklahoma.
His freshman and sophomore years were spent at Redlands Community College and then his junior and senior years at Cameron University.
The dream was to sign a professional contract but when that didn't eventuate, he returned to Australia, and the Warriors, in 2011 before heading to the University of Newcastle in 2014.
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Forsythe graduated with his physiotherapy degree and moved back to Tamworth in 2018 to work at the hospital before he landed a job with Pro-Active Physiotherapy.
The hitter - who plays shortstop and also pitches - was back playing with the Warriors in 2020 and this season he has stepped up to help Ryan Handsaker with coaching the side.
"We've both been involved for a long time and grew up playing together," Forsythe said.
"We had a few senior players move on recently so Ryan put his hand up and, me having a big of experience, I thought I could be helpful so I put my hand up to take on a leadership role and a bit of coaching."
Warriors played the double header last weekend and had a 1-1 draw with Cougars before a 9-8 win over Armidale.
They take on the ladder-leading Cougars again this weekend.
Forsythe said Cougars were the team to beat but with a full side Warriors were "fairly competitive" against all teams in A grade.
"We've got a good bunch of guys playing but work is a big thing with availability," Forsythe said.
"Some jobs require people to work weekends and work away and when those guys are unavailable, it changes the dynamic of the team but it's the same for all teams in the competition."
TAMWORTH BASEBALL DRAW
For Saturday, May 29
A GRADE
Cougars v Armidale
Cougars v Warriors
B GRADE
Warriors v Pandas Pink
Cougars Maroon v Pandas Black
Bye: Cougars White