By tapping into the immense power of the American college system, Travis Bazzana has ignited a revolution among young Australians wanting to earn a Major League Baseball call-up.
The MLB season is now underway, with 23 Australians having signed contracts with clubs, including No.1 draft pick Bazzana.
But there are a record 24 Australians playing in division one of the United States' college system.
On the 38-strong list of Australians to have played at least one MLB game, the vast majority have been plucked by clubs' global networks of scouts.
Those who embrace the college route are eligible for the draft, a more secure and immediate ticket to the big time if they perform well.
Stanford's Jimmy Nati, a genuine chance of being selected in the MLB's draft this July, is among those banking on the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) path.
The Sydney-born infielder boasts an average of .279, with five homers and 20 runs across 22 games this season.
"I was just a boy playing in Sydney, and now I'm getting so close to possibly getting a spot in the MLB draft," Nati told AAP.
"When I was younger, a lot of guys would sign straight out of Australia when they're 16 and play professionally.
"Trusting the college route and getting exposure, maturing, learning without having to be thrown out into the professional world paves a new way for Australians."
If Nati were to be picked, he would join Bazzana, Mark Ettles (33rd round, 1989) and Josh Spence (ninth round, 2010) as the only Australians to have been drafted to the majors.
Brent Iredale is another Australian on the verge of making the MLB as he continues a breakout season with the University of Arkansas, guiding them to second place in the southeastern conference of the college system.
The Sydney native has racked up nine homers, 26 hits and 31 runs in 26 games.
"It's tough trying to become a professional coming out of high school, especially from Australia. We don't really get a lot of scouts," he told AAP.
"College is the best way to get in the draft. That's how you get your name on the board.
"The amount of games we play in a season is roughly two and a half years that we get back home."
Tampa Bay's Curtis Mead is one Australian who took the international free agent route, signing to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018.
The infielder made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Rays and is on their roster for the start of the season.
"I signed as an international free agent out of Baseball Australia when I was 17," he told AAP.
"There's a couple different ways to get into professional baseball, but at the time, it made sense for me.
"As a young Australian baseball player, you can definitely see with hard work, you can play in America at the highest level."
