MURPHY Louisville Sorovakatini says playing alongside his brother and father in the national baseball team is both a blessing and a challenge.
The 21-year-old catcher, who will be making his third international appearance, shared how competitive things can get on the field.
“It’s very competitive,” he said after their final trials for the 2025 Pacific Mini Games at the National Hockey Turf in Suva yesterday.
“We’re all good in our own ways. Sometimes we compete, but that helps us get better.”
Murphy’s brother, Marnoah Sorovakatini and father, Tavo Sorovakatini, are part of the national baseball squad.
The trio has become a powerful presence in Fiji baseball, especially after Murphy and Marnoah made history as the first “sibling battery” at the 2022 Pacific Mini Games, with the latter pitching a shutout and Murphy catching.
Their father, Tavo, is a former national captain and is now vice president of the Fiji Baseball Association.
Murphy said growing up with a father who played baseball helped shape his path in the sport.
“My father started playing around 2003, the year I was born. That was his third international event. He trained us when we were back in Tailevu. He made us pitch, throw and bat. When we moved to Suva, I joined the national team in Year 9.”
He first represented Fiji in the under-15 team that played at the Oceania Pacific Games in New Zealand and again in 2022 at the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan.
Murphy hopes more people will get involved in the sport but for now, he’s focused on training with the team for the Mini Games, taking place in Palau from June 29 to July 9.
