There isn't a pretzel or a hot dog in sight, but for a group of Tauranga baseball fanatics, it doesn't mean the next home-grown sporting star can't swing a bat and pitch a ball on the highest stage.

Think Dan Carter kicking it in rugby, Rhett Ellison in American football or Winston Reid plying his trade in the English Premier League. Now why not baseball?

Tauranga City Baseball Club founders Shane Woolley and Richard Gilligan hope to have a little league competition playing in Tauranga by this spring. Photo: Cameron Avery.

Widely renowned as America's pastime, it's one of the last major team games New Zealand's vast sporting prowess can tap into, according to Baseball New Zealand.

So with this vision in mind, the Tauranga City Baseball Club has been formed – bringing the widely popular sport to the Bay of Plenty for the very first time.

Tauranga City Baseball Club founder Richard Gilligan says the driving force behind the club has been to offer their children a wider range of sporting opportunities – and a possible career path.

Not to be confused with softball, baseball sees the ball pitched overarm, with Major League Baseball players earning in excess $3 million per season.

Kiwis are already beginning to be snapped up on the US scene with the likes of Daniel Bradley, Ben Thompson and Cooper Hutchinson all in the semi-professional leagues or on baseball scholarships.

'They all got started in baseball clubs in New Zealand,” says Richard.

'We want to develop players in Tauranga and give our kids a chance to pursue their baseball dreams and compete competitively in NZ and overseas. This is part of our club vision statement.”

So the not-for-profit, incorporated society – led by five passionate members – is on the hunt for registrations of interest from people whether they want to play, coach, umpire or manage teams.

Children as young as seven can register their interest ahead of an envisaged inaugural Under-13 and Under-11 competition starting this spring.

Richard says things have already been positive after working closely with Tauranga City Council, Sport Bay of Plenty and the sport's governing body.

And their efforts aren't going unnoticed by Baseball New Zealand.

'Richard and Shane, and their group, they are fast-moving and dynamic,” says Baseball New Zealand chief executive Ryan Flynn.

'They are one of the most go-get-them groups of individuals I've seen in my five years in the country.

'So I have a lot of faith that Tauranga baseball is going to be a great success.”

He admits NZ is a relative latecomer to the sport, offering considerable global potential, yet in the last five years player numbers have jumped from 600 to 6000 and three clubs have turned into 18 nationwide.

The statistics have Baseball NZ buoyed in becoming an international powerhouse here, despite feeding off less resources than rugby, cricket and the likes.

'We firmly believe NZ will be a top 10 country in the global order of baseball,” declares Ryan.

'This is a bold statement, but we have the athletes in the country that know how to swing a bat and bowl a ball.

'It takes time and these are the hard yards, where the likes of Richard and Shane need to have a vision and follow through.

'But I think everybody realises that the talent per capita in this country is world class.”

Formal registrations take place in July and August. For more information, contact Richard and Shane at: [email protected] or visit Tauranga City Baseball Club on Facebook.