A rising Horwich baseball star is set for a whirlwind few weeks. 

Travis Harfield, who spends the majority of his time playing in London, is set to get a taste of the big leagues when America’s Major League Baseball comes to town before then jetting off to play in two major tournaments in Europe. 

This weekend the former St Catherine’s Church of England Primary School pupil will take part in the MLB Cup at the London Stadium, the former Olympic arena that is now the home to West Ham United. 

Seven days later, when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees play the first two regular-season games in Europe on June 29 and 30, the 12-year-old is set to act as a mascot, with a tournament also taking place over that weekend as well.

Things don’t stop there though with events to come in July in the Czech Republic, as part of Great Britain’s under-12s at the European Championships, and Poland, with a United Kingdom team taking part in the Europe-Africa Little League regional tournament. 

It means plenty of planning for mum Beverley Lang, who moved back to the country of her birth from Canada two years ago. 

“The nearest club is in Manchester and they don’t have a league,” she said. 

“That means he’s ended up playing for three different London teams. 

“There’s the GB one, the UK one and his London Youth team.

“We’re down there pretty much every weekend. Sometimes it’s just a case of driving down there and pitching a tent in a field, even in the wind and rain which we did last weekend.

“People must wonder why we do it. It’s quite an adventure!

"It’s just all happening at the moment. We didn’t expect it.”

Harfield recently spent time at an MLB training camp with some of the top coaches in the sport. 

In the long term, there is no reason why a player based in a place which is anything but a baseball heartland can’t have a chance of making it. 

“There’s a situation where some talented young players are offered scholarships in the States,” said Ms Lang. 

“MLB scouts do come over here and at the cup this weekend there will be some looking at the 17, 18 and 19-year-olds. 

“Travis had to be invited to the camp he was at, it was a fully paid-for residential.

“As long as he keeps progressing and learning that’s all that matters.”

A talented sportsman, Harfield has also played cricket with Horwich RMI and is part of Chorley Athletic and Triathlon Club. 

But it is clear what his focus is now. 

“He was playing cricket up until this year before it all went a bit bonkers,” Ms Lang said. 

“He might go back to it in mid-July when the baseball calms down. 

“It’s his favourite sport but he’s just one of those kids. 

“I haven’t got the exact stats but it’s his first year of track and field and he’s something like second in the country for his age group at javelin and 10th in the high jump.”

After spending the next two weekends down in London Harfield will be in the Czech Republic from July 1-7 before heading out to Poland 10 days later.