Orioles Draft Pick and Queensland Product Kailen Hamson Joins the Bandits Rotation

BRISBANE, Australia - The Brisbane Bandits are proud to welcome Kailen Hamson, a rising right-handed pitcher from the Gold Coast who’s coming off a breakout year in U.S. college baseball — and a dream moment at the 2025 MLB Draft, where he was selected 244th overall by the Baltimore Orioles.

A product of Mudgeeraba Red-Sox, Redland Rays, and Robina State High, Hamson’s journey is a classic Queensland baseball success story — built on grit, talent, and serious strikeout stuff.

Over two seasons at the University of the Cumberlands (Kentucky), Hamson became one of the NAIA’s premier arms, putting up a 17-2 record with 206 strikeouts in just 139.1 innings. His senior year was dominant — 11-1, 2.83 ERA, 127 Ks — earning him the title of Mid-South Conference Pitcher of the Year.

At just 23, standing 6’1″ (185cm) and 188lbs (85kg), Hamson brings both power and polish to the Bandits’ rotation — and he’s ready to light up Viticon Stadium this summer.