FREEPORT — One good turn deserves another — and another — and another.

The New South Wales team from Australia is making its third trip to the Freeport International Baseball Invitational in the past four years — just one week after hosting a Freeport team in Sydney.

"It was a way to pay back the hospitality," said New South Wales manager Tony Richards. "They stayed with the families and got the experience. They saw kangaroos, Bondi Beach, the Blue Mountains."

NSW has become a fixture at the Freeport Invitational, and Richards, who was celebrating his 46th birthday Tuesday, can rattle off the big reasons why.

"You play a lot of games," said "Some tournaments you go to, you might play three games, and if you don't win, you're done.

"The appeal here is you can get 10 games and it's in a beautiful part of the country. For the money you pay ($4,000 to $5,000), you want to get your money's worth," he added.

"There are different grounds," said pitcher Nick Dimmers, 19, of Hornsby. "In Australia, there's not as many people. Just the crowd experience here is great."

"It's unbelievable, just some of the sights you see," said catcher Joel Casserly, 15, of Pennrith. "I've always dreamed about playing here. There's not much more you could ask for."

"The atmosphere is 10 times better than it is back home," he added.

Richards first learned of the Freeport Invitational on the Internet, and the ideals of the event resonated with his beliefs about baseball.

"The idea appealed to us — the love of the game," said Richards. "For our kids, it's 'Where do I fit in? Am I at that level?'"

To discover which players are interested, Richards puts the word out each year about sending a team to Freeport.

"You have to have the passion to want to do it," Richards said it. "It's not the best players we bring, but those who want to do it.

"We think about what our kids would gain. We bring kids here who love baseball or maybe not love what the game is about. This shows them the game at its grass roots.

"It gives them a feel for how the whole baseball concept works. ... There's a love of the game for what it is, the base level of a typical American life. It dominated their life. They see that and feel that," Richards added.

This year, the Sydney area was able to send another team to Mexico for the World Boys Tournament.

Also, attending the Freeport event gives NSW a chance to play teams from around the United States and the world. The squad played Japan at Swartz Field Tuesday evening.

The trip, however, isn't just baseball.

NSW made a stop in San Francisco for 2Z\x days, where they saw a Giants game and did some sightseeing and shopping before heading to Pittsburgh.

After arriving in the area, the team was scheduled to play a team from New York City's Brooklyn and Harlem last Saturday at Pullman Park, but it was rained out.

"But we had a great time," said Richards. "It was a good way to settle in."

After leaving the invitational, which ends Saturday, NSW heads to Cleveland to see the Indians play Tampa Bay. The players also will meet Rays pitcher Grant Balfour, who hails from Sydney.

The attractions and sights are secondary. This week, it's all about baseball.

"That's why you're here — to play," said Dimmers.