This Sunday, 28 March 2026, marks the start of the South African National Junior Baseball Championships, with the country’s emerging talent set to compete in Boksburg, Gauteng.
Teams are scheduled to arrive on 27 March 2026, with the competition running from 28 to 31 March across four days of round robin fixtures. The tournament will conclude with finals day on 1 April 2026.
A total of 18 teams will participate across the junior divisions (U10, U12, U15 and U18), reflecting strong national representation at youth level. The U10 division includes 5 teams, while the U12 and U15 divisions will each feature 7 teams, and the U18 division will see 6 teams in competition.
The Youth Championships will feature the following age group structures:
- U10 & U12: Boys and girls competing in mixed teams
- U15: Boys and girls competing in separate teams
- U18: Boys and girls competing in separate leagues
Provincial team entries are as follows:
- Gauteng: 17 teams across U10, U12, U15 and U18
- Western Cape Baseball Federation: 8 teams across U10, U12, U15 and U18
- CTBF: 6 teams across U10, U12, U15 and U18
- Mandela Bay: 5 teams across U10, U12, U15 and U18
- Limpopo: 4 teams across U12, U15 and U18
- KwaZulu-Natal: 1 team (U18)
- SWG: 1 team (U18)
Behind the scenes, provinces have been working extensively to prepare for the championships. This has included the registration of teams, as well as ensuring that players, coaches, managers, umpires and scorers are all in place to support their respective squads. For many provinces, the journey to the championships has been the result of a full year of preparation, including multiple fundraising initiatives to ensure teams are able to participate.
The championships provide an important platform for player development and national identification, with participants representing their provinces at a key stage in the South African baseball pathway.
