This weekend saw the start of the South African National Baseball Championships 2026, with the junior divisions getting underway on Saturday as teams from across the country descended on Boksburg. Gauteng Baseball, together with the Boksburg Cardinals, are hosting the event, once again showcasing their experience and capacity to deliver a tournament of national scale.
The Cardinals are no strangers to hosting events of this magnitude and have once again pulled out all the stops to ensure a top-class experience for players, coaches, officials and supporters. The club is being delivered and carefully managed by Chairman Gavin Watkins, who is once again paying personal attention to the facilities, ensuring that every detail on and off the field meets the standard expected of a national championship.
Although there have been some stop-start moments due to rain, the first two days of competition have already begun to shape the standings across all junior divisions, with a mix of dominant performances and important bounce-back wins keeping the competition wide open.
In the U12 division, Gauteng A have emerged as early leaders after two strong days, remaining unbeaten and showing consistency on both offence and defence. Their campaign has included strong scoring performances, with double-digit wins setting the tone early. Western Cape A have positioned themselves as strong challengers following a solid recovery performance, including a convincing win over Limpopo. Mandela Bay edged a tight contest against Gauteng C, while Western Cape B held their nerve in a close win over Gauteng B. Gauteng C, Gauteng B and Limpopo have all shown flashes of competitiveness, but will be looking to convert opportunities into wins as the tournament progresses.
The U18 division has been led by Western Cape A, who have been dominant through their opening fixtures and remain unbeaten at the top of the standings, backed by strong run differences across their games. Western Cape B recorded a key bounce-back win over Limpopo, while Gauteng A continued to stay in contention with consistent performances. Mandela Bay secured an important narrow win over Gauteng B to stay in touch with the leading pack, while Gauteng B and Limpopo will be aiming to bounce back in the next round of games.
In the U10 competition, Gauteng A have taken early control with an unbeaten record and an impressive scoring rate, highlighted by another high-scoring win that keeps them top of the standings. CTBF Blue responded with a strong performance of their own, beating Gauteng B comfortably to remain in contention. CTBF Red split their results across the opening games, while Mandela Bay showed improvement in a competitive fixture. Gauteng B are still searching for their first win but will look to build momentum in the coming fixtures.
The Women’s division extended into Sunday evening, with Gauteng U15 securing a narrow 12–11 win over Western Cape U18 in one of the closest contests of the weekend. Earlier in the day, Gauteng 15A Women continued their strong run with another win to sit top of the standings, while Gauteng U18 Women remain unbeaten with games in hand. Western Cape U18 A Women pushed hard in multiple fixtures and remain competitive despite the close loss, while Western Cape U15A Women have shown resilience across their games. Gauteng 15B Women will be looking to regroup after a challenging opening set of fixtures.
Overall, the opening weekend has delivered a strong start to the championships, with high-quality baseball on display and clear intent from teams across all divisions. With momentum starting to build and standings beginning to take shape, the stage is set for an exciting week of competition in Boksburg.
