South African Baseball is proud to announce the senior Baseball5 team selected to represent South Africa at the III WBSC Baseball5 World Cup in Puerto Rico.
The tournament will take place at Balneario de Isla Verde in Carolina from 8 to 13 December 2026, bringing together 16 teams from across the globe.
South Africa, ranked 13th in the world, qualified alongside Tunisia as Africa’s two continental qualifiers. Kenya completes the continent’s representation through a WBSC Wild Card.
The South African squad comprises four male and four female players, with four non-travelling reserves.
| Male players | Female players |
|---|---|
| Ruben Danks | Nicolene Grobler |
| Austin Mmoloki Mankga | Tshwarelo Bridget Lamola |
| Mpudzizeni Sylvester Maredi | Itumeleng Violet Moreroa |
| Ihsaan Slamdien | Bonolo Precious Tlome |
| Male reserves | Female reserves |
|---|---|
| Meekaa’eel Jacks | Chaunzel Quinnè Bouwer |
| Tashrique Manuel | Mia Maria Cloete |
South Africa will join Tunisia, Kenya, Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, USA, Japan, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Spain, France, Türkiye, Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, China and Korea in the 16-team field.
The tournament comes in a significant year for Baseball5, with the sport making its Youth Olympic debut at Dakar 2026.
Congratulations to all the selected players and reserves. We look forward to supporting our team as they prepare to represent South Africa on the world stage.
