South Africa’s national Baseball5 team has gone unbeaten to win the Southern Region Africa Qualifier held in Maseru, Lesotho. The team closed out the tournament in style with a 2–0 victory over Zambia in the gold medal game on Sunday, 1 June 2025, securing their place at the upcoming Baseball5 African Championship.
The final was a high-tempo affair, but South Africa took control early and maintained their composure throughout. They won both sets 7–1 and 9–7, recording 30 hits to Zambia’s 20. No errors were recorded by either team, but South Africa’s aggressive baserunning and smart fielding made the difference.
South Africa entered the final after completing the round-robin stage with a perfect 8–0 record. Across the entire tournament, they played 9 matches, won all 9, and won 18 of the 19 sets played. The only set they dropped was in a 2–1 win over Zambia on Day 1. South Africa recorded a total of 162 runs scored and conceded just 49. They also ended the event with just one recorded error, highlighting the team’s composure on defence.
In six of their matches, the team activated the run-ahead rule, winning sets by margins such as 26–1, 15–0, and 12–4. Their average margin of victory across the event was more than 6 runs per set.
South African player Ruben Danks (Gauteng) was named Male MVP of the Tournament for his consistent performance, strong hitting, and leadership presence.
The team was coached by Americo Juma and managed by Hayley Scott Maree. Both were instrumental in preparing the team physically and tactically for this crucial qualifier.
South Africa Baseball5 Squad – Lesotho 2025:
Ruben Danks (Gauteng),
Austin Mankga (Limpopo),
Sylveter Maredi (Limpopo),
Ishaan Slamdiem (Gauteng),
Itumeleng Moreroa (Gauteng),
Bonolo Tlome (Limpopo),
Kay’dshay Naude (Gauteng),
Tshwarelo Lamola (Gauteng).
The Baseball5 African Championship is scheduled for November 2025. WBSC Africa is expected to announce the host federation in the coming weeks. South Africa will be one of the teams representing the Southern Region at this continental showpiece.
The African Championship will also serve as the official qualifying tournament for the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup 2026. Following the expansion of the World Cup and Youth World Cup from 12 to 16 teams, the revised continental quotas are as follows:
- Africa: 2 teams
- Americas: 4 teams
- Asia: 3 teams
- Europe: 3 teams
- Oceania: 1 team
- Host nation: 1 team
- WBSC wild cards: 2
With qualification now secured, South Africa shifts its focus to the African Championship, where continental honours and one of the two African tickets to the Baseball5 World Cup will be on the line.
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