This week sees the start of the African U23 Baseball Qualifier, hosted at the Boksburg Cardinals Baseball Club in Gauteng from 30 October to 2 November 2025. The tournament brings together South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Benin, three nations competing for continental honours under World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) rules. The qualifier provides a valuable platform for Africa’s emerging baseball talent to gain international experience and contributes to the continued growth and development of the game across the continent.
This week Wednesday saw a kit handover and bespoke capping ceremony held at the Boksburg Baseball Club, with all players and management in attendance. In addition to the team management, the event was attended by South African Baseball Vice President Patrick van Niekerk, who did the honours of handing over the official apparel to the players. The ceremony marked the formal start of South Africa’s U23 campaign and celebrated the players’ selection and preparation. It also reflected the pride of representing the nation on home soil and the unity within the squad as they prepare to face Zimbabwe and Benin.
The tournament will be played in a round-robin format, with each team facing the other twice over the first three days. The top two teams on the standings will advance to the Championship Final on Sunday, while the third-placed team will take on a local invitational side in a placement game. This format ensures consistent competition across all match days, allowing players to gain valuable time on the field and experience the standard of WBSC-level play.
The fixtures for the African U23 Baseball Qualifier are as follows:
- Thursday, 30 October 2025
10:00 – 12:30 | Benin vs Zimbabwe (Field A)
13:30 – 16:00 | Benin vs South Africa (Field A) - Friday, 31 October 2025
10:00 – 12:30 | South Africa vs Zimbabwe (Field A)
13:30 – 16:00 | South Africa vs Benin (Field A) - Saturday, 1 November 2025
10:00 – 12:30 | Zimbabwe vs South Africa (Field A)
13:30 – 16:00 | Zimbabwe vs Benin (Field A) - Sunday, 2 November 2025 – Finals Day
09:00 – 11:30 | 3rd Place Team vs Local Invitational Team (Field B)
11:00 – 13:30 | 1st Place vs 2nd Place – Championship Final (Field A)
Games will be played over seven innings with no time limit. A legal game will be recognised after four and a half or five innings, and the mercy rule will apply if a team leads by ten runs after five. Line-ups must be submitted 30 minutes before the start, and team announcements will take place 15 minutes prior to first pitch. The event follows WBSC regulations, which differ slightly from Major League Baseball rules. A four-man umpire crew will manage each fixture, and only rule-based protests will be allowed. Games may be suspended for safety reasons only by the Tournament Director or Convener of Umpires.
The U23 Qualifier forms part of a broader effort to develop baseball across Africa by providing young athletes, coaches, and officials with experience under international standards. With the players now officially capped and ready to compete, South Africa enters the tournament prepared and motivated to represent the nation with pride.
@SouthAfricanBaseball #SouthAfricanBaseball and #SouthAfricanBaseballU23.
