South African baseball today proudly bid farewell to the U18 South African Baseball5 team as they embarked on their journey to Ghana to participate in the WBSC Africa Championships 2023.
The tournament, taking place from 16 May – 21 May 2023, serves as a qualifier for the inaugural Youth Baseball5 World Cup to be held in December this year.
For the past few weeks, the team has been diligently preparing, dedicating themselves to rigorous training sessions. A notable addition to the squad is Mia Cloete, from Giants Baseball Club in Gauteng and acclaimed Best Pitcher of the NBC 2023 award.
The tournament commences with a round-robin format, and sees South Africa taking on Tunisia first on Tuesday at 09:00, (11am SA Time), followed later against Zambia at 16:30 (18:30 SA time ) on the same day. Placement games and semi-finals for the WBSC Youth Africa Championships will be held on Saturday, 20 May 2023, with the finals scheduled for Sunday, 21 May 2023.
Looking ahead, the second edition of the tournament in 2025 will serve as a qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, in 2026.
The Youth Baseball5 World Cup, designed for the 15-18 age bracket and embracing a mixed-gender format, presents an exceptional opportunity for young athletes to showcase their skills on an international stage.
South Africa, currently the seniors Baseball5 Africa Champions, has high hopes that their junior team will emulate their success. Led by Baseball5 Head Coach Americo Juma, with the support of Nicolette America and HOD Hayley Scott-Maree, the team is determined to make their mark in Ghana.
The team roster includes players Mia Cloete, Ethan Grobler, Kelly Duke, Sibusiso Masinga, Alicia Kruger, Ishaan Slamdien, Kay’D Shay Naude, and Marnus Vorster, Coach – Americo Juma with Nicolette America as the Assistant Coach and Hayley Scott-Maree as the Head of Delegation.
The WBSC Africa Championships 2023 will be held in Ghana on the Cape Coast from 16 May 2023 to 21 May 2023.
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