South Africa’s preparations for the 2026 WBSC Under 15 Baseball World Cup continued this past weekend with a demanding three-day national training camp held in Cape Town.
Following an earlier national camp in Gauteng, the country’s leading Under 15 players gathered at the Athlone A’s Baseball Club in Cape Town, where the coaching staff continued evaluating and preparing the squad ahead of the final team selection for the World Cup in Mérida, Mexico, from 25 September to 4 October 2026.
Head Coach Paul van der Merwe put the players through an intensive programme over the three days, focusing on developing both individual skills and team cohesion. The camp challenged every player physically and mentally, with the coaching staff maintaining high standards throughout each session.
Supporting the programme were coaches Gareth Long, Thabang Letsoalo and Antonio Alexander, who worked closely with the players across all aspects of the game, ensuring that every athlete received individual attention while reinforcing the team’s systems and expectations.
Head of Delegation Deidrè Marquard played a vital role throughout the weekend, ensuring the players were well looked after both on and off the field and that the camp ran smoothly from start to finish.
The camp concluded with the official team kit fitting, another significant milestone on the road to Mexico. South African Baseball President Marc Moreau attended the final session, where he addressed the players with an inspirational message, encouraging them to embrace the opportunity of representing their country on the world stage. He reminded the squad of the privilege that comes with wearing the South African colours and the responsibility of representing not only themselves, but every young baseball player aspiring to play for the national team.
With two successful national camps now completed, preparations continue to gather momentum as the coaching staff move closer to naming the final travelling squad. Every session brings the team one step nearer to the WBSC Under 15 Baseball World Cup, where South Africa will once again compete against the world’s leading baseball nations.
