Wanneroo Giants dream run ends at the International Final | Updates from the Senior League World Series

01 August 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Wanneroo Giants dream run ends at the International Final | Updates from the Senior League World Series

This is the recap story of the Wanneroo Giants at the 2025 Senior League World Series in Easley, South Carolina.

The were one of twelve teams (six from international countries) who qualified for this nationally ESPN broadcasted event.

This is where you follow their journey.

Here you will find:
– Game Recaps & Highlights;
– Schedule;
– How they qualified;
– Roster (at bottom);

It’s the final chapter in what has been a historic junior baseball run for this group of Wanneroo players. This core of players represented Australia at the 2022 Intermediate League World Series and the 2023 Junior League World Series.

Here is what you need to know:

SCHEDULE & HOW TO WATCH

Games are broadcast on ESPN and ESPN+. In Australia, you can watch all the games on Disney+. A GameChanger Link to scoring can be found here.

TOURNAMENT BRACKET: Follow the action.

It’s a double-elimination tournament, meaning you have to lose twice to be knocked out of the event.

Other international teams in the competition include Latin America (Mexico), Asia-Pacific (Guam), Caribbean (Puerto Rico), Europe-Africa (South Czech Republic) & Canada.

The double-elimination schedule is as follows:

– July 27: Australia 5 def Mexico 4
– July 28: Czechia 6 def Australia 2
– July 30: Elimination Game – Australia 10 def Guam 5
– July 31: Elimination Game – Australia 8 def Latin America 0
– July 31: International Semi-Final – Australia 1 def Europe-Africa 0
– Aug 1: International Bracket Final – Puerto Rico 9 def Australia 6

View the PDF Bracket Here.

Grab all your up-to-date information from www.littleleague.org/world-series/2025/slbws/.

GAME RECAPS & HIGHLIGHTS

AUG 1 : INTERNATIONAL BRACKET FINAL – PUERTO RICO 9 def AUSTRALIA 6: Puerto Rico finish in front in back-and-forth battle

It felt like the teams were going shot-for-shot in a game that featured five lead changes.

But ultimately, Puerto Rico had a bit too much firepower in their 9-6 win.

Puerto Rico scored five runs in the sixth inning to pull away for good. Australia had come back on two different occassions in this game but this margin was a little too much to bridge.

The game had a bit of everything.

Hits, walks, errors, stolen bases, diving catches, and one heck of a gutsy effort.

Let me repeat: There were five lead changes.

Chayce Benseman and Riley Lines each collected two hits. Both players had a go-ahead two-RBI knock at some point. Quinn Fatai and Harry Wooden had the other hits.

Kobi Scaife, Jacon Elliott, Lachlan Firth and Sebastian Beazley pitched.

Mitchell Elliott took a diving catch that could be a Sportscentre Top 10 shoe-in.

“I feel nothing but Aussie pride,” says Team Manager Chris George. “What do you say? We pushed and shoved and just fell short in the end. It wasn’t through lack of effort. The boys fought hard and kept fighting.”

“The Caribbean team were too strong for us today. Their base running was amazing. Our pitchers did their job today and the bats worked. We just couldn’t get it done.”

Puerto Rico advance to the World Championship Final with an unblemished record.

For this group of incredible Wanneroo players, their Little League journey comes to an end with a magical run at the Senior League World Series and three trips total to the USA.

“Coming from one club charter, the way these kids come together and play for each other is amazing,” says George. “These boys play baeball almost year round together and have done so for the past six or seven years. The bond is there. It’s not competition. It’s genuine care for each other. In essence…it’s just Wanneroo baseball.

JULY 31: ELIMINATION GAMES – DREAM RUN: WANNEROO WIN TWO GAMES ON MUGGY DAY TO ADVANCE TO INTERNATIONAL BRACKET FINAL

Mark it in the calendars: Thursday 31 July will be a day the boys from the Wanneroo Giants will remember for the rest of their lives.

Needing to win two games to survive and advance to Friday’s International Bracket Final, Australia delivered two shutouts in a five hour span in 35 degree weather with 85% humidity.

The first: a 8-0 win over Latin America.

The second: a 1-0 nailbiter over Europe-Africa.

At 9:00AM, Australia resumed a postponed game in the first inning from the night before. They were ready.

Cooper Barber provided a great launch pad on the mound. He took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He finished with a stat line that reads: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 ER and 4 SO.

Jaxon Elliot allowed just one hit in the final 1.2 innings.

Australia grinded away as a team with the bat. Nine different players collected a combined ten hits. Cooper Barber went 1-for-3 with 3 RBI while Sebastian Beezley had two hits.

Classic Wanneroo Giants baseball.

They just kept the scoreboard rolling over all afternoon.

Chris George, the team’s Manager, said it was a great team effort all round.

“Cooper was solid on the bump today. The lads quickly were back into the swing of it,” he says. Bats were good and the momentum inning by inning kept us going through. I’m proud of them.”

30 minutes later, it was time for first pitch vs a more rested Europe-Africa squad from Czechia.

It was a rematch of an earlier round match up that saw the Czechs end up on top.

Not this time. Australia 1 – Europe-Africa 0.

Brayden George was phenomenal on the mound. He threw all but one out: 6.2 innings, four hits, two walks and three strikeouts.

Australia did their scoring in the first inning – a sole run off a Chayce Benseman single and throwing error by Czechia.

They had three hits on the afternoon.

It was all they needed.

The defense held their nerve throughout. In the fifth inning, Czechia had a runner on third with nobody out.

They didn’t score.

Now they move on to the International Final vs Puerto Rico. If Wanneroo win that, they’ll advance to the Senior League World Series Final vs the winner of the American Bracket.

Only the Southern Mariners (2016) have advanced to the Senior League Gold Medal Game in Australian Baseball history.

Chris George, rightfully, had a lot of proud things to say about the win.

“How do you write a script to that Wanneroo story? Who would’ve thought that the country that doesn’t play baseball as it’s number one sport could end up in an international final at the Senior League World Series?

I’m so proud of the boys and what they did today. Two back-to-back wins is unbelievable given the conditions.

Cooper started the day with a solid outing against Mexico to get us through to the next game, step up Brayden George. One batter away from a complete gam. I couldn’t be prouder of him and what he achieved.

The boys have done so well – rallying and driving outcomes.

Not selling ourselves short but we would’ve been happy to pull off a win. To win four and go through to an international final? That is something dreams are made of.

The message stays the same except with the twist.

Let’s continue to play Wanneroo Baseball: station to station, batter by batter…butdare to dream! Fight for one more.

Quoting Brad Pitt from Moneyball… how can you not get romantic about Baseball?”

An amazing day.

JULY 29: ELIMINATION GAME – AUSTRALIA 10 def ASIA-PACIFIC 5 – Wanneroo score ten unanswered to advance to next round

Down 4-0 after a rocky top of the first inning, the Wanneroo Giants dug deep in an elimination game at the Senior League World Series.

Chris George, Team Manager, says the first inning was filled with a few nerves.

But the message was clear to the lads when they came back into the dugout.

“Boys – let’s get back to Wanneroo Baseball. Back yourselves and trust the process,” said George. “Batter by batter, Station to station baseball. They settled and it worked.”

The three-time national champions responded.

Australia followed suit with a seven spot in the bottom of the inning.

They scored ten runs unanswered and held on during a late Guam fight back.

Dylan Bandy pitched into the seventh inning.

“He was amazing,” says George. “That kid just continues to give his all on every single outing. He is one of the true champions of this team.”

“Quite often he doesn’t get the praise and accolades that he deserves but I’ll tell you what – once again he showed exactly what he is made of,” he adds. “The team backed him up and all did their bit in the field and with the stick.”

Australia is now one of the final four remaining teams in the International bracket.

Next up is a rematch with Latin America (Mexico). The win-or-go-home game is scheduled for 7:30AM AWST on Thursday.

“We can’t wait for the next challenge,” he says.

GAME 2 – AUSTRALIA 5 def MEXICO 4 – Blistering Czech-squad hands Australia first loss at Senior League World Series

Credit where credit is due: the Czechs were mighty impressive.

The ESPN commentators regularly noted how they looked like “the cream of the crop of the international bracket.”

They offense burned the Australians for eleven hits in six offensive innings. Czechia scored twice in each of the first two innings, once in the third, and once in the fifth to power out to a 6-1 lead.

Eight different Czechs had hits, led by Jakob Kliener who delivered a 3-for-3 performance. David Herman was solid on the mound, going 5.0 innings allowing six hits and one earned run.

The Aussies laboured a little bit in sweltering South Carolina heat. The field made three errors, making a tough day a little tougher.

“A tough game in the heat today,” says Chris George, Team Manager. “The conditions seemed tougher than yesterday with little breeze not helping the team settle into the game routine.We had a good start in the first innings, however, we couldn’t continue the momentum through the middle half of the game. A few hits by our lads, however left runners on bases. Some good hitting by Europe Africa certainly changed the momentum balance through the middle half of the game.”

But Wanneroo didn’t go down without a fight. Eight different players had a base hit as Australia always seemed to have someone on the basebaths searching for a breakthrough.

They even had a couple base runners in the final inning.

“Credit to the Europe Africa team,” says George. “They were solid with the bat and definitely have positioned themselves as real contenders in how they execute offensively.”

Cooper Barber and Harry Wooden each had RBI. Riley Lines led the team with two hits.

Barber started on the mound, tossing 2.2 innings, giving up ten hits, four earned runs with two walks and four strikeouts.

The relief combination of Jaxon Elliott and Lachlan Firth kept Czechia in touch. Elliott threw 2.1 innings with one hit, one unearned run and a strikeout. Lachlan Firth chucked a near perfect sixth inning and even picked off a base runner who reached on an error.

Australia dropped their first of the allowable two losses in the double elimination bracket.

Their tournament is on the line tomorrow vs Guam. The winner advances, the loser’s run is done. First pitch is Tuesday morning at 9:30AM AEST / 7:30PM AWST / 7:30PM local.

“Whilst the double elimination format means tomorrow’s game is do or die, our preparation doesn’t change,” says George. “We just need to ensure that we capitalise early and be tighter in the field. Back to basics and playing Wanneroo Baseball.”

“Once again, our support back home and in the grandstands were well heard and we’re thankful for their support of our players.”

WANNEROO GIANTS STATS

Hits (9): Quinn Fatai, Cooper Barber, Chayce Benseman, Blake Thompson, Harry Wooden, Jaxon Elliott, Riley Lines (2)
RBI (2): Barber, Wooden

Pitching:
– Cooper Barber: 2.2 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 SO
– Jaxon Elliott: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
– Lachlan Firth: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO

GAME 1 – AUSTRALIA 5 def MEXICO 4 – Bend but don’t break performance advances Australia to next round at Senior League Series

Bend but don’t break.

That seemed to be the modis operandi for Australia in their first game of the Senior League World Series during their 5-4 victory over Mexico.

The Aussies escaped three bases loaded jams across the afternoon and even stranded the winning run on-base in the bottom of the last inning.

Quinn Fatai, Sebastian Beazley and Blake Sexton all produced early game RBI to help build a 5-0 lead.

But it was a gritty pitching and defensive effort that sealed victory.

Dylan Bandy delivered an inning-ending, bases-loaded double play in the first. Cooper Barber had a twin killing with bases loaded in the fifth. Barber struck out a pair with the bases juiced in the sixth. Kobi Scaife picked a runner off at first in the seventh while Mexico left the winning run on board.

What an effort.

“We’re all so proud of the boys and the grit and determination they showed,” says team manager Chris George. “We’re pleased for the start and to gain an early lead but we knew they would fight back hard – and they did. Our relievers did their jobs and we closed out. In hot and steamy conditions, the boys backed each other up and pushed hard to get the job done.”

Here’s how it unfolded:

If the humid 33 degree weather at the ballpark didn’t make you sweat, the game would have. It was tense.

Dylan Bandy delivered a hard-working, shutout start for the Australians. He threw 3.2 innings with four strikeouts, allowing five hits, one walk and no runs.

Bandy produced some timely ground balls, including a bases loaded inning-ending double play in the first.

6-4-3… classic 😎 pic.twitter.com/46j9jQADB1

— Little League (@LittleLeague) July 26, 2025

His efforts on the pound propelled the offense to an early lead. Australia scored the first five runs of the game.

They scored the first run off an error in the first. Their best inning, however, was the third. Australia plated three runs.

Sebastian Beezley and Quinn Fatai each produced RBI singles to put Australia up 4-0.

Dylan Bandy gave his team an excellent chance to win with 3.2 shutout innings on the mound. Photo: Bailey Thompson.

Blake Sexton made it 5-0 with an RBI single in the third.

Mexico scored their first two runs in the fifth. Moises Juarez ripped a 2-RBI line-drive single.

They were pressing for more. With bases loaded, Cooper Barber induced an inning-ending double play to keep the score at 5-2.

Mexico pressed again in the sixth. They took advantage of a series of walks and singles to cut the lead to 5-4.

Mexico even had bases loaded with one out. But Barber produced some magic again – this time with back-to-back strikeouts to help Australia escape the jam.

The Mexicans came right back at Australia in the bottom of the seventh.

Kobi Scaife walked the lead off man, but instantly took the danger away by picking off the runner at first.

A hit and a walk put runners on the corners with two outs, but Scaife induced a game ending ground ball to second.

George praised the supporter base for helping Australia get across the line.

“It was great having the parent base that travelled all the way here cheering loud, as well as those supporting back home. The amount of messages to our players and coaching staff is certaintly appreciated,” he says.

Australia win and advance to the next round of the tournament. They’ll play Czechia at 6:00AM AEST / 4:00PM AWST on Monday morning.

WANNEROO GIANTS STATS

Hits (4): Quinn Fatai, Chayce Benseman, Sebastian Beazley, Blake Sexton
RBI: Fatai, Beazley, Sexton

Pitching
– Dylan Bandy: 3.2 IP, 5H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4SO, 61P
– Brayden George: 1.1IP, 1 H, 2ER, 2BB, 0SO, 27P
– Cooper Barber: 2.2IP, 2H, 2ER, 1BB, 2SO
– Kobi Scaife: 1.0 IP, 1H, 0ER, 2BB

HOW THEY QUALIFIED

Age Group: 13-16

Wanneroo qualified by winning the 2025 Australian Senior League Championships in Geelong in May. They qualified for that event by winning the WA State Championships.

At the WA State titles, the Giants rolled through the competition unbeaten in Western Australia, finishing 6-0 with a 92-17 run differential. They beat the Western Tigers 15-2 to advance to the Gold Medal Game and clinch a ticket to Geelong.

In Geelong, Wanneroo went through the tournament unbeaten. They defeated Brisbane Metro 7-2 in the Gold Medal Game.

Quinn Fatai led the team with a .500 batting average. Chayce Benseman had the most RBI with eight.

Dylan Bandy served as the team’s “Ace”, chucking 10.2 innings with no earned runs and 13 strikeouts.

But as a team, they were the most impressive of the bunch. They scored the most runs (70) and allowed the least (23). That effort does not happen without a tremendous line-up from top-to-bottom.

You can view archived results, scores and highlights via the Senior League Hub at www.baseball.com.au/seniorleague.

MEET THE WANNEROO GIANTS

All players are from the same club – a unique instance in the Australian charter baseball landscape.

Now they prepare for the best in the world.

The Giants have been training several times a week, according to Team Manager Chris George.

“[The goal has been] to maintain the focus and skills execution, with batting sessions and more in-depth fielding sessions,” he says. “Being out of season, Wanneroo have relied on intra team game scrimmage, as well as games against the Baseball WA High Performance training squad, to constantly refine their match play.”

The Giants are off to Atlanta one week early to assist in acclimatising to the local time zone and weather, as well as watch a game against the Braves and Giants thanks to previous Wanneroo club member and current Boston Redsox Liam Hendriks.

The coaching personnel are also in the stages of securing several high school scrimmage games before transiting to Easley for final preparation for the Senior League World Series tournament.

“For the team, the majority of the group have been together over the last five years experiencing Bronze in LL 2021, Gold in IL 2022, Gold in JL 2023, Silver in SL 2024 and Gold again this year in 2025,” says George. “The opportunity and honour to represent Australia in the World Series is not lost and certainly appreciated by players and coaches alike in what has been an amazing journey by this bunch of fine young men and testament to the effort and focus that they have respectively put in.”

31 July 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

15-hit explosion leads Australia to comeback win over Czechia at U12 World Cup | Recap & Highlights

recap by Eric Balnar, photos and videos via WBSC and @rc_rainecreative

Team Australia had combined for just seven hits in five games before today.

Team Australia piled on 15 total hits this afternoon during an 11-2 win over Czechia at the Under 12 World Cup in Tainan.

Two five run innings – one in the fifth and one in the sixth – was the exclamation mark o a fun afternoon.

Nine different Australians had hits. 11 reached base. Harvey Ninnis and Phil Toye led Australia with three base-knocks each.

Toye, Billy McCarthy and Preston Taylor combined on the mound to keep Czech bats at bay. The three-headed pitching monster allowed just three hits.

The win is significant. It equals their most ever wins in a U12 World Cup and could prove to give an edge over Czechia in key world ranking points.

30 July 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Australia finishes Group Stage with 1-4 record after loss to Cuba | U12 World Cup Recap & Highlights

recap by Eric Balnar, photos and videos via WBSC and @rc_rainecreative

A relentless Cuban outfit rolled to a 19-2 victory in Australia’s final Group Stage game at the Under 12 World Cup in Tainan.

Cuba scored runs in all five of their batting innings during the run rule victory.

Australia finishes the Opening Round with a 1-4 record and will advance to the Placement Round to figure out who finishes between 7-12.

Germany and Cuba also move to the Placement Round from Pool A.

EVENT HUB: Follow Team Australia at the 2025 U12 World Cup

Cuba flexed their muscles early. Yuceider Torres hit a two-run homer in the first inning to build a 3-0 lead.

Torres finished the day with two hits and five RBI to lead all Cuban players.

⚾HOMERUN! 🇨🇺 Yuceider Torres hit a 2-run homerun to give 🇨🇺 Cuba a 3-0 lead over 🇦🇺 Australia!
WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2025 presented by RAXUS#BaseballWorldCupU12 pic.twitter.com/D7ZRAyBnXw

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 30, 2025

Cuba totalled twelve hits on the morning. They slammed the door shut with an emphatic five-run fourth and six-run fifth.

Australia hung tough even when the scoreline started to pile up. Team Manager Matt O’Neill would feel good about a plucky fourth inning where his team brough nine batters to the plate and cashed in a couple runs.

Ethan Uncle and Billy McArthy had RBI singles.

Australia used six pitchers in the loss. Ethan Uncle looked in command, pitching 1.0 innings allowing one hit, no walks and no runs.

Now Australia shifts their attention to the Placement Round with five other opponents. It begins tomorrow.

All teams record vs opponents from which they’ve played carries over. So, Australia begins the Placement Round with a 1-1 record with games upcoming vs Panama, Czechia and South Africa. The full standings can be found below.

STATS / BOX SCORE

Click here for the official box score.

STANDINGS AFTER GAME’S CONCLUSION

Top three teams advance to Super Round. Bottom three teams move on to Placement Round

Pool A

Japan 4-1
Mexico 4-1
Chinese Taipei 4-1
—
Cuba 2-3
Australia 1-4
Germany 0-4

Pool B

Korea 5-0
United States 4-1
Dominican Republic 3-2
—
Panama 2-3
Czechia 1-4
South Africa 0-5

PLACEMENT ROUND STANDINGS

7 – Cuba 2-0
7 – Panama 2-0
9 – Australia 1-1
9 – Czechia 1-1
11 – South Africa 0-2
11 – Germany 0-2

UPCOMING GAMES:

– TBD

Mexico wins back-and-forth game, ends Hills time at Intermediate League World Series | Following Hills

Sydney’s Hills have just finished their run in Livermore, California while representing Australia at the 2025 Intermediate League World Series.

They are one of 12 teams (six international, six American) who will compete in the tournament.

It’s the second straight year this group of Hills players will represent their country after competing in the Little League World Series in 2024.

This is where you follow their journey. Here you will find:
– Game Recaps & Highlights;
– Schedule;
– How they qualified;
– Roster (at bottom);

Here is what you need to know:

29 July 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

Japan tosses 4 perfect innings in 15-0 win over Australia | U12 World Cup Recap & Highlights

recap by Eric Balnar, photos and videos via WBSC and @rc_rainecreative

If you give a well polished team like Japan an inch, they will take a mile.

That seemed to be theme in Japan’s 15-0 run-rule win over Australia on Tuesday at the Under 12 World Cup.

Let’s start with their pitching. The trio of Toshiki Maruyama, Ryota Shimizu and Jota Shimohira didn’t allow a hit or walk while striking out six in their 4.0 innings of work. Perfect.

Their offense was opportunistic.

Headlined by a ten-run fourth inning, Japan tallied 12 hits and nine walks. In true Japanese fashion, only one of those hits was for extra-bases.

Luku Masuda started well for Australia. He threw 1.2 innings and kept a donut on the board in the first inning.

Japan took the lead for good in the second. After a pair of Japanese baserunners reached off a walk and a misfield, two runs were scored off an RBI single and a wild pitch.

It could have been more, but Izaac Johnson worked his way out of a jam in relief.

EVENT HUB: Follow Team Australia at the 2025 U12 World Cup

A single and three walks to start the third gave Japan more than ample opportunity to add to their scoreline. A bases-loaded walk, a ground out to first and a sacrifice fly increased the lead to 5-0.

Through it all, Felix Moncrieff entered the game and retired all three batters he faced.

Japan pulled away with a damaging ten-run fourth inning. Nine singles and three walks pushed the game into run-rule territory.

Japan (4-0) secured their spot in Super Round with their fourth victory of the tournament.

Australia, destined for the placement round, falls to 1-3. They play Cuba (1-3) next on Wednesday in a make-up game from Tuesday’s washed out contest. The time has yet to be confirmed.

STATS / BOX SCORE

Click here for the official box score.

STANDINGS AFTER GAME’S CONCLUSION

Top three teams advance to Super Round. Bottom three teams move on to Placement Round

Pool A

Japan 4-0
Mexico 3-0
Chinese Taipei 3-1
—
Australia 1-3
Cuba 1-3
Germany 0-4

Pool B

Korea 4-0
United States 3-1
Dominican Republic 2-1
—
Panama 2-2
Czechia 0-4
South Africa 0-4

UPCOMING GAMES:

– July 30, Time TBD: Australia vs Cuba (0-3)

Pitching and Patience pays off as Australia defeat Germany to win first game at U12 World Cup | Highlights

recap by Eric Balnar, photos and videos via WBSC and @rc_rainecreative

Ten different players reached base as Australia patiently worked 13 walks in a 9-2 win over Germany on Day 3 of the Under 12 World Cup.

It’s the first win of the tournament for Team Australia, improving their record to 1-2.

Phillip Toye, Billy McCarthy and Preston Taylor helped limit the German offense in a strong pitching performace.

Australia was anchored by a tremendous “do-it-all” performance by Toye.

The starting pitcher delivered big moments for Australia both on the mound and at the plate.

He has a fun stat line to read: 3.0 innings, 6 strikeouts, 1 earned run, 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 2 stolen bases.

Toye helped weaved his way out of trouble on multiple occasions, using the strikeout to strand five German baserunners in his three innings of work.

“Phil was outstanding tonight,” says team manager Matt O’Neill. “He was able to get ahead in counts and pitch to a lot of week contact. He was backed up well by Billy McCarthy and Preston Taylor. Reef Bevan was excellent behind the plate for us, too.”

Toye may be the headliner but this was an overwhelmingly positive team-effort from the Australians.

EVENT HUB: Follow Team Australia at the 2025 U12 World Cup

Ten different players reached base off 13 walks and four hits.

Izaac Johnson, Phil Toye, Liam Kelly and Preston Taylor each had base-knocks. Harvey Ninnis, Luku Masuda, Ben Beezley and Liam Kelly each produced two walks.

“The fielding was also excellent tonight,” says O’Neill. “They made some big plays.”

Australia pulled away in a four-run fourth inning large in part to six straight German walks.

Here’s how the game unfolded.

Australia scored their first runs of the World Cup in the second inning.

Luku Masuda, Liam Kelly and Reef Bevan all walked to put runners on. It loaded the bases for for Izzy Astill who executed a sacrifice fly to push a run across the plate.

The next batter, Preston Taylor, promptly dumped a ball into shallow centrefield to increase the Aussie advantage to 2-0.

It could have been more, but the Germans pulled off a 9-2 double-play to end the inning.

Germany poked their heads on the scoreboard in the third. A two-out single up the middle cut the lead in half.

But Australia countered Germany’s inning ending play-at-the-plate with one of their own. Reef Bevan tagged out an agressive German runner trying to swipe home.

Toye increased Australia’s lead to 3-1 in the top of the fourth with an RBI single.

Then, patience paid off. Australia worked six consequetive walks to add another three runs to the scoreboard with RBI to Ben Beezley and Izaac Johnson.

6-1.

Lismore’s Billy McCarthy then took over for Toye. He pitched a clean fourth inning before the Germans struck in the fifth off an RBI single from Tim Kruger.

McCarthy’s final line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 3 SO.

Australia added two more in the sixth thanks three more walks and a wild pitch.

Preston Taylor allowed just one base-runner in his closing effort for Australia.

Despite the loss, Germany actually outhit Australia 6-4.

Australia (1-2) will face Cuba (0-3) tomorrow at 5:00PM AEST in a game that will go a long way in determining where they finish. Germany faces Japan.

STATS / BOX SCORE

Click here for the official box score.

STANDINGS AFTER GAME’S CONCLUSION

Top three teams advance to Super Round. Bottom three teams move on to Placement Round

Pool A

Japan 3-0
Mexico 3-0
Chinese Taipei 2-1
—
Australia 1-2
Germany 0-3
Cuba 0-3

Pool B

United States 3-0
Korea 3-0
Dominican Republic 2-1
—
Panama 1-2
Czechia 0-3
South Africa 0-3

UPCOMING GAMES:

– July 28, 4:30PM AEST: Australia vs Cuba (0-3)
– July 29, 12:30PM AEST: Australia. vs Japan (2-0)

Chinese Taipei "nearly perfect" in win over Australia | U12 World Cup

recap by Eric Balnar, photos and videos via WBSC and rainecreative

Chinese Taipei were near perfect in their 13-0 victory.

Five different pitchers spread across 5.0 innings combined to allow just one hit and three baserunners.

A few thousand locals piled into the stadium in 30+ degree heat and humidity to watch the tournament hosts improve to 2-0.

If Chinese Taipei were near perfect, Australia was not. Eight walks and an error gave too much room for their counterparts to maneuvre.

Australia did pick up their hit and make a pair of nice defensive plays, but ultimately fall to 0-2.

Here’s how the game unfolded:

25 July 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Team Australia

U12 World Cup | Mexico no-hitter and homer hands Australia opening tournament loss

recap by Eric Balnar, photos and videos via WBSC

Iker Cavillo and Bryan Bareno combined for a no-hitter, while Gaston Gaxiola went deep, in Mexico’s 10-0 win over Australia to open the 2025 Under 12 World Cup, presented by RAXUS.

Cavillo, the Mexican starter, was dominant.

He tossed 4.0 innings with no hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

Bareno followed suit with a perfect 1-2-3 fifth inning. The game was called after five innings due to run rule.

EVENT HUB: Follow Team Australia at the 2025 U12 World Cup

The Mexican pitching was supported well by a strong batting performance.

They came out flying. Mexico tagged Australia for three runs off four hits in the first. Doubles from Emiliano Felex and Iker Cavillo provided a punch.

🇲🇽 Mexico scored the first run of the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2025 presented by RAXUS on back-to-back doubles!

WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2025 #BaseballWorldCupU12 pic.twitter.com/U6LaeAONnj

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 25, 2025

Two more doubles in the third increased the Mexico advantage to 5-0.

Then came the thunder.

They pulled away with a thunderous three-run homer off the bat of Gaston Gaxiola.

⚾HOMERUN! 🇲🇽 Gaston Gaxiola hit a 3-run homerun to give Mexico an 8-0 lead!
WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2025 presented by RAXUS#BaseballWorldCupU12 pic.twitter.com/Ognt9rkfyN

— WBSC ⚾🥎 (@WBSC) July 25, 2025

Despite the scoreline, there were some nice moments for the Australians in their first game.

Many of them came in the field.

Billy McCarthy had a pair of strikeouts in his 1.1 innings of relief, including a clutch strikeout with runners on in the second inning to keep Mexico off the board.

Zeke Coughlin induced an inning-ending double play in the third, backed up by some tidy work in the field from shortstop Phillip Toye and firstbaseman Ben Beezley.

Double Play ✌️

Coughlin + Toye + Beezley = 🔒

📺: https://t.co/v65O8daGLL @WBSC #BaseballWorldCupU12 pic.twitter.com/d0MMysjIQ4

— Team Australia ⚾️ (@TeamAusBaseball) July 25, 2025

Liam Kelly took a nice little catch in right-field too.

In the fifth, Zeke Coughlin showed off his muscle by throwing a runner out.

Mexico sealed the game in the fifth with a pair of two-out hits to push the scoreline to 10-0.

Zeke Coughlin declares this field a no-run zone 🚫

🎥: https://t.co/v65O8daGLL @WBSC #BaseballWorldCupU12 pic.twitter.com/95qK7r95X3

— Team Australia ⚾️ (@TeamAusBaseball) July 25, 2025

Australia was able to use twelve different players in the loss, allowing a good chunk of the squad to grab their first taste of international World Cup Baseball.

“I’m really happy with the effort from the team today,” says Australia’s manager Matt O’Neill. “We ran into a strong offensive lineup but were able to push them the whole way.” Billy McCarthy was big in the middle for us – he was able to keep the Mexican hitters off balance.”

Australia will have some time to recover before playing vs hosts Chinese Taipei on Saturday night at 8:30PM AEST.

STATS / BOX SCORE

STANDINGS AFTER GAME’S CONCLUSION

Top three teams advance to Super Round. Bottom three teams move on to Placement Round

Pool A

Mexico 1-0
Cuba
Chinese Taipei
Germany
Japan
Australia 0-1

Pool B

Dominican Republic 1-0
Korea
Panama
South Africa
United States
Czechia 0-1

UPCOMING GAMES:

– July 26, 8:30PM AEST: Australia vs Chinese Taipei
– July 27, 8:30PM AEST: Australia vs Germany
– July 28, 4:30PM AEST: Australia vs Cuba
– July 29, 12:30PM AEST: Australia. vs Japan

Baseball participation numbers increase in Australia

Baseball Australia confirmed an increase in participation of the sport for the 2024-25 financial year.

Registrations of the sport increased by 6.06% year-on-year and has increased by 10.55% in the last two seasons (since July 1, 2023).

There are now approximately 34,000 registered baseball players across clubs from around Australia. New South Wales represents the largest state with nearly 14,000 players.

Participation has increased by over 4,700 since pre-pandemic. 14.29% of the playing base is female.

Other key figures include school participation in 2024 – including nearly an 8% increase in programming and 19.4% increase in participation to just over 42,000.

“These numbers are reflective of a lot of great work done by people at all levels of the game,” says Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams. “Two years ago we co-designed a national participation plan with states & stakeholders. Now, we are starting to see results. This increase is representative of strong collaboration between Baseball Australia, state members and clubs.”

You can view the National Participation Plan here.

The numbers wrap up a financial year (July – June in Australia) filled with milestones for Australian baseball.

Significant achievements include an Australian being selected #1 in the MLB draft, a record number of Australians in NCAA Division I college programs, over 40 Australians playing full-time professional baseball around the world, and a seventh place finish in the Premier12 competition.

Baseball Australia was also a recipient of a Play Well Grant which goes towards implementing ‘Little League T-Ball Program’ to increase interest in the sport.

For more information and numbers on Australian baseball, visit www.baseball.com.au/baseball-in-australia-fast-facts/.

To join the fun, you find a welcoming local club near you by using our Club Finder.

For media enquiries, please contact Eric Balnar at eric.balnar@baseball.com.au.

22 July 2025 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

- Aussies Abroad

Here's how all 38 professional Australian baseballers are doing around the world | July 22

as of 10:30AM AEST, Tuesday 22 July, by Eric Balnar

There are 38 Australians playing professional baseball somewhere in the world.

Whether they are one of two players in the Majors, or one of the twenty grinding away in the minors, or the handful plying their trade in Asia, we’re very proud of them all.

And in a World Baseball Classic year, performance is more an important than ever.

I gave you an update on how every Australian with a professional contract is doing below.

Want more Australian baseball news? Subscribe to our Baseball.com.au Podcast where I read you weekly Aussie baseball headlines in less than ten minutes.

MORE NEWS: Baseball Australia announces increase in participation.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

RHP Liam Hendriks – Boston Red Sox

The 3-time All-Star is on the 60-day Injured List (IL) retroactive to May 28 with a hip ailment. He resumed his throwing program on Monday.

Hendriks has a 6.59 ERA in 13.2 innings out of the bullpen this season.

TRIPLE-A

INF Curtis Mead – Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays)

Curtis spent the first half of the Major League Baseball (MLB) season with the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting .226 with an OPS of .657 in 115 at-bats.

He was sent down just before the All-Star Break to Triple-A. He is 5-for-22 to start his minor league return.

LHP – Jack O’Loughlin – Free Agent (Colorado Rockies)

Last week, Jack exercised an opt out clause in his minor league contract with the Rockies. The 25-year-old LHP made 17 appearances (10 starts) for Triple-A Albuquerque this season. He posted a 6.91 ERA in 41.0 innings this year.

DOUBLE-A

INF – Travis Bazzana – Akron Rubber Ducks (Cleveland Guardians)

The 22-year-old returned from the Injured List on the weekend – a place he’s lived since May 14 due to an oblique strain.

Cleveland #Guardians 22yr old (2B) prospect Travis Bazzana with a base hit to right field in the 7th inning for Akron at Altoona.

Bazzana is currently (3-8) hitting .375 since coming off the injured list. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/4RF6YP2aQk

— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) July 21, 2025

Bazzana is slashing .253/.375/.791 this season.

RHP – Mitch Neunborn – Reading Fightin’ Phils (Philadelphia Phillies)

The 27-year-old has been consistently good during his best minor league season to date, including a brief call-up to Triple-A in late-June.

Neunborn has a 4.47ERA across 50.1 innings at Double-A with a WHIP of 1.03.

LHP – Blake Townsend – Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Townsend is replicating the success he had at Double-A that he had in High-A.

He started with a 1.14 ERA across 11 games and 23.2 innings in Greensboro (High-A).

At Double-A, he has a 1.15 ERA and .196 BAA in 31.0 innings. He’s allowed just two runs in 12.1 July innings.

RHP – Brandan Bidois – Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Bidois is turning into one of the better stories in Australian minor league baseball. This season, he’s pitched in Class-A, High-A and Double-A.

He’s dominated at all levels.

Since his call-up to Double-A, Bidois has not allowed an earned run in 13.0 innings. Across all levels, Bidois has a 0.50 ERA in 36.0 innings with a BAA of .131.

Bidois, Townsend and Bazzana all met up last week during a game vs each other.

HIGH-A

RHP – Kai-Noa Wynyard – Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers)

Wynyard is on the Injured List, retroactive to July 8.

The Queenslander is turning in another solid season. Wynyard has a 3.15 ERA and one save in his 14 games (45.1innings).

SINGLE-A

RHP – Adam Bates – Salem Red Sox (Boston Red Sox)

The 19-year-old keeps showing signs of improvement in his first season about Rookie Ball. Bates has a 4.42 ERA in 53.0 innings with 46 strikeouts.

While he began the season as a starter, Bates has thrived since his transition to the bullpen. He has a 3.04 ERA in 23.2 relief innings since June 1, but five of his eight earned runs came in one appearance.

INF – Nikau Pouaka-Grego – Clearwater Threshers (Philadelphia Phillies)

Grego is hitting .164 in 20 games at Class-A this season with 8-RBI. He started the year in Rookie Ball but has worked his way back up to travel ball.

INF – Max Durrington – Stockton Ports (Athletics)

Australia’s youngest professional player, 18-year-old Durrington, earned a call-up above Rookie Ball on July 3. Since then, Durrington is hitting .244 in 13 games with four RBI.

He hit .256 with a .359 OPB in Rookie Ball to earn the call-up.

INF – Clayton Campbell – Lakeland Flying Tigers (Tigers)

Campbell was promoted back up to Single-A on July 8 after spending the first few months at the Complex.

He is 2-for-15 with 2 RBI and 2 BB since his call-up.

OF – Drew Davies – Daytona Tortugas (Cincinatti Reds)

Davies was called up above Rookie Ball for the first time on June 24 and made an instant impact. He homered on his first pitch.

Ovis Portes spun 4.0 excellent innings, while Drew Davies and Esmith Pineda homered as Daytona downed Palm Beach 6-3 in the series opener at The Jack!

The full story: https://t.co/roltJlYpJ5

— Daytona Tortugas (@daytonatortugas) June 25, 2025

He’s hitting .244 in Class-A with a homer and 7 RBI, including a four-RBI game last week.

ROOKIE BALL / DOMINICAN LEAGUES

RHP – Juan Manuel Ramirez – Dominican League (Blue Jays)

The Queenslander is showing some promising signs playing with prospects in the Dominican. He has a 0.64 ERA in 14.0 innings with two saves across his ten games.

RHP – Alistair Tanner – Detroit Tigers Florida League

In his first professional season in the USA, Tanner has a 6.39 ERA across 39.2 innings. He seems to start every Friday in the Complex.

INF – Jayden Kim – Dominican League (Pirates)

Kim is hitting .164 in 67 at-bats with 11 RBI this year in the Dominican.

INF / P – BJay Cooke- Athletics Arizona League

The Western Australian has yet to appear this year but is reportedly working out to become a pitcher once again.

RHP – Robinson Smith – Dominican League (Pirates)

The 17-year-old Victorian has no logged stats on MiLB.com but is pitching in the Dominican Republic. However, he is on the 7-day Injured List.

RHP – Rubens Romero – Pirates – Injured, out for season

RHP – Jackson Grounds (Pirates)– 60 day injured list

RHP – Jack Bushell (Tigers) – 60 day injured list

EW SIGNINGS / UNASSIGNED

There have been three Australians who have turned pro in the last ten days.

Brent Iredale (NSW / Pittsburgh Pirates): After a solid season at Arkansas, Iredale was drafted to the Pirates. He is yet to officially sign the contract but is expected to turn pro soon. Read a great feature by MLB.com’s Mike Claire here.

Kailen Hamson (QLD / Baltimore Orioles): The left-handed Queenslander was drafted by Baltimore in the 8th round of the 2025 MLB Draft. He just signed his contract and is waiting to be assigned. Read his signing story here.

Mitch Evans (SA / Tigers): The 17-year-old will finish Year 12 before reporting to the professional ranks next year. You can read his signing story here.

Three Aussies go pro, three different baseball pathways ⚾️

Mitch Evans – 17-year-old lefty signs straight out of high school with the Tigers

Kailen Hamson – Lefty pitcher shows continual improvement while playing for an NAIA school. Drafted by Orioles.

Brent Iredale – Earned…

— Eric Balnar (@EBalnar) July 16, 2025

INTERNATIONAL & INDEPENDENT LEAGUES

JAPAN

INF – Jarryd Dale – Orix Buffaloes (NPB Minor Leagues)

The 24-year-old has a .323 average with a homer and 12 RBI through 30 games. He ranks third among all Japanese minor leaguers with at-least 100 plate appearances in batting average.

RHP – Ky Jackson – Nippon Express (Industrial League)

Numbers are a little tricky to find (help!). But I do know that Jackson, the star of Australia’s Under 23 pitching staff, did not allow a run through his first 17.0 innings pitched.

Could he be drafted to the NPB?

Women’s Club Baseball Championships

Elodie O’Sullivan and Claire O’Sullivan will represent Australia in the Women’s Club Championships.

Read about it here.

KOREA

LHP – Lachlan Wells – Kiwoom Heroes

Wells has appeared in three games as a starter for the Heroes and turned in some quality outings each time.

He has a 3.21 ERA in 14.0 innings for the Heroes and even had a start where he out-duelled former MLB All-Star Hyun Jin-Ryu.

RHP – Coen Wynne – LG Twins

Wynne has returned from his six week stint as an Injury Replacement Player with the Korean Big League club the LG Twins.

He posted a 7.04 ERA in five starts and 23 innings.

MEXICO

LHP – Lewis Thorpe – Saltillo

The 29-year-old former MLB pitcher was recently traded from the Chihuahuas to Saltillo.

In 14 games with his new team, Thorpe has a 6.39 ERA in 12.2 innings out of the bullpen.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

INF – Robbie Glendinning – KC Monarchs

Glendinning has been named to the 2025 American Association All-Star Game thanks to his solid season. He is hitting .270 with 11 homers and 39 RBI in 54 games.

LHP – Josh Hendrickson – KC Monarchs

A true feel good story.

In his return to pro baseball after two years away, Hendrickson is 7-2 with a 3.39 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched.

He’s become one of the most reliable arms in the league and has been named a pitcher of the week this season.

FRONTIER LEAGUE

RHP – James Boeree – Mississippi

The 7’2 arm from Newcastle has a 7.13 ERA 35.1 innings pitched (7 starts).

UTIL – Jarrod Belbin – Quebec Capitales

Belbin was named the Capitales’ player of the month for June. Belbin is hitting .312 on the year with 7 homers and 47 RBI and has an .OPS of .930 through 58 games.

INF – Will Riley – Quebec Capitales

Riley, one of three Aussies on the Capitales, is an All-Star. He was a starter for the Atlantic squad.

The Lismore-native has played seven different positions this season while hitting .304 in 49 games with 5 homers, 19 RBI and 12 stolen bases.

HP – Billy Parsons – Sussex Country Miners

Another Aussie, another All-Star.

Billy, in his third year in the Frontier League, is turning in his best year yet. He has a 2.12 ERA in 51.0 innings in 14 games. He’s been used both as a starter and reliever.

RHP – Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis – Quebec Capitales

The Canberra native is 7-4 with a 5.61 ERA in 33.2 innings this year. All but one outing has come from the bullpen.

PIONEER LEAGUE

OF – Briley Knight – Billings Mustangs

One of the ABL’s leading hitters is making a lot of contact in the USA.

He is hitting .290 in 46 games with four homers and 29 RBI.

QUEBEC LEAGUE

RHP – Ky Hampton – Brock Nutrite Lambert

Unable to find stats.

LIGUE CANADA-EAST (WOMEN’S)

UTIL – Leah Cornish – Rockies

Hitting .520 with seven doubles and 10 RBI in 11 games so far.

UTIL – Peyton Newman – Rockies

Hitting .333 with a .520 OBP in nine games. She has three RBI and three walks.

BANANA BALL

INF – Liam Spence & Brett Allen

Liam Spence has been making trick plays and playing in front of 50,000+ people with the Firefighters in Bananaball.

You can read a great story on Liam Spence here.

“I legitimately played both games with goosebumps on me because it was so unreal for all two hours. The energy has been like that ever since,” says Spence.

Brett Allen has finished his career at university with Reinhardt and just signed a contract with the Savannah Bananas.

22 July 2025 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Community Corporate News

Baseball Australia and Invictus Australia Step Up to the Plate for Defence Community Health and Wellbeing

Invictus Australia and Baseball Australia have formalised a new partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing a shared commitment to supporting the wellbeing, inclusion, and connection of Australia’s defence community through sport.

Baseball Australia is the governing body for all levels of baseball throughout Australia, a recognised member of the World Baseball Softball Confederation and the Australian Sports Commission and the owner of the Australian Baseball League.

They coordinate and support their seven state and territory associations; each are a crucial touchpoint in growing baseball and supporting national programs locally.

Invictus Australia is the leading nonprofit organisation connecting current and former serving personnel and their families to sporting communities across Australia. They promote the benefits of sport for proactively managing physical, social and emotional health, and supporting recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration following transition from service.

This partnership reflects the shared vision of Invictus Australia and Baseball Australia to harness the power of sport as a vehicle for connection, purpose, and community.

Both organisations recognise the wide-ranging benefits of team sports like baseball supporting physical health, strengthening mental wellbeing, fostering inclusion, and creating a strong sense of identity, belonging and community.

Connecting Communities

This collaboration opens new opportunities for veterans and their families to give baseball a go.

Through this initiative members of the defence community can develop new skills and build meaningful connections with others in a sport that is welcoming and provides opportunities for everyone to get involved, whether through playing, coaching or officiating, or being part of the crew behind the scenes that keep the clubs thriving.

Sport provides an environment that supports structure, routine, and connection, key ingredients in navigating life after service.

Baseball encourages movement, focus, teamwork, and shared purpose. Its inclusive nature makes it accessible to people of all ages and abilities, particularly those seeking recovery, re-connection, or a renewed sense of direction after service.

Through this partnership, baseball becomes a pathway for the defence community to connect, participate, and thrive on and off the field and provides the opportunity to find a new tribe.

Military Ties to Baseball

Baseball’s connection to the military dates back decades.

During World War II, thousands of American servicemen stationed in Australia brought the sport with them, playing games on military bases and inviting locals to join or spectate. This sparked a nationwide interest that grew in the post-war years.

That connection has continued.

Today, many defence personnel past and present play in community leagues, with baseball serving as a vital connector, especially in regional areas. Its strategic, social, and low-impact nature, along with the community that team sports provide., making it well-suited to those looking to stay active, engaged, and supported.

Harnessing the Power of Baseball for Community and Recovery

At the centre of this partnership is a shared commitment to offering meaningful and welcoming opportunities for veterans and their families to get involved with baseball.

Baseball provides an accessible and inclusive environment where people of all ages and backgrounds can come together and play, fostering connection, wellbeing, and a strong sense of belonging. Clubs across Australia provide an opportunity to become part of their local community where people meet and with a shared purpose around the game, work together to make each club successful family hubs.

“Baseball Australia is excited to partner with Invictus Australia, to provide an opportunity for veterans and their families to be part of our great baseball community,” says Baseball Australia CEO Glenn Williams.

“Baseball clubs have a great way of making people welcome and, combined with our nationwide commitment to Play Well, where everyone has a place in sport, we know we can provide a platform for people to thrive both on and off the field.”

This shared vision is already resonating within the defence community.

Toni Cumpston, Director, Community Participation and Impact, reflects on the enthusiasm shown at two community events featuring baseball. The first in Western Australia and more recently in Victoria in February, were opportunities to bring the defence community together in a supportive environment.

“We’ve already seen the defence community rally behind baseball. In Western Australia the Rockingham Rams hosted our Defence Community Sports Expo last year and in February this year in Victoria the community came together for a come and try event and curtain raiser match between Team Veteran and Vic Police hosted in partnership with Baseball Australia, before the Hanwha Eagles faced off against Team Australia. The spirit of the game and Baseball’s strong commitment to community make it a natural fit for supporting veterans and their families,” says Cumpston.

Baseball Australia’s Role in Community Engagement

With 600 clubs and a tight knit community focussed on growing its national presence, Baseball Australia has a strong foundation in participation, community sport, and inclusive development. The organisation is well-equipped to help defence communities find their place in baseball.

By aligning with Invictus Australia, Baseball Australia reinforces its commitment to social impact and community development. Together, they aim to build sustainable pathways that support recovery, encourage lifelong participation, and strengthen the social fabric of communities across the country.

This collaboration is a testament to the transformative power of sport in bringing people together, fostering resilience, and creating lasting change.

News