01 August 2025
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.
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.”
