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For the first time in 10 years, New South Wales have claimed Gold on a dramatic final day of the Australian Youth Championships. Read about how the day unfolded below, including recaps, highlights and player quotes from both finals games.

Watch the replay on Baseball+.

First, here’s yesterday’s recap of how today came to be.

MASTER AYC HUB: baseball.com.au/ayc2025

PAST U18 RESULTS: U18 Australian Baseball Championships Hub 

BROADCAST: Baseball+ (plus.baseball.com.au)

TODAY’S SCHEDULE AND RESULT

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For live scoring, search ‘2025 Australian U18 Youth Championship’ in the GameChanger App to follow along. You can also find the link here.

Preliminary Final: Western Australia 3 def South Australia 0

Gold Medal: New South Wales 7 def Western Australia 0

Consolations – Because of weather, only one consolation will be played.

ACT 15 def Victoria 5

RECAPS

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GOLD MEDAL GAME RECAP: NEW SOUTH WALES WIN GOLD AFTER SHUTTING OUT WESTERN AUSTRALIA 

A shutout. A homer. A one-hitter. A fire alarm delay. A stadium evacuation. A gold medal.

New South Wales wrapped up their 2025 Under 18 Championship campaign in golden colours after defeating Western Australia 7-0.

Ethan Bickel, Damien Wilson and Ashton Kennedy combined to one-hit a potent Western Australia offense.

New South Wales built up an early 5-0 lead, and put a ribbon on it late with a Lachlan Vella homer.

It was Vella’s fourth big fly of the event.

The game also endured a peculiar fire alarm delay for almost an hour in the middle of an at-bat in the fourth inning.

“I knew the offence we had was on fire. Our field was outstanding all tournament, barely any errors, so it was great to pitch behind them,” said Bickel after the game. “I stuck to my routine, it has been going well all week. There were a lot of nerves but I tried to stay as calm as possible to get the job done for the boys.”

The bats came out of the gates hot for New South Wales, building a nice buffer.

Kobe Cusbert and Tahlan Cavill each had an RBI single in the bottom of the first, pairing nicely with Josh Nati’s sacrifice fly. 3-0.

Matt Trainor cashed in a fourth run in the second and later scored on a wild pitch. 5-0.

Meanwhile, Ethan Bickel was humming along nicely on the bump. He allowed no runs, with one hit and one walk, with five strike outs in the first 3.1 innings. He was removed after the fire delay.

“I knew the offence we had was on fire. Our field was outstanding all tournament, barely any errors, so it was great to pitch behind them,” said Bickel after the game. “I stuck to my routine, it has been going well all week. There were a lot of nerves but I tried to stay as calm as possible to get the job done for the boys.”

Damien Wilson took over from there, tossing 2.2 innings with no hits, one walk and five strikeouts.

Ashton Kennedy sealed the final three outs with a perfect seventh, featuring two strikeouts.

Matt Trainor went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. He was named the tournament’s MVP.

Tahlan Cavill also had two hits.

New South Wales win their first U18 title in 10 years.

Head coach Phil Hemmer praised the camaraderie after the game.

“We focused on building the core, building the group [before the tournament].”

“We wanted to be good young men, good blokes and good teammates. From the start we wanted to come together as a team. And I think it proved dividends. We were great off the field, great on the field, we were a good group to be around and that’s the principle we tried to build around.”

“Guys were able to be themselves. We encouraged that and it worked out,” he said. “That’s 20 mates right there. They win together. They lost together. They pulled tarps together. They cooked together. It was just a team.

“It didn’t necessarily mean be the best team on the field, but we wanted to be just the best team. We wanted to be the best bunch of blokes, look after each other, and respect where we are. We did that in leaps and bounds. I’m very proud of the boys.”

Hits: Matt Trainor (2), Tahlan Cavill (2), Lachlan Vella, Kobe Cusbert, Christian Lane, Frank Clarke.

PRELIMINARY FINAL: NEAR PERFECT GAME SENDS WESTERN AUSTRALIA TO GOLD MEDAL FINAL

A perfect game attempt was foiled with one out in the bottom of the last as Western Australia defeated South Australia 3-0 to advance to the Gold Medal Final at noon.

Logan Truscutt was sublime in his start. 12 up, 12 down. No walks, no hits, no runs. He struck out two.

Brady Manning followed and retired the first seven batters he faced before James McFarlane singled. Manning finished with a sensational line of 3.0 innings with one hit, no runs and five strikeouts.

“We had good rest, good sleep and good tunes on the bus ride to the ballpark,” said Truscott after the game. “I was out there throwing strikes, I didn’t realise it was a perfect game until the fifth inning.”

Western Australia did all their scoring in the bottom of the third. Tyson Edwards and Lenny Golding each had RBI singles. Riley Oliphant had a sacrifice fly.

Credit to South Australian pitching, they were solid too. Mitch Evans allowed three runs off four hits in his 3.1 innings start. Sam Galpin, Haru Riley and Zac Tibbits then combined to allow no hits over the following 3.2 innings.

Western Australia will now play New South Wales at 12:00PM. Watch on Baseball+.

Hits Western Australia: Lenny Golding, Ben Nesbit, Judd MacNeil, Tyson Edwards
Hits South Australia: James McFarlane

CONSOLATION GAME: ACT 15 def VICTORIA 5

ACT won their fourth game of the tournament, dispatching Victoria for as second time in the week.

The game was tied in the fourth until Eli Tanouye & Bailey Richards singled in three runs.

They pulled away with a six run fourth inning, tallying five hits. Dominic Hamilton and a 2-RBI single, Tanouye had a sacrifice fly, Ryan Padovan cashed in a pair with a single and Ben Sawyer drove in a score.

Cayden Nash led ACT with two hits. Richards, Padovan, Ethan Clugstan and Hamilton all had two runs batted in.

Sam Walk and Sam Land both had two hits for Vic U18. Ryley Shanks led Victoria with 2RBI, going 1-for-2.

FINAL TOURNAMENT STANDINGS

1. New South Wales
2. Western Australia
3. South Australia
4. Victoria
5. Queensland
6. Australian Capital Territory
7. New South Wales Country

HOW FINALS WORK

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Monday 13 January will be the first days of finals.

The following teams have qualified in this order:

1. Western Australia
2. New South Wales
3. Victoria
4. South Australia

Here’s how the finals work:

– The winner of  1v4 (Western Australia vs South Australia) will play the winner of 2v3 (New South Wales vs Victoria) in the Qualifying Final. The loser will meet in the elimination final.

– The winner of the Qualifying Final advances to the Gold Medal Game. The loser goes to the Preliminary Final.

– The winner of the Elimination Final will advance to the Preliminary Final as well.

– The Gold Medal will be contested between the winner of the Qualifying Final & the Preliminary Final

– Roos, New South Wales Country & Queensland will play in the consolation round

The schedule for the remainder of the finals will be confirmed after Saturday.

 

 

WEATHER UPDATE: Tomorrow’s Gold Medal and Preliminary Final Games have been moved forward  

South Australia survive and advance & New South Wales punched their ticket to the Gold Medal Game at the Australian Youth Championships on a hot day in Blacktown.

We also had some key performances in the consolation games.

New South Wales have won the 2025 Australian Youth Championships.

Here you will find the schedule, results, standings important links and information on each of the teams.

For the master AYC Hub, head to baseball.com.au/ayc2025

An unbelievable day at the Australian Youth Championships.

Drama was at an all time high as South Australia secured their finals spot by winning a game that was played on two different diamonds 51km apart from each other.

The day started with the following scenario: South Australia & Queensland fighting for the last finals spot.

Read about it below.

Here you will find recaps, standings and game time changes.

For the master AYC Hub, head to baseball.com.au/ayc2025. Games are scored on Gamechanger. Search ‘2025 Australian U18 Youth Championship’ in the GameChanger App to follow along. You can also find the link here.

For past U18 Results, visit the U18 Hub here. 

DAY 4 – JANUARY 12 – RESULTS / SCHEDULE

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Queensland 9 def New South Wales Country 1
WA 9 def Queensland 0*
South Australia 8 def New South Wales 3
ACT 9 def VIC 1

*Win on Forfeit (WOF), scroll down for explanation

Final Group Stage Standings

^clinched spot in Finals
(remaining games)

1. Western Australia 6-0^
2. New South Wales 4-2^
3. Victoria 3-3^
4. South Australia 3-3^
—
5. Queensland 2-4
6. ACT 2-24
7. New South Wales Country 1-5

Tomorrow’s schedule:

The consolation games will be played at Knights Field, home of Castle Hill Knights. Directions to Knights Field can be found here: www.castlehillbaseball.com.au/ground-locations/

The Finals Games will be played at Gilchrist Oval, home of the Macarthur Oval.

RECAPS

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QUEENSLAND 9 def NEW SOUTH WALES COUNTRY 1 – Queensland keep finals hopes alive thanks to late run surge

Queensland scored seven runs in the sixth inning to pull away in an otherwise tight contact. They needed to win to keep their finals hopes alive.

Doubles from Alex Duncalfe and Lachlan Reed headlined the big inning.

New South Wales scored first on a fielder’s choice.

But from there, Queensland starter Thomas Calvert (above) was money. He threw 4.0 innings allowing just two hits, one unearned run and a walk to go with his four strikeouts.

Jack Huawai tied the game in the third on a sacrifice fly. Huawei singled in a go-ahead run in the fifth. He went 1-for-2 with 2 RBI.

Key Performers:
– Wes Wilford: 2-for-4
– Lachlan Reed: 2-for-3 with an RBI
– Tom Calvert: 4.0IP with 0ER, 2H, 1BB, 4SO

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 9 def QUEENSLAND 0  (WOF)

Western Australia have Won on Forfeit (WOF).

Referencing tournament technical norm 34.2.3.1:

“In accordance with Pitch Smart Guidelines, players are ineligible to pitch more than one outing per day, including shorts.”

The penalty for this infringement is referenced in rule 43.2:

“When an offending team in breach of the pitching rules has won the game, then that team loses the game on a forfeit.”

SOUTH AUSTRALIA 8 def  NEW SOUTH WALES 3: South Australia win dramatic game played over 5.5 hours, in two different fields across Sydney, to clinch finals spot

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Wow. South Australia U18 has just advanced to the finals in the most extraordinary of circumstances – claiming a must win game played on two different diamonds located 51km apart from each other.

Entering a scheduled 2:00PM game, South Australia needed to beat New South Wales (4-1) to secure a spot in the top three.

The first pitch was delivered at 2:05PM at Blacktown under sunny skies.

Things started off wonderfully for the South Australians. Mitch Evans threw 3.0 innings, allowing two hits, one walk and crucially – no runs.

It allowed South Australian to explode a five run fifth inning. They scored three runs off bases loaded walks before Deakin Filko & Bailen Thomas fired off RBI singles.

Then? The heavens opened up. The game was put into delay at about 3:20PM and would resume at Chifley Sports Reserve, a field about an hours drive away.

The game reconvened at 6:30PM.

Things got tight. New South Wales scored three runs, powered by a Lachlan Vella homer, in the top of the sixth inning to draw within two.

But South Australia held their nerve, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth to come home with the win.

In the end it was a big team effort for South Australia to clinch a finals spot. Seven different players had an RBI, led by Will Couzner with two.

They used three pitchers (Evans, South, Green and Filko).

Lachlan Vella had three hits and a homer for NSW. Frank Clarke also had two hits.

Because ACT ending up beating Victoria, this game meant everything for South Australia

ACT 9 def VICTORIA 1 – ACT no-hit Victoria to win second game

Australian Capital Territory secured their second win of the tournament in no-hit fashion over five-innings to conclude group stage.

They drew a bunch of walks in the first and second inning to lead 5-0. They pulled away with four late runs before the game was called because of time.

Notably, Nate Quigg (2.2 innings), Bailey Richards (1.1 innings) and William Yeomans (1.0 innings) threw combined no hitter, allowing just one unearned run.

The Final Standings are now set.

HOW FINALS WORK

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Monday 13 January will be the first days of finals.

The following teams have qualified in this order:

1. Western Australia
2. New South Wales
3. Victoria
4. South Australia

Here’s how the finals work:

– The winner of  1v4 (Western Australia vs TBD) will play the winner of 2v3 (New South Wales vs Victoria) in the Qualifying Final. The loser will meet in the elimination final.

– The winner of the Qualifying Final advances to the Gold Medal Game. The loser goes to the Preliminary Final.

– The winner of the Elimination Final will advance to the Preliminary Final as well.

– The Gold Medal will be contested between the winner of the Qualifying Final & the Preliminary Final

– Roos, New South Wales Country & Queensland will play in the consolation round

The schedule for the remainder of the finals will be confirmed after Saturday.

It’s a great day for baseball! There are six scheduled games in the Under 18 age division today.

Please stay tuned for Day 3 schedule. There will be a revision, and likely won’t be announced until late tonight

Most of today’s games are at Gilchrist Oval, home of the Macarthur Orioles.

Here you will find recaps, standings and game time changes. You’ll also find the CARVE Performers of the Day.

For the master AYC Hub, head to baseball.com.au/ayc2025. Games are scored on Gamechanger. Search ‘2025 Australian U18 Youth Championship’ in the GameChanger App to follow along. You can also find the link here.

For past U18 Results, visit the U18 Hub here. 

RESULTS / SCHEDULE

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WA 6 def NSWC 3
WA 17 def VIC 6
ACT 8 def SA 3
NSW 5 def NSWC 3
QLD 13 def ACT 0
NSW 17 def VIC 4

STANDINGS – END OF DAY 2

CARVE PERFORMERS OF THE DAY

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CARVE are giving out performance sunglasses to one player from each team in the U18 division for the first two days.

Congrats to our winners from Day 2. You can collect your glasses from the Carve tent from January 10-13 at Blacktown.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA – Austin Moyle: Productive in both games. He had three RBI across both games today. In Game 2, he threw 2.2 perfect innings with three strikeouts.

ACT – Cooper McMaster: Tossed 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run and three hits in a win vs South Australia.

QUEENSLAND – Liam Overlack: 3-for-4 with two doubles in one inning in a 13-1 win plus 2RBI.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA – Lucas Manson: 1-for-3 with an RBI double in South Australia’s game vs ACT.

NEW SOUTH WALES COUNTRY –  Riley Cooper: 3-for-5 with 1RBI and two doubles.

NEW SOUTH WALES – Matt Trainor: An eventual game-winning two-RBI double to break a tie vs Country. He went 1-for-1 with two walks.

VICTORIA – Devin Leahy: In the first game, Leahy went 2-for-3 with 2RBI and a triple.

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

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RECAPS

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA 6 def NEW SOUTH WALES COUNTRY 3 – WA hold on to win tight game vs NSW Country

George Calverley and Ben Nesbit each had two hits as Western Australia won an extremely tight game with Country at MacArthur.

Calverley helped create two runs in the bottom of the sixth innings to help WA pull away. Before that, it was a 4-3 game.

WA pitcher Brady Manning was at the centre of a key moment, striking out two batters with bases loaded in the sixth inning to preserve a one run lead.

Austin Moyle hit a sacrifice fly and Judd MacNeil had an RBI on a groundout to put WA up 2-0 early.

A Riley Cooper sacrifice fly brought New South Wales Country level in the top of the third. Cooper led New South Wales with two hits.

Eita Samukawa drove in a go-ahead run in the bottom of the third on a ground out.

Down 4-2 in the top of the sixth, New South Wales Country brought the game within one off a wild-pitch. They had bases loaded and one out, but Brady Manning induced a pair of key strikeouts.

Manning threw 1.2 innings, allowing one hit, no runs with three strikeouts.

Western Australia improve to 3-0 on the tournament.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA 16 def VICTORIA 6 – WA explode for 12 runs, 16 unanswered, after a rain delay to move to 4-0, score 16

Western Australia erased an early 6-1 deficit and scored 16 unanswered runs in a big win at Gilchrist.

Things started gloomy for Western Australia. Victoria scored four second inning runs to power ahead 6-1.

WA fought back with four runs in the bottom of the second to move within one before a 90 minute rain delay stunted momentum.

The tarps came off and WA bats turned on. They scored 14 runs in the final three innings to win big.

Lenny Golding led the offensive explosion by going 2-for-3 with 4RBI. Ben Nesbit and Cam Bahr also had two hits.

Eita Samukawa, Austin Boyle, Judd MacNeil and Cam Bahr each had two RBI.

Austin Moyle (above) also threw 2.2 innings perfect innings with three strikeouts.

ACT 8 def SOUTH AUSTRALIA 3 – ACT stun SA behind brilliant Cooper McMaster pitching performance

Cooper McMaster (below) has helped lead the Australian Capital Territory to a stunning 8-3 victory over South Australia.

The Canberra pitcher gave up two hits and one earned run over 5.1 innings while striking out five.

“My body was feeling good, my arm was feeling great, it felt like the ball was coming out really well,” said McMaster after the game. “These boys have been working so hard, it’s good to see it all pay off. Wouldn’t have been able to do it without [my team]”

ACT built up an early 3-0 lead in the first two innings, taking advantage of South Australian errors and walks.

Ryan Chou had an RBI to extend the lead to 4-0 after four.

South Australia scored a run in the fifth but left the bases loaded. They scored two more in the sixth and had two runners on with one out, but couldn’t convert any more.

ACT scored three runs in the final inning before the game was called because of time.

Ethan Clugston had three RBI in the win while going 1-for-2 with 2BB at the plate. Nate Quigg and Benjamin Sawyer also had two hits.

NEW SOUTH WALES 5 def  NEW SOUTH WALES COUNTRY 3 – New South Wales snatch lead late to claim second win

New South Wales Metro broke a fourth inning 3-3 tie when Matt Trainor doubled in a pair of runs.

Metro built up a 3-0 lead after Kobe Cusbert singled home a run in the first and drove in an another on a sacrifice fly in the third.

Country took advantage of Metro miscues to score three runs and tie the game in the third. Hamish Weekes had one of his two singles.

Lachlan Robinson, Fletcher Willard, Max Hagger and Ashton Kennedy pitched for Metro.

Kennedy was solid in relief, tossing 1.0 innings with one strikeout out. Max Hagger allowed nothing in his 2.0 innings of work.

Hamish Weekes starred for Country, going 2-for-3 with the bat, driving in a run, and pitching 1.0 innings of scoreless relief.

QUEENSLAND 13 def ACT 0 – Queensland roll on to first tournament win

Liam Overlack went 3-for-4 as Queensland put up a big number.

Overlack doubled twice in the fourth inning when Queensland put up a seven runs to pull away.

Kobi Wise was impressive on the mound. He allowed three hits, no walks and struck out two in 3.0 shutout innings.

Liam Kiddle, Ceaser Gardiner and Alex Duncalfe also collected two hits.

Harrison and Max Clark combined for 3.0 shutout to close it out.

After two hits vs South Australia, ACT’s Nate Quigg added another hit to his name vs Queensland.

NSW 17 def VIC 4 – New South Wales score heaps early and win in lightning delayed contest

An opportunistic New South Wales won large at MacArthur in a game that endured a lightning delay for over an hour.

New South Wales managed just six hits but scored 13 runs in the win.

Mason Malkoun led the day with a 1-for-3 effort with three RBI. Lachlan Vella had two hits.

Lincoln Grupelaar had two RBI.

Frank Clarke scored two runs, had a hit and drove in a pair.

Ethan Bickel allowed just one run in his three innings on the mound for NSW.

Victoria were led by a 2-for-3 effort from Roman Coote. Ethan Johnstone pitched the final outs for Victoria, chucking 1.1 shutout innings.

END OF DAY 2 STATS

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It’s the first day of the Under 18 National Baseball Championships.

There is a revision to the original schedule due to rain.

We’ll update recaps as they come, and update this page with any game time changes.

For the master AYC Hub, head to baseball.com.au/ayc2025.

For live scoring, head to GameChanger and search ‘2025 Australian U16 Youth Championship’ in the GameChanger App to follow along. You can grab the link directly here. 

SCHEDULE / RESULTS

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Diamond 1 – WA 6 def NSW 3
Diamond 1 – New South Wales Country 7 def ACT 4
Diamond 3 – Victoria 7 def South Australia 3
Diamond 1- New South Wales 1 def Queensland 0
Diamond 3 – Western Australia 9 def ACT 3
Diamond 1 – South Australia 2 def Queensland 1
Diamond 1 – Victoria 9 def New South Country 0

Standings

1. Western Australia 2-0
2. Victoria 1-1
3. New South Wales 1-1
4. New South Wales Country 1-1
5. South Australia 1-1
6. Queensland 0-2
7. ACT 0-2

CARVE PERFORMERS OF THE DAY

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Carve are giving out performance sunglasses to one player from each team in the U16 division for the first two days.

Congrats to our winners from Day 3. You can collect your glasses from the Carve tent from January 10-13 at Blacktown.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA – Sam Galpin: In the first game of the day, he threw 2.0 perfect innings with one strikeout. In Game 2, Galpin went 2-for-2 with an RBI.

NEW SOUTH WALES – Riley Puckett: Unbelievable start for Riley. He went 6.0 innings allowing two hits, no runs, no walks while striking out seven in just 62 pitches.

QUEENSLAND – Thomas Calvert: Threw 4.2 innings in his start, only allowing four hits and one run. He had three strikeouts.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA – Lenny Golding: Mr. Consistent. In Game 1 vs NSW, Golding went 2-for-3 with 2RBI. In Game 2 vs ACT, he went 1-for-2 with an RBI.

ACT – Liam Oshyer: In Game 1, Liam pitched 2.2 innings, allowing no hits with one run. In the second game, he went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

VICTORIA – Will Kent: A five RBI day. In a 7-3 win over SA, Kent went 1-for-2 with an RBI. In Game 2, a 9-0 win over NSWC, Kent went 2-for-4 with 4 RBI.

NEW SOUTH WALES COUNTRY –  Sam Davis: In Game 1 today, Davis went 1-for-3 at the plate but was part of two great defensive plays at the catching position.

RECAPS

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WA 6 def NSW 3 – Western Australian bats power past tournament hosts to open U18 play 

Eita Samukawa (bel0w) had three hits as every Western Australian in the line-up reached base at least one in a 6-3 victory over New South Wales.

The Western Australians jumped U18 national squad pitcher Damien Wilson for five runs in the first two innings. An Austin Moyle RBI single, Lenny Golding two-RBI double and George Cavalry RBI single built an early 5-0 advantage.

Logan Truscott threw 3.1 innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run in his start.

NSW pitcher Matt Trainor pitched four shutout innings in relief to keep his team in the game. They drew closer, plating a run in the fourth, sixth and seventh.

They had the tying run at the plate in the final inning before Ryan Warner closed the door.

“It was a great win to get in our first game. Our team played well on the defensive and offensive side,” said infielder Eita Samukawa after the game. “The team is really coming together. Our pitchers did really well today, they came in tough situations but they did well to keep us going.”

Key Performers:
– Eita Samukawa (WA): 3-for-4
– Lenny Golding (WA): 2-for-3 with BB and 2RBI
– Ben Nesbit (WA): 2-for-3 with 3 runs and 2BB
– Ashton Kennedy (NSW): 2-for-3
– Matt Trainor (NSW): 4.0IP, 4H, 1BB, 6SO

NSW Country 7 def ACT 4 – Strong defense, mid-game surge, lead Country to victory over the Capital

New South Wales Country erased an early 2-0 deficit to open their tournament with a win.

Every player in the line-up reached, tallying four hits and nine walks.

Country turned the game in the third inning, scoring six runs off two innings. The biggest blow was a 2-RBI triple from Cormac Boggiss.

Christopher Morgan started the game for New South Wales Country, giving up one hit and one earned run over 2.2.

Country used the momentum of some big defensive plays in the middle of the game to turn the tide. Catcher Sam Davis threw a runner out at second and tagged a runner out at home in the win to keep it 2-0.

“It was good to get the first win on the board,” says Davis. “We have a lot of confidence in our boys. We all got around each other and played well as a team. We need to keep swinging the bats and make easy routine plays.”

ACT scored two late runs to cut the lead to 7-4 before the game was called because of time.

Key Performers:
– Cormac Boggis (NSWC): 1-for-3 with an RBI and 2R
– Sam Davis (NSWC): 1-for-3 with 1BB and a couple great defensive plays
– Cooper McMaster (ACT): 0-for-1 with 2BB and 2R

VICTORIA 7 def SOUTH AUSTRALIA 3 – VICTORIA EXPLODE FOR EARLY RUNS IN TOURNAMENT OPENING WIN

Defending champion Victoria scored six runs in the first three innings to pull away from South Australia early.

Victoria got on the board in the first inning with an RBI double to Andrew Land and an RBI single to Roman Coote off SA starter Will Couzner.

Will Couzner and Henry Wiese tied the game for SA in the bottom of the first.

Victoria capitalised off two South Australian errors in the third to lead 5-2 after two.

A single to Ethan Johnston expanded the lead to 6-2 in the third.

Zak Stafilis starred on the mound for Victoria, pitching 2.0 innings of no-hit, shutout relief. He allowed just one walk while striking out four.

Victoria combined for ten hits in the win. SA combined for four.

Key Performers:
– Andrew Land (VIC): 2-for-4 with 1RBI
– Roman Coote (VIC): 2-for-4 with 1RBI
– Ethan Johnston (VIC): 2-for-3 with an RBI
– Sam Galpin (SA): 2.0IP, 0H, 0B, 0R,1SO

NEW SOUTH WALES 1 def QUEENSLAND 0 – Riley Puckett masterclass shuts down Queensland

Riley Puckett turned the pitching performance of the tournament so far.

He only needed 62 pitches to throw 6.0 shutout innings with no walks, two hits, and seven strikeouts. The two hits came back-to-back in the fifth inning.

“Ball was coming out really good. The boys backed me up in the field. Couldn’t have asked for anything else,” he says. “The defense saved me. Josh Nati made an amazing play. We have high hopes for this tournament and the plan is to win a couple games tomorrow, the next day and the day after that.”

New South Wales scored their only run in the first inning – a sacrifice fly from Josh Nati.

Nati also made a tremendous play in the field.

Tom Calvert was also excellent on the mound for Queensland. He threw 4.2 innings with four hits, one earned run, one walk and three strikeouts.

Key Performers:
– Tom Calvert (QLD): 4.2IP, 4H, 1ER, 1BB, 3SO
– Riley Puckett (NSW): 6.0IP, 2H, 0BB, 0ER, 7SO
– Christian Lane (NSW): 2-for-3

WA 9 def ACT 3 – Western Australia pull away late vs ACT

The game was much closer than it looked in Western Australia 9-3 win over ACT. It was 2-2 after three.

But Western Australia took advantage of ACT miscues to win. Western Australia were outhit 7-5 in the contest and scored most of their runs off errors, walks and sacrifice flies.

George Calverley went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk to lead the WA batting.

“Great vibe in the dugout right now,” says Calverley. “To get two wins on the first day puts us in a good spot for the rest of the tournament.”

Jack Blundell and Cayden Nash had two hits for ACT.

Chase Shortland, Dylan Palethorpe, Brady Manning and Adam Taylor combined to allow three earned runs for Western Australia.

Ryan Padovan, Eli Tanouye and Ben Sawyer pitched for ACT.

Key performers:
– Cayden Nash (ACT): 2-for-2 with 1BB
– George Calverley (WA): 2-for-3 with 1RBI and 1BB

SA 2 def QLD 1 – South Australia hold on to win thriller in battle of 0-1 teams

Queensland had the winning run on base with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but Deakin Filko struck out the batter to seal a dramatic 2-1 win for South Australia.

The game could have huge implications on who advances to the top four later in the week.

Mitch Evans tossed 4.1 innings, allowing no runs and three hits with three strikeouts for South Australia. Carter Roe pitcher two thirds of an inning before Deakin Filko threw 2.0 innings allowing two hits, one earned run and two strikeouts.

South Australia also benefited from great defense.

Queensland countered with Caleb Duke on the mound. He allowed 3.2 innings with one earned run and three strikeouts. Wollin, McLoughlin and Moore closed out the game for the Maroons.

Sam Galpin broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with an RBI single. Tyler Green provided distance in the sixth. Galpin starred for South Australia, collecting two hits.

“Emotions were up and about [in the game],” says Galpin. “It felt like a movie. It was great. There was no doubt we were in it from the start. When they came back, we still felt confident. With the feeling right now we’re all up and about and will roll into day two.”

Lachlan Reed went 2-for-4 at the plate for Queensland. He drove in the team’s first run in the seventh.

Key Performers:
– Lachlan Reed (QLD): 2-for-4, RBI
– Mitch Evans (SA): 4.1 innings, 3 hits and three strikeouts
– Sam Galpin (SA): 2-for-4 with an RBI and BB

VICTORIA 9 def NSW COUNTRY 0 – Efficient bats, powerful arms, help guide Victoria to two-hit win over NSW Country

Hamish Stone, Jesse Hando & Liam Campbell combined to allow just two hits on the mound for Victoria during their big Thursday night win.

The defending champions also saw Devin Leahy, Andrew Land and Will Kent each tally two hits.

Kent starred, going 2-for-4 with 4 RBI.

Roman Coote also made a highlight reel play in right field.

Victoria scored three in the first, highlighted by Will Kent’s triple that drove in two. They pulled away with four runs in the fourth.

Only Will Klein-Schiphorst and Tyler Boggiss had hits for New South Wales Country.

Key Performers:
– Will Kent (VIC): 2-for-4, 4RBI
– Jess Hando (VIC): 3.2IP, 0ER, 1H, 3BB, 2SO
– Andrew Land (VIC): 2-for-2, 1 RBI

 

Queensland won the Under 18 championships in 2023 but missed out on the medal rounds in 2024. Can they return to the top?

Preparation is at an all-time high with a large chunk of the teams playing in a tournament in Taiwan in December.

Let’s see what the Queenslanders can do in 2025!

For all your tournament information, head to www.baseball.com.au/ayc2025/.

We’re previewing each state in the U16 and U18 ahead of the 2025 Australian Youth Baseball Championships in Blacktown from January 7-15. Head here for full coverage and schedule.

Make sure you follow us at @baseball.com.au on Instagram and Facebook for coverage.

Broadcast of games on Diamond 1 will be provided live, free and on-demand on Baseball+.

UNDER 16 ROSTER – QUEENSLAND

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Queensland bring an experienced squad to the fray. Fourteen players are aged 15 at the time of the tournament.

You’ll want to remember this name: Alonzo Zaire Griffin.

The 15-year-old was hurt in the first game of last year’s tournament but he is one of the best of his age-group. He won a Little League and Intermediate League World Series with the Brisbane North Vikings and played for Australia’s U16 team.

Griffin is a legitimate two-way star.

Tirrell Waiwai has also helped Brisbane North win a few championships. He’ll be slated to start some important games this tournament.

Thomas White pitched a gutsy effort in the 2024 Junior League Championship game. He has winning experience and can go deep into games.

Outfielder Logan Lokeni has been teammates with Griffin & Waiwai throughout their Little League exploits and is primed to make an impact, too.

“Logan Lokeni, he’s one of the youngest in the team still playing senior league but his attitude and determination is something that everyone in our team should and does admire,” say teammate Bailey Russell.

Blake Pearce, Hunter Ryan and Troy Dean are three more 15-year-olds who are listed as pitchers. The depth should pay off.

The Under 16s have the pitching, they have the stars, and they have players who have championship experience.

Will the stars align for them in Blacktown?

UNDER 18 ROSTER – QUEENSLAND

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Queensland should be contenders. They have a nice blend of experience, Team Australia talent, and high-level preparation.

Much of this group played in in an international tournament in Taiwan in December. They also had an exhibition game vs New Zealand in early December, and time vs Perfect Game USA in January. They’re in form.

They also have three position players and a pitcher who represented Australia at last month’s U18 World Cup Qualifiers.

They are: catcher Cooper Teichmann, catcher Wes Wilford, outfielder Liam Kiddle and pitcher Kobi Wise.

The Team Australia catching duo of Teichmann and Wilford should provide great stability.

Of all the names to watch for most Queensland players shoutout 17-year-old middle-infielder / pitcher Caleb Duke.

“He was our captain on the Taiwan trip,” says teammate Andre Chang. “He is a powerful two way who can perform on both the mound and the batter’s box while playing solid defence up the middle when needed.”

Pitcher Kobi Wise moves up from the 16s to the 18s this season. He tossed three innings vs USA 15U in September, allowing just one run.

16-year-olds Cooper Teichmann, Kobi Wise, Thomas Calvert and Paddy McLoughlin all also played for Australia’s U16 team on a USA tour in September.

17-year-old Luka Moore is also gaining attention from teammates.

“He’s a hard worker with a firm fastball I’m hoping he does well this tournament,” says Paddy McLoughlin.

Regional areas of New South Wales have produced some great baseball players.

From the Wells twins, to Rixon Wingrove, to Tim Atherton, the McMillan sisters, to Ryan Rowland Smith and beyond, the country of New South Wales is a baseball hotbed.

Both the U16 and U18 age groups missed out on the medal rounds last year. Can they bounce back?

We’re excited to watch some promising talent this January in Blacktown.

For all your tournament information, head to www.baseball.com.au/ayc2025/.

We’re previewing each state in the U16 and U18 ahead of the 2025 Australian Youth Baseball Championships in Blacktown from January 7-15. Head here for full coverage and schedule.

Make sure you follow us at @baseball.com.au on Instagram and Facebook for coverage.

Broadcast of games on Diamond 1 will be provided live, free and on-demand on Baseball+.

NEW SOUTH WALES COUNTRY – UNDER 16

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This should be a lively but young team. Ten players on the 20-man squad are aged 14. This year is about developing for the future.

That says, there is a nice leadership core present. Returning players Austin Turner & Archie Sampson, Baxter Nee should lead the charge.

Archie Sampson and Jesse Garnero both represented Australia at the 2024 Junior League World Series after winning a national title with Cronulla in May.

“Achie is a leader who really brings a positive energy to the team,” says fellow teammate Jian Chen.

The national championship experience is there, for sure.

But the rising crop of athletes is the most tantalising.

We’re looking forward to watching the ever developing curve ball of Coffs Harbour’s Denzel Wynne-Primus. Great baseball name too.

Camden’s Owen Hart has been pegged as a pitcher to watch, too.

Many players on Country New South Wales point to 14-year-old Austin Turner as “must watch.”

Turner is a pitcher from Newcastle who has overcome a lot.

“He is the lower end of the age group but you wouldn’t think that due to his size and strength. I have played with Austin for many years and we often train together outside of our club and representative training,” says catcher Baxter Nee. “He challenges me as a catcher but more importantly, I have watched him grow and develop his pitching skills over the years. I know he has struggled each time he had a growth spurt, having to retrain his mechanics. He never gives up and his ability is something you would expect from someone who is older. He has a great sense of humor and is very funny, I am proud to play with him doing what we both love and enjoy.”

What more is there to say?

Turner says his story is one of resilience.

“I am the second youngest person on our team,” he says. “The past 12 months have been hard for me as I have been fighting a disease that we didn’t know about until recently called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. I was feeling really unwell and exhausted all the time and had to keep trying to push through and not let it affect my baseball or schooling which was hard. But after starting on medication I have been feeling a lot better and have had much more fun playing baseball as it was not such a struggle to just get up in the morning.”

We’re cheering for you!

Offensively, Baxter Nee should shoulder some load. He has great command behind the plate and has some pop. The Newcastle-native can also play third base.

14-year-old Liam Gardner, from Belmont Baseball Club in Newcastle, might get an opportunity to shine in the middle-infield too.

We can’t wait to watch this crop of Country Kids do their thing!

NEW SOUTH WALES COUNTRY – UNDER 18

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I wouldn’t sleep on this NSW Country U18s team.

They have a really solid foundation returning for their second year of 18s, a good crop graduating from the Under 16s, and a couple Team Australia stars.

Let’s start with the returning players from last year’s U18 squad. They are: Lachlan O’Sullivan, Sam Davis, Chris Morgan, Connor McArthy, Riley Watson, Riley Cooper, Hamish Weekes, Kallen Barker, Hamish Gleeson

Riley Cooper, from Northern NSW, was lights out for Australia at the recent U18 Qualifiers vs New Zealand. Cooper went 6-for-17 with a double and seven runs batted in. He also played for Australia at the Perfect Game World Series.

“He’s a stud hits for both power and contact also fields well,” says Riley Watson of his teammate, Riley Cooper.

Riley Watson is no slouch himself. He was arguably the star player of NSW Country as a 16-year-old in 2024.

Lachlan O’Sullivan should provide stability on the mound and outfield. We’ll also look at top age players Alex Poole, Chris Morgan, Kallen Barker and Tristan Clapham to provide steady heads as pitcher.

Sam Davis is tipped to be strong behind the plate.

Chris Morgan has been pitching first grade for powerhouse Blacktown Workers.

Up from the 16s are the likes of Will Klein-Schiphorst, Tyler Boggiss, Cormac Boggiss, Ben Frost and Patrick Harrison.

Cam Howay, who won a gold medal with NSW Metro last year, also joins this country side.

Klein-Schiphorst, from Wyong Wildcats, represented Australia at the U16 level this past year.

Gosford’s Kai Pora is intriguing. He’s only 16 and has been playing baseball just for two years. He’ll play both outfield and centrefield.

“My personal trainer encouraged me to play. I got given my very first glove by a player that I didn’t even know and that made me fall in love with the game,” says Pora.

Let’s see how New South Wales Country will roll!

‘Gold Medal’ is part of the vocabulary when it comes to New South Wales baseball.

No state has higher participation, no state has more national junior team players, no state has greater expectations when it comes to tournament baseball.

In 2024, the Under 16s dominated and rolled their way to a Gold Medal. Many of these players have moved up an age bracket.

The Under 18s finished first in the minor rounds in 2024 but bowed out without a medal. Can they turn it around

For all your tournament information, head to www.baseball.com.au/ayc2025/.

We’re previewing each state in the U16 and U18 ahead of the 2025 Australian Youth Baseball Championships in Blacktown from January 7-15. Head here for full coverage and schedule.

Make sure you follow us at @baseball.com.au on Instagram and Facebook for coverage.

Broadcast of games on Diamond 1 will be provided live, free and on-demand on Baseball+.

NEW SOUTH WALES – U16

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It’s a completely different squad than the group who won Gold in 2024 with a couple players returning.

Don’t be fooled – this team is still loaded with talent. It’s also a largely top age team, with 16 of the 20 players aged 15 at tournament time.

When it comes to players to watch, players like two-way star Jake Shorey and pitcher Will Bonham just travelled with Cronulla to the Junior League World Series, winning an Australian national title along the way.

Bonham in particular was brilliant for Cronulla at Junior League. In one of his starts he struck out all eleven batters he faced.

Other pitchers to watch includes 15-year-olds Tristan Crynes, Kai Harris, Harley Gibson, Kai Ueki, Will Hooper, Christian Morrison, Parker Willard plus 14-year-olds Jack Kelly and Roman Ellis.

The point? New South Wales have a lot of different pitching options.

We asked every NSW player for a teammate to watch. The majority said one name: Draven Fatu.

“His lead up during the season has been great and he is a great teammate,” says Jake Shorey.

“Draven hits well, with both consistency and power,” says Daniel Price.

“He just hits bombs,” says Parker Willard.

You get the idea.

Roman Ellis is an intriguing outfielder. The 14-year-old is in the midst of his first year playing baseball since relocating back to Sydney from New York with his family.

In New York, Ellis played travel ball with New York Gothams for three years, achieving Perfect Game All Tournament Awards twice.

“I’m really excited to have made this NSW state team,” says Ellis.

Shortstop Ryan Reekie returns to the state squad for the first time since 2023. He’s also caused havoc on the base paths with Ryde.

New South Wales has fresh faces, deep pitching, and game changing players. Will it click at home in Blacktown?

NEW SOUTH WALES – U18

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Only South Australia had more junior national team members than the Under 18s of New South Wales.

Tahlan Cavill, Christian Lane, Mason Malkoun, Ethan Bickel and Damien Wilson all suited up for Australia at the recent U18 World Cup Qualifiers vs New Zealand.

Add in Lincoln Gruppelaar who played for New Zealand and Josh Nati who missed the tournament due to injury and this team is loaded.

Further, many of the new faces on the team were part of the dominant U16 NSW squad who won Gold in 2024.

Of note, Mason Malkoun, Lachie Vella and Josh Nati return from last year’s squad to help pace the offence.

Malkoun has been playing first grade for powerhouse club Blacktown Workers and was one of the RBI leaders for Australia at the World Cup Qualifiers.

Josh Nati is arguable the biggest name in the tournament. He’s been committed to Oregon State University since 2022, has professional scouts buzzing, and is the reigning Golden Glove winner from last year’s tournament.

But there are others.

Catcher Lachlan West has committed to Wenatchee Valley Community College in Washington State.

Christian Lane played for ACT in 2024 but returns to NSW as the in-form hitter for Team Australia. Lane went 5-for-12 with three doubles, a triple, eight walks and seven runs in the qualifiers vs New Zealand.

“He’s just a pure good hitter and has power,” says pitcher Daniel Thwaites of Lane.

Tahlan Cavill won the Golden Bat Award at the Under 16 nationals last year. He also put up gaudy numbers for Australia at the World Cup Qualifiers.

The 2024 U16 MVP Fletcher Willard also makes the jump to the 18s age bracket.

We get it – NSW can hit.

But how about their pitching?

Damien Wilson was arguably the ace of Team Australia’s U18 squad. Ethan Bickel was also outstanding.

Wilson says he’s been putting in the hard yards over the last 12-months.

“I’ve worked so hard for what I’ve achieved so far and my hard work has gotten me to where I am today,” he says “The endless hours of running and the boring 1%er’s that no one else does like yoga and daily exercise and stretching goes straight under the radar and has helped me to stand out.”

16-year-old Kobe Cusbert won the 2024 U16 Golden Arm.

Hisato Adachi, Max Hagger, Riley Puckett, Daniel Thwaites, Ashton Kennedy, Matt Trainor and Lachie Robinson can all chuck it, too.

This particular writer is keen to watch 17-year-old Matt Trainor and 16-year-old Ashton Kennedy. He was dominant for Cronulla in their run at the Senior League World Series.

Kennedy has already pitched Division 1 for Blacktown.