U15 WORLD CUP IN REVIEW: Lessons learned as Aussies prepare for Placement Round

01 October 2026 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

U15 WORLD CUP IN REVIEW: Lessons learned as Aussies prepare for Placement Round

The first phase of the 2026 U15 World Cup is complete for Team Australia in Mexico.

While Team Australia will not play for a medal in the Super Round, the three upcoming Placement Round games still represent a huge opportunity in a lot of facets of the game – and life.

One area is player development. This group of young men has a chance to continue to bond, refine their skills, implement Team Australia foundations and represent their country.

The other is in terms of World Ranking Points, which helps determine the national program’s place in the global game. WBSC World Rankings take into account events at all levels: Qualifiers, Exhibitions, U12, U15, U18, U23, Premier12 and WBC. Where Australia finishes here has an impact on the national team program as a whole.

Australia’s previous showing in this tournament, back in 2018, resulted in a ninth-place finish. Australia has not finished higher than ninth at a U15 World Cup since the tournament was brought under the WBSC banner in 2012. Coincidentally, that’s where Australia is ranked now.

WATCH THE TOURNAMENT LIVE: On Gametime.sport around the world and DAZN in Australia.

Australia moves to the six-team Placement Round with two other nations from Pool B (Venezuela and Czechia) and three from Pool A (Cuba, Germany and South Africa).

Team Australia will play the three teams from Pool A from October 1-3. Results against Venezuela and Czechia carry over. Therefore, the standings look like this:

7. Venezuela 2-0 (World #5)
8. Cuba 2-0 (World #12)
9. Australia 1-1 (World #9)
10. Germany 1-1 (World #17)
11. Czechia 0-2 (World #15)
12. South Africa 0-2 (World #23)

The upcoming schedule can be seen in the graphic below:

[INSERT GRAPHIC]

It’s effectively a battle of who can finish the highest and who can bring home the most ranking points for their country.

Competition has been stiff. Eight different pitchers from Pool B opponents were clocked at 90+ miles per hour. There are future Major Leaguers here. In the past, household baseball names like Yordan Alvarez, Brice Turang and Luis Arráez have played in this event.

Australian manager Andy Kyle says it’s been an educational week for the players.

“There have been a lot of learning moments for the playing group during the first week,” says Kyle. “Exposure to the speed of the game and what it demands at this level has been the biggest challenge so far.”

We reviewed each game below as a refresher, with some quotes, highlights and key numbers.

Despite some challenging results, Kyle says the group should feel good about their chances in the Placement Round games.

“We have shown we have the ability. Self belief and performance consistency for 7 innings and 21 outs will be a focus as we prepare for the final few games,” he says.

Here’s a summary of what’s been going on, some key players and what to look for:

POOL B GAMES – A SUMMARY

Watch online: You can watch all games in the Placement Round on Gametime.sport online, or if you have a subscription to DAZN in Australia, the games are available there. Australia’s remaining schedule is further down in the article.

GAME 1: Loss 11-1 to Venezuela

A tricky start for the Aussies, who threatened with multiple base runners early but couldn’t convert. Venezuela exploded for seven runs in the final three innings.

The big story in this game? Errors. It prompted Kyle to state that the team needed to limit free bases.

Bodhi Evans was a standout. He went 2-for-2 with a double.

GAME 2: Win 9-2 over Czechia

Australia looked much more settled here. This game was played in sweltering conditions — weather reports said it ‘felt like’ 42 during the game despite being 34 on the dial.

Australia did a good job of pressuring Czech defenders by putting balls in play and running wild on the base paths. It forced Czechia to make mistakes.

The Aussies scored four in the first and four in the last in their 9-2 win. Victoria’s Jacob Tayler was the catalyst. He had three hits and stole four bases.

George Steer turned in a tremendous effort in relief. Czechia tried to push its way back into the game, but the Geelong pitcher tossed 2.2 shutout innings in middle relief to shut down any Czech opportunity. He built off a solid outing from starter Noah McCabe who yielded no earned runs in his effort (pictured below).

Pitching coach Kai Meuronen praised Steer’s efforts after the game, saying he loved how he “just threw strikes” and really helped settle the team.

Meuronen said he thought Australia did a “good job of adjusting to the speed of the game [vs Czechia]. I think we were caught a little off guard.”

Credit to the Australian pitching combo of Noah McCabe (below), Steer and Harrison Thomas-McLean. They combined to allow just one hit in the win.

GAME 3: Loss 23-0 to USA

One to put in the rearview mirror. The USA piled on 14 runs in an error-prone third inning.

“You can’t give away free bases and extra opportunities at this level,” said Kyle after the game.

There are some genuine stars on this USA squad. At this point in the tournament, they had scored runs in every offensive inning so far and outscored opponents 42-2. In ten years, it’s almost certain we will look back and say some MLB All-Star(s) played in this game. You only have to look at recent history.

Notable American alumni from this tournament include Freddie Freeman (2005), Francisco Lindor (2009), Royce Lewis (2014), Hunter Greene (2014), Anthony Volpe (2016) and Brice Turang (2014). There will be more as players establish themselves as Major Leaguers.

Still, the game — particularly the big inning — was described as “unacceptable” from Australia’s perspective.

“We had some very honest conversations,” said Kyle. “Not negative, but just honest, about the individuals, learning and taking the next step. It is a learning experience.”

GAME 4: Loss 17-5 to Nicaragua

Things started rocky. Australia looked a bit stiff early, giving up five runs to a Nicaraguan side riding an emotional high after a 10-5 win over Venezuela. Nicaragua, needing to win to advance to the Super Round, ultimately took care of business.

Australia showed great signs of life, however. Down 8-1 in the fifth, Australia strung together a late rally thanks to two-RBI singles from Cruize Chase-Takapua and Beau Stockdale.

They also showed glimpses of the playmaking ability they possess. Catcher Bodhi Evans threw out a runner at second. Left-fielder Rylan Ottaway threw out a runner from left field, check that one out below.

Ultimately, Australia threw out three base runners and turned a key double play, but free bases are still way too big of an issue. Eight walks, two hit-by-pitches and four errors is a combined 1,260 feet of bases — aka 14 free bases — that simply harm a team too much.

GAME 5: Loss 8-0 to Chinese Taipei

Australia hung tight for the first four innings, trailing the World No. 2 by just one run after four.

Chase Crew tossed 3.0 innings, allowing one run off four hits in one of the team’s better starts of the tournament. Seb Watts tagged out a runner at home off a nice play during a rundown from first and second, while Beau Stockdale finished off a nice play by Harrison Thomas-McLean to tag out a runner trying to advance from third.

Beau Stockdale took the team lead in hits with his sixth (pictured below).

A mission was to limit free bases, and the pitching combo of Crew, Noah McCabe, Cale Morris and Hugh Kelly walked just one combined.

“ I thought our processes were better today and played with more conviction and belief,” said Andy Kyle after the game.

Ultimately, Chinese Taipei pulled away to advance to the Super Round.

STAT LEADERS

Full stat sheet here.

Noteworthy: Jacob Tayler co-leads the tournament in stolen bases with five.

– Team Batting Average: .195 (10th)
– Runs: 15 (10th)
– Stolen Bases: 8 (5th)
– Innings Pitched: 29.0
– Team ERA: 11.83 (11th)
– Walks: 24 (9th)
– Strikeouts: 20 (8th)
– Fielding Percentage: .894 (9th)
– Double Plays: 2
– Caught Stealing: 2

FURTHER NOTE: NOTABLE ALUMNI

For years, the U15 Baseball World Cup has offered an early look at the game’s future stars, with some of today’s biggest names first representing their countries on this stage.

The names that have passed through this age group tell the story: Freddie Freeman, Francisco Lindor, Yordan Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr., Luis Arráez and Gleyber Torres are among the players who represented their countries at this level before becoming Major League stars.

Photos courtesy of WBSC

30 September 2026 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Australia's Pitchers Compete Hard in Loss to Chinese Taipei

Australia’s pitching staff put in its best effort of the tournament so far, but the bats couldn’t find a breakthrough in an 8-0 loss to Chinese Taipei in Cancún.

Chase Crew set the tone with three strong innings to start the game. He gave up just one run on four hits, walked no one and kept Australia in the contest through the early stages. Noah McCabe, Cale Morris and Hugh Kelly followed him to the mound, and the four pitchers combined to allow just one walk across seven innings. It was a big improvement in throwing strikes after earlier games in the tournament.

The game was still close at 1-0 through four innings before Chinese Taipei added three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh.

Runs were hard to come by for Australia against a deep pitching group. Beau Stockdale hit a double and Bodhi Evans added a single for the team’s two hits. Jacob Tayler drew a walk and stole a base, and Sebastian Watts also worked a walk.

Head Coach Andy Kyle was encouraged by the way his team competed.

“Our pitching today was a highlight, they attacked the zone and competed all game. I thought our processes were better today and played with more conviction and belief.”

Photos from WBSC

29 September 2026 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Community

Late Innings Get Away from Australia against Nicaragua

Australia fought back into the game but couldn’t hold on, going down 17-5 to Nicaragua in Cancún.

Nicaragua started fast with five runs in the first inning. Australia answered with a run in the bottom of the first, but by the end of the fourth the team trailed 8-1.

Jet Tyler Creamer steadied things on the mound after coming on in relief in the first. He pitched 3.1 innings, allowed only one earned run and struck out two. Harrison Thomas-McLean followed with 1.2 innings, and the defence helped out by turning two double plays.

The bats came to life in the fifth. Australia put four runs on the board to cut the gap to 8-5 and put real pressure on Nicaragua. Beau Stockdale and Zavier Leigh each hit a double and drove in a run, Cruize Chase-Tukapua drove in two runs and drew two walks, and Bodhi Evans added an RBI. Jacob Tayler also played well at the top of the order, reaching base three times with two hits and a walk.

Nicaragua pulled away late, scoring five runs in the sixth and four in the seventh. Four errors and 13 walks from Australian pitchers gave the opposition too many extra chances, a lesson the team will want to take into the rest of the tournament.

Australia (1-3) will look to finish the group stage strongly when it faces Chinese Taipei next.

28 September 2026 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Tough Day for Australia against the USA

Australia had a difficult afternoon in Mexico, going down 23-0 to an unbeaten USA side in a game called after five innings under the mercy rule.

The USA scored five runs in the first inning and followed with 11 in the second, which put the game out of reach early. Four fielding errors and nine walks from the Australian pitchers gave the opposition plenty of extra chances, and they made the most of them.

Runs were hard to come by at the plate. Beau Stockdale had Australia’s only hit of the game, and the team struck out 11 times. Harrison Thomas-McLean, Edison Bush and Thomas Skinner each drew a walk, and Oliver Breach was hit by a pitch, but Australia couldn’t turn those baserunners into runs.

Five pitchers took the mound for Australia. Cale Morris started and took the loss, with Hugh Kelly, Felix Oliver and Jack Bowden coming on in relief. Jacob Tayler moved from second base to pitch the last 1.1 innings and struck out two, which was a positive on a tough day.

Coach Andy Kyle was clear about what the team needs to take from the loss.

“A game that we need to reflect on, learn and move on from. You can’t give away free bases and extra opportunities at this level. We look forward to regrouping and getting after it tomorrow in a must-win game.”

Australia is now 1-2 and will look to bounce back when it takes the field again tomorrow.

Photos by WBSC

27 September 2026 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Australia Bounces Back with 9-2 Win over Czechia

Australia picked up its first win of the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup in Mexico, beating Czechia 9-2 on the back of a combined one-hitter from three pitchers.

The bats got going straight away, with four runs in the first inning to give the team an early lead. Australia then added one run in the sixth before breaking the game open with four more in the seventh.

Jacob Tayler led the offence, going 3 for 4 with an RBI and four stolen bases. Beau Stockdale had two hits, a walk and a stolen base, while Archer Petersen and Rylan Ottoway each hit a double and drove in a run. Bodhi Evans, Edison Bush and Zavier Leigh also drove in a run each, and Bush stole two bases. Australia finished with 10 hits and drew six walks.

On the mound, Noah McCabe gave up just one hit in 2.2 innings with three strikeouts. George Steer earned the win with 2.2 hitless innings and three strikeouts, and Harrison Thomas-McLean finished the game with 1.2 hitless innings and two strikeouts. The three pitchers combined for eight strikeouts and did not allow an earned run.

Coach Andy Kyle was pleased with the performance.

“Great team effort today with contributions across the board. Getting early run support helped settle the nerves and the pitchers set the tone from there. Noah had a quality start and George came in and continued to be aggressive, attacking the zone with important shutdown innings before handing the ball to Harrison to finish it. The players will rest up tonight before an exciting challenge tomorrow.”

Australia (1-1) plays the USA tomorrow.

26 September 2026 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

- Team Australia

Australia Falls to Venezuela in U-15 World Cup Opener

Australia’s campaign at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup got off to a tough start in Mexico, going down 11-1 to Venezuela in a game called after five innings under the mercy rule.

Venezuela got going early with three runs in the first and one more in the second, which put the Australians on the back foot. Australia hit back in the third. Archer Petersen, who was hit by a pitch and also drew a walk on the day, came home on a sacrifice fly from Rylan Ottoway to put the team on the board.

Catcher Bodhi Evans was the standout at the plate, going 2 for 2 with a double. Beau Stockdale and Cruize Chase-Tukapua added a hit each.

Venezuela’s pitchers were hard to crack. They struck out nine Australian batters and allowed only four hits across the game.

Jet Creamer started on the mound and took the loss, with Felix Oliver, Jack Bowden and Chase Crew coming on in relief. Bowden kept Venezuela scoreless in his outing, and Crew struck out two. Three fielding errors didn’t help, and Venezuela pulled away with four runs in the third and three in the fifth.

Coach Andy Kyle commented on the teams performance.

“Tough game against a very good Venezuelan team. We showed glimpses of what we are capable of, unfortunately, today we gave away too many fee bases and were caught playing catch up from the start. The players will take a lot out of the experience today and we are confident that they are able to reset and bounce back tomorrow against Czech.”

Australia will look to bounce back against the Czech Republic tomorrow.

Photo provided by WBSC

25 September 2026 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Community

JOSH HENDRICKSON'S REMARKABLE RISE TO BECOMING AUSTRALIA's 41st MAJOR LEAGUER

Josh Hendrickson is officially Australia’s 41st ever Major League Baseball (MLB) player.

The Western Australian left-hander received the long-awaited call-up from the Houston Astros on September 23, just days after his 29th birthday.

Let’s not downplay it. Making the Majors for any player, from any country, is incredible.

But Hendrickson’s story is particularly astounding.

Curtis Mead and Travis Bazzana – our two regular Australian MLB stars in 2026 – followed a more conventional path. One was signed as a teenager and climbed the minor league ranks over a number of years. The other went to college, was drafted number one overall and rapidly reached the Majors.

Hendrickson’s was different. Don’t get me wrong, he was once on this path too.

Hendrickson – also known as ‘Hendo’ or simply ‘Hazel’s Dad’ – started playing baseball for the Wembley Magpies in Perth, Western Australia. He established himself as an elite junior in Australia, playing in the Australian Youth Championships and representing his country at the Under 18 World Cup.

He played junior college baseball at Galveston and then Barton before transferring to San Diego to play NCAA Division I baseball.

In 2019, he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies. His journey also looked linear.

Rookie Ball, Low-A, High-A, Double-A, Triple-A — Hendrickson slowly climbed the ladder in the Phillies system. He even had a dominant stop in the ABL in the 2019-20 season with the Perth Heat.

Then, the ladder crumbled — so to speak.

Hendrickson injured his elbow during the 2023 season while pitching in Triple-A, the level below the Major Leagues, forcing him to undergo Tommy John surgery.

He was subsequently released by the Phillies and suddenly out of baseball.

In fact, he didn’t play a game for almost two years.

That didn’t deter Hendrickson. He went to work.

He relocated with his wife to Florida to attack rehab at a high-performance clinic called Cressey Sports Performance, treating his recovery like a man on a mission.

“I just treated it as my job. I was always a baseball player. I had to be around the game,” he told us in a feature story at Team Australia training camp in March. “I went there because they’re the best. It was about me working hard and being the best I could be.”

His routine rarely changed. He did rehab and throwing work from early morning until midday. He studied for an accounting degree — you know, for life after baseball — in the afternoon. Rinse, repeat, six days a week.

Later, he moved to Kansas City, where his wife is from, to complete the final phase of recovery.

At no point did he think his career was over.

“I never felt like I was done. I just knew it would be a long road back. I never had any doubt. I have so much support from my family, my wife and people around me to keep pushing me,” he said.

His motivation stayed simple.

“I just love playing baseball. I wanted to keep doing it. I didn’t want to be done doing it,” he said.

Hendrickson signed with the Kansas City Monarchs in 2025, an independent professional team in the American Association. With Kansas City, Hendrickson put together a promising campaign, going 10-5 with a 3.61 ERA in 19 starts and 104.2 innings, with 116 strikeouts. His punchout total was good for sixth in the league.

He signed with the Adelaide Giants in the Australian Baseball League shortly after, trying to make a case for a World Baseball Classic roster spot.

He made three appearances in the regular season, posting a 2.25 ERA and 0.875 WHIP with 21 strikeouts in 16 innings. Hendrickson ramped his fastball up to 95mph. He was handed the ball to start Game 3 of the Championship Series against Sydney, allowing just two runs over 5.2 innings to help Adelaide win the Claxton Shield.

Hendrickson was named to the World Baseball Classic roster the following week and found himself starting Australia’s second game of the tournament in March.

He said it was a “dream come true.”

“I think the final push to get on the team was pitching in the ABL,” Hendrickson said. “At the same time, I just wanted to enjoy pitching in Australia again, be present, and have fun playing baseball. It was special. My grandparents got to come watch me play and they hadn’t seen me in person.”

After the WBC, Hendrickson returned to Kansas City. He talked to teams in Asia and in independent leagues, but the Astros eventually came calling in April.

He returned to the minor leagues after three seasons, a gruelling rehab and two years away from the game.

“It was honestly a lot of excitement to be back in affiliated baseball,” Hendrickson told MLB.com. “But at the same time it was trusting the preparation that I’d done, even though I hadn’t been to a spring training, hadn’t been with a team, hadn’t faced hitters in a while, but trusting the preparation, going about my routine normally, meeting a lot of new faces, learning a lot of new names, and just going out there and having fun playing the game of baseball.”

He stayed the whole season in Triple-A. But after a late-season injury to starter Cristian Javier, Hendrickson finally got the Major League call.

He appeared in his first game on Wednesday, September 23 against the Seattle Mariners, with the Astros firmly entrenched in a playoff spot.

Hendrickson entered with runners on second and third, Houston leading 4-3, and got Josh Naylor to ground out on his second MLB pitch. He stayed in and ultimately went 2.0 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run with no walks and three strikeouts.

Astros manager Joe Espada praised Hendrickson’s debut.

“I thought that was a really awesome major-league debut. Came in, got some big outs for us… We needed some help there in the middle and he delivered a really nice outing,” said Espada.

It’s an excellent reward for a great talent who put in the hard work.

It’s also a moment to celebrate for Australian baseball. For the first time since 2016, Australia had four Major League players in a given season — Josh Hendrickson, Curtis Mead, Travis Bazzana and Brandan Bidois.

Aussies may have to work a little harder to get there, and few journeys demonstrate that better than Josh Hendrickson’s.

24 September 2026 By Staff Writers

By Staff Writers

Community

In Memory of Ryan Prokopec

Baseball Australia is deeply saddened by the passing of 17-year-old Ryan Prokopec.

Ryan was a member of the Gawler Rangers Baseball Club and the wider Australian baseball community.

Tragically, Ryan passed away in a car accident while travelling home to Renmark following a game in Adelaide.

Ryan grew up in a proud baseball family. He was a much-loved son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, teammate, friend, and member of his community. He brought his own warmth, personality, and joy to the people around him and will be remembered for the special place he held in so many lives.

Those who knew Ryan will remember his kindness, his cheeky personality, his loving and loyal nature, and the joy he brought to the people lucky enough to have known him. He was an important part of the St Francis of Assisi College community, where he built strong friendships and left a lasting impression on those who knew him. He was also a proud member of the rowing club, and loved being out on the water.

Ryan came from a large and loving family and was deeply cherished by everyone around him. He was a beloved son to Andrea and Luke, a much-loved brother to Aidan and Stephanie, and the best mate to his beloved dog, Blue. The two were inseparable, sharing a special bond that reflected Ryan’s caring, loyal and loving nature.

Our thoughts are with Ryan’s family and loved ones, his teammates and friends at Gawler Rangers, the St Francis of Assisi College community, and everyone who is grieving this heartbreaking loss.

Baseball Australia stands alongside Baseball South Australia, Gawler Rangers and the broader baseball community during this time.

Ryan’s family have requested privacy during this incredibly difficult time, and we ask that their wishes are respected.

Rest peacefully, Ryan. You will be deeply missed and forever remembered. We will carry you with us for the rest of our lives.

23 September 2026 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Feature Stories

Eleven Australians selected for MLB International College Showcase Tour

Eleven Australian baseball prospects are off to Arizona today for Major League Baseball’s (MLB) International College Showcase Tour.

The group will join the MLB World Select Team from September 24 to October 2, playing in front of college recruiters and professional scouts. They’ll also get a first-hand look at where baseball could take them next.

Thirty players under the age of 20 will make the trip, coming from Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Curaçao, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia and Spain.

Andrew Riddell, Baseball Australia’s National Player Development Manager, calls the trip the “pinnacle event” for Baseball players outside the U18 World Cup.

“These players are selected by national coaches with input from MLB scouts,” says Riddell. “They get an opportunity to live life as a pro baseball player for two weeks.”

There’s a lot packed into this fortnight of baseball.

The players will visit MLB Spring Training complexes, play high-school-aged travel teams at the Arizona Fall Classic, take on junior colleges and finish with a game against players from the Kansas City Royals Instructional League.

They’ll also take part in pro-style workouts specifically designed to put the players in front of college recruiting coordinators and professional scouts.

“The exposure to universities and professional teams is second to none and really shows our players what the next level of baseball looks like in the U.S.,” said Riddell.

Plenty of Australians have used this trip trip as a springboard.

Eight members of the 2025 Australian group have already moved into college or professional baseball. Patrick Crotty (Phillies) and Ashton Kennedy (Pirates) have started their professional careers, while Ethan Bickel, Will Hardy, Riley Puckett, Cooper Teichmann, Matt Trainor and Damien Wilson started their college journeys last month. There are currently over 100 Australians committed or playing college baseball in the USA.

Others on the alumni list include Travis Bazzana, Solomon Maguire, Will Sherriff, Clayton Campbell, Blake Cavill, Kai-Noa Wynyard, Max Stagg, Ali Tanner, Jack Bushell and Max Durrington.

Australian coaches Andrew Riddell and Shayne Watson will joing the Australian contingent, while the World Select Team will have access to a coaching group with a tremendous amount of experience.

They are:

– Roger McDowell, who spent 12 seasons pitching in the Major Leagues, won the 1986 World Series with the New York Mets and then spent another 12 seasons as an MLB pitching coach with Atlanta and Baltimore.

– Jeff Conine, who played 17 MLB seasons, made two All-Star teams and won two World Series.

– David Eckstein, who was a two-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and the 2006 World Series MVP across a 10-year MLB career. He has also worked as an assistant coach with Team USA’s U18 program.

– Rick van den Hurk, who pitched six seasons in MLB before an outstanding career in Asia. He won two Korean Series and five Japan Series championships and led the KBO in ERA and strikeouts in 2014.

– Jon Debus, who spent more than 40 years in professional baseball, including extensive catching and player-development roles with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets organisations.

Riddell adds that between the games, scouts, college coaches, professional facilities and people who have already been where these players want to go, they’ll get a pretty good look at what comes next.

“The level of talent is improved every year from our players and players from around the world,” says Riddell. “Better coaches have been introduced and they now get to see the different levels of baseball after high school all in a two week span.”

09 September 2026 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Community

Team Australia invites 36 baseball players to Under 18 Selection Camp in Melbourne

Team Australia invites 36 baseball players to Under 18 Selection Camp in Melbourne
By Eric Balnar

Team Australia has finalised the invitations to the U18 Selection Camp at the end of September in Melbourne.

36 players from across the country will work out in Melbourne from September 20-25, with the objective of making the final 20-man roster for the U18 Oceania Championships which also act as the U18 World Cup Qualifiers later in the year.

You can view the roster below:

The selection camp will feature six days on-field structured into individual positional workouts in the morning and games in the afternoon. All of this will take place at Melbourne Ballpark and is open to the public.

Team Australia players will be in attendance to help run the program, including six with recent World Baseball Classic experience.

“This is part of the pathway to the 2027 U18 World Cup in China,” said Baseball Australia’s Player Development Manager Andrew Riddell. “But the journey started earlier this year. This group was selected from the Australian Youth Championships in January and across Driveline evaluations in each state during April.”

20 players will be named to the U18 Qualifiers roster out of selection camp. Details and schedule of the tournament have yet to be confirmed. However, we do know the event will take place in Blacktown from December 9-13, 2026.

The Qualifying Tournament has existed in a few different iterations over the years. In 2024, Australia won a best-of-five series against New Zealand. In 2022, Australia won a three-team series with Guam and New Zealand.

Final teams and tournament format will be finalised later, but WBSC Oceania features 20 members and has a spot in WBSC World Cup events.

The tournament counts for valuable World Ranking Points.

If Australia qualifies for the 2027 U18 World Cup, players across the country will be closely evaluated during the 2027 U18 Australian Youth Championships in January. From there, a squad will be picked for an August 2027 Selection Camp, where a roster for the World Cup will be selected.

“This selection camp allows us to see identified players 12 months out from an U18 World Cup as we head towards the qualifiers and then a huge 2027 for this age group,” said Riddell. “We are really looking forward to seeing all of the players compete against each other. There’s a nice mix of second-year U16 players, first-year U18 players and other standouts from the 2026 AYC.”

He credits the AYC and also evaluations run by Team Australia staff and Driveline in April as a key driver of squad selection.

“We were also able to go around to each state in April with the guys from Driveline and run evaluations and assessments of each player. The results and feedback have then shaped the winter program, and we couldn’t be more excited to now see them again in September to see the progression they have all made from January and April,” he says.

They will be guided by a number of current and former Team Australia players, including Aaron Whitefield, Chris Burke, Jarryd Dale, Sam Holland, Tim Kennelly and Josh Tols.
Riddell says this is a key cultural piece of the puzzle.

“It’s important for the younger players to be around these guys and learn from them both in a coaching aspect but also off the field and what it means to play for Team Australia,” he says. “It also shows them what a future could look like that isn’t unattainable. Learning the foundations of the Team Australia culture will just bring us closer as a community.”

The selection camp is part of a busy stretch for Team Australia. The U15 squad departs for Mexico for the U15 World Cup later in the month. The U23 World Cup is playing in Nicaragua in November. Australia also confirmed participation in the 2026 Asia Professional Baseball Championships (APBC) in November in Tokyo.

All events are worth valuable World Ranking Points.

IN SUMMARY
– 36 players have been invited to an Under-18 Qualifier Selection Camp in Melbourne;

– A 20-man roster will be named for the 2026 Under-18 Oceania Championships in Sydney in December, serving as a qualifying event for the World Cup;

– Players will continue to be evaluated in 2027 at events like the Australian Youth Championships, further Driveline programs and an August selection camp;

– Current and former Team Australia players will help administer the camp;

09 September 2026 By Eric Balnar

By Eric Balnar

Community

A few Headline Stories from Australians in Baseball: Wednesday 9 September

There’s always something happening in Australian baseball, particularly when you start looking at what our players are doing around the world.

I spend a lot of time following Aussies playing overseas. Along the way, I come across little stories, interviews, quotes and performances that catch my attention.

So, I thought it would be fun to start collecting some of them in one place.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. It’s simply a collection of things that have stood out to me over the last few weeks, from Aussies climbing the professional ranks and chasing championships overseas, to a few cool stories closer to home.

Hopefully this can grow.

In future editions, I’d love to include more stories from around Australian baseball itself. If something interesting is happening at your club, with a player, coach, volunteer or anyone else in our baseball community, let us know. There are plenty of great stories out there. We just need to hear about them.

For now, here are a few things that have caught my eye lately.

Patrick Davies Commits

I’d like to begin with a feel-good story of perseverance.

Patrick Davies, a product of Kensington Baseball Club in South Australia, has just committed to Frank Phillips College, a JUCO in Texas.

It’s an awesome story of determination. He trialled but was never chosen for an AYC team at either U16 or U18 level. He only started concentrating on pitching over the last two years and is now following his dreams.

He’s not a professional and is just starting his journey, but it’s a great feel-good moment. Let’s start there…

A string of recent Aussie call-ups in Minor League Baseball

On the theme of feel-good stories…

As the baseball season winds down in the USA, a number of Australians have earned call-ups. They include:

– Infielder Clayton Campbell was called up to Double-A Erie (Detroit). Campbell put up career-best numbers in High-A and has posted a .300 average through his first 10 games at his new level. There’s a great feature on Campbell on FanGraphs. He talks about the off-season work he put in at Driveline. More on that later in the story.

– Infielder Brent Iredale was called up from Single-A to High-A Greensboro in the Pittsburgh Pirates organisation. Iredale caught fire in August, hitting five homers and mashing out an OPS of 1.005. There’s actually a nice podcast interview with Iredale for those interested, where he discusses having to spend about 12 hours signing cards, his rehab assignment, Australian baseball and his path from Sydney to the Pirates.

– Team Australia left-handed pitcher Blake Townsend was called up to Triple-A Round Rock (Texas). He allowed four runs across his first 9.2 innings after the promotion.

– Right-handed pitcher Kai Noa Wynyard was promoted to Double-A Frisco (Texas) after a solid season in High-A. He had a scoreless relief inning during his debut on the weekend.

Four Aussies prepare for Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) Finals

The playoffs of the inaugural WPBL season are set, beginning with two best-of-three semi-final series from September 9-14.

In Australia, you can watch all the games for free on the WPBL YouTube Channel.

The Aussie women have represented well.

Claire O’Sullivan has claimed some recent headlines by hitting .407 in 13 games, while posting a 3.50 ERA in 16.0 innings pitched. Her coach also singled her out and said she’d get more playing time. There’s a great feature on her from Channel Nine, where she stated: “I’ve dropped everything so that I could come do this.”

Caitlin Eynon hit .395 on the season. There’s a great feature on her on This is Women’s Baseball. My big takeaway is how she describes her mentality and work ethic: “Reps remove doubt.”

Both playing for Boston, Ticara Geldenhuis and Molly Paddison made meaningful contributions during the season too. Ticara hit .250 with two homers, while Paddison hit .255 in 15 games played.

Paddison was also featured in the Channel Nine article. She’s a great story, and this is the first thing she’s done since graduating high school last year.

How is that for a first job?

I loved this quote: “You can always get money back, but you can’t get experiences like this back.”

No. 1 seed San Francisco plays No. 4 Boston, while No. 2 New York takes on No. 3 Los Angeles. The winners of the two best-of-three series advance to the Championship Series.

More details can be found on the WPBL website.

Cooper Morgan is a STAR

He is one of the best pitchers in the Frontier League.

Morgan has been a key cog for the reigning champion Quebec Capitales. He has a 2.09 ERA in 51 appearances out of the bullpen, with 77 strikeouts and a 0.89 WHIP. His ERA ranks third among all qualified pitchers.

Long-time Quebec baseball writer Maurice Dumas described Morgan as the club’s “most reliable pitcher all season”, while Capitales broadcaster Pierre Blais gave the Australian his vote as Quebec’s best pitcher of 2026.

He was recently joined on the Quebec roster by Luke Krkovski, who just won the minor league strikeout title while pitching in Mexico.

Standouts from the Minor League season

Touching back to the world of Minor League Baseball…

The High-A and Single-A regular seasons wrapped up on the weekend, with playoffs starting this week.

Double-A playoffs begin September 15. Triple-A playoffs start September 22.

It’s been a fun year for Aussies in the minor leagues. Here are some highlights and notes:

– There are 26 Australians currently signed to MLB or MLB-affiliate contracts.

– Four Australians entered the minor league system in 2026: Patrick Crotty, Ashton Kennedy, Jimmy Nati and John Lemm.

– Three Aussies have played in the Majors: Travis Bazzana, Curtis Mead and Brandan Bidois. Bazzana was an MLB All-Star.

– Drew Davies leads the Florida State League (Single-A) in on-base percentage. The South Australian is having a career year in the Reds organisation, following up an ABL Rookie of the Year campaign. In 101 games, Davies is hitting .278 with a .414 OBP and .829 OPS

– One of the more interesting Australian stories this season belongs to BJay Cooke. After spending the previous few years trying to make it as an infielder, the Western Australian returned to the mound in 2026. Cooke made 33 appearances out of the bullpen for Single-A Stockton, finishing with a 4.06 ERA and 40 strikeouts across 44.1 innings.

– Clayton Campbell turned in the best year of his minor league career. The 23-year-old from Sydney hit .257 with a .745 OPS in High-A with the Tigers. A couple of weeks ago, he was called up to Double-A and he’s 12-for-40 with a homer in his first 10 games. A big thing for Campbell has been his consistency across the year. In an article with FanGraphs, he credits his off-season program at Driveline and an alteration to his swing.

“The biggest thing was working on pulling the ball in the air with backspin. I did some bat-speed training, as well. I came to spring training with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder,” Campbell went on to say. “The last few years I haven’t really done the best, but this year I feel like I’ve been swinging at the right pitches, taking my walks, hitting for some power, and playing good defense. That’s all I can ask for. I’m just going out there trying to do my best and help the team win.”

– Brent Iredale has taken flight, ladies and gentlemen. Last year’s draft pick out of Arkansas has found his feet as a pro. His 1.005 OPS in August in Single-A Bradenton was impressive enough to earn a call-up.

– There’s an Aussie combination at Triple-A, too. Mitch Neunborn continues to pitch for Lehigh Valley under fellow Australian Chris Adamson. Neunborn earned his promotion from Double-A in June and has remained with the IronPigs since, aside from a brief stint on the injured list. He has a 3.38 ERA in 21.1 innings, making him one of the more reliable options.

You can track how all professional Aussies are doing via Aussie Baseball Tracker.

Travis Bazzana is playing a key role in the Cleveland Guardians’ playoff chase

At the time of this story, the Guardians are one game clear for the final American League Wild Card spot as the Major League Baseball season enters its final weeks.

On Friday, Bazzana delivered one of the biggest performances of his young Major League career.

The 24-year-old entered the second game of a doubleheader against Detroit off the bench before crushing a two-run homer in the eighth inning to tie the game. Two innings later, he did it again, singling up the middle to walk it off in the 10th.

“It’s that time of year where you’ve got to make stuff happen, and this team does that,” Bazzana told MLB.com after the game.

The performance came at a good time for the Australian, who admitted he hadn’t been at his best recently.

“I think I needed that, those close games and to just get out of my head and compete,” he said. “Hopefully I can take that through September.”

Ryde Little League has the time of their life

On the theme of Travis Bazzana, his junior baseball charter Ryde represented Australia at the Little League World Series in Williamsport.

And while the results didn’t go their way, it’s hard to imagine the group of youngsters having a better experience.

Some highlights:

– Playing on ESPN as part of the most-watched Little League World Series since 2015. The tournament averaged 1.1 million viewers per game across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC;

– Meeting former Ryde junior Travis Bazzana before a Cleveland Guardians game, including a tour of Progressive Field and the Guardians clubhouse;

– Coach Paul Jones going viral for a positive pep talk to one of his players;

– Going viral again for squeezing in an extra, unscheduled game against a local American team.

Talk about soaking it up.

The Bazzana connection was particularly cool. He played at Ryde from the age of nine through 17, and some of the same people involved in the charter today helped him during his junior days.

“Before I ever stepped foot in professional baseball, I wanted to do enough and have a career that people would want to aspire to be like,” Bazzana told MLB.com. “To now be doing that is really fulfilling.”

Shoutout as well to the Ryde charter in general. Their efforts across local media, advertising and social media to leverage the opportunity and promote their club have been well noted.

Aussie umpire at Little League

Tip of the cap to Mark Stone, who umpired at the Little League World Series as Australia’s umpiring representative.

Full credit to the Baseball Australia crew and umpiring officials who helped Stone prepare.

First off, Stone earned this opportunity. But at the Little League World Series, it is a four-man crew. It’s something we don’t have heaps of experience with Down Under.

During the 2026 Little League Championships, tournament organisers ensured every game Stone umpired had a four-man crew, flying in extra officials to make it happen.

That’s supporting your community.

I love it.

Mead on the Mend

Curtis Mead’s breakout season has been well documented. It was a bit of a surprise, and a huge opportunity, when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline.

Then came some pure rotten luck.

In just his second plate appearance with his new club, Mead was hit by a pitch and fractured his left wrist. He hasn’t played since July 27.

But there are some encouraging signs. Mead has been spotted throwing again, fuelling hope of a return before the end of the regular season.

The Red Sox are in a Wild Card position and could be playing October baseball.

If Mead can get healthy in time to be part of it, that should garner headlines in Australia.

Huge couple of months incoming for Team Australia

Our national teams are busy…

September: Under 18 Selection Camp

September/October: Under 15 World Cup in Mexico

November: Under 23 World Cup in Nicaragua

November: Asia Professional Baseball Championship

November: 2026 U12 Oceania Championships / World Cup Qualifiers

December: 2026 U18 Oceania Championships / World Cup Qualifiers

All of these events are worth World Ranking Points.

Can’t wait to cheer on the Green & Gold.

Aussies in Asia

A quick note on Australians in Asia.

After a tremendous start to the season with the LG Twins in the Korean Baseball Organisation, Lachlan Wells suffered a shoulder injury that cut his season short.

His replacement? Long-time Team Australia arm Jon Kennedy.

And there was a nice Australian connection to the changeover. Kennedy has known Wells since they were teenagers, and Wells helped prepare his national teammate for life in Korea.

“Lachlan and I are good teammates. I have known him since we were both teenagers,” Kennedy told Yonhap News. “We go a long way back.”

Kennedy even inherited Wells’ No. 68.

He was thrown straight into the fire on his KBO debut, entering a 1-0 game with a runner aboard in the eighth inning. Four pitches later, Kennedy had induced an inning-ending double play.

“I didn’t expect to come into such a tense situation,” Kennedy said after the game. “In a way, pitching in that situation in my first appearance should make it easier for me going forward.”

Kennedy has now pitched nine times for LG, posting a 4.00 ERA across nine innings.

Alex Hall finished his season in the Futures League with the Ulsan Whales, hitting .265 with a .763 OPS.

In total, five Australians played professionally in Korea this season.

Meanwhile, Jack O’Loughlin’s Asian adventure continues. After making 17 starts for the Samsung Lions earlier this year, the South Australian is now pitching in the minor leagues of Taiwan’s CPBL with the CTBC Brothers.

Hickey’s Triple Crown

I leave you with this. I promise, it’s real.

Geelong’s Connor Hickey put up what some are calling the greatest season in Pecos League history…

49 games. 26 homers. 82 RBI. .490 average. 1.494 OPS.

!!!!!!

Local Baseball About To Begin

I get it. All those notes were Aussies abroad. See something cool in the community? I’m sure the Baseball Australia team would love to hear about it. Email it through to marketing@baseball.com.au.

Hope you feel more informed!

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Eric Balnar is a baseball broadcaster and writer based in Adelaide who has covered Australian baseball for more than a decade.