11 January 2025
Australian Youth Championships
U16 Nationals Day 5 / Finals Day 1 | Updates, Recaps, Scores, Schedules & Information
The first day of the double elimination finals is in the books! Find out what happened here.
Here you will find recaps, standings and game time changes.
For the master AYC Hub, head to baseball.com.au/ayc2025.
For past U16 Results: Visit the U16 HUB
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
Update: The VIC vs NSWC Pool Stage Game on Diamond 3 has been cancelled due to weather damage. The First Round of the U16 Championship is complete. The consolation game today will now be Roos and New South Wales Country instead of Queensland.
FINAL 1v4: South Australia 9 def New South Wales 6
FINAL 2v3: Western Australia 12 def Victoria 2
4:30PM – Consolation – Diamond 3 – Roos vs New South Wales Country
This means the remaining final’s match ups will be:
– Elimination Final, 9:00AM, Jan 12: New South Wales vs Victoria, watch on Baseball+
– Qualification Final, 11:30AM, Jan 12: Western Australia vs South Australia, watch on Baseball+
– Preliminary Final: Winner of Elimination Final vs Loser of Qualification Final, Monday
– Gold Medal: Winner of Qualification Final vs Winner of Gold Medal, Monday
Tomorrow’s schedule:

GAME RECAPS
SOUTH AUSTRALIA 9 def NEW SOUTH WALES 6 – Big first inning helps power South Australia to Qualification Final
In a game filled with walks & hit-batters, South Australia had a couple more decisive base knocks in the 1v4 victory over New South Wales.
New South Wales generated an early run in the top of the first but South Australia responded with five runs in the bottom.
Gus Hennessy had a decisive two-RBI double to put South Australia up 4-1 early. Ollie Hayes followed up with and RBI single to push the lead to 5-1.
Hennessy finished the day going 1-for-1 with a walk, a sacrifice fly and three RBI. Hayes had two hits and two runs in the win.
“The win felt pretty good, staying undefeated,” Hennessy said after the game. “We’re doing the small things right consistently. Everyone is doing their job and what they need to do for their team.”
New South Wales fought back with three runs in the third, primarily off walks and hit batters. 5-4.
Kyan Tafui pitched 1.2 innings on clean baseball, allowing just two hits. He entered the game with two runners on and a narrow SA lead. His efforts helped preserve South Australia’s narrow margin.
It allowed South Australia scored four unanswered in the third and fourth to race out to a commanding lead, up 9-4.
New South Wales didn’t go quietly. They scored a run in the fifth, left the bases loaded in the sixth, and had multiple runs on in the seventh. But South Australia held their nerve, closed out by Owen Couzner (below)

Draven Fatu starred for New South Wales, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk.
The win moves South Australia to the Qualifying Final on Sunday where they will play the winner of Victoria / Western Australia. If they win the Qualifying Final, they go direct to the Gold Medal Game. If they lose, they will play in the Preliminary Final.
South Australia is assured a medal.
New South Wales, meanwhile, will play in an Elimination Final on Sunday against the loser of Victoria / Western Australia. If they win that, they will advance to the Preliminary Final. If they lose? Tournament over.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA 12 def NEW SOUTH WALES 2 – Incredible Declan McDonnell pitching performance, late offensive explosion, guides Western Australia through to Qualification Final
What a performance by Western Australian pitcher Declan McDonnell in the 2 vs 3 final vs Victoria.
Entering the game, Victoria had scored 47 runs in their last three games, outscored opponents 55-9, and beat Western Australia 19-3 in the minor rounds.
Declan McDonnell helped shut it down in a huge 12-2 lead that exploded late.
He threw a complete game, allowing six hits and one earned run. He had a shut out up until the final moments of the game.
“All my pitches were working, I felt great. My armed survived the whole thing. The boys behind me I could trust them so I just threw the ball over the plate and hoped for the best,” he says. “Every time there was [a hit] we were up in the dugout. I can trust them with my heart. They’re really good boys.”
It kept a dangerous Victoria line-up at bay, allowing the bats to explode late.
“[People] might have expected Victoria to run through us but that’s not the case,” he says. “But the job is not finished.”

Zai Gordon opened the scoring with a two-RBI double in the first inning. Western Australia added a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to lead 5-0 heading into an unbelievable sixth inning.
Western Australia scored seven runs in the sixth to put the game beyond doubt. A Cooper Barber bases-clearing triple was the exclamation point.
Barber led Western Australia by going 2-for-4 with 4RBI, a double, and a triple. Monty Smith tacked on three hits himself.
All eleven Western Australians who had an at-bat reached base.
The win advances Western Australia to the Qualification Final where they will play South Australia for a spot in the Gold Medal Game. They are guaranteed a medal.
Victoria will play New South Wales in the elimination final tomorrow morning.

Consolation – ROOS 14 def NSW COUNTRY 1 – Jarvis Johansen leads offensive onslaught for Roos in huge win
Jarvis Johansen continued his huge tournament by putting up a 3-for-5 performance for Roos in a dominating win.
They pulled away with a six run fifth inning to push the scoreline to 12-1.
Brooklyn Prindable-Gardner started for the Roos, allowing two hits and one run in four innings while strikeout six. Alex Papadopolous pitched two relief innings.
Seven different Roos had RBIs. Coleby Ryerson (2), Oli Baillargeon (2), Jarvis Johansen (1), Theo Rutgers (1), Harry Mudford (1), Xavier Huntley (1) and Kauri Hunter (2).
FINALS FORMAT
Saturday 11 January will be the first days of finals. But first, we must finish the Pool Play. The top four seeding cannot be changed regardless.
The following teams have qualified in this order:
1. South Australia
2. Victoria
3. Western Australia
4. New South Wales
Here’s how the finals work:
– The winner of 1v4 (South Australia v New South Wales) will play the winner of 2v3 (Victoria v Western Australia) 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.


FINAL STANDINGS – POOL PLAY
Top four make finals
Under 16
1. South Australia 6-0
2. Victoria 4-1
3. Western Australia 3-2
4. New South Wales 3-3
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5. New South Wales Country 1-4
6. Queensland 1-5
7. Roos 1-5

































