BASEBALL SA INSIDER
Season Starts Strong!!
The 2025–26 season is officially underway, and Baseball SA has enjoyed a strong start across competitions, pathways, and community engagement.
Over October and November, we’ve focused on strengthening communication, supporting clubs, and increasing visibility across State League and junior pathways. This edition includes competition results, pathway announcements and community highlights.
MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
The 2025–26 season is began underway, and the vibe across the baseball community has been really positive. Senior Men’s and Women’s competitions have hit the ground running, our juniors are already bringing great energy, and even the bizarre weather to start with somehow decided to jump straight into summer mode. The Giants are back as well, and it’s been great seeing so many familiar faces around West Beach again. If you haven’t made it out to a game yet, there’s no better time to come down and get behind them.
We opened the year in style with a huge 1–2 finish at the Barclay Cup, and a massive thank you goes to Adelaide Baseball Club for doing such a great job hosting. The Games of the Round at West Beach have also been a real highlight so far. Clubs have brought strong support, the atmosphere has been fantastic, and it’s been genuinely fun having so many teams and families through the venue each week.
Behind the scenes, our pathways programs are in full swing. The 16’s and 18’s boys are deep into preparation for the Australian Youth Championships in January, and things are looking good as they build toward the tournament. On the women’s side, our girls and women are currently trialling for next year’s Australian Women’s Championship and Australian Youth Women’s Championship, and the standard so far has been impressive. There’s a lot happening across every part of the sport, and the early signs point to a really exciting season ahead.
SABL COMPETITIONS UPDATE
Seven rounds into the 2025/26 season, both the State League and Women's League have seen multiple disruptions due to rained-out games, affecting the early season standings. The added pressure of double headers, which were reintroduced this season, has placed an early focus on the pitching depth of clubs, testing the roster management of each team.
In the Women's League, the narrative from last season continues, with defending premiers Woodville once again establishing themselves as the team to beat. They have started the season with a perfect 6-0 record, showcasing their dominance by allowing opponents an average of just 2.5 runs per game and amassing a significant run difference of 67. Close on their heels is Adelaide with a strong 6-1 record, proving themselves a worthy competitor capable of challenging Woodville's reign. behind, boasting the highest-scoring offense in the league and the fourth-lowest runs against. Just outside the top six, Gawler is a mere half-game away from breaking into the final’s positions.
Meanwhile, the State League is shaping up to be a tight contest, with reigning champions Sturt starting the season slowly and currently finding themselves in ninth place. This has led to a compacted top six, where only two wins separate first and sixth place. Southern Districts currently hold the top spot on the ladder, but West Torrens are close Seven rounds into the 2025/26 season, both the State League and Women's League have seen multiple disruptions due to rained-out games, affecting the early season standings. The added pressure of double headers, which were reintroduced this season, has placed an early focus on the pitching depth of clubs, testing the roster management of each team.
With a lot more baseball to be played, this season looks like it will be a tight finishing one in both State League and Women’s League
LIFTING PATHWAYS TO NEW HEIGHTS
In case you missed it, JPS Lifts are now the official partners of our Pathways Programs and we couldn't ask for a better team to help us elevate our future stars.
Specialising in residential and commercial lift design, sales, installation, modernisation, and service, JPS Lifts bring over 200 years of combined expertise.
Known for sky-high standards in reliability and customer service, JPS Lifts offer round-the-clock peace of mind with 24/7 support from local, qualified Adelaide technicians.
Whether it’s lifting people or programs, JPS Lifts are committed to moving South Australians upward and onward. Welcome aboard to the leading name in vertical transport!
PERFORMANCE PATHWAYS
2026 Australian Youth Championship Team Announcements
A huge congratulations to our newly selected U16 and U18 South Australian State Teams, who will represent SA at the 2026 Australian Youth Championships in Melbourne.
Both squads showcase an exciting mix of emerging talent, hard work, and dedication.
Trials for our 2026 Australian Women’s Championship (AWC) and Australian Youth Women’s Championship (AYWC) State Teams are underway.
We look forward to seeing the next generation of SA talent shine as selections approach.
SA Players in Green & Gold
We are incredibly proud to celebrate four South Australians who earned national honours. Jack Bowden, Oliver Breach, and Finn Fuller represented Team Australia at the 2025 WBSC Oceania U15 Championship (Nov 28–Dec 1) a massive achievement for these young athletes. Even more exciting, through their hard work and strong performances throughout the tournament, Team Australia U15 officially secured qualification for the 2026 U15 Baseball World Cup in Italy. We congratulate Jack, Oliver, and Finn on this incredible milestone.
Joining them on the international stage, Drew Davies competed at the 2025 WBSC Oceania U23 Championships (Nov 6–9, Blacktown) as Australia took on Guam, and we’re thrilled to congratulate him and the team on qualifying for the 2026 U23 Baseball World Cup in Nicaragua.
Locals in the ABL
South Australian talent made their mark as the Adelaide Giants split their opening ABL series. Standout performances from our SA players included:
Jack Partington – Extra-innings game winner
Drew Davies – Four-hit performance
AJ Verastegui – Three shutout innings in his ABL debut
James McFarlane – First ABL hit just days after finishing Year 12 exams
Sean Maple & Cooper Morgan Key late-game contributions
West Beach Master Plan Survey
Big upgrades are planned for West Beach Parks including a new synthetic turf field, LED scoreboard, and clubroom to support our growing baseball community. Now we need your voice. The community survey is open until 15 December.
Hit the link to view the designs and share your feedback. Let’s build the future of our home diamond together!
Thanks to West Beach Parks and the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing for their support.