South Africa Baseball has released preliminary details of a two-part tour of Europe this autumn. The men’s senior national team will first compete in the African Championships in July [link], before heading into a European tour that includes games in Spain, followed by an international tournament in France in September and October.
On Dec. 7, 2017, the French Baseball and Softball Federation (FFBS) and the South Africa Baseball Union signed a partnership agreement at the 2017 WBSC Congress. The agreement set the course for the 2018 Friendship Series, in which the French senior national team played South Africa in November 2018 at Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. It was also meant to confirm South Africa’s participation in the 2019 Yoshida Challenge in France, though this did not occur.
South Africa and France played each other for the first time in South Africa in the 1993 IBA President’s Cup and again in Paris for the 1994 World Cup Qualifier. The two teams then played each other again during the 2001 World Cup. The last game played between the countries in an international tournament was in 2012 at the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Florida, which South Africa won 5-2 in 11 innings. The two were in the same tournament in the 2023 WBC Qualifier, but did not meet each other.
The Friendship Series was a resounding success, with both teams fielding full national squads and the games going off without a hitch. The hosts took five of the seven games. All told, South Africa holds a 8-5 advantage, with a 7-2 record since 2001.
It is unclear what “international tournament” is scheduled for this September and October in France, as the Yoshida Challenge is only due to return in 2027.
Meanwhile, South Africa and Spain have tangled in qualifying events for the last two World Baseball Classic tournaments. In 2022, Spain survived a two-run, ninth-inning comeback to win 5-4 in Regensburg, while four years later in Taiwan, Spain jumped ahead early and coasted to a 9-1 victory.
South Africa announced an Elite Training Squad (ETS) for 2026 competitions. The press release [link] noted, “Many of these players have played together since childhood, building strong connections within the national system, while the ETS continues to provide opportunity for new players to break into the senior setup through performances at national level.“
The Senior Men’s ETS Squad includes Robert Ackermann, Brandon Bleeker, Brandon Bouillon, Jason Carelse, Keenan Clarke, Kevin Costigan, Vince Deyzel, Matthew Diedericks, Rowan Ebersohn, Jared Elario, Dayle Feldtman, Dean Jacobs, Jesse Johnson, Damon King, Trystan Mills, Tyrone Milne, Victor Ngoepe, Dylan O’Brien, Yahya Patel, Damian Perkins, Jonathan Philips, Tyler Smith, Lloyd Stevens, William Thomason, Joshua Wentzel and Jaryd White.