The South African Baseball Union has announced its official roster for the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, where the team will compete against host nation Chinese Taipei, Spain, and Nicaragua from February 21-25 at the Taipei Dome in Taipei, Taiwan.
South Africa's roster for the 2025 #WorldBaseballClassic Qualifiers: pic.twitter.com/kvXjdEFqCv
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) February 3, 2025
South Africa is ranked No. 31 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation rankings. The other teams in the qualifier include Chinese Taipei at No. 2, Spain at No. 24, and Nicaragua at No. 16.
Marc Moreau is the president of the South African Baseball Union. Neil Adonis will manage the team, with Jody Burch, Dean McKinon, Darryn Smith, Erick Threets, and Paul Van de Merwe serving on the coaching staff.
The entire South Africa roster for the 2025 WBCQ consists of South African-born players. Those from Johannesburg include Brandon Edmunds, Tibou Ngoepe, Rowan Ebersohn, Jaryd White, Justin Erasmus, and Damon King. Players from Cape Town are Jason Carelse, Brandon Bouillon, Joshua Wentzel, Luke November, Dayle Feldtman, Tyrone Milne, Jared Elario, Lloyd Stevens, Josh November, Mathew Diedericks, Jonathan Phillips, Anthony Phillips, and Dean Jacobs. Players from Durban include Dylan Unsworth, Josh Tribe, Damian Perkins, Brandon Smith, and Vince Deyzel. Additional players are Christiaan Beyers from Secunda, Anthony Sayers from Benoni, and Daniel Mendelshon from Pietermaritzburg.
History of South Africa in WBC Qualification
South Africa made its World Baseball Classic debut in 2006 at Scottsdale Stadium, losing all its games in Pool B to the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
In 2009, the team played at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City, suffering two losses to Cuba and Mexico, eliminating them from the tournament.
At the 2013 WBC Qualifier at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, South Africa finished 1-2, defeating France 5-2 but losing to Israel 7-3 and Spain 13-3.
At the 2017 WBCQ in Sydney, Australia, South Africa went 2-2, losing twice to host Australia and failing to qualify.
In the 2023 WBCQ at Armin-Wolf Arena in Regensburg, Germany, South Africa played only two games, losing to Spain 5-4 on September 16, 2022, and to Germany 11-5 on September 19, 2022, failing to qualify for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Returning Players and Team Outlook
Returning players from the 2023 WBCQ include outfielders Brandon Bouillon and Jason Carelse. The returning pitchers are Jared Elario, Justin Erasmus, Dylan Unsworth, Dean Jacobs, and Daniel Mendelshon. Catchers Dayle Feldtman and Tyron Milne are also returning, along with infielders Chris Beyers, Victor Ngoepe, Jonathan Phillips, and Tyler Smith.
Tayler Scott is the only South African-born player to have played in Major League Baseball, making his debut with the Seattle Mariners on June 8, 2019. Scott, who was on the Houston Astros’ roster in 2024, was placed on the 15-day injured list with a thoracic spine strain on September 21, 2024, and was not included in South Africa’s 2025 WBCQ roster.
South Africa will rely on their offense to compensate for their lack of pitching depth in the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. Chris Beyers, Luke November, and Dayle Feldtman provide key bats, with Beyers coming off a strong season in the German Bundesliga, November leading South Africa in OPS at the U23 World Cup, and Feldtman returning after a dominant performance in the 2023 qualifiers, where he led the team with a 1.867 OPS. Beyers posted an .870 OPS for the Paderborn Untouchables in the Baseball Bundesliga, November recorded a .952 OPS at the U23 World Cup, and Feldtman’s 1.867 OPS in the 2023 WBCQ led South Africa’s offense.
Veteran infielder Victor Ngoepe adds defensive stability and experience from his time in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor league system. His older brother, Gift Ngoepe, was the first African-born player in Major League Baseball and will manage the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Single-A affiliate in 2025.
Victor Ngoepe 223 AVG / .299 OBP / .275 SLG / 186 MiLB games
On the mound, South Africa will lean on right-hander Justin Erasmus, who brings experience from the Boston Red Sox system and has pitched in both the Australian Baseball League and German Bundesliga.