New Zealand Black Sox announces roster for Australian tour ahead of WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals 2025

The New Zealand Black Sox Head Coach, Thomas Makea, has named a squad of 17 athletes to attend the Canberra Skins Tournament at the end of November. New Zealand is getting ready to play the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals 2025 in Prince Albert, Canada, from 8 to 13 July.

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Una publicación compartida por Softball New Zealand (@softballnewzealand)

Makea said the Canberra tournament will be an opportunity to play against the best Australian players in a format that will challenge them and that the team was selected to create competition within the wider squad, and to give the players the opportunity to push their case for selection for the World Cup Finals. 

Six players have progressed through the national pathway system and will represent the Black Sox for the first time, including Josh Kelly, Taine Slaughter, Bailey Hamilton, Max Early, Brock Evans and Ethan Shannon.

The following athletes will be attending the Canberra Skins Tournament: 

1. Brock Attewell
2. Callum Bishop
3. Tyson Byrne
4. Te Kirika Cooper-Nicola
5. Max Earley
6. Brock Evans
7. Bailey Hamilton
8. Josh Kelly
9. Reilly Makea
10. Dante Makea-Matakatea
11. Hohepa Monk
12. Conor Peden
13. Liam Potts
14. Ethan Shannon
15. Taine Slaughter
16. Jayden Stratford
17. Cameron Watts

New Zealand advanced to the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals 2025 as the second placed team in Group B, after winning their last playoff match against Canada, 4-1. 

After 57 games in the Group Stage in 2024, the eight teams for the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup Finals 2025 are confirmed: No. 1 Argentina, No. 2 Australia, No. 3 Canada, No. 4 Japan, No. 5 Venezuela, No. 7 USA, No. 10 New Zealand and No. 14 Dominican Republic will compete for the world title next year in Prince Albert, Canada.