The sport long known as ‘America’s Favourite Pastime’, baseball, is starting to take off worldwide, and has managed to gain traction in the Free State as well.
The President of the Free State Baseball Union, Clifton Barnes, relaunched the sport within the province in 2021, and has seen first-hand how the sport has grown.
“Since 2021, baseball in the Free State has grown,” he said, “but we are trying to become a school sport in the Free State in order to develop baseball in all our districts.”
There are five districts in the province playing the sport, with over 100 players registered on Free State Baseball’s database.According to Barnes, there are a handful of school teams that attend Free State Baseball clinics, despite there not being a school league yet.
“We need the Department of Education to accept baseball as part of their school sports programme,” said Barnes.
Within the city, the Mangaung Baseball Association is affiliated to the Free State Baseball Union, and oversees club level baseball within the metro. The association does face challenges regarding equipment and apparel.
“Free State Baseball’s goal is to bring baseball to all communities and establish clubs and school teams and also establish baseball academies around the Free State,” said Barnes. “Our dream is to see the Free State Baseball Union become one of the best federations and to develop great baseball players.”
The union hopes to produce players to represent all age groups in South Africa, particularly at the Baseball World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
On 5 October, Free State Baseball will be hosting trials for boys and girls of all age groups, as well as men and women under 23. The trials will take place from 10:00 at the Heidedal Cricket Oval.
“We hope to recruit enough players for all the age groups for both boys and girls and senior men and women to go to the National Baseball Championships in Cape Town in March 2025,” said Barnes.
He further encourages anyone who wants to become involved as coaches to contact the union at gensecrfsbu@gmail.com.
Warren Hawkins
