New Zealand Black Sox head coach Thomas Makea has named a squad of 17 athletes to contest the Canberra Skins Tournament at the end of November.
Makea included six debutants in the squad who had advanced through the Softball New Zealand pathway system - Josh Kelly, Taine Slaughter, Bailey Hamilton, Max Early, Brock Evans and Ethan Shannon.
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"This will be an opportunity to play against the best Australian players in a format that will challenge them," Makea said.
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 2025 WBSC World Cup in Prince Albert, Canada.
Meanwhile, coach Stevie Deans has named a 16-man New Zealand Under-23 Major Sox team to attend a five-day Australian Tour, also competing in the Canberra Skins Tournament.
The naming of this team follows on from a successful camp in Lower Hutt over Labour Weekend, which was attended by 33 athletes from around the country.
"The camp highlighted the talent we have in New Zealand, which made the naming of the final touring side difficult," Deans said. "For the players not named, there will be other opportunities as we continue to build for the World Cup in 2026."
BLACK SOX SQUAD
Brock Attewell, Hohepa Monk (North Harbour), Max Earley, Ethan Shannon, Conor Peden, Brock Evans, Taine Slaughter (Auckland), Cameron Watts, Callum Bishop, Liam Potts, Bailey Hamilton, Josh Kelly (Canterbury), Te Kirika Cooper-Nicola, Jayden Stratford, Reilly Makea (Wellington), Tyson Byrne (Hutt Valley), Dante Makea-Matakatea (Australia)
MAJOR SOX SQUAD
Cohen Bailey, Jono Little, Caleb Koko, Levi Wilson (North Harbour), Oscar Clark, Ryan Earley, Jacob Lee, Max Russell, Harrison Wildbore, Traye Wildbore (Auckland), Reuben Elkins, Leon Lumb (Canterbury), Jaden Hita (Manawatu), Dallas Clifton, Tane Mumu, Zahr Shaw-Wallace (Hutt Valley)