Baseball NSW commends the Sydney Blue Sox for an outstanding 2025/26 Australian Baseball League season!
This year, the Sox finished with the best record in the league at 24-14, and they hosted their first-ever ABL Championship Series against the Adelaide Giants at Blacktown International Sports Park.
The Sox gave it all they had against a surging Giants team, but a tightly contested three-game series ultimately saw Adelaide capture their third Claxton Shield in four years, solidifying a dynasty.
Giants center fielder Devin Saltiban won Most Valuable Player after a stellar performance in the series.
Championship experience went a long way as the Giants took Game 1 on 23 January with a walkoff 3-2 victory.
In the second inning, Jo Stevens and Michael Campbell put the Sox hitters in scoring position thanks to a walk and a hit, respectively.
Shortstop Hansel Jimenez paid them off with a line drive to right field that brought them home, putting the Sox up 2-0.
Jimenez finished the game with two hits, and two runs scored.
In the third, Pablo Nunez caught a deep one in centre field to rob Nick Ward of a run opportunity after a hit from Ben Fierenzi.
The Sox managed to stand firm in the fourth, even after Saltiban’s solo homer, as a double play held off the Giants from doing further damage.
In the eighth, the Sox had runners on second and third with zero outs.
However, Giants relief pitcher Ky Hampton made the play that swung the game. He struck out Briley Knight and Harry Fullerton, and then induced a ground out from Nunez to keep the score at 2-1.
Deep in the eighth, Jordan McArdle walked, while pinch runner Jack Partington advanced to third on a wild pitch. Then Robbie Glendinning hit a a sacrifice fly to right field, which allowed Partington to score the equalizing run.
The Sox went quiet in the ninth.
Mitch Edwards took over Jose Colmenares and smashed a solo homer to right centre to walk off the Sox and take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three ABLCS.
Still, the Sox proved why they led the league throughout the season with a 6-1 victory in Game 2 last Saturday to force a deciding Game 3.
Their bats got hot at the right time, while Alex Wells’ dominant pitching kept the Giants at bay all game.
Sydney scored early with a run from Dylan Leach, brought home by Jo Stevens on a clean base hit to centre.
Meanwhile, Wells prevented the Giants lineup from gaining any momentum as they couldn’t figure out his pitching.
In the fifth, Sydney took the initiative after Harry Fullerton drove Jimenez home with a line drive to right field, as he opened this scoring chance with a single to centre. A wild pitch then let Fullerton cross to put Sydney up 3-0.
The sixth inning decided the game. Both Stevens and Michael Campbell singled, while Jimenez walked.
Stevens scored on a fielding error, while Fullerton’s groundout put Campbell on the plate. Then, Jimenez crossed home plate on another wild pitch, blowing the game open at 6-1.
On the mound, Wells continued his masterclass with only six hits allowed across seven innings, striking out four and walking one.
Then, Coen Wynne took over and retired the Giants side in the eighth and ninth to close the game.
Still, the Giants recovered to play a complete game in the third contest to win their third Claxton Shield in four years.
The Giants won Game 3, 6-2, on the backs of their superb pitching and effective hitting.
Starting pitcher Josh Hendrickson pitched 5.2 innings and allowed only six hits and struck out seven.
The rest of the pitching staff also held their ground, while their batting lineup all gathered at least one hit, totaling ten hits and six walks.
After the Giants scored 1-0 in the second, the Sox scored a run of their own deep in the same inning thanks to Jo Stevens and Hansel Jimenez.
Stevens doubled and went to third off Jimenez’s bunt, then Stevens crossed home plate after a pair of two-out walks.
However, the Giants mounted a rally in the third that swung the momentum to their side and ultimately helped decide the series.
At the bottom of the third, the Sox failed to score while leaving two baserunners on.
The Giants put all the pressure on them to play catch-up, as Saltiban’s fielding stifled the Sox’s offense, which was followed by a double play.
Nursing a 4-1 lead, the Giants also scored two more runs at the top of the sixth to secure the championship.
Michael Campbell managed a lead-off walk off Hendrickson, while Jimenez singled and Briley Knight hit a sacrifice fly to score another run for the Sox, 6-2.
The Sox weren’t able to generate momentum after that, as the Giants’ pitching staff didn’t give them anything to work with.
Hampton shut out the Sox at the bottom of the eighth, while Danyony Pulido finished the job in the ninth.
Pulido struck out the first batter, surrendered a single, then induced a double play to finish the series.
Baseball NSW commends the Sydney Blue Sox for playing a terrific ABL season that saw them advance all the way to the Championship Series!
We also congratulate the Adelaide Giants for winning the Claxton Shield after a hard-fought, three-game thriller of a series.
Finally, BNSW thanks everyone who helped make this year’s ABL season a reality, and who helped make the season an outstanding one.
See you all next season!
Photo credit: Mick G Photography