Baseball NSW congratulates the NSW U16 squad for winning gold at the 2026 Australian Youth Championships that concluded last 13 January 2026.
The NSW U16 team dominated Victoria in a 12-1 drubbing. New South Wales threw the first punch in the first, scoring three runs before an out was recorded.
Noah Nash dinged a two-run triple and then scored again as Mitch Howay brought him home on a single.
The final score may have been lopsided, but both teams played well on pitching and defense.
Relief pitcher for Victoria Cale Morris pitched 4.0 innings and allowed just one run while striking out three.
Likewise, several NSW players stepped up to push the team to glory, and one of them was Nash. He played an excellent game on the plate and on the mound, collecting four hits and two RBI while making a diving catch and pitching two shutout innings.
He also made a highlight save as he collided with a teammate to make a catch in the outfield and still held onto the ball.
Noah’s performance earned him the Most Valuable Player award. His final numbers for the tournament are: 16-for-27, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB, 10 SB, 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 SO.
Meanwhile, Noah’s teammate Dan Price also received the Golden Glove award for his stellar performance defensively. He struck out two runners in the finals to push his team to the championship game.
Throughout the tournament, he had a 1.000 fielding percentage with eight assists from behind the plate.
Another NSW player, Jack Phegan, also received the Golden Arm award for his masterful pitching throughout the tourney.
During the Preliminary Final, the team was done 3-2 in the sixth inning, and Phegan stepped up to the mound and allowed only one hit and zero runs in 2.0 innings pitched. Then he threw 5.0 innings in the Gold Medal game where he allowed just one run with zero walks.
Phegan’s final numbers are: 12.2 IP, 2 ER, 11 H, 1 BB, 8 SO.
Congratulations once again to our boys! We wish you all the best as you build on your early success.
Photos by Hugh Whittle/Baseball Australia
