The North Eastern Baseball Association (NEBA) has claimed the 2026 Under 17 Country Division State Winter Championship after an impressive weekend of baseball in Wangaratta, overcoming the best regional talent from across Victoria.

Representing clubs from Wangaratta, Wodonga, Albury and Porepunkah, the NEBA squad rebounded from an opening loss to string together four consecutive victories, defeating Bendigo Baseball Association (BBA) twice and Ringwood District twice on their way to the championship.

The tournament began with a tough 13-5 defeat against a powerful Sunraysia outfit from Mildura. After falling behind early, NEBA refused to surrender, fighting back with five runs in the third inning. Wangaratta's Darcy Sanders and Porepunkah's Rory Clark collected hits, while Sanders, Michael Nistico (Wodonga), Griffin Meyers (Wodonga) and Makayla Pool (Wangaratta) each drove in runs. Ethan Simmons (Albury) showed excellent plate discipline by drawing three walks as NEBA stole six bases to keep the pressure on despite the result.

The response was immediate.

Facing Bendigo later that afternoon, NEBA exploded for seven runs in the third inning to record a commanding 9-2 victory. Wangaratta's Oscar Maiden delivered a quality start on the mound, allowing just one hit across 3⅔ innings before Wodonga's Michael Nistico closed out the contest in relief. Josh Wells (Wangaratta), Oliver Clear (Wodonga) and Tanner Godenzi (Wangaratta) each collected hits, while the defence was flawless, committing no errors. Wells was outstanding in the field, recording eight defensive chances as NEBA aggressively attacked the bases with 11 stolen bases.

NEBA carried that momentum into their final pool match against Ringwood District, securing a 7-3 win to book a place in Sunday's finals.

Taylor Jones (Wangaratta) started on the mound before Wells, Sanders and Godenzi combined for four scoreless innings of relief to shut down Ringwood's offence. Godenzi starred with the bat, collecting two hits including a towering solo home run to left field, while Nistico, Sophie Berry (Wodonga), Cruz Wayenberg (Albury) and Godenzi each drove in runs. Simmons and Wayenberg also wreaked havoc on the bases as NEBA stole another eight bags.

With confidence building, NEBA returned on Sunday for a semi-final rematch against Ringwood and produced arguably their most complete performance of the tournament.

The home side cruised to a convincing 13-3 victory behind a dominant outing from Wells, who struck out seven batters over 4⅔ innings. Every part of the line-up contributed, with Wayenberg leading the offence with two hits while Wells, Simmons, Maiden, Berry, Sanders, Wayenberg, Clear and Godenzi all collected RBIs. Sanders, Wayenberg and Godenzi each stole multiple bases as NEBA finished with an astonishing 12 stolen bases. The defence was equally impressive, playing error free baseball with Clear flawless as catcher.

The championship game saw NEBA meet Bendigo once again, and there would be no denying the home side.

Godenzi dominated on the mound, striking out eight over four innings while allowing just two hits as NEBA stormed to a comprehensive 12-1 victory to secure the Country Division title.

Offensively, Simmons, Wayenberg, Clear and Godenzi all recorded hits, while Simmons and Sanders drove in two runs apiece. NEBA displayed tremendous patience at the plate, drawing 11 walks, with Nistico, Wells and Wayenberg each reaching twice via free passes. Sanders continued his excellent tournament on the bases with two stolen bases as NEBA added another six steals in the title deciding win.

Throughout the weekend, the representative squad showcased the depth of talent across the North East.

Wangaratta was represented by Darcy Sanders, Hayden Kiker, Josh Wells, Makayla Pool, Oscar Maiden, Tanner Godenzi and Taylor Jones. Wodonga contributed Griffin Meyers, Jessie Hoare, Michael Nistico, Oliver Clear, Roman Illevski and Sophie Berry, while Albury's representatives were Cruz Wayenberg and Ethan Simmons. Rory Clark and Wade Pronk proudly represented Porepunkah.

The championship highlighted not only individual performances but also the strength of the region's player development programs. NEBA combined disciplined hitting, aggressive base running, outstanding defence and quality pitching throughout the tournament, finishing with four straight victories after their opening setback. Tanner Godenzi was named NEBA tournament MVP batting .625 and recording an ERA of .000 and collecting 12 strikeouts over 5.1 inning pitched. 

Winning a State Winter Championship on home soil made the achievement even more special, providing a fitting reward for a talented group of young players who represented their clubs and the North Eastern Baseball Association with distinction over an outstanding weekend of baseball in Wangaratta.Pics here - dusthornsphotography.pixieset.com/nebau17winterchampionships