05/07/2022 - 09/07/2022

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WBSC Europe first part of the 2022 season: recap
05/09/2022 3 Minute Read

WBSC Europe first part of the 2022 season: recap

Thirty-one European Championships and Cups have been played so far in the 2022 baseball and softball season.

WBSC Europe President Kruno Karin said: "With 31 European Championships and Cups played so far, I cannot be anything but proud of the European baseball and softball community. None of this could have been possible without the effort of the volunteers throughout Europe."

Two more tournaments are scheduled for October, the Softball European Masters Cup (40+), and November, the U-17 Baseball5 European Championship, but "with over one month of pause before the next playball, this is a good time to look back and pay our respects to our athletes and champions!", said President Karin.

Four European Baseball Cups took place at the beginning of the season:

  • in Bonn, Germany, Parma (ITA) won the Baseball European Champions Cup, defeating L&D Amsterdam (NED) in the final, 7-6, and claiming the title of European Champion.
  • The Rouen Huskies (FRA) defeated the Hoboken Pioneers (BEL), 6-5, in the final game of the Baseball European Confederation Cup on their home field in France. With the victory Rouen secured a spot in the European Champions Cup for France for next year.
  • The Astros Valencia (ESP) won the Baseball European Federation Cup in Brasschaat, Belgium, shutting out the Brasschaat Braves (BEL), 10-0, in the final to earn a berth for the Spanish Baseball and Softball Federation in next year’s Confederation Cup.
  • The Rattvik Baseball and Softball Club (SWE) has won the Baseball Federation Cup Qualifier in Kutno, Poland; the Apollo Bratislava (SVK) claimed the Federation Cup Qualifier in Belgrade, Serbia; the Zurich Barracudas (SUI) won the Men’s Baseball Federation Cup Qualifier held this week in Sofia, Bulgaria. All three teams earned a spot for their Federation at next year’s Federation Cup.

Great Britain confirmed its lead on the Softball Slowpitch in Europe, first winning the Men's Slowpitch European Championship in Colorno, Italy, after a thrilling gold medal game against the Dutch won by 47-31.
One month later, the British also won the Coed Slowpitch European Championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia, topping Germany, 12-7
The British, German and Dutch teams qualified for the for the first-ever WBSC Coed Slowpitch World Cup.

Ten Baseball qualifying tournaments have been played throughout the summer:

  • Belgium defeated Ukraine, 6-5, in Trnava, Slovakia, and Great Britain won against Sweden, 5-1, in Sundbyberg, Sweden, to qualify for the 2022 U-18 European Baseball Championship.
  • Great Britain won the U-12 European Baseball Championship Qualifier, in Vienna, Austria, defeating Ukraine 9-5. With the victory Great Britain promotes to the U-12 European Baseball Championship for 2023.
  • In July, three Qualifiers took place for the European Championship 2023. Qualifiers winners HungaryFrance and Switzerland will fight at a play-off tournament early next year and only two of them will advance to the main tournament.
  • Hungary and Spain won the U-15 European Baseball Championship Qualifier to earn a spot in next year’s U-15 European Baseball Championship.
  • Austria shut out Ukraine 1-0 in the final of the U-23 European Baseball Championship Qualifier in Ljubljana, Slovenia, while Belgium shut out Switzerland, 0-7, in the final of the other pool in Utena, Lithuania. Both Austria and Belgium qualified for next year’s U-23 European Baseball Championship. 

Four Softball Fastpitch European Championships have been played in 2022:

Germany won the U-12 European Baseball Championship 2022 in Vienna, Austria, defeating Czechia 10-9 after nine dramatic innings. Germany and Czechia have qualified for the WBSC U12 Baseball World Cup in 2023.
France defended its title at the Women’s European Baseball Championship 2022, defeating the Czech Republic, 13-3. The Netherlands finished in third place in the final standings ahead of Great Britain in fourth, which had played its first international competition in Women’s Baseball.
Spain defeated the Netherlands, 6-2, in a rain-shortened final in Brno at the U-18 European Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic to claim their first ever gold medal in this age category.

In Softball Fastpitch, eight more cups were played in August:

  • In Collecchio, Italy, eight teams took part in the U-13 European softball cup: the European Massimo Romeo Youth Trophy. Seleccion Navarra (ESP) won the future division trophy, while Italy 1 (ITA) took home gold in the sport division.
  • Olympia (NED) won the forty-fourth Women's Softball Premiere Cup, topping Forlì (ITA), 4-3, in the championship game held in Bollate, Italy, to be crowned European Champion for the first time.
  • Chicaboo's (BEL) won the Women's Softball European Cup defeating the home team Avigliana Rebels in Italy. Belgium, gold medal with the Chicaboo's, and Austria, bronze medal with the Vienna Wanderers, qualified for the 2023 Women's Softball European Premiere Cup
  • Saronno (ITA) won the Women's Softball Cup Winners Cup A in Viladecans, Spain, topping Sparks Haarlem (NED), 2-3, in the championship game.
  • Les Pharaons d'Evry-Courcouronnes (FRA) won the 2022 Women's Softball European Cup Winners Cup B in front of their home crowd, defeating the Wittenbach Panthers (SUI), 2-0. France will be promoted to 2023 Women's Softball European Cup Winners Cup A.
  • To wrap up the August cups, the Oslo Alligators (NOR) won the Men's Softball European Super Cup, defeating the Stenløse Bulls (DEN) in the championship game in the first extra inning, 1-2.
  • The Stabroek Chicaboo's from Belgium won the 2022 Men's Softball Europe Cup, the lower pool of the Men's Softball European Super Cup.

All games results, teams rosters, stats and more can be found on the WBSC Europe website.
All games can be re watched on the WBSC Europe YouTube Channel.
All photos can be found on the WBSC Europe Flickr profile.

Cover photo by Grega Valancic