On October 9th and 10th in Limeil-Brevannes (Créteil), the D2 championship finale between the Béziers Pirates and the Thiais Tigers will take place at Stade Didier Pironi.
For the Béziers Pirates, something historic is in the making. It’s taken 34 years of Béziers baseball history to reach the top two in the second division. After defeating Sénart’s reserve team (and what a reserve!) 2-1 in the semifinals, the southern side, led by veteran Laurent Andrades, are on the verge of adding a new chapter to their long history. Tied for first with St Aubin du Médoc in the regular season in Pool D (8-4), they had to battle hard in the finals against Bréal sous Montfort in two games.
Statistical Analysis: The advantage of one team over the other is highlighted in bold
Pirates 12W-5L
The Pirates at bat: .266 AVG, SLG .355, OBP .431, 105 BB, 78 K, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 4 HR.
The Pirates in the field: 5.08 ERA, 77 K, 79 BB, 127 H, 113 R, fld% .894, AVG OPP 271
For the other finalists, the task was slightly easier. Indeed, the Thiais Tigers are also writing a page of unprecedented history but with more dominance, they still had to fight in Pool B, finishing with a 9-3 record (nice!) tied with the Meyzieu Cards. Those same Cards were eliminated by Ronchin in the finals. Thiais continued their roll and also swept the Valenciennes Vipers in two games. Then it was Ronchin’s turn to pay the price for the Tigers’ advancement to the finale. In just two games…
Tigers: 13W-5L
The Tigers at bat: .279 AVG, SLG .364, OBP .426, 97 BB, 98 K, 14 doubles, 3 triples, 5 HR.
The Tigers in the field: 1.97 ERA, 79 K, 46 BB, 75 H, 60 R, fld% .910, AVG OPP 188
A clear advantage on paper for the Thiais Tigers, defensively. Notably on the mound. Few runs allowed. We’re not far from theoretical dominance at bat for the Tigers, but the Pirates seem more opportunistic and patient. The game will certainly be complicated for the Béziers players, but their winning experience can take them far. The D2 French champion will earn a spot in D1 for 2022. Two great finalists with proven character!
Each will write their own story. May the best team win!
Vincent Picard
