Regular seasons are wrapping up one by one. No more softball, no more Division 2. This weekend, the 15U European Cup with the small final against the Czech Republic and the 14th and penultimate matchday of Division 1.
15U European Cup
The Dutch are the strongest so far and will face the Italians, who beat the French, at 5 PM on Saturday, July 22nd. A thrilling semifinal match that ended with the French just one point behind the Italians. The French will face the Czechs for third place. They have a shot at finishing third in this European Cup. They hit well, even home runs, and still have a lively reserve of pitchers.
Division 1 Baseball
We remind you of our prediction game to pick the two winning teams from each pool qualified for the playoffs. After this weekend, there will still be some suspense and uncertainty left. Metz and Montigny are resting this matchday.
Pool A
Rouen travels to Paris. The PUC knows they won’t last long in Division 1 and have already gotten used to the idea. That doesn’t mean they haven’t managed to beat Rouen before. On the other side, Rouen’s Huskies are having a rough year. Even if they win both their games, they won’t secure a spot in the playdowns and will depend on other teams’ results (Montigny, Toulouse, and La Rochelle). If they lose one, they won’t make the playoffs.
Editor’s prediction: Rouen wins both games
La Rochelle travels to Toulouse. The two recent narrow defeats against Montigny didn’t let the joy settle in after their two wins against Rouen. Toulouse is in form, even though they lost a key pitcher, Mathias Lacombe, who is heading to the White Sox after his draft. The Rochelais haven’t managed to win a game against Toulouse this year. It would be a surprise if the Boucaniers could take a game in Toulouse, especially at home for the latter.
Editor’s prediction: Toulouse wins both games
Pool B
Montpellier heads to Nice. It’s going to be hot on the Nice field without grass. The Niçois, like the Pucistes, have resigned themselves to relegation to Division 2. They face the best team in their pool, who aren’t shaking this year and are racking up wins quite easily. As with Montigny, dropping their Division 2 team commitment this year has given them a boost for Division 1. Maybe that’s what La Rochelle and Rouen are paying for. But that’s another debate!
Editor’s prediction: Montpellier wins both games
Then it’s the clash between the second and third in the pool as Savigny travels to Sénart.
- If Sénart win both games, and Savigny lose their next two games against Montpellier, they are in the playoffs.
- If Savigny win both games, they can hope to make the points and access the playoffs.
- If both teams split, Sénart has an extra chance, especially if Montpellier win their two games against Savigny.
Editor’s prediction: Both teams split, but a slight advantage to Sénart, especially given their previous meetings where Sénart leads 3 wins to 1.
In summary, the suspense will still be a bit alive for the last matchday, but by then, predictions can turn out to be completely wrong.
As for broadcasts: France 15U team and Sénart against Savigny.
