BASEBALL – July, Europe’s month.
Two major French clubs recently competed for titles reserved for Europe’s baseball royalty.
From July 13 to 17, the Champions Cup and CEB Cup showcased the continent’s hardest hitters, firing cannons with explosive potential.
Champions Cup: Rouen in the Czech Republic. Parma crowned champion.
The elite of European club baseball gathered at Arrows Ostrava’s field.
Group A
• Bologna (ITA) 3-0
• Rotterdam (NED) 2-1
• Rouen 0-3
• Heidenheim (GER) 1-2
Group B
• Amsterdam (NED) 1-2
• Parma (ITA) 4-1
• Bonn (GER) 3-2
• Ostrava (CZE) 1-2
With a reduced roster, the Huskies struggled. Finishing last, they returned to Normandy without a single win. In the first round, the French club lost to Neptunus 14-4, then to Bologna 17-1. Heidenheim then scored 19 runs against them, with Rouen managing only 6. The Rouennais didn’t fare better against Amsterdam the next day, losing 15-1.
Following the qualifying phase, Parma was crowned European champion, defeating Bonn 6-4. BOEKHOUDT Gianison Giamar Peter from Curaçao Neptunus (NED) was the tournament’s top hitter: .571 BA, 8 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI. MARTIS Shairon Benjamin L&D Amsterdam (NED) was named best pitcher: ERA 0.00 in 6.2 innings, 11 strikeouts. MARTIS Shairon SAMBUCCI Alex 1949 Parma Baseball Club A.S.D. (ITA) was named MVP.
For seventh place, the French club lost 12-1 again to the Germans from Heidenheim. The Rouen Huskies, historical leaders of the French championship at the start of the century, couldn’t confirm their place among Europe’s elite. However, the depth of their roster and their winning spirit, ingrained in the Normandy side for decades, promise tough battles for their opponents on French soil.
The Templiers nearly top Europe.
Simultaneously, the 2019 French Challenge winners, the Templiers de Sénart, hosted the CEB Cup, the second tier of European club competitions, at Grand Paris Sud’s Templiers Stadium.
Group A
• Deurne (BEL)
• Minsk (BEL)
• Valencia (ESP)
• Dornbirn (AUT)
Group B
• Brno (CZE)
• Sénart
• Biotechkom (UKR)
• Therwil (SUI)
The competition was won by Draci Brno (yet another Czech team), despite their loss (4-6) in the tournament’s final match against the Templiers, who saw Sénart’s Perdono hit two home runs in the top of the third inning and at the start of the eighth. He was named MVP of the competition.
Sénart, one of the favorites for the national title this year, took on a new dimension during this high-level tournament. The French finished second, winning 3 of their 4 games. Their only defeat came against Valencia’s Astros 3-2. Notable was a composite and ardent roster, a patchwork of players who have written or are writing the history of French baseball.
And now that the clash of the Titans has taken place, it’s time for the French championship. Follow us on BaseballTV!
Vincent Picard
