Midseason. A crucial milestone. The big guns are pulling away, while underdogs fight for a shot at the playoffs. Meanwhile, the bottom dwellers are just trying to avoid getting steamrolled. Metz (0-4), Paris (0-4), Nice (0-6), and Toulouse (0-4) are still searching for their first win.
D1 is ruthless. Even for high-potential teams. It takes more than that. It takes strong organization.
A few surprises, though. You can feel a shift happening in the middle of the standings between the usual top four (Rouen, Sénart, Montpellier, and Montigny, who are all over the place) and two serious contenders: the Lions de Savigny, who want to reclaim their dominance (11-time finalists, 5-time champions), and La Rochelle (6th in 2021, winners of the 2020 French Summer League, 6th in 2019).
Not that the hierarchy is being questioned, but rather that the gap between the leaders and the chasers is narrowing. Proof? The Boucaniers took a game from Sénart and the Barracudas, and Montigny split with Rouen. So, what can we expect from this weekend?
Lions de Savigny (3-3) vs Cometz Metz (0-4)
Metz Cometz at bat.
Get in line.
The Cometz will eventually secure a win. But when? Maybe they’ll have to wait for the second half of the schedule against the PUC. Or maybe not. The Moselle players aren’t safe from pulling off an upset against the Lions. Rogers (.385 avg) leading an attack that’s still too hesitant (.157 avg for the whole team) seems to be the only one who can embody that hope. Still, so far, Metz has faced two playoff contenders (Rouen and Montigny).
Firmin Hassed above.
Some hope for a match, then. With an ERA of 8.44 (while only allowing 1.06 earned runs per game), the Cometz will have to be more disciplined and opportunistic against the more consistent Lions (.229 avg) and better pitching staff (ERA of 2.76, allowing 3.46 runs per game). The Lions have faced the PUC and Rouen, two extremes of the standings. Leading the lineup: Boucheron (.381 avg) and Amoros (.304 avg), and a strong pitching depth. Will the Cometz bite the tail of the Lions in Savigny? Or vice versa? A split is possible.
Rouen (5-1) 16 titles vs PUC (0-4) 22 titles.
Hunt for the Violets?
Two legendary clubs will face off. One forever etched in history but now just a shadow of itself, and the other quietly building its own legend. The PUC, the most decorated club in French baseball, will have to put on a good show against its relentless heir, Rouen Baseball 76. At the PUC, one of the greats of the 80s and 90s, only two players who participated in and finished all four games of the schedule are batting over .286… Why so little commitment? The team seems disjointed. Do they need to reinvent Parisian baseball to hope for a climb up the standings? There’s a strong sense of differing philosophies between these clubs. The Parisian mound lacks relief. The starters are holding their own, but the rest isn’t strong enough. At least not enough to worry the Huskies. The entire Rouen team is batting for the best provisional average in the championship: .362! Leading the way: Dagneau (.522), Harrison (.500), Blondel (.444), Gleeson (.412)… Enough said. Oh, and Hernandez (.412)! As for the pitching staff… ERA: 1.73 (6 games), 60 strikeouts, 19 walks. They’re only batting .209 against the French champions… The stage is set. But why doesn’t the capital attract more talent? Is Paris burning? Unfortunately, we’re heading towards a clean sweep…
Nice (0-6) vs Stade Toulousain (0-4)
Wisigoth land.
A 100% Occitan duel where Latin culture is very present (peuchère…). The good news is that one of the two will finally secure a win. Or more. If one of the teams suffers another double defeat, it will be very difficult to improve before the end of the season. Montas and Medina will face Garcia E. and Garcia J. However, both teams have come close to some impressive victories. Nice against Montpellier (2-5) and Toulouse against Sénart (3-7). Toulouse has had to face the Barracudas and the Templiers. Seventh with a 7.42 ERA, the Toulousains will theoretically face less opposition. Nice is seventh in batting average (.185), but that’s a lot against the last average of the D1 championship for the former Tigers: .103… You can’t do much, or anything, with such little efficiency at the plate. Only 12 hits in four games for the pink city… Toulouse also struggles with control, as many walks as strikeouts: 23. But the Toulousains make up for it with an ERA of 6.42, admittedly too high (they only allow 0.77). On the Nice side, it’s a bit less with an ERA of 7.80 in six games. That’s too much (yet Teramura is on fire: 23 strikeouts, 10 walks, ERA 3.71). That’s where Toulouse can sneak in, knowing that the Cavigal has a defensive average marred by errors (.872). Come on, a split.
Sénart (5-1) vs MUC (5-1)
Ozanich and Doat: humility and energy in victory.
European showdown
Templiers: avg .268, era 2.47, obp .394. Barracudas: avg .288, era 1.70, obp .389.
The showdown of the weekend. The Templiers, less strong this year, have turned over the roster (bye Belisle, Paz, Paula, Holland… Martinez Scott? Peyrichou?). They made their mark in 2021 by finishing second in the CEB CUP (European Club Cup B) even if they missed the chance to win their fourth French Cup title. Montpellier remains as ambitious as ever, with their second Challenge de France title in 2021 (first in 2006) in their pocket. Let’s remember that the French Cup title offers the keys to the European scene.
At « Montpel », Cosgrove, Brossier, who are making waves in the States (and not just in pastries), Cromwell, and Zan are no longer there. Kovacs is back and is going toe-to-toe with Ariel Soriano. Sugiura and Anderson are already making a name for themselves.
Canelon and Ozanich are piling up strikeouts. Priest is still at home at the Templiers Stadium. We’ve noticed. The American is resuming the carnage he started last year… Surely one of the most suspenseful duels of the season. For the Sénart offense, you have to get around the deadly duo Canelon-Ozanich. For the Barracudas offense, they’ll have to face Priest, assisted by Eusebio. The Templiers folded at Boucan’s field. A stinging defeat 2-10 in the second game. Eusebio wins the Save in the first, securing Priest’s work. 9 first innings won « only » 3-1. Is the theater of French baseball rebalancing? The Barracudas also folded against the Boucaniers in a game. Everything points to the best starters being lined up in the first game. For once, we should see a « pitchers’ match ». And a second half where the powder keg of the lineups should finally be unleashed.
Given the path of the two clubs, a split at the end of the day.
Photo credit Glenn Gervot.
Vincent Picard
