Four teams played eight matches while the other six only played six. This results in uneven standings. However, two surprises have already emerged this season: the strength of Stade Toulousain and Rouen’s poor start. The presence of Savigny and Montpellier at the top of the standings is less surprising, and clearly these are two teams that will be in the mix for the playoffs.
Sénart, Montigny, and La Rochelle are gaining momentum but remain underwhelming. They’ll each need to dig deeper to secure their spot in the playoffs. Metz is in the thick of the relegation battle, while Le PUC and Nice have already jeopardized their chances of staying in Division 1.
Now, let’s look at the four matches from last weekend. The weather was perfect across France.
Montigny traveled to Toulouse. Early on, Montigny showed their teeth, with ace Bellen-Fagnoni hitting a two-run home run in the second inning. Then, a few defensive errors allowed Toulouse to slowly climb back. Garcia, Toulouse’s starting pitcher, held his own. It’s worth noting that the expulsions Toulouse faced after the altercation in La Rochelle are weighing on their lineup: Yudi Soriano is out for 12 matches, and Rojas, their ace pitcher, is out for at least today’s two matches. Toulouse proved stronger in both games.
La Rochelle traveled to Paris to face Le PUC. Two wins for the Buccaneers, even though they were down 6-2 in the first game before coming back to win 8-6. Le PUC lacked pitching depth, which isn’t the case for La Rochelle, who added a second Venezuelan pitcher in Yaferson Lopez (who was with Rouen last year).
The clash between Savigny and Sénart was more intense. The 1-0 score in the first game speaks for itself. The second game was of the same caliber, with Sénart snatching a walk-off victory in extra innings. Savigny lost their first match of the season, but they clearly have one of the most complete teams this year.
Finally, Montpellier hosted Nice. In control and dominant, they outclassed the Cavigals. The latter suffered their eighth loss of the season. It’s going to be tough; they need to beat Metz to stay afloat.
This weekend is a break, with only Cometz hosting the Templiers. Regardless of the result, the standings in Pool B won’t change.
In terms of statistics, Montpellier leads in everything (standings, batting, and pitching), just like last week. As for individual players, Montpellier’s rookie Ben Couvreur is off to an excellent start. At Le PUC, Douglas Rodriguez is right up there with the all-time greats Belle Fagnoni and Ivan Acuna in terms of hits.
We’re now at the first third of the season, with 10 matchdays to go. The only thing certain is the relegation of Le PUC and Nice. However, the collapse of a top team is still possible. Metz, La Rochelle, and Montigny still show too many weaknesses. We can expect Rouen to bounce back, and we’ll have to see if Toulouse can maintain their level. The upcoming Challenge de France should give us more clues about the likely end-of-season predictions.
