D1: Semifinals

From 10 to just 4 in the semifinals. We’ll analyze later the clubs that failed to secure a top-four spot after 10 matchdays of the regular season.

In Pool A, there was no suspense despite Savigny’s surprise lead over Rouen, but Pool B delivered the drama. Three teams finished with identical win-loss records, forcing a tiebreaker based on total runs scored. Montpellier and La Rochelle emerged victorious, leaving Sénart behind.

The tables below show the calculations leading to these results. Montpellier had the best TQB, followed by La Rochelle, then Sénart.

Next week, four clubs will battle in a best-of-five series.

On Saturday, July 30, and Sunday, July 31, Rouen hosts Montpellier, while La Rochelle takes on Savigny. All matches will be broadcast on Baseball TV France. For the second matchday on August 6-7, Montpellier hosts Rouen, and Savigny’s away games will be played in Chartres, possibly broadcast.

Savigny, Rouen, and Montpellier are no strangers to the semifinals, each having won the title before. But La Rochelle’s Boucaniers are newcomers, reaching the final four for the first time after five seasons in Division 1. They face the current top team, but the upset we all expected has arrived with Savigny’s dominance and La Rochelle’s rise.

Montpellier salvages their season after a disappointing 2022 Challenge de France. They’ll fight hard against Rouen to advance.

Resilient Savigny narrowly missed the Challenge de France but took revenge on Rouen in the regular season. They’re the favorites for this semifinal.

Rouen aims for a historic triple crown this year, having already won the Challenge de France and the B European Cup, and now chasing their 17th league title.