This Sunday, September 12th, marks the start of the European Baseball Cup. Until September 19th, 16 nations from across Europe will battle it out. Four groups of four, with France drawn alongside England, Russia, and Israel. Given their recent Olympic qualifying performances, Israel is among the favorites, having secured their spot as Europe’s representative. Meanwhile, the Dutch side is eyeing revenge after their TQO setback.
Led by Keino Perez, newly promoted as France’s manager in place of the unavailable Bruce Bochy (due to the health crisis), the selected squad features a strong showing from D1 championship rookies.
The Challenge de France helped identify in-form players like Coste Doat, Brossier, and Antoine. There’s a sense of fairness among the championship teams, with five players each called up from Sénart, Rouen, and Montpellier. Notably, the selection of Sénart and Montpellier players for the French national team has led to their final regular-season Division 1 match being postponed from September 12th to the 26th.
Early this week, these players trained together at Stade de la Rochelle (following the Challenge de France). They then traveled to Turin, where they’ll face England in their first match this Sunday at 8 PM.
Last-minute coaching changes, a short preparation period, a new Federation president, and a roster filled with rookies inexperienced at high-level international competition—all these factors put the French national team in a tough spot to deliver a standout performance.
While Russia and England are formidable opponents, Israel is expected to top their group. France can still hope to advance past the group stage. After that, the story remains to be written.
