When in 2021, the Sénart club reached two finals (Championship, European Cup), and were narrowly beaten in the France Challenge, the performance was notable. Unfortunately, they didn’t win any titles. So in 2022, they had to go back into battle with a buried and unconscious feeling of bad luck and regret. And in 2022, they finished in 7th place out of 10 and barely played in the play-downs. A year to forget.
The Templiers, however, have firepower rosters with flame-throwing pitchers. So what about 2023? Obviously, they must reach the playoffs and win the France Challenge. These are two serious goals.
Koki Takahashi
The Brelle family is at the heart of this revival. To achieve results in 2023, they will need to overcome injuries or pitching depth issues. On the ace front, they lost Shane Priest, who moved to Metz, but recruited a 25-year-old right-handed Japanese pitcher: Koki Takahashi. The pitching will be strengthened by Carlos Eusebio, who posted a 2.50 ERA in 2022. Following that, the French relievers are: Paula, Launay, the two Meurant brothers, and young Emile Brelle.
In defense and the line-up, they will also have the support of another Japanese player, Takashi Mizuno. They can also count on a switch-hitting power hitter who posted a .309 average with Savigny last year: Yeixon Ruiz
But it’s especially on the catcher side that the reinforcement comes with a Canadian: Jake Macdonald. He comes on the advice of another Canadian who impressed the championship in 2021 by pitching 17 innings: Sam Belisle-Springer. He’s a regular in foreign championships, and in France, he will be able to speak his youth language.
That’s for the most visible part of the roster, and let’s hope the team is built to fight and win. In terms of the pool, the Templiers are in Pool B, whose favorite is Savigny. Only two teams will qualify, so they will have to beat Montpellier. However, the surprise could also come from Cometz in this pool, and against Sénart, they will have a big ally in the person of Shane Priest, who knows them well after spending two years with the Templiers.
On March 19, Opening Day, they face Nice away.
In terms of the challenge, they will play at home, as they are the ones hosting it. However, they start the competition with a tough match: the 2022 winners, the Rouen Huskies.
Like for the other teams, the competitions in 2023 are, as of today, on paper full of doubt but with a clear feeling that this year, one or two surprises are possible. The Templiers could be one of them.
Moreover, all matches taking place at Templiers Stadium will be broadcast on Baseball TV France and the Templiers’ YouTube channel. Let’s thank and encourage their leader, Thomas Houlez.
