The Swiss U16 will participate in PONY Championship

The Swiss National Team U16 will take part in PONY European Championship. Players will travel to Prague during the Easter holidays.

The PONY Championship has been being hold for 12 years in a row. This year Prague was privileged to take the championship. Baseball competition will be held among U14 and U16 teams. The winner of each category will be automatically qualified to the USA PONY Championship.

The Swiss team will try their forces at this year`s tournament for the first time. The National Team U16 doesn’t exist officially in Switzerland. Thus, the coaching staff completed it especially for this competition.

International practice

The National Team U15 will not participate in the international tournament this year. But, the team coach Mike Bundi found the way players to receive such practice. He succeeded to contact with the championship organizers and to receive a place for his team due to the recommendations of the head coach, Martin Almstetter.

As of National Team U18, players can use this tournament as preparation for the European Championship and play on the international arena. It will also become the main event of the year for the U15.

Switzerland will play in one group with Austria, Serbian and the Netherlands. According to Mike Bundi, Swiss team can stand a chance playing against Austria and Serbia, but as of match with Netherlands it is one of the powerful team. Thus time will show what the result will be.

Games of the Swiss National Team

13 April 10 am: Switzerland- the Netherland

14 April 08 am: Switzerland- Serbia

14April 12 pm: Switzerland- Austria

http://baseballua.com/2017/04/14/the-swiss-u16-will-participate-in-pony-championship/ 

Edvardas Matusevicius has become the player of the week

“Dohren Wild Farmers” has continued their powerful start of the season during the last weekend. They got the double victory over “Dortmund Wanderers”. The newcomer from Lithuania, Edvardas Matusevicius has shown great game and became the best player of the match. Matusevicius has already shown good results in the first game as well. He allowed 5 hits and 4 walks on starter`s position during 7 innings. 11 betters of the opponent team were sent to the sub`s bench by pitcher`s strike-outs. He made 4 hits, 2 home-runs, double, 3 runs and triple RBI during the game. Edvardas was the one who played the main role on the way of team`s victory – the score was 6:3. Edvardas Matusevicius reached the base for 4 times (2 singles, 2 walks) and made 3 runs and RBI during the second game which was finished with the score 15:3.

25-year-old player from the Lithuanian National Teams is the strongest baseball player of the country. Also he plays for “Pittsburg Pirates” in the USA. The former baseball star of the USSR was invited to the European MLB camps. In addition, he played in “USA Baseball” in school and college.

http://baseballua.com/2017/04/14/edvardas-matusevicius-has-become-the-player-of-the-week/ 

«Play Global» в Україні

Later this month, Play Global’s Tom Gillespie and coach Zach Graefser will travel to Kirovograd, Ukraine.

They will work with coaches from the region and their players, ages 14-19. Teams from around Ukraine and surrounding countries have been invited to join the program. Tom and Zach will teach baseball skills every morning and lead games every afternoon during this five day event.

Kirovograd was recently renamed into Kropyvnytsky. It is the capital of Ukrainian baseball. It is also a home city of the strongest Ukrainian team “BioTexCom”.

http://baseballua.com/2017/04/14/play-global-in-ukraine-in-april/ 

Ukrainian major league 2017 schedule

Baseball fans heartily welcome spring because the baseball season has begun! The schedule for the Ukrainian major league 2017 was concluded during the meeting of Sport and Technical Commission and Ukrainian Baseball and Softball Federation. Federation representatives approved terms, place and drawing system of the Ukrainian championship games in major league, Division B, North subgroup. The game system is the format of away games:

1.”Sumski Vorony “ Sumy City;

2. BC “Poltava” Poltava region;
3. Shidni Vikingy Kharkiv City.

1^st round (Sumy City)

20 May 2017 “Sumski Vorony “- “Skhidni Vikingy “

21 May 2017 BC “Poltava”- “Sumski Vorony”

2^nd round (Kharkiv City)

3 June 2017 “Skhidni Vikingy”- BC “Poltava”

4 June 2017 “Sumski Vorony”- “Skhidni Vikingy” BC “Poltava”- “Sumski Vorony”

3^rd round (Sumy City)

24 June 2017 BC “Poltava”- “Sumski Vorony”

25 June 2017 “Skhidni Vikingy”- BC “Poltava” “Sumski Vorony”- “Skhidni Vikingy”

4^th round (Sumy City)

15 July 2017 “Sumski Vorony” – “Skhidni Vikingy”

16 July 2017 BC “Poltava”- “Sumski Vorony” “Skhidni Vikingy”- BC “Poltava”

In addition, at the meeting members also concluded terms, place and the drawing system of the Ukrainian Baseball Championship in the major league, Division B, South subgroup. The game system is the format of away games:

1. “SYCC-Komunarivets” Mykolaiv City
2. “West Side” (Rivne City)
3. “Morski diyavoly” (Odessa City)

First Round

1^st Round 20 May 2017

“Morski diyavoly”- “West Side”

2^nd Round 10 June 2017

“SYCC-Komunarivets”- Morski diyavoly

3^rd Round 24 June 2017

“SYCC-Komunarivets”- “West Side”

2^nd Round

4^th Round 15 July 2017

“Morski diyavoly”- “SYCC- Komunarivets”

5^th Round 22 July 2017

West Side”- “SYCC- Komunarivets”

6^th Round 05 August 2017

“West Side”- “Morski diyavoly”

http://baseballua.com/2017/04/13/ukrainian-major-league-2017-schedule/ 

The German U18 team visited Barcelona

Last week the German National Team U18 came back from Barcelona after the MLB tournament. Team has played eight matches against the National teams of Netherlands, Italy, France, and Czech Republic. Also German team competed with the “AllStars” which includes best baseball players from Spain, Britain, Austria, Sweden and Belgium.

The score draw was possible because games were played without an extra innings. Each inning had a limit – 25 pitches. If the team reached the maximum number of pitches, the right to pitch was automatically given to the other team. This restriction is seldom introduced, but it was necessary during this competition to avoid the overwork of pitchers before the game season. In addition, the MLB representatives held numerous testing, the number of trainings and a lot of group and individual meetings.

The German National Team U18 finished the game week with two victories, three failures and three score draws. However, the coaching staff in the name of head coach Tom Gillespie and his assistants Christopher Howard, Stefan Muller and Markus Solbakh were pleased with team’s game and scores.

“It was pleasant all athletes played so wholeheartedly and tried to open something new for them. It was a kind of productive preparation for the upcoming season. We still have a lot of things we need to work through”, Gillespie said.

http://baseballua.com/2017/04/12/the-german-u18-team-visited-barcelona/ 

“Challengers” has won the 20th spring tournament in Zurich

Two local teams have met in the spring tournament finals that took place in Zurich. “Zurich Challengers” beaten “Zurich Barracudas” with the score 3-2. It was their fourth victory after 1998, 2000 and 2011.

“Barracudas” managed to win all matches in their subgroup. On Sunday they won over the German team “Herrenberg Wanderers” and reached the final with the score 5-3. But “Challengers” had to fight until the last to reach the final stage of competition.

The crucial match against “Dominican Allstars” was held on Sunday. “Challengers” went ahead until the last inning with the score 3-2. But later, opponents managed to turn the tables by two runs that allowed them to reach the final. “Challangers” had made a run and thus got the opportunity to play an extra inning. It helped plyers not to become a losing team. “Challangers” won having fulfilled an out when the bases were loaded.

The final game was less spectacular. “Challengers” scored during the first inning and “Barracudas” made two runs. Robert Sedin’s team got ahead again in the third inning and hold the lead until the end of the match. After such strong opposition, the Swiss baseball players are definitely ready to start the season 2017 that will be on April 22.

http://baseballua.com/2017/04/11/challengers-has-won-the-20th-spring-tournament-in-zurich/ 

The second day game of Bundesliga has come to the end

The second game day of the first Bundesliga has come to the end by three matches last weekend. “Bonn Capitals” won two games against “Hamburg Stealers” in the north division with the score 10:0 and 2:0. Markus Solbach, Angelo Paulino and Max Schmitz won the duel against pitcher Dustin Ward.

“Stuttgart Reds” from the south division has beaten twice “Saarlouis Hornetes” with the score 21:1 and 12:2. Jannik Denz made double triple and four RBI. The team collected 13 runs in the second game. Jimmy Jenson was confident on the pitcher`s position and fulfilled four runs and two RBI for his team.

“Dohren Wild Farmers”, “Heidenheim Heidekopfe” and “Munchen-Haar Disciples” had shown the great results and won two games of double-header in the north division. “Manheim Tornados” and “Mainz Athletics” divided their victories. The first game was a real matchup – only in ninth inning “Tornados” has brought down the score 0:10. The team won due to RBI by Dominik Hopferns in the eleventh inning.

http://baseballua.com/2017/04/11/the-second-day-game-of-bundesliga-has-come-to-the-end/