2023 European Champions Cup

The 2023 European Champions Cup was held in Amsterdam and Bussum in the Netherlands from June 6 to 10, 2023. Competing were the Amsterdam Pirates, HCAW Bussum, Draci Brno, Arrows Ostrava, Bonn Capitals, Untouchables Paderborn, Rouen Huskies and Parma Baseball Club. Former major leaguers to appear were Carlos Contreras and Juan Jaime, fewer than the usual Cup (Italian teams tended to have the most and only one participated this year) - there had been six the year prior, for instance.

Competing Teams

(country represented in parentheses, followed by manager)

• Parmaclima (Italy) (Marcello Saccardi)
• L&D Amsterdam Pirates (Netherlands) (Mervin Gario)
• Bonn Capitals (Germany) (Wilson Lee)
• Arrows Ostrava (Czech Republic) (Boris Bokaj))
• Draci Brno (Czech Republic) (Hynek Čapka)
• Rouen Huskies (France) (Boris Marche)
• HCAW (Netherlands) (Danny Rombley)
• Untouchables Paderborn (Germany) (Matt Kemp)

Results

June 6

• Parma 13, Paderborn 0. The defending champs start strong as Pablo Guillen and Matteo Bocchi combine on a three-hitter, walking none and fanning nine. DH Cesare Astorri drives in six. Nicolas Gobert takes the loss.
• Ostrava 3, Bonn 1. Ondřej Satoria allows one unearned run in seven and Jan Kozel saves it. Jordan Lucas shuts out the Czechs for 7 but tires in the 8th and the Arrows rally, Titus Von Kapff getting the defeat. 2B Radim Novotný has a run and a RBI in the winning rally, while 1B Terrell Joyce has two hits for Bonn.
• HCAW 18, Rouen 5. DH Quintin De Cuba has 3 hits, 3 runs and 3 RBI to lead the rout for HCAW; Sedley Karel gets the win over Luis Ysla. 2B Gabriel Harrison has 3 hits and 3 RBI in a losing effort.
• Brno 4, Amsterdam 3. The hosts rally from a 3-0 deficit to tie it only to fall. Former major leaguer Juan Jaime gets the victory, while Michael Bennett takes the loss. 1B Filip Moštěk has 3 hits, including the game-winner; CF Roelie Henrique Jr. drives in a pair for the Pirates.

June 7

• Paderborn 4, Brno 2. The Untouchables trail 2-0 as Juan Jaime shuts them out for eight, outdueling Quinn DePasquale. Paderborn rallies in the 9th off Jaime and Jackson Solarte for a comeback victory. Benjamin Thaqi saves it for DePasquale. PH Ladislaus Landwehr's two-run single is the game-winner. C Andrés Angulo raps two hits for Brno.
• Bonn 7, Rouen 2. Sascha Koch and Wilson Lee combine to whiff ten and 1B Terrell Joyce goes 3-for-3 with 2 walks, 2 runs and 2 RBI for Bonn. Thibault Mercadier takes the loss while C Dylan Gleeson drives in both Rouen runs.
• HCAW 12, Ostrava 0. HCAW keeps on cruising as Kaj Timmermans, Nathan Diaby and Jasper Elfrink team up on a two-hitter. C Julian Goins scores four from the 9 spot. Marko Vykoukal is the losing hurler.
• Parma 7, Amsterdam 5. The other hosts lose again, allowing the tying run in the 9th and the losing ones in the 10th. Anderson De Leon beats Pim Vijkvinkel. 3B/CF Manuel Joseph scores three runs. DH Kenny Berkenbosch drives in 3 for the Pirates.

June 8

• Parma 6, Brno 2. The Italians finish pool play unbeaten as Diego Fabiani, Mattia Aldegheri and Matteo Bocchi combine for 13 whiffs and SS Luis Gonzalez drives in 3. Jan Vašourek takes the loss for Brno, while CF Arnošt Dubový has three hits.
• Ostrava 5, Rouen 1. Jan Kozel saves the win for Boris Bokaj; 3B Jakub Kubica has two hits and two RBI. Rouen's only run comes when LF Joris Bert drives in CF Martin Vissac. Will Lacroix gets the decision for France.
• Bonn 5, HCAW 2. HCAW takes their first loss as Toru Murata and Wilson Lee outpitch Gio De Graauw. C Vincent Ahrens drives in three for Germany, while backup 2B Brendly Martina goes yard for the Dutch.
• Amsterdam 15, Paderborn 0. Amsterdam finally gets a win as Naut Kragt and Yassir Lachkar combine on a two-hitter, walking no one and striking out ten. CF Roelie Henrique Jr. has three hits and three RBI. Mark Harrison lasts only a third of an inning for Paderborn.

June 9

• Brno 6, Rouen 1. The Czechs win to avoid relegation. 1B Filip Moštěk has his second three-hit game and David Mergans allows one hit in five shutout innings for the win, beating Alex MacKinnon. LF Joris Bert has half of France's four hits.
• Ostrava 7, Paderborn 5. The other Czech entry also avoids relegation. Matyáš Pjontek gets the win and [[Ondřej Satoria] the save, while 3B Jakub Kubica has three hits. For Paderborn, 2B Chris Beyers has 3 hits (including a homer) and 3 RBI. The decision goes to Matt Kemp.
• HCAW 4, Amsterdam 3. The co-hosts met with a spot in the finals at stake. The Pirates jumped out for three runs in two innings off Dennis Burgersdijk on homers by RF Denzel Richardson and C Luca Pastor (a two-run shot). HCAW's Lars Huijer provided superb relief, allowing one hit over eight shutout innings to cool them off the rest of the way. HCAW pecked away at the lead, tying it in the 8th then winning it in the 10th when Pim Vijfvinkel hit LF Kevin Dirksen with the bases loaded to force in SS Bob van der Meer.
• Parma 13, Bonn 3. The other semifinal is more lopsided as the defending champs pull off a romp. Matteo Bocchi gets the win against Jordan Lucas. LF Stefano De Simoni has four hits and three runs, his outfield mate Manuel Joseph also doing his share (3-for-3, 2 BB, 3 R, 3 RBI).

June 10

• 5th/6th place game: Brno 14, Ostrava 10. The two Czech teams square off. Brno jumps to a 12-4 lead before Ostrava makes it a bit closer. DH Milan Prokop homers and scores four times, while Jackson Solarte saves it for Jan Nebenführ. Alexander Šín is the losing hurler, while 1B Matyáš Kozel goes 3 for 3 for the Arrows.
• 7th/8th place game: Paderborn 6, Rouen 4. The Untouchables maintain the second German spot in next year's European Champions Cup while France loses their spot (unless the Savigny Lions win the concurrent 2023 Confederation Cup tomorrow). Paderborn starter Christopher Hanson allows one hit in four shutout innings but Quentin Moulin matches him zero-for-zero. In the 6th, Germany gets to Moulin, the loss going to Thibault Mercadier and the win to Florian Seidel (saved by Quinn DiPasquale). C Maurice Bendrien has three hits for the victors, while DH Louis Brainville drives in a pair for the Huskies.
• Bronze Medal Game: Amsterdam 12, Bonn 6. Bonn jumps to a 4-0 lead as Andy Orfanakos outpitches Michael Bennett but the Pirates light up the Capitals' bullpen (7 runs in the 7th!) while Bonn is blanked from the 4th through the 8th. Yassir Lachkar gets the win over Christian Tomsich. 1B Denzel Richardson goes 3 for 3 with 2 runs and 2 RBI for the Pirates, while SS Eric Brenk has a three-hit day for the German entry.
• Title Game: HCAW 11, Parma 4. The Italians had cruised so far and seemed set to repeat but the co-hosts had other plans. As in the Bronze Medal Game, the losing team has a better effort from their starter pitcher as Pablo Guillen allows one run in five whereas Kaj Timmermans gives up four in six. The Dutch jump on Danny Rondón and Carlos Contreras for seven runs in the 6th after Guillen exits, handing the win to Timmermans. Dennis Burgersdijk and Nick Keur allow one hit over the final three after Timmermans finishes his day. Helping HCAW to its first title are big days from 2B Delano Selassa and RF Victor Draijer (3 hits apiece), 1B Shurman Marlin and 3B Max Draijer (3 RBI apiece). Both Draijers hit homers. DH Cesare Astorri drives in a pair for Parma.

Final Standings

• 1. HCAW (Netherlands)
• 2. Parma (Italy)
• 3. Amsterdam Pirates (Netherlands)
• 4. Bonn Capitals (Germany)
• 5. Draci Brno (Czechia)
• 6. Arrows Ostrava (Czechia)
• 7. Paderborn Untouchables (Germany)
• 8. Rouen Huskies (France)

Leaders and Awards

• MVP: Victor Draijer, HCAW

• Average: Delano Selassa, HCAW .550
• ERA: Lars Huijer, HCAW 0.00 (11 IP)
• Hits: Delano Selassa, Amsterdam 11
• Runs: Manuel Joseph, Parma 8
• RBI: Cesare Astorri, Parma 11
• Doubles: Terrell Joyce, Bonn 5
• Triples: Six tied with 1
• Home Runs: Fifteen tied with 1
• Total Bases: Joyce, 17
• Steals: Milan Prokop, Brno & Joris Bert, Rouen 4
• Strikeouts: Quentin Moulin, Rouen 16
• Wins: Twenty tied with 1
• Saves: Jan Kozel, Ostrava & Wilson Lee, Bonn 2