2023 European Championship

The 2023 European Championship was the 37th European Championship. It was held in five Czech Republic cities from September 24 to October 1, 2023 - Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Trebic and Blansko. Returning were fourteen of the sixteen teams from the 2021 European Championship, with two spots changing hands.  Slovakia failed to requalify in the 2023 European Championship Qualifiers while  Russia was banned due to their military assault of Ukraine. Replacing them were two newcomers who won spots in the qualifiers -  Hungary and  Switzerland. It was the first time since the 1995 European Championship (when Ukraine and Slovenia debuted) that two countries debuted in the same European Championship. See 2023 European Championship (Rosters) for player, coach and manager listings.

Games

September 24

•  Israel 14,  Switzerland 1. Debuting against the defending Silver Medalists, Switzerland lost at expected. LF Robb Paller homered and drove in three while Itai Spinoza and David Feins hold the Swiss to three hits. Jonah Schaller gets the first decision in a European Championship for Switzerland, while 1B Hayden Jung-Goldberg drives in DH Joshua Crouse in the third with their first run.
•  Croatia 11,  Ukraine 1. CF Kruno Gojković has four hits and three runs, SS Jose Herrera has three hits and three RBI and Carlos García goes the distance to beat Andrii Boiko. Ukraine avoids a shutout when SS Kostiantyn Chukhas singles in DH Bohdan Lucheiko with one out to go in the 7th. Given that Ukraine was invaded by Russia in early 2022, it was a victory that the country survived to be able to play in this year's Euros, something that had not been a foregone conclusion 18 months prior.
•  Italy 15,  Hungary 2. In their first European Championship, Hungary had a major opponent in Italy, the second-most successful team in event history. Things panned out as one would have imagined. Matteo Bocchi, Mattia Aldegheri and Nick Davis fan ten, RF Nathanael Batista reaches five times, DH Vito Friscia and 1B Cesare Astorri each score three and LF Sebastiano Poma drives in three. Sean Fekete is the losing pitcher as Hungarian hurlers walk 12. Both of their runs come when DH Graeham Luttor drives in 3B Cesar Chacin.
•  Spain 14,  Greece 1. Greek ace Dimitri Kourtis was coming off a superb season in Italy but got rocked for 7 runs in 2 2/3 IP today. 3B Wander Encarnación goes 3-for-3 and LF Daniel Jiménez has three RBI to power Spain. RF Kasey Caras's second-inning homer off Orlando Rodríguez gives Greece their lone run. Anderson de León gets the win as Spain's hurlers combine on a four-hitter.
•  Germany 15,  Belgium 4. Four Germans have three hits apiece - RF Yannic Walther (3 R, 2 RBI), 1B Simon Bäumer (3 RBI), CF Kevin Van Meensel and SS Alex Schmidt - while Niklas Rimmel allows one run in five. CF/LF Sam Boermans scores twice for Belgium and Cédric De Smedt gets the decision.
•  Netherlands 9,  France 0. The defending champs start off strong as six hurlers combine on a three-hitter, striking out ten; the win goes to Shairon Martis. Fellow former major leaguers CF Roger Bernadina and SS Didi Gregorius each draw three walks but the offensive star is C Sicnarf Loopstok, who goes 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs and two RBI. Nicolas Antoine is the losing hurler.
•  United Kingdom 4,  Sweden 0. In the closest opening day match, both teams get five hits but the Brits make more of theirs (plus have six more walks, 7 to 1). Austin Hassani, Alex Webb and Joseph King strike out 11 and SS Nick Ward reaches three of four times to the plate. 2B Victor Wahlberg leads Sweden with two hits and Ben Johnson gets the loss.
•  Czech Republic 9,  Austria 0. The hosts begin well as Tomáš Ondra, Lukáš Hlouch and Lukáš Hlouch combine on a four-hitter, striking out eleven and walking none. DH Martin Červenka has three hits (including a homer) and three RBI. Christian Tomsich, the lone remaining member of the Austrian team from their first European Championship in 2007, is handed the defeat.

September 25

•  Switzerland 7,  Belgium 2. The Swiss get their first win in convincing fashion over one of the original European Championship teams from 1954, former champion Belgium. They got all the offense they needed before their first out when CF Noah Williamson took Kevin De Smedt deep with two aboard. 43-year-old Californian James Sanders (four-time Swiss League Pitcher of the Year) shows he isn't washed up yet as he holds Belgium to one run in five before Livio Bundi closes it out. Arthur Heymans comes off the bench to go 2-for-2 as a bright spot for Belgium while Mauro Van Mook throws four shutout in relief.
•  Netherlands 16,  Ukraine 3. Ukraine surprisingly leads 2-0 after 4 after jumping on Mike Bolsenbroek early while Mykyta Liabakh blanks a lineup with two former major leaguers. The Dutch come to life in the 5th with 8 runs and don't look back. CF Roger Bernadina, RF Ray-Patrick Didder and DH Ademar Rifaela each drive in four while 3B Juremi Profar raps four hits. Aaron De Groot gets the win with three hitless innings for the Dutch, and C Illia Velykyi (2 H, R, RBI) leads the Ukrainian offense.
•  United Kingdom 22,  Hungary 3. Britain needs only 4 and a half innings for a mercy rule romp, drawing 13 walks. DH Harry Ford, RF Ben Leid and 3B Michael Flaherty each score three while SS Nick Ward and 2B Nateshon Thomas both drive in three. Jake Esch gets the win after Matteo Sollecito allows one run in three. Ádám Piros takes the loss, while the Hungarian offense is led by DH Graeham Luttor (R, RBI).
•  Spain 13,  Austria 1. 3B Edison Valerio has four runs and four RBI to back the fine pitching of Jorge Balboa (1 R, 10 K in 7 IP). 1B Philipp Eckel has three hits in a losing effort, the decision going to Julian Faulhaber.
•  France 3,  Croatia 1. DH Mael Zan scores twice, C Nolan Soliveres drives in two and young prospect Ben Couvreur overcomes wildness (6 BB in 6 2/3 IP) to hold Croatia to three hits and no runs, Quentin Moulin saving a key win for France's second-round hopes. Croatia's lone run comes in the 8th when 1B Petar Rumora drives in CF Kruno Gojković. Former Marlins farmhand Jose Diaz turns in a solid effort, allowing four hits and three runs in eight, but it is not enough.
•  Sweden 8,  Italy 3. Sweden scores one of the biggest wins in their history, upsetting powerhouse Italy. Per Sjörs gives up 3 runs in 8 and Oskar Syrén closes it out. Sweden has a 7-run 4th, capped by a grand slam from CF Joel Johnson off Nicolo Pinazzi. The loss goes to Gabriele Quattrini, while Italy's top hitter is 3B Robel García (2 H).
•  Czech Republic 14,  Greece 0. Ondřej Satoria and Jan Tomek combine on a 7-inning mercy rule three-hitter. SS Willie Escala drives in four and DH Eric Sogard scores three. Jonathan Kountis is the losing pitcher, and SS Tom Roulis has two of Greece's three hits.
•  Germany 2,  Israel 0. Germany gets a win that gives them a good shot of sweeping their pool. Duke Von Schamann, Markus Solbach and Sven Schüller combine on a 13-strikeout, six-hit whitewash. 3B Eric Brenk reaches three of four times, scores one of the German runs and drives in the other as they make the most of their four hits. RF Zev Moore leads Israel with two hits and Justin Alintoff takes the loss.

September 26

•  Israel 11,  Belgium 8. Israel jumps to a 9-2 lead after three before holding off a late charge to win. Jake Fishman saves Aviv Bobrov's win by striking out Robin Roevens with the bases loaded. SS Benjamin Rosengard and CF Jonathan Zeevi score three apiece and 1B Brett Holtz has three hits. 1B Drew Janssen homers and drives in three as Belgium goes winless in pool play. Edouard Vanheer walks six and allows five runs in one inning for the loss.
•  France 10,  Ukraine 0. C Fabian Kovacs has three hits and three RBI while catching ten whiffs from Nathan Laot, Robyn Clara and Thibault Mercadier. 2B Roman Boiko paces Ukraine with two hits, the decision going to Ihor Lukin.
•  Sweden 17,  Hungary 7. SS Thomas Paulich reaches six times in six appearances, scoring three runs, and 1B Oskar Jerfsten has four hits. Oskar Syrén strikes out ten to beat Robert Ogg. DH Graeham Luttor reaches three times (including a homer) and drives in three to top the Hungarian hitters again.
•  Greece 11,  Austria 6. Greece gets their first win while Austria remains winless. 2B Panagiotis Dudanakis has three hits and three RBI, Peter Maestrales gets the win and Dimitri Lettas saves it as the two relievers allow one run in 4 1/3 IP. For Austria, DH Felix Zimmerle drives in four, C Sammy Hackl has three hits and so does RF Georg Stemmer. Veteran Ryan Rupp takes the loss.
•  Germany 15,  Switzerland 5. Germany finishes pool play unbeaten. RF Vincent Ahrens has four runs, four hits, five RBI and falls a triple shy of a cycle and rookie Simon Groß gets the win over Stefan Haltmeier. LF Kyle Williamson has four hits in a losing effort.
•  Netherlands 15,  Croatia 2. The Dutch win easily as expected. RF Ray-Patrick Didder has three runs and four RBI, C Sicnarf Loopstok goes 3-for-3 and 1B Delano Selassa scores three times. JC Sulbaran is the winning hurler, the loss going to Justin Olic. 2B Antonio Horvatić goes yard for Croatia.
•  United Kingdom 11,  Italy 10. For the first time ever, Britain defeats Italy, sending Italy home without a medal (extremely rare) and ensuring their lowest finish ever. Mariners prospect Harry Ford homers twice, has two sacrifice flies and drives in six. Chris Messer allows one run in four for the win, saved by Demoi Hodge. In a losing cause, 3B Robel García homers twice, RF Nathanael Batista has three hits and three RBI and DH Vito Friscia scores three. Alex Bassani is handed the defeat.
•  Spain 9,  Czech Republic 0. Spain finishes pool play unbeaten with a romp past the hosts. 3B Edison Valerio has three hits, RF Wander Encarnación drives in three and Pablo Guillén and four relievers combine on a two-hitter (the hits going to C Martin Červenka and 3B Filip Smola). Former minor leaguer Marek Minařík is roughed up for four runs in 1 2/3 IP. Spain soundly avenged their loss from the 2022 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers finale.

September 28

•  Switzerland 9,  Austria 2. In their first European Championship, Switzerland locks up a spot in their second one with today's win. 2B Leonel Sosa has three hits and three RBI. Starting on two days' rest, 43-year-old James Sanders does a fine job, teaming with Livio Bundi on a three-hitter with ten whiffs. Austria's veteran American import does not do as well as Ryan Rupp gives up 9 (only 2 earned) in 4 2/3 IP, as his team makes three errors.
•  Italy 15,  Ukraine 0. After a very disappointing first round, Italy begins the consolation pool by routing Ukraine. Matteo Bocchi and Claudio Scotti fan 13 in a 6-inning mercy rule 3-hitter (2B Roman Boiko has two of the three). Bohdan Kolesnikov and four relievers fail to slow down Italy, which gets runs from all nine starters (three by LF Andrea Sellaroli) and 3 RBI apiece from CF Federico Celli and 1B Vito Friscia.
•  Germany 6,  France 5. France is leading 5-2 going into the bottom of the 9th as Esteban Prioul and Quentin Moulin have contained the unbeaten Germans. In his 5th inning of work, Moulin flags as 1B Simon Bäumer doubles in one run and then LF David Dinski has a two-out, two-run single to tie it. In the top of the 10th, Joe Cedano De Leon goes 1-2-3. In the bottom of the 10th, RF Yannic Walther has a two-out bases-loaded single off Robyn Clara to score 2B Nino Sacasa with the game-winner to cap the comeback. In a losing effort, 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. goes 2 for 2 with a homer, two runs and two RBI.
•  Spain 18,  Sweden 3. Spain becomes the first team to lock up a spot in the semifinals, with a five-inning mercy rule rout. DH Omar Hernández doubles, triples, homers twice and drives in five while 2B Edgar Rondon hits a grand slam and drives in six. Orlando Rodríguez goes the distance to beat Ben Johnson. A bright spot for Sweden is #9 hitter Tommy Lindell's 2-for-2 with two runs and a homer.
•  Belgium 5,  Greece 4. Belgium gets their first win thanks to 1B Drew Janssen driving in three while falling a triple shy of the cycle. Ben Van Nuffel gets the win with three hitless innings of relief, beating Yanni Orfanidis. C Antonio Torres-Skerrett has two runs and a RBI for Germany.
•  Croatia 9,  Hungary 2. C Philip Smith's 7th-inning grand slam turns a close game into a rout and José Mendoza gets the win over Sean Fekete. 1B Graeham Luttor scores both runs for Hungary.
•  Netherlands 12,  Israel 2. In a rematch of the last title game, the Dutch cruise behind the pitching of Lars Huijer and a solid offense led by 3 hits apiece from 3B Juremi Profar and 1B Delano Selassa (3 RBI). Alex Katz lasts only a third of an inning and is charged with five runs. Israel is led on offense by two hits apiece from SS Benjamin Rosengard and C Ryan Lavarnway.
•  United Kingdom 12,  Czech Republic 2. Joseph King pitches 3 2/3 shutout innings of relief to get the win that eliminates the hosts from medal contention. 1B Shamoy Christopher homers twice and C Harry Ford remains hot with four hits (a double shy of a cycle) and three RBI, SS Nick Ward also having three hits and three RBI. A two-run homer by 2B Eric Sogard provides the Czech runs and C Martin Červenka collects three hits. 2022 WBC Qualifier star Martin Schneider is not as sharp today, taking the loss.

September 29

•  Ukraine 9,  Austria 0. Ukraine maintains their spot in the European Championship as Andrii Boiko and Danyil Khodakovskyi combine on a four-hit shutout, whiffing nine. SS Kostiantyn Chukhas (3 R, 3 H, 2 RBI) and 3B Denys Brechko (4 H) highlight their offensive explosion. Christian Tomsich drops another one while 1B Philipp Eckel reaching three of four times is one of the few Austrians to provide any offense.
•  Italy 12,  Switzerland 3. Italy dominates as expected, with CF Federico Celli (3 H, 3 RBI), DH Vito Friscia (3 RBI) and C JJ D'Orazio (3 H) starring on offense and Maurizio Andretta turning in a fine relief win (1 H, 0 R, 8 K in 4 2/3 IP). Jonah Schaller falls to 0-2 and 1B Hayden Jung-Goldberg reaches three of four trips to the plate for Switzerland.
•  Israel 6,  Sweden 4. Bubby Rossman retires nine of ten to save Jake Fishman's victory, with RF Zev Moore providing three hits and two RBI. CF Joel Johnson and 1B Oskar Jerfsten each rap three hits. Per Sjörs takes the loss.
•  United Kingdom 8,  Germany 4. A win would have given Germany their best finish since 1957, but instead Britain will have their best finish since 2007 as they go to the title game. Germany leads 3-2 going into the bottom of the 7th but the British team comes back against former AAA hurler Sven Schüller and Marcel Giraud. Chris Messer gets the win, LF Kennard Dawson (R, 2 H, 2 RBI) leading a balanced offense. For Germany, David Grimes comes off the bench to drive in two.
•  Greece 19,  Hungary 14. In a slugfest, Greece maintains their spot in the Euros with 3B Kasey Caras scoring four runs. Dimitri Lettas saves Jonathan Kountis's win even though they combine for 19 hits and 14 runs. Márk Magas is the losing pitcher today, while C Carlos Rubio has five hits for Hungary and SS Bálint Piros drives in four.
•  Croatia 7,  Belgium 5. Carlos García strikes out 17 in 8 innings and Antonio Horvatić fans two in the 9th. SS Jose Herrera (4 R) and C Philip Smith (6 RBI; single shy of the cycle) both go 3-for-3. SS Benjamin Goffaux scores twice, and Cedric Desmedt gets the loss.
•  Czech Republic 11,  France 1. Ondřej Satoria throws a complete game win to beat Nicolas Antoine and France. C Martin Červenka homers twice, scores three and drives in five. For France, LF Paolo Brossier has two hits and drives in their only run.
•  Spain 7,  Netherlands 6. For the first time, the Netherlands will not finish 1st or 2nd in a European Championship they entered, ending a run of 24 Golds and 9 Silvers in their first 33 European Championships (including the last four Golds). They hold a solid 6-1 lead after five as starter Tom de Blok outpitches Anderson de León and Fernando Baez. The bullpen can't hold on though as Spain scores twice in the sixth off Franklin Van Gurp, twice in the eighth off Kevin Kelly and twice in the ninth off Wendell Floranus for a major upset. C Sicnarf Loopstok and 3B Juremi Profar both homer and drive in two for the Dutch team, but Loopstok's ninth-inning error helps Spain complete their rally, coupled with a hit from 1B Jesús Ustariz. 3B Wander Encarnación goes 3-for-3 again as the Venezuelan- and Dominican-loaded "Spaniards" win. Rhiner Cruz gets the victory with two hitless innings.

September 30

• 15th/16th place game:  Austria 15,  Hungary 5. The Hackl brothers give Austria their lone win of the year as Mo Hackl allows two runs (one earned) in six innings to beat Paul Ogg and C Sammy Hackl drives in five. 1B Philipp Eckel reaches all five times up. Backup C Ricardo Castillo drives in three for Hungary, which goes home winless in their debut.
• 13th/14th place game:  Greece 8,  Ukraine 4. It's another brother show as C Antonio Torres-Skerrett has three hits and CF Alejandro Torres-Skerrett three RBI, providing the offense as Daniel Gosselin pitches Greece to a win over Ukraine. Mykyta Liabakh gets the defeat and 3B Denys Brechko goes 3-for-3 for the Ukrainians.
• 11th/12th place game:  Belgium 8,  Switzerland 3. 40-year-old DH Steven De Lannoy, perhaps playing in his final Euros, goes out with a bang, getting four hits and three runs to back the complete game effort of Kevin Desmedt. Cee-Jay Savoldelli is the losing hurler. Not a bad showing for Switzerland in their debut.
• 9th/10th place game:  Italy 6,  Croatia 5. Forced into the loser's bracket, Italy's worst finish in a Euros ends with them barely finishing at the top of that bracket. They trail Jose Diaz and Croatia 4-1 before scoring four in the 8th. Marco Artitzu saves Alex Bassani's win and 1B Vito Friscia drives in a pair. 2B Antonio Horvatić drives in three in the near-upset.
• 7th/8th place game:  France 13,  Sweden 0. After a dismal 15th-place finish last time, France is back in a more typical finishing spot at 7th. Young guns Ben Couvreur, Nathan Laot and Thibault Mercadier combine on a three-hitter, though they walk six. 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. drives in three and veteran SS Félix Brown scores three times. Moisses Pargas is handed the loss, while LF Jeff Pruitt has two of Sweden's three hits.
• 5th/place game:  Czech Republic 5,  Israel 1. The Czechs continue to just miss out on the medal round, finishing 5th for the fourth straight Euros and 7th overall. Tomáš Ondra strikes out seven and allows one unearned run in five innings to beat Itai Spinoza. DH/2B Eric Sogard bangs out three hits for the hosts while CF Jonathan Zeevi, hitting 9th, has half of Israel's four hits.

October 1

• Bronze Medal Game:  Netherlands 5,  Germany 4. Already ensured of their worst finish ever, the Netherlands have to go extra innings to stop Germany from their first medal in 13 years. Germany scores in the 4th off Shairon Martis when 3B Eric Brenk reaches on an error by the tourney's Best Defensive Player award winner, SS Didi Gregorius, then C Vincent Ahrens walks and 1B Simon Bäumer singles with two outs to score Brenk. Titus Von Kapff blanks the defending champs for four innings and Simon Groß works a scoreless 5th. In the 6th, the Netherlands finally scores when 3B Juremi Profar homers (one of his three hits). DH Sicnarf Loopstok doubled, advanced on an error and scored on a wild pitch. With two away, C Dashenko Ricardo went yard for a 3-1 lead. DH Shawn Larry had just the second hit off Martis, a solo shot in the 7th, to close it to 3-2. Wendell Floranus fails to close it out for a second straight day. In the 9th, Larry doubles and LF David Grimes bunted, but a fielder's choice left runners on the corners with no outs. CF David Dinski's sac fly brought in PR Cody Schultz. The Netherlands got two hits off Sven Schüller in the bottom of the inning but failed to score. In the 10th, Brenk bunted the starting runner over. Kevin Kelly got Ahrens on a grounder but RF Yannic Walther singled in SS Alex Schmidt. Bäumer singled but Kelly retired Schultz to keep it a one-run game. In the bottom of the 10th, Ricardo hit a one-out, two-run homer off Mark Harrison (with 2B Sharlon Schoop aboard as the starting runner) to save some pride for the Netherlands.
• Gold Medal Game:  Spain 11,  United Kingdom 2. Spain cruises to their first title since 1955 as they jump on Austin Hassani for five in the first; Chris Messer follows with four shutout innings but it's too little, too late. CF Engel Beltre finishes a triple shy of a cycle and LF Daniel Jiménez doubles three times among his four hits (driving in three). SS Nick Ward scores both British runs in a matchup of ringer-laden teams. It's the best finish for a Great Britain team, matching their Silvers from 1967 and 2007. It was the first time since 1967 that neither Italy or Netherlands won and the first time both countries participated and one of them did not win. Pablo Guillén, Carlos Sierra, Daniel Álvarez and Rhiner Cruz combine on a three-hitter, fanning ten.

Standings

• 1.  Spain
• 2.  United Kingdom
• 3.  Netherlands
• 4.  Germany
• 5.  Czech Republic
• 6.  Israel
• 7.  France
• 8.  Sweden
• 9.  Italy
• 10.  Croatia
• 11.  Belgium
• 12.  Switzerland
• 13.  Greece
• 14.  Ukraine
• 15.  Austria
• 16.  Hungary

Awards

• MVP: Wander Encarnación, Spain 3B
• Outstanding Defensive Player: Didi Gregorius, Netherlands SS