2024 European Champions Cup

The 2024 European Champions Cup saw the biggest change in the 61-year history of the European Cup. Instead of being a week or so of games between the top teams from Europe's top leagues, it became a months-long event, with games spread out more. It also shrunk down to only two countries, each represented by their top two teams from 2023. Left out were teams from the top Italian and Dutch circuits, which had won every title since 1969.

Competing Teams

(country represented in parentheses, followed by manager)

• Heidenheim Heideköpfe (Germany) (Klaus Eckle)
• Eagles Praha (Czech Republic) (Michal Műller)
• Draci Brno (Czech Republic) (Hynek Čapka)
• Regensburg Legionäre (Germany) (Martin Helmig)

Results

May 15

• Heidenheim 13, Praha 0. Jared Mortensen and Mike Bolsenbroek combine on a two-hitter, striking out 12. Billy Germaine hits a 3-run homer as part of a 3-run, 4-RBI day. Natsuki Tamba takes the loss.
• Brno 2, Regensburg 0. Yoervis Medina, Filip Čapka and Jhenderson Hurtado outduel Scott Harkin, Aljo Sujak and Patrick Mitchell in a pitcher-dominated contest. Alex Monsalve's 4th-inning homer gives Brno the winning run. Elias von Garßen has two of Regensburg's three hits.

June 5

• Regensburg 2, Praha 1. Emmanuel Herrera outduels Pablo Guillén over the first few innings as the Czechs jump to a 1-0 lead but Germany scores twice in the 7th, Daniel Patrice driving in Elias von Garßen with the winner. Kieran Lovegrove gets the victory and Nick Miceli the save.
• Brno 5, Heidenheim 4. Brno leads 4-0 into the 8th but Germany ties it, in large part thanks to a three-run shot by Shawn Larry. In the 10th, Šimon Klacl draws a bases-loaded walk to win it. Tomáš Urbánek defeats Mike Bolsenbroek.

June 12

• Regensburg 6, Praha 0. Kieran Lovegrove, Patrick Mitchell, Pablo Guillén and Nick Miceli combine on a two-hitter as the Eagles have managed one run over their first three games; Emmanuel Herrera falls to 0-2. Terrell Joyce drives in a pair.
• Heidenheim 7, Brno 2. Brno takes their first loss as Heidenheim avenges last week's defeat. Drew Janssen strikes out 9 and allows one hit in 7 (though he walks 6) and also goes deep, as does Billy Germaine. Filip Čapka is tagged with the loss.

July 17

• Heidenheim 9, Praha 0. The Eagles again get two-hit, this time by Jared Mortensen and Duke Von Schamann. Drew Janssen doubles three times, scores three and drives in three. Marcus Weinzimer has both hits for the Eagles, while Emmanuel Herrera gets yet another losing decision.
• Regensburg 7, Brno 1. Regensburg moves into a tie for first behind the pitching of Kieran Lovegrove and a four-RBI day from Daniel Patrice. Jhenderson Hurtado takes the loss. Javier Lucena has two hits and a RBI for Brno.

August 14

• Brno 7, Praha 1. Jhenderson Hurtado allows three hits in six shutout innings and CF Michal Sindelka has a three-hit day. For the Eagles, Tadeáš Zavadil is the losing pitcher and 1B Petr Zýma has four of their seven hits, including a homer for all their runs.
• Regensburg 8, Heidenheim 2. Regensburg takes sole possession of first, 1B Daniel Patrice's three hits leading a balanced charge. Nick Miceli (4 2/3 hitless innings of relief) gets the win over Jared Mortensen. DH Shawn Larry goes deep in a losing effort.

August 19

• Brno 11, Praha 6. RF Martin Kalábek scores four, SS Milan Prokop drives in four and Brno's hurlers strike out 16, the win going to Jan Vašourek over Vasko Kolev.

August 21

• Regensburg 11, Heidenheim 1. Veteran 2B Matt Vance has 3 hits and 3 RBI, while Kieran Lovegrove, Aljo Sujak and Joe Cedano De Leon shut down the other German squad. Drew Janssen is the losing hurler. Heidenheim's lone run comes when 3B Billy Germaine drives in RF Shawn Larry.

September 28

• Brno 6, Regensburg 3. In the title game, 3B Martin Červinka homers twice and has 3 runs and 3 RBI. Filip Čapka pitches three shutout innings to save Jhenderson Hurtado's win. Devon Ramirez takes the loss, while SS Alex Schmidt has three hits for Regensburg.