After the majority of the 2024 WBSC Europe baseball competitions concluded, WBSC Europe Baseball Vice President Petr Ditrich addressed a letter to the European community.
Dear Friends,
Most of the baseball competitions organized by WBSC Europe have concluded this weekend, with only the U-23 qualifiers still to be played, starting August 5th and 6th in Switzerland and Hungary.
I want to express my gratitude to all the organizers for their excellent work. The quality of the tournaments continues to improve each year, both in terms of organization and the level of play.
Thanks to the agreement with Joymo, it was possible to watch all the games online on baseballeurope.tv. Although not every tournament reached the highest quality, the overall progress is evident.
This weekend also determined the three qualifying countries for the Baseball European Championship 2025. Hungary and Austria secured their places, while Ukraine, unable to attend due to the war, will be replaced by newcomer Lithuania. The rising level of play in the men's category is particularly noteworthy, with advancing countries earning their spots through hard-fought competition. The top player pool is expanding, increasing competition for medals across all categories.
Sixteen countries have earned the right to participate in EuroBaseball in 2025. Currently, we are finalizing the organization of the tournament. After Israel's withdrawal as organizers, we have not yet found a replacement organizer. As a result, we may need to adjust the game system, but rest assured, the European Championship will take place.
There will be a Baseball Commission meeting on Wednesday, August 7, where we hope to finalize the details. I understand that National Federations are starting to prepare for next season, and we will keep you informed of any updates after the meeting.
This year, I had the chance to attend various European competitions, including the U-18 Baseball European Championship in Regensburg, the Baseball European Championship B Pools in Kutno and Dublin, and the Baseball European Champions Cup games.
It's wonderful that our competitions have spanned many European countries: Hungary, Lithuania, Croatia, Spain, Ireland, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, Czechia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Serbia. In total, we have hosted 16 competitions. I am grateful to the organizers and confident that 2025 will be even better, as many tournaments already have organizers lined up. I encourage you to submit your bids now.
A big thank you to all the Officials for their dedication. Their passion and love for the sport made these tournaments possible. The officials have definitely improved in terms of demeanor, dress, and enthusiasm. The introduction of the Umpire Supervisor position and mandatory training has had a positive impact. Scorekeepers met the challenges, providing timely stats, and Technical Commissioners, who attended a seminar in Bratislava for the first time, worked efficiently in smaller groups.
Special congratulations to the countries that will represent Europe at the WBSC World Cups: Germany and the Netherlands (U-12), and Italy and Germany (U-18).
Thank you also to all the teams of the long-term BECC league. Its creation was challenging, but we are now on track and look forward to the finals on September 28th.
For more information on past and upcoming events, please visit the WBSC Europe website.
Cover photo by Dolf Hartog @sportssportssports.net
