Couvreur has been dealing with a ligament tear in his pitching elbow all season and he came to Regensburg still in rehab. He has been limited to one appearance, and it wasn’t a strong one, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 1 hit and 2 walks in one-third of an inning against Netherlands.
“I didn’t really have any positives from here because I was hoping to do better to help the team,” said Couvreur, who won’t turn 17 until July 21. Two years ago, Couvreur did not allow an earned run in 4.2 innings over two outings as he scattered 3 hits and 3 walks while collecting 10 strikeouts.
Couvreur, who came up through the local teams in Contes and Nice, continued his great 2022 summer just weeks later in Mexico at the U-15 WBSC Baseball World Cup 2022 where he was named best pitcher, after throwing a 5-inning no-hitter with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts in a 10-0 win over Guam.
Couvreur’s rise just keep going the next year as he started for France in the Semi-Finals of the U-23 Baseball European Championship 2023, facing mighty Netherlands at age 16.
“That was the most remarkable thing so far. It was U-23 and the level was pretty strong and it was against Netherlands so against a really good team. That is the top achievement so far,” said Couvreur, who allowed 2 runs - just one earned - with 3 hits and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts in 3.1 innings in Austria.
Couvreur later that summer pitched with the France senior national team at the Baseball European Championship 2023, not giving up a run in 11 innings against Croatia and Sweden with 4 hits and 11 walks with 9 strikeouts. He was named bast pitcher of EuroBaseball.
While the U-23 European Championship was his high point, Regensburg has been his low point. “Of course it’s right at the bottom because I cannot help the team,” he admitted.
Couvreur said he is talking to his parents, coaches and others about his injury and rehab, and he added that he has been working with a sports psychologist for about a year. “I am just listening to a lot of people and trying to stay positive,” he said.
Another person Couvreur is talking with is Mathias LaCombe, fellow French pitcher who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox.
“I talk to Mathias. He had the same kind of career that I have had. He went through college and we talked a lot about that. Mathias is unfortunately also hurt so he is explaining how to deal with this kind of situation, especially mentally because it’s hard to be injured. And we talk about how they are treating him there and seeing if it makes sense what we are doing here,” Couvreur said.
For Couvreur, the only thing he is thinking about is finally getting back to full health. “I am really frustrated that I am not 100 percent and cannot help the team. I am really looking forward to being healthy again to help the national teams again and performing at the level I am used to,” he said.
The level that made him one of Europe’s top young pitching prospects.
David Hein x WBSC Europe
Cover photo by Grega Valancic
