Mister Baseball

The qualifiers ended on Saturday with the final games. The BERN CARDINALS and KAUNAS LITUANICA needed just one game to decide the best-of-three series to win the titles in Brno and Kutno. DINAMO and KNTU overcame 0-1 deficits to bring the qualifier win home to Romania and the Ukraine.  The finals were played in a best-of-three format with game one already decided in the preliminary round.

Brno, Czech Republic:

The BERN CARDINALS stayed undefeated in the qualifier and clinched the title with a 14-2 pounding against KRANJSKI LISJAKI from Slovenia, highlighted by a nine-run third. Severin Fries pitched a four-hitter. They were clearly the best team in the tournament, featuring the best batting average and the best ERA. Samuel Paulino received the best batter award, player/manager John Baum the MVP trophy.

Final Standings:

1. Bern Cardinals (SUI)
2. Kranjski Lisjaki (SLO)
3. Union Kufstein Vikings (AUT)
4. MZLU Express Brno (CZE)
5. Zagreb BC (CRO)
6. Angels Trnava (SVK)

Kutno, Poland:

After going into the final series with a 1-0 advantage after winning 3-2 on Thursday, KAUNAS LITUANICA won the qualifier with an 8-3 victory against host MKS AMZ KUTNO on Saturday morning. KAUNAS won all six games this week.

Final Standings:

1. Kaunas Lituanica (LTU)
2. Mks Amz Kutno (POL)
3. Sundbyberg (SWE)
4. Aveiro University (POR)
5. Espoo Expoos (FIN)
6. Oslo Pretenders (NOR)

Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria:

The VIENNA METROSTARS had won on Friday morning 7-6 against DINAMO and advanced into the finals thanks to the loss of BLAGOEVGRAD in the evening. They ran out of luck on Saturday. The Romanian team overcame the 0-1 deficit in the best-of-three series winning 5-2 and 11-2. DINAMO finished the tournament with six wins in seven games. The METS travel home with a 4-3 record.

Finals Standings:

1. Dinamo (ROM)
2. Vienna Metrostars (AUT)
3. Beograd 96 (SRB)
4. Blagoevgrad (BUL)
5. Spartakos (GRE)
6. BK Apollo (SVK)

Brest, Belarus:

Like in Blagoevgrad two games had to decide the outcome on Saturday. KNTU, which had lost the preliminary matchup versus BREST ZUBRS 3-4 on Friday, tied the series in the morning with a 5-1 victory and finished the tournament in afternoon with an easy 14-3 win. They won a total of five games this week.

Final Standings:

1. KNTU (UKR)
2. Brest Zubrs (BLR)
3. Zurich Challengers (SUI)
4. Stockholm (SWE)
5. BK Vilnius (LTU)
6. Uks Deby Osielsko (POL)