Stuttgart, Germany – With their first venture into the 1.Bundesliga, the Reds needed the ultimate utility player and the answer came in the form of Hagen Rätz. Rätz reunites with teammate Markus Winkler from Heidenheim Heidekopfe and will strengthen the Reds in 2012.

Rätz was a part of the 2009 German National Championship team with Winkler and in 2010 played in the European Cup finals. In 1999, he was a Junior National Team member. Rätz has played in the German Bundesliga for 10 years and holds a career .262 average in the regular season and an almost identical average in the playoffs. Rätz also has a career 4.59 ERA on the mound in the Bundesliga in 301 innings.

“Having a player like Hagen opens up so many possibilities to move players around and give us the best options possible” said Bret Helenius, Head Coach for the Reds. “He brings a hard work ethic and positive attitude to the club.”

Rätz, a switch hitter, will see time at shortstop, catcher and on the mound for the Reds in 2012. The Reds home opener is April 9 against the Mainz Athletics.

Lawson is from Hilton Head, South Carolina, where he also went to High School. He started his college career at the Middle Georgia Junior College and later transferred to the Division I University of North Carolina in Charlotte. He signed with the Detroit Tigers organization as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and made his professional debut in the same year.

After a solid season in the NY-Penn League with a 3-3 record and an ERA of 2.93 in 16 games (nine starts) Lawson only made it to Extended Spring Training in 2011, getting released after being put on the roster of the West Michigan Whitecaps.

The club also confirmed in the press release that Swedish outfielder Peter Johannessen is coming back for a second season. They already had extended the contract with American hurler Pat Haugen. However they also lost the promising German pitcher Jan-Niclas Stoecklin to the Mannheim Tornados.

Kelly won batting titles in Sweden, France and Germany. In 2010 he played for the Tornados in the Baseball-Bundesliga and batted .425/.521/.708 with six homeruns, two triples, ten doubles, 39 runs and 26 RBI in 28 games. He also stole 19 bases in 20 attempts.

After signing GSU-Alumni Charley Olson to play for the Bonn Capitals in the next Bundesliga season, Headcoach Mirko Heid is sending one of his top-prospects to play for the GSU Panthers coached by German national coach, Greg Frady. Pitcher Max Schmitz is starting his collegiate career in 2012 after finishing high school in Germany last year.

The right-hander made his debut in the German national team in 2011 and made a lasting impression on Frady.
“I am thrilled that Max has joined our GSU baseball team,” says Frady. “He brings a great talent that has been developed with the Bonn Capitals club. Max will be asked to pitch for the Panthers baseball club immediately. Max has so much ability and his future looks so bright. Having coached Mirko Heid and knowing his work ethic with the German National Team, this gives me great confidence that Max has been prepared by his club for this opportunity. We are thrilled to have former players BJ Hubbard and Charlie Olson with the Capitials and now getting Max at GSU. This is great for all that is involved.”

His headcoach in Germany, Mirko Heid, is also thrilled about his pitcher’s opportunity, “I am really proud of Max. It’s a great honor for him to be able to play for the GSU Panthers. There he will have the chance to combine his studies with his baseball career.”

The 19-year-old made his Bundesliga debut in 2009 at age 16 and has played for both the junior and senior national team in Germany. In 2011 he had three outings at the Baseball World Cup in Panama, posting the best E.R.A. of all German pitchers. His best outing was during a relief appearance against Australia, putting up three perfect innings.

Photo: (c) Bonn Capitals

Stuttgart, Germany – The Stuttgart Reds continued to make news by signing pitcher Markus Winkler for the 2012 season. Winkler has been a German National Team player since 2001 and will be a starting pitcher for the Reds as well as act as the team’s phyical trainer.

Winkler led the Heidenheim Heidekopf in 2009 to a German National Championship and also pitched in the European Cup Championship game in 2010. He also picthed in the European Championships for Germany in 2003 (Haarlem), 2005 (Prague), 2010 (Stuttgart), World Championship 2007 (Taipei), 2009 (Regensburg) and the Olympic Qualifier in 2008 (Taichung). Winkler brings a career 74-33 record with a 3.54 ERA in regular season play in the Bundesliga and has notched 10 wins in the postseason.

“I had chance to get to know Markus a bit over the last three seasons and he’s the type of player I love to have on my team. He’s got a wealth of experience, he’s a great pitcher, but most importantly, he’s a team player” said Bret Helenius, Head Coach of the Reds. “Our club is very excited to have Markus in the organization as we continue to grow” said Chris Manske, Vorstand for the Reds.

The Reds begin their regular season schedule on March 31 in Haar.

Additionally Americans Evan LeBlanc, Justin Kuehn and Matt Vance will stay with the Buchbinder Legionaere. The 25-year-old Vance is playing for the team since 2009 and batted .354/.467/.505 in 2011. The other two just arrived in 2011. LeBlanc was named best batter and MVP in the southern division and hit .484/.561/.726. Kuehn struggled in the beginning, but turned out to be a strong foreign starter in game two at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs. He was 4-1 with an ERA of 3.79. Also Dutch right-hander Mike Bolsenbroek (6-0, ERA 1.57) is expected to be back.

The 19-year-old Schmitz pitched for the German national team this summer and went 3-1 with two saves and an ERA of 1.85 in nine games for the Bonn Capitals in the Baseball-Bundesliga. Seltenrijch, who is from Rotterdam, had joined Corendon Kinheim in the Dutch Hoofdklasse in 2011. He batted .243/.328/.308 with a triple, five doubles, 19 runs and 14 RBI in 36 games for the Haarlem based club.

The new season for the GSU Panthers will start on February 17 at home. It is going to be a great opportunity for both players to improve their skill level by simply working out and playing baseball everday in a challenging environment of a Division I team.

The organizers are looking for players starting at the age of 13 years, which either can remain with their home clubs or join a boarding school. The program includes year around practices under the leadership of head coach Ulli Wermuth. The staff also includes Georg Bull, Manuel Moeller, an American coach and five more assistant coaches. Organizational leaders are Andreas Klages (former secretary general of the German Baseball and Softball Federation, deputy director German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB)), Janusz Radicke, Benjamin Hieronimi, Ken Höfel and Stefan Hoffmann.

The Rhein-Main Baseball Academy is going to use the brand-new facilities of the Mainz Athletics (opened in 2011), which feature a baseball and softball stadium with floodlights, a practice infield area, indoor batting cages and bullpen mounds and a gym. The RMBA is going to be the third Baseball academy in Germany besides Regensburg and Paderborn to have access to up to state of the art facilities and looks to find similar success.

For more information visit the official website of the Rhein-Main Baseball Academy

Sydney, Australia – The Stuttgart Reds strengthened their coaching staff for the 2012 season by signing Richard Olson. He will serve as a pitching coach for the Reds development and junior teams during his stay in Germany. Olson recently finished his collegiate career in the U.S. at the University of New Mexico (Div. 1) as a pitcher where in 2011, as the lone senior, led the Lobos to a Mountain West championship and a College World Series bid. Prior to the University of New Mexico, Olson also played at Clarendon Junior College in Texas.

Olson is an Australian citizen and was a member of the national team when he was 18 and is currently a member of the New Zealand National Team (by family heritage) which will be playing for a World Baseball Classic berth. The Aussie is currently playing for the Sydney Blue Sox in the Australian Baseball League that was started by Major League Baseball in 2010. Olson joined the team just prior to the All Star break and will see time when the season resumes. He will pitch game two of each series for the Reds.

From these 55, players will be selected for the various German youth national teams of the aforementioned age categories, which are scheduled to attend an Easter training camp in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, the LR Open in Montpellier, the PONY League European Qualifier in Prague, the European Cadets Championship in the Czech Republic, the IBAF 15U Baseball World Championship in Mexico and tournaments in Amsterdam and the United States.

Coaches of the DBA are head coach Georg Bull, Octavio Medina, Michael Franke, Jens Hawlitzky, Ulli Wermuth and Alper Bozkurt. During the DBA Winterball Camp American coach and Milwaukee Brewers scout Nate Trosky from San Francisco will be on hand. Also current and future minor leaguers Kai Gronauer (New York Mets) and Daniel Thieben (Seattle Mariners) will make the trip to Paderborn.

2012 Schedule Baseball-Bundesliga North
2012 Schedule Baseball-Bundesliga South

2012 Schedule Softball-Bundesliga North
2012 Schedule Softball-Bundesliga South

Other crucial dates in German Baseball and Softball are the opening days for the Baseball-Bundesliga on March 31 and the Softball-Bundesliga on April 21. The regular season ends on July 1st in Baseball, respective August 19 in Softball. Due to the European Championship in September the German baseball champion will be known by August 25.

A major format change will be done for the Softball-Bundesliga playoffs as the final four apparently will be eliminated and replaced with a championship series. Additionally it seems that a Coppa Italia like Cup tournament will be played between the eliminated teams.

2012 Calendar German Baseball and Softball

Stoecklin also gets an apprenticeship with a sponsor (Pfitzenmeier – High End Gyms) of the Tornados, starting in January. His 2011 season with the A’s was cut short due to an ACL tear at the beginning of May. He recovered fully and already played baseball at Hill College in Texas during the fall. He returns to Germany after just one semester.

Stoecklin impressed in the Baseball-Bundesliga at the beginning of the year as one of the best pitchers in the league. He went 3-0 with an ERA of 1.59 in five starts before his injury. He struck out 39 batters in 34 innings, walking 14. He has a 90+ MPH fastball with a variety of solid off speed pitches. He also is able to swing the bat, going 7-for-20 with a homerun, three triples, five runs scored and five RBI.

Stuttgart – Shortly before the Reds announced that their second team would be moving up to the Regionaliga, it was released that one of their own would be taking over as coach of the second squad. Naohisa Matsuda will run the second team during the 2012 season, which will be his first venture as a head coach. In 2007, Matsuda assisted in the coaching duties for the Reds (then first team) Regionaliga squad. The Japanese outfielder won the best batter award for the Reds 2011 2.Bundesliga team hitting .483 for the season, mostly as a pinch hitter.

With the first team promotion to Germany’s highest level, the Reds will now put a large emphasis on developing future players. Matsuda will be a perfect fit for that role as the technical knowledge he brings is top level. In 2011, first team head coach, Bret Helenius stepped in during the season to take over the coaching duties. “I am extremely happy Naohisa Matsuda has accepted this position with our organization and I am very impressed with the experience and the knowledge he brings to our players” said Helenius. Matsuda‘s responbilities will cover game management and player development. He will also serve as a player for the second team and will also continue his role on the 1.Bundesliga team as a pinch hitter and outfielder. Matsuda holds a .406 career batting average in four seasons in Germany.

Assisting Matsuda will be Gonzalo Rivera. Rivera was on the Reds 2010 Regionaliga team that was promoted to the 2.Bundesliga. Rivera, who comes from Mexico, will help with developing young defensive skills. After taking a season off, Rivera will be a player/coach for the Regionaliga team and brings experience from playing in Mexico. “Bringing Gonzo back to the club was a top priority for me this season” said Helenius. “Keeping our players with so much good experience and enthusiasm for the game is what makes clubs continue to improve.”

Baseball-Bundesliga 2012:
Northern Division:

• Untouchables Paderborn
• Solingen Alligators
• Bonn Capitals
• Dortmund Wanderers
• HSV Stealers
• Dohren Wild Farmers
• Berlin Sluggers
• Cologne Cardinals

Southern Division:

• Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg
• Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
• Mainz Athletics
• Haar Disciples
• Mannheim Tornados
• Bad Homburg Hornets
• Stuttgart Reds

Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg

2011 Record: 21-3
2011 Ranking: 1st place in southern division following regular season. The Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg clinched their third German championship in four years, coming back from a 0-2 deficit in the final series against the Untouchables Paderborn. They had eliminated the Dortmund Wanderers and Solingen Alligators on their route to the championship series.
Runs Scored: 212 (1st)
Runs Allowed: 78 (1st)

Best Batter: Evan LeBlanc. The outfielder was named best batter and MVP in the southern division after his first season in Germany. He batted .484/.561/.726 with four homeruns, 11 doubles, 29 runs and 34 RBI in just 24 games.
Best OPS: Evan LeBlanc 1.287
Most Homeruns: Evan LeBlanc 4
Most RBI: Evan LeBlanc 34
Most Runs Scored: Matt Vance 34
Most Stolen Bases: Matt Vance 12

Best Pitcher: Mike Bolsenbroek. The Dutch right-hander returned to Regensburg following his release from the Philadelphia Phillies organization during the spring. He went 6-0 with an ERA of 1.57 in 12 games. He struck out 79 batters in 57 1/3 innings, walking 23.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Mike Bolsenbroek 1.57
Best ERA Reliever: Philipp Hoffschild 1.83
Most Strikeouts: Mike Bolsenbroek 79
Most Walks: Justin Kuehn 38
Most Innings Pitched: Mike Bolsenbroek 57.1

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers
Mannheim Tornados
Dortmund Wanderers
Haar Disciples
Mainz Athletics
Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
Bonn Capitals
Solingen Alligators
Untouchables Paderborn

Untouchables Paderborn

2011 Record: 25-3
2011 Ranking: 1st place in northern division after regular season. The Untouchables Paderborn had their most successful year in the Baseball-Bundesliga since winning the championship in 2005. After clinching first place in the north in the regular season, they eliminated the Haar Disciples and Bonn Capitals en route to the championship series. Against the Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg, Paderborn won the first two games of the best-of-five series on the road, but blew the lead to lose 2-3.
Runs Scored: 266 (1st)
Runs Allowed: 71 (1st)

Best Batter: Matt Martin. The 24-year-old American outfielder batted .409/.504/.613 with 12 extra base hits, 34 runs and 22 RBI in 26 games this year.
Best OPS: Matt Martin 1.117
Most Homeruns: Daniel Hinz 3
Most RBI: Bjoern Schonlau 28
Most Runs Scored: Julius Uelschen 38
Most Stolen Bases: Julius Uelschen 23

Best Pitcher: Daniel Hinz. Splitting time between starting and relieving, he went 6-0 with two saves and an ERA of 1.81 in 11 appearances on the mound (six starts). He owned a stellar 49/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 49 2/3 innings.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Daniel Hinz 1.81
Best ERA Reliever: Daniel Rahn 2.50
Most Strikeouts: Brian Fields 98
Most Walks: Brian Fields 38
Most Innings Pitched: Brian Fields 80.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers
Mannheim Tornados
Dortmund Wanderers
Haar Disciples
Mainz Athletics
Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
Bonn Capitals
Solingen Alligators

Coach Christian Dresel, who navigated the team to its first postseason appearance in club history in 2010, has decided to step down, citing career ambitions. Over three seasons his teams improved consistently, posting records of 8-16 to 15-13 to 13-11; finishing fifth, fourth, and fourth, respectively.

Replacing Dresel is a face familiar to the Disicples, former pitcher and assistant coach Dirk Fries. A National Team pitcher himself not too long ago, Fries moved from the Cologne Cardinals to the Munich team in 2008, and transitioned to the coaching staff in 2010. In the Deutschland jersey, he posted a 5.02 ERA in 16 appearances across eight tournaments. In the Bundesliga he finished his career with a record of 90-48, and an ERA of 3.53 over 968 innings. Fries also works with pitchers as a part of the German National Team coaching staff, and is a board member with the European Baseball Coaches Association.

Despite Dresel handing over the reigns of the club team, he has confirmed his commitment to continue working with the Bavarian Select Teams, which currently lists seven Disciple Junior players on the roster.

More information can be found in the German-language newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung

Solingen Alligators

2011 Record: 21-7
2011 Ranking: 2nd place in northern division in regular season. Losing the top spot in the northern division of the German Baseball-Bundesliga to the Untouchables Paderborn, the Solingen Alligators recovered from a struggling start into the 2011 season and secured the number-two seed in the north. In the playoffs they eliminated the Mainz Athletics in four games in the quarterfinals. In the semi-finals they fell in three games against the Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg.
Runs Scored: 216 (3rd)
Runs Allowed: 130 (3rd)

Best Batter: Chris Beck. He returned as player-coach in-season and led the team with a batting line of .457/.516/.654, 11 extra base hits, 27 runs and nine RBI in 18 games.
Best OPS: Chris Beck 1.170
Most Homeruns: Phil Ortez, Dominik Wulf 3
Most RBI: Dominik Wulf 27
Most Runs Scored: Phil Ortez 35
Most Stolen Bases: Chris Beck 17

Best Pitcher: Andre Hughes. The southpaw went a perfect 9-0 with an ERA of 2.38 in 12 games (10 starts). He struck out 68 batters in 64 1/3 innings, walking 29.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Andre Hughes 2.38
Best ERA Reliever: Jens Cornelsen 2.68
Most Strikeouts: Andre Hughes 68
Most Walks: Jerome Burton Jr. 30
Most Innings Pitched: Andre Hughes 64.1

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers
Mannheim Tornados
Dortmund Wanderers
Haar Disciples
Mainz Athletics
Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
Bonn Capitals

Bonn Capitals

2011 Record: 20-8
2011 Ranking: 3rd place in northern division after regular season. After a second winter full with investments the Bonn Capitals reached the playoffs easily in third place. In the quarterfinals they blew a 2-0 lead against the Heidenheim Heidekoepfe, but prevailed in five games to advance into the semi-finals. Against division rival Untouchables Paderborn Bonn lost in four games to end the season.
Runs Scored: 261 (2nd)
Runs Allowed: 110 (2nd)

Best Batter: Bradley Roper-Hubbert. The 25-year-old American, who will be back in 2012, batted .356/.496/.594 with 13 extra base hits, 31 runs and 28 RBI in 27 games.
Best OPS: Bradley Roper-Hubbert 1.090
Most Homeruns: Bradley Roper-Hubbert 5
Most RBI: Bradley Roper-Hubbert 28
Most Runs Scored: Florian Nehring, Philipp Spade 32
Most Stolen Bases: Florian Nehring 14

Best Pitcher: Bryce Schoening. He went 8-3 with an ERA of 2.31 in 13 games (11 starts). He struck out 50 batters in 78 innings, walking 29.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Bryce Shoening 2.31
Best ERA Reliever: Max Schmitz 1.85
Most Strikeouts: Tim Henkenjohann 81
Most Walks: Tim Henkenjohann 35
Most Innings Pitched: Tim Henkenjohann 79.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers
Mannheim Tornados
Dortmund Wanderers
Haar Disciples
Mainz Athletics
Heidenheim Heidekoepfe

Heidenheim Heidekoepfe

2011 Record: 17-7
2011 Ranking: 2nd place in southern division. The Heidenheim Heidekoepfe recovered from a difficult start into the season to secure the runner up position behind the Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg, going into the playoffs. However in the quarterfinals they lost in five games to the Bonn Capitals.
Runs Scored: 149 (5th)
Runs Allowed: 105 (3rd)

Best Batter: Andrew Smith. The American infielder batted .355/.496/.548 with four homeruns, six doubles, 21 runs and 24 RBI in 24 games in his first season in German baseball.
Best OPS: Andrew Smith 1.044
Most Homeruns: Andrew Smith 4
Most RBI: Andrew Smith 24
Most Runs Scored: Simon Guehring
Most Stolen Bases: Matt Gaski, Simon Guehring 11

Best Pitcher: Dusty Bergman. He went 8-3 with an ERA of 2.83 in 12 games. He struck out 66 batters in 82 2/3 innings, walking 27.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Dusty Bergman 2.83
Best ERA Reliever: Peter Dankerl 3.82
Most Strikeouts: Dusty Bergman 66
Most Walks: Dusty Bergman 27
Most Innings Pitched: Dusty Bergman 82.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers
Mannheim Tornados
Dortmund Wanderers
Haar Disciples
Mainz Athletics

Mainz Athletics

2011 Record: 14-10
2011 Ranking: 3rd place in southern division after regular season. After one year hiatus the Mainz Athletics were back in the playoffs, but lost in three four games to the Solingen Alligators in the quarterfinals.
Runs Scored: 162 (3rd)
Runs Allowed: 103 (2nd)

Best Batter: Max Boldt. The German national teamer batted .379/.466/.621 during the regular season with five homeruns, six doubles, 22 runs and 17 RBI.
Best OPS: Max Boldt 1.087
Most Homeruns: Max Boldt 5
Most RBI: Mike Larson 21
Most Runs Scored: Mike Larson 24
Most Stolen Bases: Hendrik Schewe 12

Best Pitcher: Pat Haugen. He went 5-2 with an ERA of 1.65 in 10 games in his second season in Germany. He struck out 100 batters in just 71 innings, walking 30.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Jan-Niclas Stoecklin 1.59
Best ERA Reliever: Manuel Moeller 5.46
Most Strikeouts: Pat Haugen 100
Most Walks: Pat Haugen 30
Most Innings Pitched: 71.0

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers
Mannheim Tornados
Dortmund Wanderers
Haar Disciples

Haar Disciples

2011 Record: 13-11
2011 Ranking: 4th place in southern division. For a second straight year the Haar Disciples edged out a German baseball power house in the regular season and reached the playoffs. In the quarterfinals they lost in four games to the Untouchables Paderborn, but not before pitching a no-hitter (Nils Hartkopf) in game three of the series.
Runs Scored: 161 (4th)
Runs Allowed: 155 (4th)

Best Batter: Ty Eriksen. The outfielder batted .391/.505/.529 with 17 runs and 18 RBI in 24 games.
Best OPS: Nils Hartkopf 1.072
Most Homeruns: Nils Hartkopf 4
Most RBI: Nils Hartkopf 22
Most Runs Scored: Nils Hartkopf 21
Most Stolen Bases: Ryan Lee 7

Best Pitcher: Nils Hartkopf. Hindered by an injury, the right-hander only was able to pitch in 50 innings. He went 3-3 with one save and an ERA of 3.78 in 11 games. He struck out 53 and walked 37.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Nils Hartkopf 3.78
Best ERA Reliever: Gregor Klinc 2.73
Most Strikeouts: Nils Hartkopf 53
Most Walks: Nils Hartkopf 37
Most Innings Pitched: Paco Garcia 58.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers
Mannheim Tornados
Dortmund Wanderers

Dortmund Wanderers

2011 Record: 14-14
2011 Ranking: 4th in northern division. The Dortmund Wanderers passed the HSV Stealers in the final weeks of the regular season and reached the playoffs. In the quarterfinals they were swept by the Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg in three games.
Runs Scored: 187 (tied for 4th)
Runs Allowed: 152 (4th)

Best Batter: Elliot Biddle. In his first season in Germany Elliot Biddle went .440/.484/.776 with seven homeruns, a triple, 16 doubles, 30 runs and 27 RBI in 28 games.
Best OPS: Elliot Biddle 1.260
Most Homeruns: Elliot Biddle 7
Most RBI: Trevor Howell 29
Most Runs Scored: Trevor Howell 31
Most Stolen Bases: Roy Wesche 16

Best Pitcher: Matt Kemp. The player-coach went 9-4 with an ERA of 1.28 in 14 games (12 starts) this year. He struck out 111 batters in 98 2/3 innings, walking 42.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Matt Kemp 1.28
Best ERA Reliever: Marco Dietsch 3.53
Most Strikeouts: Matt Kemp 111
Most Walks: Dennis Stechmann 54
Most Innings Pitched: Matt Kemp 98.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers
Mannheim Tornados

Mannheim Tornados

2011 Record: 19-13 (including playdowns)
2011 Ranking: 5th place in southern division. The Mannheim Tornados had a terrible season defensively and ended up missing the playoffs as fifth-ranked team in the south.
Runs Scored: 167 (2nd)
Runs Allowed: 179 (5th)

Best Batter: Ian O’Connor. The American shortstop batted .410/.510/.518 with one homerun, four doubles, 28 runs and 15 RBI in 22 games.
Best OPS: Ian O’Connor 1.028
Most Homeruns: Matt Lokken 4
Most RBI: Matt Lokken 32
Most Runs Scored: Ian O’Connor 28
Most Stolen Bases: Sascha Lutz 14

Best Pitcher: Rene Franke. Battling inconsistency the southpaw posted a 6-6 record with an ERA of 4.79 in 14 games. He struck out 81 batters in 97 2/3 innings, walking 44.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Rene Franke 4.79
Best ERA Reliever: LeRoy Ewart 5.97
Most Strikeouts: Rene Franke 81
Most Walks: Rene Franke 44
Most Innings Pitched: Rene Franke 97.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers
HSV Stealers

After it was clear that Bryce Schoening was not returning next season, the Bonn Capitals quickly signed a successor. Charley Olson from Georgia State University will be joining the Capitals as a starting pitcher in 2012.

In two years at GSU the pitcher started in 28 games and posted an ERA of 4.66, ranking him 8th on the all-time-list at GSU.In close to 180 Innings he threw 139 Strikeouts, while allowing 61 Walks.The idea to play baseball in Germany came from his coach. GSU’s head-coach Greg Frady is also the German national coach. “Coach Frady had mentioned to me during my collegiate career the idea of playing baseball in Europe after college was over,” Olson recalls, “After his trip coaching the German team during the summer, I started connecting with Coach Mirko Heid and everything went from there.” Heid knows Frady from his time as player and team captain of the German national team and still keeps in contact with his former coach.

The right-hander will bring a lot of experience to the Rheinaue Ballpark. “I was the starting conference pitcher for Georgia State the past two seasons throwing over 175 innings. During summer I played in the Alaskan Collegiate league as a starting pitcher for the Fairbanks Fire and before my senior year played for the inaugural Willmar Stingers team in the Northwoods Summer League“, Olson says about his close to 400 total innings in his collegiate career.

Olson will replace Schoening as the American starting pitcher for the second game of the doubleheader in the northern division of the Baseball-Bundesliga. Bonn’s head coach Mirko Heid is satisfied, that his club was able to fill that gap so quickly, “We’re glad that Charley Olson chose to join our organization. He brings a lot of experience from one of the best collegiate leagues in the USA. We are certain that he will be a perfect match on and off the field.” The 23-year-old from Dunedin, Florida is anxious to join his new team in Germany, “I expect European baseball to be very competitive and intense. I cannot wait to be in Germany and to help the Capitals to a successful season in 2012.”

HSV Stealers

2011 Record: 19-19 (including playdowns)
2011 Ranking: 5th place in northern division. Reinforced during the winter, the HSV Stealers were inconsistent throughout the whole season, fell behind the Dortmund Wanderers at the end of the regular season and missed the playoffs.
Runs Scored: 187 (tied for 4th)
Runs Allowed: 153 (5th)

Best Batter: Brehan Murphy. He batted .333/.472/.452 with two homeruns, four doubles, 23 runs scored and 22 RBI in 23 games.
Best OPS: Brehan Murphy .924
Most Homeruns: Jerome Rousseau, Jakub Vojak 4
Most RBI: Jakub Vojak 28
Most Runs Scored: Sam Boone 28
Most Stolen Bases: Sam Boone 10

Best Pitcher: Justin Staatz. Joining the HSV Stealers in mid-season, he went 2-3 with an ERA of 2.33 in five starts. He struck out 56 batters in 38 2/3 innings, walking 16.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Justin Staatz 2.33
Best ERA Reliever: Daniel Harms 2.79
Most Strikeouts: Justin Staatz 56
Most Walks: Daniel Harms 31
Most Innings Pitched: Justin Prinstein 45.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers
Dohren Wild Farmers

Dohren Wild Farmers

2011 Record: 17-23 (including playdowns)
2011 Ranking: 6th place in northern division. The Dohren Wild Farmers started the year by winning just one of the first 11 games. But they finally found their rhythm and slowly moved up the ladder to avoid relegation into the second division and securing a spot in the Baseball-Bundesliga for a third consecutive year.
Runs Scored: 122 (7th)
Runs Allowed: 199 (5th)

Best Batter: Jeff Rustico. The American catcher, who already agreed to come back for a second season, batted .421/.492/.477 with six doubles, 23 runs and 13 RBI in 28 games, 25 of them behind the plate.
Best OPS: Jeff Rustico .969
Most Homeruns: Garrett Rogers 5
Most RBI: Jeff Rustico 13
Most Runs Scored: Garrett Rogers 34
Most Stolen Bases: Garrett Rogers 18

Best Pitcher: Garrett Rogers. He went 7-6 with an ERA of 3.31 in 13 starts for Dohren in 2011. He struck out 114 batters in 106 innings, walking 50.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Garrett Rogers 3.31
Best ERA Reliever: Henrik Dallmann 5.40
Most Strikeouts: Garrett Rogers 114
Most Walks: Garrett Rogers 50
Most Innings Pitched: Garrett Rogers 106.0

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Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians
Berlin Sluggers

Berlin Sluggers

2011 Record: 11-29 (including playdowns)
2011 Ranking: 7th place in northern division. Baseball at the top level in the German capital was back in 2011, as the Berlin Sluggers made the step into the Baseball-Bundesliga. After a disappointing regular season, which saw only four wins in 28 games, the Sluggers profited a little bit of the dismantling Pulheim Gophers, improved to 11-29 and secured their spot in the 2012 campaign.
Runs Scored: 84 (8th)
Runs Allowed: 313 (8th)

Best Batter: Kellen Kmiecik. The American joined the Sluggers after the season started and he quickly emerged as a key player without dominating. He went .242/.417/.403 with two homeruns, four doubles, ten runs and nine RBI in 21 games.
Best OPS: Kellen Kmiecik .820
Most Homeruns: Kellen Kmiecik 2
Most RBI: Benjamin Kleiner 11
Most Runs Scored: Kellen Kmiecik, Benjamin Kleiner 10
Most Stolen Bases: Benjamin Kleiner 4

Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Kellen Kmiecik 8.13
Best ERA Reliever: Oliver Knaack 8.13
Most Strikeouts: Ales Keprta 34
Most Walks: Iwan Galkin 49
Most Innings Pitched: Iwan Galkin 59.0

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers
Gauting Indians

Gauting Indians

2011 Record: 8-24 (including playdowns)
2011 Ranking: 6th place in southern division. After their most successful season in team history in 2010, which nearly put the Gauting Indians in the playoffs, they were back in the cellar of the German Baseball-Bundesliga in 2011. Import players disappointed and they only were able to hold off the promoted Bad Homburg Hornets to secure a spot in the 2012 campaign. However following the season the club decided to withdraw from the league and going back to start at the bottom.
Runs Scored: 95 (6th)
Runs Allowed: 216 (7th)

Best Batter: Matti Emery. The catcher batted .316/.436/.513 with three homeruns, 15 runs and 16 RBI in 22 games for Gauting in 2011.
Best OPS: Travis Latz 1.002
Most Homeruns: Travis Latz 5
Most RBI: Matti Emery 16
Most Runs Scored: Travis Latz 17
Most Stolen Bases: Lasse Bischoff 5

Best Pitcher: Benji Wait. The American hurler went 0-7 with an ERA of 5.73 in 12 games. He struck out 73 batters in 75 1/3 innings, walking 35.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Benji Wait 5.73
Best ERA Reliever: John Dobkowski 7.47
Most Strikeouts: Benji Wait 73
Most Walks: Dominik Hartinger, Benji Wait 35
Most Innings Pitched: Dominik Hartinger 77.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets
Pulheim Gophers

Pulheim Gophers

2011 Record: 7-31 (including playdowns)
2011 Ranking: 8th place in northern division. Started with playoff aspirations, the Pulheim Gophers quickly moved down the ladder in the German Baseball-Bundesliga to get relegated into second-division baseball. Only intervention by the German Baseball and Softball Federation avoided a withdrawal during the season.
Runs Scored: 142 (6th)
Runs Allowed: 286 (7th)

Best Batter: Daniel Lamb-Hunt. In his second year in the German Baseball-Bundesliga the infielder from New Zealand batted .440/.542/.736 with seven homeruns, 29 runs and 30 RBI in 28 games.
Best OPS: Daniel Lamb-Hunt 1.278
Most Homeruns: Daniel Lamb-Hunt 7
Most RBI: Daniel Lamb-Hunt 30
Most Runs Scored: Anderson Alvarez Echavarria 30
Most Stolen Bases: Anderson Alvarez Echavarria 14

Best Pitcher: Efthymios Karkatselos. The Greek national teamer went 4-4 with an ERA of 6.89 in 10 games for Pulheim. He struck out 27 batters in 48 1/3 innings, walking 21.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Efthymios Karkatselos 6.89
Best ERA Reliever: Andreas Kolbe 5.54
Most Strikeouts: Ronnie Glunt 69
Most Walks: Ronnie Glunt 60
Most Innings Pitched: Ronnie Glunt 66.2

Previous:
Bad Homburg Hornets

After signing Bradley Roper-Hubbert for a second season with the Bonn Capitals, the team announced that Starting Pitcher Bryce Schoening will not be able to return for the 2012 season.

“The main reason I can’t come back next year is that I need to finish up my college degree in the field of marketing. My plans are to finish up school and create a clothing brand. Playing baseball might be an option as well”, Schoening explains his tough decision.

The Capitals regret that the left-hander will not return next season, but wish him all the best in his professional career. Schoening made quite an impression during his two years in the German Bundesliga. He belonged to the best pitchers in the league, not relying too much on his velocity, as so many of the other foreign pitchers in the league, but more on his control and the diversity of his pitches. With eight wins in his eleven starts and an ERA of 2.31 it is no surprise that Schoening was named the team’s Best Pitcher in 2011. “Bryce is a great fighter. We got to know him as a very loyal and team-oriented player on and off the field. We will miss him as a player and as a friend,” Mirko Heid, head-coach of the Capitals, said about Schoening.

Back in California the 24-year-old already has a bit of homesickness to the team from the Rheinaue. “The Bonn Capitals are like a huge family. They took me in like I was one of their own and treated me with the upmost respect. Not only are they a family of loving people, but they love to fight for their club. The club is growing as a unit and will soon be on top of the German Bundesliga”, Schoening explains before adding, “Thank you to everyone. This club was my favorite baseball team to play on in my entire career. I was so lucky and thankful to be given the opportunity to play with such an amazing group of guys. I will never forget about the time I have spent over there and the great relationships that I’ve made. I can’t wait to get back out there and visit the team.”

During his visit Schoening will likely meet his successor. The Capitals have already made their choice and will soon announce who will take over Schoening‘s spot as a starting pitcher on the roster.

Photo: Bonn Capitals

Bad Homburg Hornets

2011 Record: 4-28 (including playdowns)
2011 Ranking: 7th place in southern division of Baseball-Bundesliga. The promoted club went 3-21 in the regular season, before getting one more win in the playdowns in German baseball, finishing in a spot usually suited for a relegation series. But since no team besides the Stuttgart Reds wants to go up, the Hornets remain in the first division.
Runs Scored: 91 (7th in southern division)
Runs Allowed: 201 (6th in southern division)

Best Batter: Sammy Torreira. The 41-year-old veteran second baseman went .356/.472/.507 with eight extra base hits, 14 runs and nine RBI in 21 games.
Best OPS: Sammy Torreira .979
Most Homeruns: Brad Olt 2
Most RBI: Brad Olt 11
Most Runs Scored: Brad Olt 15
Most Stolen Bases: Sammy Torreira 6

Best Pitcher: Kevin Nobles. The reliever went 0-2 with an ERA of 3.63 in 14 games. He struck out 10 batters in 34 2/3 innings, walking 12.
Best ERA Starting Pitcher: Peter Wiggins 7.33
Best ERA Reliever: Kevin Nobles 3.63
Most Strikeouts: Peter Wiggins 60
Most Walks: Peter Ackerman 72
Most Innings Pitched: Peter Ackerman 70.1

Speaking with a local newspaper the catcher/first baseman/designated hitter also stated that he and head coach Stefan Fechtig not always were on the same page this past season. So it was time to go into a different direction. The 30-year-old Franke is confident to find a new team in the Baseball-Bundesliga. As a longtime member of the German National Team this shouldn’t be a problem.

Franke was playing with the Untouchables since the 2003 season. He won three German championships and worked fulltime for the club in the past four years. This year he batted .346/.439/.444 with one homerun, five doubles, 21 runs and 19 RBI in 23 games (11 behind the plate, 9 at first). He led Paderborn into the German finals, were they blew a 2-0 lead and to lose the title to the Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg.