Former Pitcher now Head Coach of Corendon Kinheim

The Dutch Honkbalsite reports that CORENDON KINHEIM is having a new head coach in the 2009 Hoofdklasse season. The 39-year-old Eelco Jansen replaces Ben Thijssen at the helm of the 2006 and 2007 national champion and reigning European Cup champion. Jansen is part of the coaching staff from KINHEIM since 2006, working as the pitching coach. He will be assisted by Marcel Joost, who also already was on the staff of the club.

Previously Jansen was a successful pitcher in the Netherlands Major League, making his debut in 1993 winning four national titles until 2004, when he retired. He struck out 1121 batters in 205 games for KINHEIM and NEPTUNUS, threw a perfect game in 1997 and had no-hitters in 2002 and 2003. He played a total of 50 games for the Dutch national team in three Olympic Games, three Baseball World Cups and six European Championships.

Thijssen, who came to Haarlem after the end of the 2005 season, after winning three championships with NEPTUNUS, retires from his coaching career and leaves for Curacao. After leading the Hoofdklasse for most of the 2008 season and winning the European Cup in Grosseto, KINHEIM was upset by L&D AMSTERDAM in the Holland Series, ending the  bid for a three-peat.