By Nicolas MILLET. Correction by André STERNBERG
The 2011 Elite season will start the 27th of March with, among other match ups, a duel between Rouen, the 2010 French champion, and Savigny, the runner-up.
{mrb-schedule:2011-03-26|2011-03-27|FR}
This season features a new playoff system with six teams instead of four chasing the national title in September. Elite returns to an eight-team division this year.
Here is a team-by-team preview for the upcoming French championship.
Rouen Huskies
Rouen starts the season with national title and a ticket to the European Final Four as their main objectives. The Huskies will pretty much have the same face in 2011, with the exception of departed Aaron HORNOSTAJ (Astros Valencia) and Giovanni OUIN (retired). The heart of the team remains unchanged, with Keino PEREZ, Boris MARCHE, Luc PIQUET, Kenji HAGIWARA, David GAUTHIER, Joris BERT and also Anthony PIQUET, Best Pitcher of the 2010 Finals. The prospects, Saad ANOUAR, Oscar COMBES and rookie Alexandre ROY, will have a chance to show their talent.
To complete the roster, Rouen added two American players, David WASHINGTON (outfield and catcher) and Jordan CRYSTAL (pitcher and infielder), and Owen OZANICH, an American pitcher with a French passport. With his roster at full health, the coach, Robin ROY, will have many options on the mound and on the field.
Savigny Lions
Savigny undertook an extensive offseason recruitment that corresponds with their expectations for the 2011 season.
The Lions added eight new players to their roster, who will wear their brand new jersey to help them reach the national title, the official objective of the club this season. Savigny last won French title in 2004. The big names are the two Americans, Eric DE BLANC and Clayton COOPER, who’ll share the coaching. Other new Lions are Enrique TRINIDAD (Dominican Republic), Daisuke IKENAGA (Japan), Luis APONTE (Venzuela), Jonathan WEAVER (French Junior national team), Amin and Ilyas TOUAHRI (Thiais).
With Sébastien BOYER (Pessac) and Romain MARTINEZ-SCOTT (personal break) gone, the foundations of the team (FERREIRA, GONIOT, GUAYE, DAL ZOTTO and LEMESTRE) remain the same.
This boosted bunch of players has been built to conquer the national title.
Montpellier Barracudas
Montpellier stayed really quiet during the winter, adding only one foreign player, Alejandro ZUAZNABAR (Cuba). Easy or not, the Barracudas have some kind of obligations to reinforce the team, considering all the challenges in front of them in 2011. If you can think that a playoff spot will not be a hard task, they also host a European qualifier in June. They could stand by veterans like Laurent ANDRADES, Thomas LANGLOYS or by rising ace Joris NAVARRO, but it won’t be enough for Jean-Michel MAYEUR, the coach, if the club is unable to provide some depth in the bullpen.
Back in France after a Can-Am title with the Québec Capitales and with no professional option this year, Anthony CROS could be an exceptional offensive force if he confirms his participation with the Barracudas this season. The perspective of a European campaign could help him to make his choice.
Sénart Templiers
New season, new manager, new players, new jersey, new website and (cross your fingers!) a new field by the end of the season, the 2011 Templiers lay their cards on the table! Jamel BOUTAGRA is the new man in charge of the boys of Sénart. To reach the playoff, the new coach could make use of the winter additions of Frédéric HANVI (Twins organization and Montigny in 2010), Brice LORIENNE (Clermont-Ferrand), and the two Canadians, Kevin ATKINSON and Devon FRANKLIN. In a recent rumor, Felix BROWN (Saint-Martin) is also expected to join the Templiers this season. Considering the Templiers only lost Luis APONTE, the LANIEPCE brothers and Marc BOUCHARD (Cherbourg), the roster looks stronger than in 2010.
The big issue is the health of one of the top French pitchers, maybe the main weapon of Sénart on the mound. Samuel MEURANT was injured during the European Championship in last July had surgery again in February. The club announced that his first appearance will be in late April, but will he be at his best?
His health will be a major factor in the success of the Templiers.
Stade Toulousain Baseball
Not many changes this year for Toulouse. Mainly based on the Pôle France players and coached by Gerardo LEROUX (also coach of the Junior National Team), the team is one step away from the playoff for several seasons. The new system (6 in playoff instead of 4) will probably allow them to play in September as a contender, but not yet as a dangerous challenger.
One the main pieces of the team, Andy PAZ, a Cuban-born catcher drafted by the Oakland Athletics last June, is supposed to lead the defense despite his young age. To help him, Toulouse welcomes David VAN HEYNINGEN (Saint-Martin), a young left-handed pitcher who impressed a lot during his French national team appearances. From 2010, the STB lost Maxime CHARLOT (Pessac) and Pierre FRANC-DE-FERRIERE (Pineuilh).
To reach the playoff, Toulouse just has to play the same baseball than last season while still keeping an eye on Pessac, Montigny and PUC.
Montigny Cougars
With their spot in Elite granted after a tough 2010 season, Montigny is back for a new championship. This year, the Cougars will play without a foreign player and the playing time for young players from the club will be a key.
The main goal is to grab one of the six first places, saving a place for 2012 by the same occasion. It won’t be easy but the players will benefit from some experimented veterans like Christophe HERARD and Arnaud FAU. Diminished last year, a Sébastien DUCHOSSOY at full health could be a real team leader. The Cougars are young but some of the guys are current members of national teams or/and one of the French baseball academies. The real challenge could be to keep these young spirits concentrate if the wins are not regular…
Paris Université Club
Paris lost a lot of key players during the winter: Benjamin DERUELLE, Ian YOUNG, Flavien PERON, Olivier ISRAEL, and the two Americans, Mike LYNN et Philip DAVIS.
But after a poor 2010, PUC brings a new dynamic for 2011. It starts with a new manager, Jeff STOECKEL. Son of Jim STOECKEL, former coach of the Netherlands National Team, he will be in charge of the coordination of all the PUC teams. His main challenge is to get the Elite team back to the legendary PUC teams of the 80’s or 90’s.
To compensate all the losses, Paris added Will MUSSON, American pitcher, and Takafumi IWATA (Japan). With a tightened roster and one year after renewing with the first division, the coach has a unique goal: reach the playoff. First put on the trade list, pitcher Nicolas DUBAUT could finally be a part of the squad, maybe not for each game but he could be a great punctual addition on the mound.
Pessac Panthères
After a N1 (Second national division) title in 2010, Pessac won their ticket and are back in Elite after leaving having dropped down in 2004. The only objective of the club is to win enough games to stay in Elite for 2012.
The club of Aquitaine added Maxime CHARLOT (Toulouse), Sébastien BOYER (Savigny) and Hugo VICENS (Eysines). They join a team led by a pair of veteran pitchers, Patrice BRIONES and Guillaume GISBERT.
Used to winning in the lower division for years, the real issue is how this young team will act against stronger opponents, harder hitters and tight defenses. To stay in Elite, you have to win in Elite.
Key dates of the 2011 season:
- Opening day = March 27th
- Last regular season game = July 24th
- Playoff starts = August 27th
- Final series = October 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th
Challenge de France= In Rouen (76) and Aux Andelys (27) from 14th to 17th of July. A tournament with the eight elite teams.
Final Regular Season Standings 2010:
{mrb-standing:france-2010}
French Elite League Champions since 2000:
• 2000 Paris UC
• 2001 Savigny Lions
• 2002 Savigny Lions
• 2003 Rouen Huskies
• 2004 Savigny Lions
• 2005 Rouen Huskies
• 2006 Rouen Huskies
• 2007 Rouen Huskies
• 2008 Rouen Huskies
• 2009 Rouen Huskies
• 2010 Rouen Huskies