Previewing the 2016 season in the Belgian First Division Mister-Baseball.com talked to Christophe Dassy. The former head coach of the Namur Angels, which are no longer in the top division in Belgium, talked about the eight teams. It will be a crucial year for the Belgian First Division participants, as a new structure with a reduction to six teams is planned for 2017.
Mister-Baseball.com: What are your expectations about the new season in the Belgian Division I and which teams will be the favorites?
Christophe Dassy: The Borgerhout Squirrels will sure be the favorite this year again. Last year they ran out of pitching due to the departure of two starters going to college. This year, they added Jose “Patxi” Larrinaga, a reliable inning eater and Matthew De Permentier who should benefit from a stronger defense than the one he had behind him last year.
Behind the Squirrels, the Royal Greys seem in good shape with a solid, consistent team that doesn’t change a lot year after year.
The Brasschaat Braves will be a question mark because they lost a few arms (Antonacci, De Permentier, Kuenen) but they limited damage nicely by adding the academy player Matthew Joossens, who just took part in the MLB tournament in Barcelona. They should also benefit from the addition of Belgian/Canadian pitcher Kyran Weemaels after the college season. Now the defense will need to back their pitching staff better than last year if they look to have success.
Reigning champion Deurne Spartans is another question mark. They took the crown last year thanks to some comeback players who exceeded expectations and with a dynamic trio of imports who all hit around .400, while also pitching great. Not sure how much of that trio will be back this year. Medeiros is gone to Rouen for sure so that’s a great bat and a lot of speed to replace. But the Spartans seem to find ways to get good players out of retirement. So who knows what’s in store this year.
Mister-Baseball.com: What do you think about the other four teams in the league?
Christophe Dassy: The Mortsel Stars signed a few Brussels players who could contribute nicely to a team that did decent last year. Again, the addition from one or two solid imports could be the difference between a team playing in the middle of the pack and a contender. Behind those five teams the Hoboken Pioneers, Phoenix and Beveren Lions will look to survive the skimming of the league that will see two teams relegated at the end of this year.
I don’t know much from the Beveren Lions except that Rik Ruts is their coach. He knows D1 really well so that will help. But they will sure need some strong imports and a few guys enjoying a breakout season if they want to clinch a Gold League spot for 2017
Louvain la Neuve Phoenix was primed for a great season with all the new players. However, they lost their best local hitter for about half of the season in a ski accident. They then lost academy pitcher Maxime Pourtois to a shoulder injury that will hopefully heal soon. And, sadly, Manuel Martinez is one of the victims of the Brussels attacks. Though his injuries aren’t life-threatening anymore, if and when he will be back on the field, remains to be open. All our thoughts are of course with him and his family.
On the bright side, the collapse of the Namur Angels brought a few nice pieces to the lineup. Pitcher/outfielder Nicolas Migeot and outfielder Cedric Nauts will add a veteran presence, leadership and attention to details that were sometimes lacking to the team last year. The addition of young academy catcher infielder Benjamin Goffaux is also huge from an offensive and defensive e standpoint. Depending on the success of their imports, Phoenix could avoid the threat of relegation.
Now, the fun team will be the Pioneers. This is a very young team with many talented but very young and inexperienced academy players. The addition of veteran pitcher TJ Antonacci is a key. For the rest, if they can get some early wins, they will get the chance to grow into the division and become a strong team for years to come. If they struggle out of the gate however, it could be a painful season like it’s often the case with young teams.
Mister-Baseball.com: Which young players could celebrate a breakout year in Belgium this summer?
Christophe Dassy: I’ll be looking to see the development of academy pitchers Matthew Joossens (Braves )and Gregg Mareels (Pioneers) if they can adjust quickly to D1. They have the potential to really make a difference for their teams. Offensively, Lucas Rizzi (Pioneers) could also enjoy a good rookie season.
Mister-Baseball.com: What team is going to win the championship?
Christophe Dassy: It’s hard to tell who will be in the playoffs without knowing the new imports. But I would say that the Squirrels will be tough to beat this year again. They have good offense, solid pitching and a good mix of young players and veterans under a rich coaching staff. From the information I got, the Royal Greys could be their main challenger.