The German Baseball and Softball Federation released a 25-man player roster for the upcoming European Championship in Stuttgart, Heidenheim and Neuenburg (July 23-August 1) on Tuesday. Germany is slotted into Pool A together with the Netherlands, France, Ukraine, Belgium and the Czech Republic.
The only new guys on the team in comparison to last year’s Baseball World Cup are Cedric Bassel, Dominik Hartinger, Klaus Hopfensperger and Moritz Sckaer. Besides the four professional players Kai Gronauer, Donald Lutz, Max Kepler-Rozycki and Jennell Hudson, also missing are former Minor Leaguer Michael Franke, Octavio Medina, Marvin Appiah and Andy Janzen.
Dirk Fries, who is injured, is going to be an assistant coach on the staff of head coach Greg Frady. The only player on the squad not playing in the German Baseball-Bundesliga is Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez of Telemarket Rimini, although Sckaer and Martin Dewald spent time at a college earlier this year.
The German National Team will hold a training camp in Heidenheim from July 12th to 18thbefore the start of the tournament, including at least one exhibition game against Belgium. Afterwards they have to cut one of the 25 players for the final roster.
Complete Roster:
Pitchers: Martin Almstetter, Markus Winkler, Martin Dewald (all three Heidenheim Heidekoepfe), Dominik Hartinger (Gauting Indians), Tim Henkenjohann (Bonn Capitals), Philipp Hoffschild (Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg), Andre Hughes (Solingen Alligators), Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez (Telemarket Rimini), Moritz Sckaer (Cologne Cardinals), Eugen Heilmann (Paderborn Untouchables)
Catchers: Simon Guehring (Heidenheim Heidekoepfe), Chris Howard (Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg)
Infielders: Max Boldt (Mainz Athletics), Ludwig Glaser, Philipp Howard (both Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg), Nils Hartkopf, Dominik Wulf (Solingen Alligators), Edward Martinez (Saarlouis Hornets), Jendrick Speer (Paderborn Untouchables)
Outfielders: Cedric Bassel, Rodney Gessmann, Klaus Hopfensperger (all three Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg), Robert Gruber (Heidenheim Heidekoepfe), Sascha Lutz (Mannheim Tornados), Julius Uelschen (Paderborn Untouchables)
Coaching Staff: Greg Frady (Head Coach), Troy Williams, Omar Johnson, Tim Boeth, Dirk Fries (Assistant Coaches)