The Buchbinder Legionaere and the Heidenheim Heidekoepfe will square off in the German Finals. Playing in a best-of-five format, the first two games will be played at the Armin Wolf Arena in Regensburg this weekend. Games three and four will follow on October 2 and 3 due to the participation of Heidenheim in the European Champions Cup Final Four in Barcelona. A decisive fifth match would be played back in Regensburg on October 9th. Both teams have won a championship in the Baseball-Bundesliga in the past two years and trying to add a second national title to their club histories.
The Buchbinder Legionaere welcome back Boris Bokaj as starting pitcher in game one after he missed the semi-finals due to a rib injury. Philipp Hoffschild will move back to the bullpen to join Rene Herlitzius, Jonathan Eisenhuth and Rodney Gessmann. Eric Faint will start in game two. They will miss Donald Lutz, who is staying in the US for the instructional league in Arizona in preparations for playing in Australia during the winter. However they could get some pitching help for games three to five, when Mike Bolsenbroek returns to Europe.
The Heidekoepfe will have to rely on Markus Winkler and Dusty Bergman as starting pitchers in game one and two, as Martin Dewald is not available for the first finals weekend. He is expected back for the Final Four in Barcelona though. Martin Almstetter, Sam Whitehead and Hagen Raetz are the first options as relief pitchers. Peter Dankerl apparently is still sidelined. Otherwise head coach Mike Hartley can rely on a healthy team.
Schedule German Finals:
Saturday, September 18:
13:00 Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg – Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
Sunday, September 19:
13:00 Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg – Heidenheim Heidekoepfe
Saturday, October 2:
13:00 Heidenheim Heidekoepfe – Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg (most likely will be moved to 17:00)
Sunday, October 3:
13:00 Heidenheim Heidekoepfe – Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg*
Saturday, October 9:
13:00 Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg – Heidenheim Heidekoepfe*
*if necessary
Meanwhile the playdowns in the northern and southern division continue. In the north Dortmund and Dohren can make big steps towards securing fifth, respective sixth place this weekend. In the south the Hornets need to figure out a way to beat the Indians, if they want to leave seventh place.
Schedule Playdowns:
Saturday, September 18:
North:
13:00/15:30 Pulheim Gophers – Dohren Wild Farmers
South:
13:00/15:30 Gauting Indians – Saarlouis Hornets
13:00/15:30 Neuenburg Atomics – Mainz Athletics
Sunday, September 19:
North:
13:00/15:30 Dortmund Wanderers – Cologne Cardinals
Standings Playdowns North:
- Dortmund Wanderers 17-19
- Dohren Wild Farmers 15-21
- Pulheim Gophers 13-23
- Cologne Cardinals 11-25
Standings Playdowns South:
- Gauting Indians 18-18
- Mainz Athletics 16-20
- Saarlouis Hornets 15-21
- Neuenburg Atomics 1-35