The European Cup is getting back into the headlines next week. From June 15 to 20 the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Belgium host the four European Cup Qualifiers. Next weekend on June 20 and 21 Barcelona, Spain is the center of European Baseball, when two teams each from Italy and the Netherlands battle for the European Champions Cup trophy at the final four.
The format of the Qualifiers is pretty simple. In the preliminary phase the six clubs in each event play a single round robin. Afterwards the two top teams are going to complete a best-of-three final series to determine the winner of each tournament with game one being the result of the meeting in the first phase. It is tough to predict an outcome in each Qualifier, as the competition level is pretty balanced throughout Europe below the A-Pool European Cups.
The winners of each Qualifier will play the Templiers Senart and the Tenerife Marlins in one or two tournaments (depends on outcome of Qualifiers) to determine the two open spots for the European Cups 2009.
European Cup Qualifiers:
Ostrava, Czech Republic
Teams:
Arrows Ostrava (CZE)
Brest Zubrs (BLR)
AMZ Kutno (POL)
BC Juadas Vikingas (LTU)
MGPU-SYOS 42 (RUS)
Vojvode (SRB)
Live Play-by-Play on CEB Website
Trnava, Slovakia
Teams:
TJ STU Trnava (SVK)
KNTU-Osvsm (UKR)
BC Vindija Varazdin (CRO)
Karlskoga Bats (SWE)
Óbuda Brick Factory (HUN)
Atletico Alexandria (ROM)
Live Play-by-Play on CEB Website
Attnang-Puchheim, Austria
Teams:
MOSQUITO Athletics Attnang-Puchheim (AUT)
Bern Cardinals (SUI)
Zagreb BK (CRO)
BK Kranjski Lisjaki (SLO)
Buffaloes Blagoevgrad (BUL)
AC Ainos Kefalonia (GRE)
Live Play-by-Play on CEB Website
Antwerp, Belgium
Teams:
Hoboken Pioneers (BEL)
Mannheim Tornados (GER)
Lausanne Indians (SUI)
Espoo Expos (FIN)
Oslo Pretenders (NOR)
White Sharks (POR)
Live Play-by-Play on CEB Website
Check Mister-Baseball each day for updates from the four Qualifiers. A preview for the European Champions Cup Final Four is coming up later this week.