From Monday on the European Cup Tournaments are underway. The EC Qualifier will kick off on June 16 on four different occasions. 24 teams try to qualify for the European Cups in 2009, even if another club from their home country clinches a spot next season. Nothing against the other 18 teams, but the most interesting and perhaps most competitive qualifier should be the one in Brno, Czech Republic. MZLU Express hosts the Bern Cardinals (SUI), Union Kufstein Vikings (AUT), Angels Trnava (SVK), Kranjski Lisjaki (SLO) and Zagreb Baseball Club (CRO).
European Qualifier June 16-21
Pool 1 in Brno, Czech Republic:
MZLU Express Brno (CZE)
Angels Trnava (SVK)
Union Vikings (AUT)
Bern Cardinals (SUI)
Kranjski Lisjaki (SLO)
Zagreb BC (CRO)
Pool 2 in Kutno, Poland:
Mks Amz Kutno (POL)
Kaunas Lituanica (LTU)
Aveiro University (POR)
Sundbyberg Heat (SWE)
Oslo Pretenders (NOR)
Espoo Expoos (FIN)
Pool 3 in Blagoevdgrad, Bulgaria:
Blagoevdgrad (BUL)
Beograd 96 (SRB)
Dinamo (ROM)
Spartakos (GRE)
BK Apollo (SVK)
Metrostars Vienna (AUT)
Pool 4 in Brest, Belarus:
Brest Zubrs (BLR)
BK Vilnius (LTU)
Zurich Challengers (SUI)
KNTU (UKR)
Stockholm (SWE)
Uks Deby Osielsko (POL)
The Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) will post the results of the qualifiers on their special tournaments website, as soon as they are available. Previews for the European Cups in Grosseto, Italy and Regensburg, Germany, beginning on Tuesday and Wednesday will be published in coming days on Mister-Baseball.com.