In advance of the Under-15 (15) European Baseball Championship B-Pool, Sweden hosted Great Britain for an U15 exhibition series across two locations this week. While it is the first time that a GB Baseball squad at this age has travelled to the Scandinavian country, it renews a decades-long tradition of friendly series between the two countries. The series included five games over four days from June 16–18, with Great Britain sweeping the series.
The highlight of the games was a no-hitter by GB’s James Theodorakis in Game 4, in which he struck out 12 in six innings, permitting only a single free pass.
Results
Links to game stories by the British Baseball Federation are included.*
June 15 (Rättvik): Great Britain 21 – Sweden 7 [Wrap]
June 16 (Rättvik): Great Britain 11 – Sweden 10 [Wrap]
June 16 (Rättvik): Great Britain 17 – Sweden 2 [Wrap]
June 17 (Leksand): Great Britain 19 – Sweden 0 [Wrap]
June 18 (Leksand): Great Britain 9 – Sweden 7 [Wrap]
“I’m incredibly proud of this group. To come away from Sweden with five wins from five games is a testament to the work ethic, character, and togetherness of every player and coach on this trip,” observed Head Coach Ian Griebenow. “Most importantly, the players represented Great Britain with class on and off the field.”
“We have selected a squad with a good balance between players who already have experience from national team activities and younger players who will have the opportunity to grow into the role,” explained Sweden’s head coach Peter Jansson before the series. “The goal is both to perform this summer and to continue building for the future of Swedish baseball. Sending an U15 national team back to a tournament at a high international level not only gives the 16 selected players a unique chance to grow, but also creates a ripple effect as they bring their experience home to their local clubs.“
Here are the full rosters for Great Britain [link] and Sweden [link]. The latter contains a link to support the largely family-founded program (true for GB as well).
Editor’s Note: Google Translate used for Swedish.
*No information about the games was published by Svenska Baseboll Softboll och Lacrosseförbundet (SBSLF).