After a two-week break due to the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, Canada, the playoffs in the German Baseball-Bundesliga continue with games one and two of the semi-finals.
At the Roberto Clemente Field, the TORNADOS face the BUCHBINDER LEGIONAERE in a rematch of the 2008 German finals. REGENSBURG won all four games during the regular season, but three of them were close. Rene Franke and Martin Dewald are expected to take the hill for MANNHEIM, Martin Almstetter and Eddie Aucoin for the southern champion. Franke, Dewald and Almstetter pitched for the national team last week, Aucoin helped GAUTING to win the Open de Rouen in France, impressing with a shutout against the French national team.
In the second semi-final the HEIDEKOEPFE and the ALLIGATORS will meet for the first time in a regular game since 2006, when SOLINGEN won in four games en route to the German championship. They are also the last remaining team from the north, for the fourth year in a row. Head coach Andy Fleischacker has to rely on Jens Cornelsen as the second starting pitcher, as HCAW left-hander Andre Hughes isn’t eligible to play in this round. Enorbel Marquez-Ramirez will receive the starting nod in the second game. HEIDENHEIM also will be short-handed, as Simon Guehring broke his heel in a collision at home plate, catching for the national team in Canada. It is a big loss for not only the offense of the HEIDEKOEPFE. Their starting pitchers Markus Winkler and Dusty Bergman haven’t allowed an earned run in the first round against DORTMUND.
Schedule:
Saturday, August 1:
13:00 Heidenheim Heidekoepfe – Solingen Alligators
15:30 Heidenheim Heidekoepfe – Solingen Alligators
13:00 Mannheim Tornados – Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg
15:30 Mannheim Tornados – Buchbinder Legionaere Regensburg
(Games three to five will be played on August 15&16)
Playdowns:
August 1:
Saarlouis Hornets – Gauting Indians 9-0, 9-0 (forfeited by Gauting, as they do not have enough players due to illness and other reasons)
August 2:
13:00/15:30 Cologne Cardinals – Pulheim Gophers