Preview European Cup for clubs 2015 Rotterdam

Tomorrow the yearly European Cup for clubs will start again. One edition in Rotterdam at Curacao Neptunus and one edition in Paris at PUC. As far as I can remember, it is the first time since 1987 that PUC is hosting a European tournament.

The winners of each edition will face each other later this year in the European Champions Cup.

Here are the participants of the group in Rotterdam

ASD Rimini

With ASD Rimini we have one of the favorites for the victory of this group. The runner up of last year’s championship fell 4-3 to Fortitudo Bologna in the best of seven championship series. So far, Rimini is trailing Fortitudo Bologna by two games in this years’ standings. The team has three Venezuelans and one Dominican on it’s roster. But thanks to a certain rule, only three foreigners per team can participate in this tournament. This means that Alex Romero will not play.
Right handed relief pitcher Victor Romero from Venezuela has spent the biggest chunck of his career at AAA. Dominican Alexis Candelario is a international journey man. He never got any higher than the Gulf Coast League but spent the biggest part of his career in professional leagues in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Mexico.
In Ray Olmedo from Venezuela, the Pirates have a shortstop with parts of six seasons of MLB experience under his belt.
According to their website, Curacao Neptunus is the clear favorite to win this group. But since the Italian Baseball League is at a higher level than the Dutch Hoofdklasse, it looks like they are trying to put the pressure on the Dutch.

Curacao Neptunus

In Curacao Neptunus we have another favorite for the victory of this group. The current Dutch champion has a solid team that is together for a couple of years now, so the team members know each other very well. Last weekend the Rotterdam based team clinched a play off spot in the Dutch competion. The pitching of this team is flat out solid. Two studs are their nr. 1 and 2 pitcher: Diegomar Markwell and Orlando Yntema. In Kenny van den Branden Neptunus has a good nr. 3 starter. The latter has played for UVV last season and it will be his first European appearance with the team from Rotterdam. Neptunus has a very dangerous lineup with some power hitters in their ranks. Raily Legito, Rien Vernooij and Shaldimar Daantji. Despite having six hitters in the top ten of the Slugging percentage stats, none has hit more than one homerun so far.
Neptunus as a team is leading the Hoofdklasse in the following offensive categories: Battiing average (.320), Slugging percentage (.423), On base percentage (.403), Runs scored (135), Hits (218) and Runs batted in (121).
The pitching staff of Neptunus is almost as dominant as their offense. Only in the category ERA they are not leading.  Neptunus ranks second in ERA (1.69) after L&D Amsterdam Pirates.

Draci Brno

Draci Brno is the current Czech champion. Last season they beat Kotlarka Prague 3-2 in a best of five series. So far the club is leading the Czech Extra League with 18 victories and 4 losses.
In Petr Minarik the club has an ace in the Czech competition. He is leading the pitchers with an ERA of 2.01. Martin Schneider is leading the Extra League in batting average with a whopping .419.  In MIchal Sobotka, Nathan O’ Bryan and Petr Minarik the team has three of the winningest pitchers in the Extra League this season and the best team ERA of the league by far with 2.70.
Even though Czech baseball has made some huge strides in the last ten years, it remains hard to tell how strong Draci Brno really is. I expect them to finish fifth.

Heidenheim Heidekoepfe

The runner up of last year’s German championship lost 3-1 to the Solingen Alligators in a best of five series. In 2009 the Heidekoepfe clinched their first and only championship. Right now the team is trailing the Regensburg Legionaere by four games in the Southern division of the Bundesliga.
The Germans have a couple of good hitters in James McOwen (.516), Jay Pecci (.476), Shawn Larry (.429) and Simon Guehring (.421). As a team the Heidekoepfe have the best batting average of the Southern Division with .349.
When it comes to defense the team from Heidenheim is last but one with a collective fielding percentage of .944. Pitching wise they are ranked fifth with a team ERA of 5.63.
In 2010 the Heidekoepfe reached the final four by finishing second in Brno. Even with the Final four the club reached the final but then they fell to Fortitudo Bologna 2-1.
I expect the Heidekoepfe to finish third

KNTU Elizavetgrad

This team from Urkaine is the weakest team in this group. Unfortunately there is not much to be found about this fourteen-time Ukrainian champion. The current Ukrainian baseball league contains only four clubs.
Like many others, I tip this team to finish last. In rightfielder Velikii, third baseman Brechko and DH Lisnitskii the club has three .500 hitters in it’s ranks. Lisnitskii is also a decent (relief) pitcher with an ERA of 2.61.
Please keep in mind that these numbers are from the Ukrainian baseball league. As far as I could see, it is a four team league. How impressive these numbers will look, the team will be no match for the others, with all due respect.

Templiers de Senart

The current French champion from the Parisian suburb won last year’s championship by sweeping PUC in three games.
Right now the club is trailing the Rouen Huskies by five games. Les Templiers have three players with a batting average way above .300: Frederic Hanvi (.391), Jacques Boucheron (.388), Rolando Betancourt (.385).
With only five pitchers in their ranks, the pitching staff is rather thin. Only two are playing solely as a pitcher. The other three are utility players.
Especially because the small number of pitchers, I think that this team will finish in fourth place.

Normally Curacao Neptunus and ASD Rimini Pirates will advance to the final game on Sunday. How much I want Neptunus to win, I think that the Italians have the strongest team.