2025 National Champions in Europe

It’s that time of the year again. Time for an anthology of national champions in European baseball, a continuation of what started in 2017.

Austria:
For the third year in a row, the Diving Ducks Wiener Neustadt clinched the Austrian championship by sweeping the Dornbirn Indians 9-6, 8-4, and 10-3. The Diving Ducks are only the second team in Austrian baseball to three-peat. The Vienna Metro Stars won three championships from 2005 through 2007. They even managed to win five in a row from 1985 through 1989.

Belarus:
Minsk baseball clinched its … consecutive Belarus championship. The team has won so many championships in a row, my source even lost count.
In a best of five series, they beat the Brest Zburs (Bisons) 3-1 (4-1, 3-4, 15-4, and 2-0).

Belgium:
A new champion in Belgium. After thirteen years, the Brasschaat Braves clinched the Belgian championship again. As the season was cut short because of the upcoming European Championship, the Belgian Federation came up with a double elimination format for the top four teams. The Braves ended up unbeaten as they beat the Borgerhout Squirrels 4-3 in the championship game.

Bulgaria:
After a surprising 19-15 win in game one by the Blagoevgrad Buffaloes, the Sofia Blues shoved them aside in game two, 11-1, and in game three, 13-1. Game four was even a bigger walk in the park for Sofia Blues, as they beat Blagoevgrad 16-1, to win its eighth consecutive Bulgarian championship.

Croatia:
Another year, another championship for Olimpija Karlovac. Also this time, the opponent was Nada Split. And also this time, Split was no match for Karlovac. Olimpija needed five games to clinch the championship. In most games the score was relatively close, but only in the last game, Karlovac beat their opponent by ten runs (14-4).

Czech Republic:
Draci (Dragons) Brno won its twenty-sixth Czech title by beating their crosstown rivals Hrosi (Hippos) Brno 4-3 in a best-of-seven series. Draci was flat out dominant in game seven as it won 4-0.

Denmark:
After a year of absence, the Urban Achievers from Copenhagen won the Danish championship again by beating the Århus Aros in the championship game. The Urban Achievers finished the season unbeaten.

Finland:
By sweeping the Helsinki Puumat in a best-of-five series, the Tampere Tigers won their second Finnish baseball championship. The Tigers were flat out dominant as they scored ten runs or more in each of the championship series games.

France:
Another repeat for the Rouen Huskies. In the semi-finals they trailed 2-0 against Stade Toulousain, but the team regrouped and won three in a row, to advance to the finals against Montpellier. Clearly Rouen was in the winning mood as they swept the Montpellier Barracudas in the best of five series (5-2, 7-1, and 11-7). It was the nineteenth overall French title for the Huskies.

Germany:
For the eighth time, the Heidenheim Heideköpfe won the German championship. It was an all South final as the Heideköpfe faced the Regensburg Legionäre and beat them 3-1 in a best-of-five series.

Great-Britain:
Another year, another championship for the London Mets. The Mets swept the Herts Toucans in a best-of-three series. It is the twelfth overall championship for the Mets and their ninth consecutive.

Hungary:
In the championship game between the Obuda Warriors and the Rascals of Jánossomorja, Obuda stayed at the right side of the score as they beat the Rascals 2-1 in a best-of-three series (11-1, 3-8, and 3-1).

Ireland:
For the first time in three years, Ireland has a new baseball champion. After a rain-out on the first day of the championship series, a double header was needed to be played on October 5th. The reigning champions Greystones Mariners took on the Dublin Spartans. The Mariners were no match for the Spartans as they were swept in a best-of-three series. It was the thirteenth overall championship for the Spartans and their first since 2013.

Italy:
After two years ending as runner up, T&A San Marino clinched the Italian championship by beating Parmaclima 3-1 in a best-of-five series ( 16-6 ,8-7, 4-8, and 8-6). It is the seventh overall championship for San Marino.

Lithuania:
Kaunas Lituanica repeated as Lithuanian champion as they finished on top of the standings in the second part of the 2025 season with an 8-1 record with a one-game lead over Utenos Titanai.

Netherlands:
Another repeat in the Netherlands as Curaçao Neptunus won their second consecutive title as they beat HCAW 4-2 in a best-of-seven series. It is the twenty-first overall championship for the club from Rotterdam.

Norway:
In the championship game, the Kristiansand Suns took on Vålerenga Baseball. After Kristiansand took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Vålerenga bounced back and took a commanding 6-2 lead in the championship game. Eventually, Vålerenga won 11-2.

Poland:
A new champion in Poland. After four consecutive championships for Stal Kutno, Silesia Rybnik clinched this year’s title. After a 7-1 victory over Stal Kutno in game one, Silesia Rubnyk shoved aside the reigning Polish champion in game two of the championship series, 26-6, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. But Kutno fought back in game three. With Rybnik leading 3-1 and being ready to celebrate the championship, Kutno’s bats woke up and in the bottom of the seventh inning, they pushed for a 5-3 victory to force a fourth game, which was close and in which Rybnik stayed at the right side of the score: 10-9. This is Silesia Rybnik’s seventh overall Polish championship.

Portugal:
In this years championship series of the Portugese Atlantic League, the Piratas da Ria took on Clube Desportivo Feirense. For both teams, a win would be their third championship. In a best-of-three series, both teams won a game of the first two, both with 5-3, so a decisive third game was needed. Clube Desportivo Feirense wasn’t a match as they lost 7-0 to Piratas da Ria.

Russia:
In a best-of-five series, Russtar Sharks took on Muscovite baseball. After four games the series was tied at two games each, so a decisive fifth game was necessary. Muscovite baseball wasn’t a match as Russtar Sharks beat them 12-1 in seven innings.

Serbia:
This year’s championship series (best-of-five) was one between Novi Sad and
Beograd ’96. Novi Sad was no match for Beograd ’96 as the latter swept Novi Sad 3-0 (24-0, 17-7, and no info about the score of game three).

Slovakia:
Apollo Bratislava won its fourteenth Slovakian championship by beating its eternal rival Angels Trnava 3-1 (7-2, 8-3, 0-1, 9-6).

Spain:
After a year finishing as runner up, the Tenerife Marlins won the Spanish championship. They beat the Astros Valencia in the championship game 12-4.

Sweden:
In a best-of-five series, the Rättvik Butchers beat the Sundyberg Heat 3-1 (10-0, 5-2, 3-6, 12-1) to four-peat. It was the fifth overall championship for the Butchers.

Switzerland:
The Therwil Flyers are the repeating champions of Switzerland. They came back from a beaten position in the best-of-five series, trailing 2-1 in games. With the Zürich Barracudas leading 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning of game four, but the Flyers managed to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth to force a fifth game, which they won easily. It is their seventeenth NLA championship.

Ukraine:
I missed data from Ukraine in the past few years as it wasn’t available. But this season there is a website running with info about the baseball league of Ukraine. In previous years BioTexCom KNTU from Gorn, dominated Ukraine baseball, but this year this club did not win the championship. In a best-of-three series, cross town rivals BioTexCom-SDYSOR beat BioTexCom KNTU 2-0 (7-4 and 7-3).