The WBSC announced last week that Brno, Czechia, will host the Baseball Champions League Europe Final Four on Sept. 26-27. Draci Brno, the 26-time champions of Czechia, will host the tournament at YD Baseball Arena.
Baseball Champions League Europe held its opening round in May with two pools of four teams each. The pools were hosted in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Regensburg, Germany. Clubs from Czechia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain competed. Defending Hoofdklasse champion Curaçao Neptunus will face host Draci Brno in one semifinal on Sept. 26. In the other semifinal, Parma 1949 will take on Spanish champion Tenerife Marlins.
How they got here
Curaçao Neptunus advanced to the Final Four thanks to a dominant performance in Rotterdam, outscoring opponents 24-4. Sheadion Jamanika went 6 for 9 with a double in three games to lead the offense. Juan Carlos Sulbarán anchored the pitching staff with a seven-inning shutout against Heidenheim.
The second team to advance from Rotterdam was the Tenerife Marlins, the legendary Spanish club. After opening the tournament with a 15-4 loss to Neptunus, the Marlins rebounded by defeating Nettuno 1945 and Heidenheim Heideköpfe by a combined 20 runs to earn a Final Four berth. Lesther Galvan and Ian Peres powered the offense, combining for five home runs and 16 RBIs in three games. On the mound, Niklas Rimmel threw seven scoreless innings against Heidenheim to earn the win in the decisive game.
Parma 1949 finished atop the Regensburg group after outscoring opponents 36-9 and never facing a serious challenge. Infielder Robel García led the offense, going 7 for 12 with two doubles and two home runs.
Right-hander Matteo Bocchi led the pitching staff, allowing one run over six innings while striking out eight against the Oosterhout Twins. The victory helped Parma secure its place in the Final Four.
The final team to advance was Draci Brno. After suffering a 12-2 loss to Parma 1949 in its opener, Draci Brno rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat host Guggenberger Legionäre 11-7 on the second day. In its final game, with a Final Four berth on the line, Draci Brno defeated the Oosterhout Twins 9-3 behind two home runs from Martin Pernička.
Pernička led the offense with two home runs and six RBIs during the opening round. Filip Čapka led the pitching staff, allowing two earned runs over 6 2/3 innings against the Twins in the decisive victory.
Europe’s top club competitions have historically been dominated by teams from Italy and the Netherlands. Under the names European Champions Cup and European Cup, clubs from those two countries won 53 consecutive tournaments through the 2023 edition. When Italian and Dutch clubs have participated, no team from another country has won the competition since the Picadero Damm captured the European Cup in 1968. The Picadero Damm also won the inaugural European Cup in 1963.
The past two editions, however, did not feature clubs from Italy or the Netherlands. Draci Brno won the 2024 European Champions Cup, and Heidenheim captured the title in 2025. This year, the traditional European powers return, and Draci Brno will attempt to make Czech baseball history by defending its home field and claiming the 2026 Baseball Champions League Europe title.
Photo courtesy of WBSC