Welcome to Stuttgart, Germany and the 2023 PONY 18U European Championships. I would like to extend my warmest regards and greetings to everyone attending these important championships. The relationship between PONY Baseball and Softball, Stuttgart, Germany, and the PONY European Zone is a very traditional and time honored one. Thank you to Stuttgart for rolling out the red carpet for the players, family, friends, and fans again in 2023.
The PONY Baseball and Softball International Board of Directors has voted today to change the age determination date for baseball to April 30 effective for the 2023 baseball season. After considerable discussion and careful deliberation, it was determined that this was the best course of action for our membership. Over the past couple of years, there has been a lot of discussion about the PONY age determination date. This is an important topic to everyone involved in PONY, and PONY has sought input from volunteers, parents, and coaches that has helped guide the PONY International Board of Directors to ultimately change the current age determination date for all divisions of PONY baseball to April 30.
„Nach zwei Jahren Pause wird der Schnarrenberg endlich wieder zum Mittelpunkt für Europas Baseballnachwuchs. Acht U19-Mannschaften kämpfen vom 4. bis 8. Mai 2022 um den Titel des PALOMINO European Zone Tournament und damit um ihr Ticket für die PALOMINO World Series in den USA. Die Sportstadt Stuttgart ist stolz darauf, durch die Stuttgart Reds des TV Cannstatt Austragungsort dieses einzigartigen Events zu sein. Den Reds sowie allen Unterstützerinnen und Unterstützern danke ich für ihr großartiges Engagement in der Vorbereitung und während des Turniers. Den Mannschaften wünsche ich viel Erfolg, den Zuschauern viel Spaß bei mitreißenden Spielen und allen eine schöne gemeinsame Zeit des Austauschs und der Freundschaft abseits des Spielfelds.“
We are pleased on behalf of PONY and Stuttgart REDS Baseball Club, Stuttgart, Germany to invite European youth baseball teams to the 2021 PALOMINO European Zone Tournament. This tournament, (after cancellation in 2020) in its third edition will be held again as an 8 team tournament and continues the tradition of existing PONY and COLT and PALOMINO tournaments held every spring. This 2021 PALOMINO tournament will take place in Stuttgart REDS Ballpark, Germany for the age group 18U and teams with players according to the latest PALOMINO age, in 2021: born September 2002 to August 2006 included.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The weekend of our 2020 PALOMINO tournament comes to an end on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Stuttgart. The Corona-Virus cancelled our tournament and finally, there is no hope of playing this qualifier later this year. Even more, on May 1st, PONY organization has cancelled all the World Series tournament as well. We wish to thank all of you, players, coaches, umpires, scorers, broadcasters, groundcrew, sponsors and organizers for your trust in Stuttgart REDS and apologize for all the delays, problems, modifications and cancellations you had in relation to this tournament.
Hosting Baseball Club Stuttgart REDS informed that all teams are set for the 2020 European Qualifier of PALOMINO 18U age group to be played in REDS Ballpark from April 29th until May 3rd, 2020.
We are pleased on behalf of PONY and Stuttgart REDS Baseball Club, Stuttgart, Germany to invite European youth baseball teams to the 2020 PALOMINO European Zone Tournament. This tournament, in its third edition will once again be an 8-team tournament in 2020 and continues the tradition of existing PONY, COLT and PALOMINO tournaments held every spring. This 2020 PALOMINO tournament will take place in Stuttgart REDS Ballpark, Germany for the age group 18U and teams with players according to the latest PALOMINO age, in 2020: born September 2001 to August 2005 included. Only teams with „European countries citizenship“ will qualify to participate in this competition.
The Paderborn Untouchables couldn’t be stopped offensively by the Swiss National Team in the third game of day two, as they put up at least one run every time they came to bat in a 12-2 victory. Switzerland struck first in the top of the first, when Livio Bundi began the game with a double and later came around to score on Michael Diaz’s ground out. In the bottom of the first with the bases loaded, Landislaus Landwehr squeeze bunted in Merlin Bendlin and then Max Eckerman hit an RBI single (2-1).
Nothing is more savoring for a team than a two-out rally. For the Polish National Team, it was staring an 0-2 record in the face with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, when it went on a five-run rally to comeback and defeat the Paris University Club 11-10 in Game #6. On a 3-2 count, Patryk Zajac singled to give Poland its first base runner. Tobiasz Swiatlowski walked and was pinch ran for by Konrad Wisniewski. A wild pitch advanced each base runner 90-feet, before Lukasz Krzemienowski tripled, scoring both (10-8). Paris then turned to Phillip Bird on the mound and made two other defensive changes, hoping to collect a final out that it would never find. Hubert Marcinowski singled, scoring Krzemienowski (10-9). Marcinowski stole second and then moved to third on a wild pitch.
An eight-run top of the fourth inning propelled the North State Warriors to victory over Netherlands United in the first game of day two. With the game tied 2-2, the Warriors went on a rally, collecting six hits and taking advantage of two Netherlands United errors and wild pitches and a walk. Myron van Atten and Bas Houtkamp both connected on RBI doubles in the inning. Netherlands later scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and started a bit of a rally in the bottom of the seventh, when Aidan Brodsjo recorded an RBI single and Mitchel Colina hit an RBI triple, but the deficit was too much for the Netherlands to overcome (11-5).
Belgium’s National Team scored early and often and won a decisive 10-run game 16-6 against Poland’s National Team to end day one. Belgium’s Zion De Brauwer hit a three-run home run to break open the scoring in the bottom of the first. The Polish countered in the top of the second with five runs of their own, as both Batlomiej Kopanski and Patrick Zajac recorded RBI singles. Arthur Heymans tripled, scoring Ferre Vanhees in the bottom of the second, and then the Belgians scored nine runs in the third thanks to three hits, two errors, two hit batsmen and a walk. K. van Hevel was solid on the mound in his four innings of relief. He allowed one unearned run on one hit and one run, while striking out four for the win. Every player for Belgium had a hit, while De Brauwer led Belgium with four RBI. Belgium will take on the Stuttgart Reds, looking to go 2-0, at 5:30 p.m. Poland battles the Paris University Club tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. local time Stuttgart.
The most competitive game of the day witnessed Netherlands United drop the Swiss National Team 6-2 in the third game of day one. The Netherlands scored two runs apiece in their first two frames. Floyd Droog scored Boris De Voos and Lucas Erkeland on his single in the first. Jurre Kamp and De Voos both scored in the second, when Erkeland reached on an error. It was smooth sailing through three innings on the mound for Lucca Van der Schouw, who picked up the win. He didn’t allow a run or a hit, while walking one and striking out four. Mitchel Colina connected on an RBI single, scoring Droog, in the top of the fourth to make it 5-0 Netherlands.
Equally as impressive offensively as their countrymen from Stuttgart, the Paderborn Untouchables routed the North State Warriors 15-1 in game two. Paderborn exploded for nine runs in the top of the first inning, as it took advantage of three North State errors, while collecting seven hits. Merlin Bendlin led off the game with a double and Zan Primozic followed his hit up with a triple, which sparked the offense. Both hitters finished the game an impressive 7-for-7 with six runs scored and seven RBI, while Bendlin hit a home run.
