(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
 Starting Pitchers coming series
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
On Thursday-afternoon (May 18), the first games of the seventh 3-game series of the first half of the 2023 season in the Dutch big league are scheduled.
The first games of the series will be afternoon-games, instead of evening-games, as Thursday is Ascension Day.
Last Sunday, league-leader Curaçao Neptunus became the first team to secure a spot in the Top-4 Pool in the second half of the regular season.
All other teams are still in the race for the remaining three spots, but two could seal a spot in the upcoming weekend when all results are in their favor.
Neptunus has no games scheduled in the coming series.
Also in the last series, six players who have been active in college-baseball in the USA since January/February played in their first game(s) of the season.
One of them was pitcher Jelle van der Lelie, who threw a complete 9-inning game last Sunday in his first outing for Amsterdam Pirates.
He struckout eleven batters in a 4-0 shutout against RCH-Pinguïns.
More returning college-players are expected in the upcoming weeks.
On Tuesday-evening, Elton Koeiman was the starting pitcher for Quick Amersfoort in a make-up game against Neptunus.
Koeiman, who turned 50 last week, also is the Head Coach of the team and threw eight strong innings, giving up four runs, but only one of them earned.
...Eddie Aucoin pitching for Pioniers...
...during the 2013 Holland Series...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Coming Saturday, another veteran righthander might return to the mound, as 47-year old Eddie Aucoin has been announced as the probable starter for Hoofddorp Pioniers in the second game of their series against HCAW.
Two weeks ago, Aucoin's return already was rumored, but now has been confirmed.
Aucoin last pitched for Pioniers in 2013 after having been a regular pitcher for the team in 2010 and 2011.
In the past, the American also played professionally in the organization of Toronto Blue Jays and in Independent Leagues.
Through the years, Aucoin also played in Colombia, Germany and Sweden.
There are three series left in the first half of the season, which ends on Sunday, June 4.
In the first half, all teams play 24 games, one 3-game series against each other.
The four best teams then will continue in the Top-4 Pool, while the other teams form the Bottom-5 Pool.
In pevious seasons when teams were split, the champion always came from the Top Pool (or Championship Pool).
But that's no longer the case.
Last year, a new format was introduced and teams that play in the Bottom Pool still have a chance to become the Dutch champion.
However, to do so, they have to finish in first or second place in their Pool to advance to the Wild Card Bottom Series.
When successful, a team can then advance to the Play-Offs and the Holland Series.
The first games in the Bottom-5 Pool are played Thursday, June 8.
There are no games scheduled then in the Top-5 Pool, which opens a week later, on Thursday, June 15.
That has to do with the European Champions Cup-tournament, which is held June 6-10 at the sites of Amsterdam Pirates and HCAW.
However, it is still possible (theoretically) that both teams, or one of them, don't qualify for the Top-4 Pool.
In that case, the schedule of the Bottom-5 Pool has to be adjusted.
Beneath are the announced starting pitchers for the upcoming 3-game series that opens on Thursday-afternoon, May 18.
As always, these assignments can change on game-days.
(May 18)
Rosters
Live play-by-play & live-streams
| Roster | HOOFDDORP PIONIERS (4-10-1) | vs. |
HCAW (12-3) | Roster | Game-info |
| # | Starting Pitchers Pioniers | G | # | Starting Pitchers HCAW |
| Date, Time & Site |
| 22 | RHP Just van den Ouweelen (0-1) | 1 | 39 | RHP Lars Huijer (4-0) | Th. May 18, 2:00 PM, Hoofddorp (1) |
| 9 | RHP Eddie Aucoin (0-0) | 2 | 16 | RHP Kaj Timmermans (1-0) | Sa. May 20, 2:00 PM, Hoofddorp (1) |
| 33 | LHP Sem Nijman (1-1) | 3 | 7 | RHP Dennis Burgersdijk (4-0) | Su. May 21, 2:00 PM, Bussum (2) |
| (1) - ETO Ballpark, Sportpark Hoofddorp Pioniers, Park21, Hoofddorp; (2) - Rob Hoffmann Vallei, Sportpark 'De Sportvallei', Bussum |
| Roster | AMSTERDAM PIRATES (9-5-1) | vs. |
UVV (3-11-1) | Roster | Game-info |
| # | Starting Pitchers Pirates | G | # | Starting Pitchers UVV |
| Date, Time & Site |
| 21 | RHP Michael Bennett (1-1) | 1 | 18 | RHP Allard Helms (0-2) | Th. May 18, 2:00 PM, Amsterdam (3) |
| 54 | LHP Nelmerson Angela (2-2) | 2 | 27 | RHP Sam van der Meer (0-2) | Sa. May 20, 2:00 PM, Vleuten (4) |
| 29 | RHP Jelle van der Lelie (1-0) | 3 | 11 | LHP Aaron Isenia (1-2) | Su. May 21, 2:00 PM, Amsterdam (3) |
| (3) - Loek Loevendie Ballpark, Sportpark 'Ookmeer', Amsterdam; (4) - Sportpark 'De Paperclip', Vleuten |
| Roster | DSS/KINHEIM (6-9) | vs. |
TWINS OOSTERHOUT (8-6-1) | Roster | Game-info |
| # | Starting Pitchers DSS/Kinheim | G | # | Starting Pitchers Twins |
| Date, Time & Site |
| 32 | RHP Dorian Lippens (0-0) | 1 | 31 | LHP Takuya Fukuda (2-0) | Th. May 18, 2:00 PM, Haarlem (5) |
| 27 | RHP Nick Boxelaar (1-4) | 2 | 14 | RHP Filip Čapka (1-2) | Sa. May 20, 2:30 PM, Oosterhout (6) |
| 17 | LHP Rick Rizvić (2-1) | 3 | | to be announced | Su. May 21, 2:00 PM, Haarlem (5) |
| (5) - Pim Mulier Stadion, Pim Mulier Sportpark, Haarlem; (6) - Sportpark 'De Slotbosse Toren', Oosterhout |
| Roster | QUICK AMERSFOORT (4-14) | vs. |
RCH MEMORIE SIERADEN (7-10-1) | Roster | Game-info |
| # | Starting Pitchers Quick | G | # | Starting Pitchers RCH-Pinguïns |
| Date, Time & Site |
| 15 | RHP Jack Wagner (1-3) | 1 | 29 | RHP T'sean Martina (1-4) | Th. May 18, 2:00 PM, Amersfoort (7) |
| 52 | LHP Jhan Rifaela (1-3) | 2 | 17 | RHP Juan Carlos Sulbaran (4-1) | Sa. May 20, 2:00 PM, Heemstede (8) |
| 25 | LHP Brian van Laar (1-4) | 3 | 5 | RHP Jeremy Young (2-4) | Su. May 21, 2:00 PM, Amersfoort (7) |
| (7) - XL Lease Park 'Dorrestein', Amersfoort; (8) - Heemsteedse Sportparken, Heemstede |
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