(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Royal Belgian Baseball & Softball Federation)
 Marc Janssen new Manager Belgian Baseball Team
Nederlands
 ANTWERP (Belgium) -
Sven Hendrickx, Manager (Technical Director) of the Belgian National Teams of the Royal Belgian Baseball & Softball Federation (KBBSF-FRBBS) announced on Tuesday (November 12) that Marc Janssen has been named as the new Manager (Head Coach) of the National Team of Belgium, which is nicknamed Red Hawks.
...Marc Janssen...
(© Photo KBBSF-FRBBS) |
In the announcement, it was stated that Janssen will focus on the Olympic Qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (USA) and the European Championship in September next year.
Belgium then will play in Group D, which will be played on home soil at the site of Borgerhout Squirrels.
The 2025 European Championship will be held in three different countries.
In August, WBSC Europe announced that Groups A and B, as well as the Finals, were awarded to the Netherlands, where the games will be played in Rotterdam.
In October, it was confirmed that Group C will be played in Senago, near Milan (Italy) and Group D in Belgium.
It will mark the first time that the Championship will be organized in three countries.
In his active playing career, Marc Janssen played for Royal Greys (Luchtbal) and Antwerp Eagles.
At age sixteen, Janssen traveled to Boston (USA), where he participated for six weeks in the Ted Williams Baseball Camp.
Janssen, who was a catcher, played ten years for the National Team of Belgium since 1977.
Amongst his international tournaments was the World Championship 1978, which was held in Italy.
Janssen retired as player in 1988.
In 1977, Janssen was a member of the National Belgian Team that won Bronze during the European Championship in the Netherlands.
He also played for the Belgian Team that finished third in 1983 (in Italy) and 1985 (in Netherlands).
While playing for Royal Greys and Antwerp Eagles, Janssen coached youth-teams at the two clubs.
He also was an Assistant Coach of the Belgian National Junior Team (Young Belgium) during the 1984 World Junior Championship in Canada
And in 2021, Janssen also was an Assistant Coach of Belgium during the European Championship in Italy.
There, led by Manager Filip Van Der Meiren, Belgium finished in eighth place.
Through the years, Marc Janssen also has been the Head Coach of the baseball-teams of Royal Greys, Antwerp Eagles, Brasschaat Braves, Borgerhout Squirrels and Hoboken Pioneers.
With Borgerhout, he won the Federation Cup in 2017 and the CEB Cup in 2018.
He led Hoboken to three consecutive Belgian Championship-titles.
In 2021-2024, Janssen was the 1B Coach of Heidenheim Heideköpfe with whom he captured the German title in each season.
Marc Janssen succceeds German Paco Garcia, who finished in eleventh place with Belgium during the 2023 European Championship, which was held at several sites in the Czech Republic.
Back then, Spain captured the title by winning 11-2 against Great Britain in the Final.
The Netherlands then surprisingly finished in third place, but needed ten innings to win 5-4 against Germany in the Bronze Medal-game.
(November 12)
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