(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Fred Versluis)
 Roster Netherlands Softball Team announced for European Championship
Nederlands
 NIEUWEGEIN (Neth.) -
The roster of the Netherlands Softball Team for the upcoming European Championship in Spain has been announced on Wednesday (July 20).
All players on the 17-player roster participated with the Orange Team in the Canada Cup-tournament last month.
There, Team Kingdom of the Netherlands (which is the preferred name for National Teams of the Netherlands) played a good tournament and finished in third place.
The team will leave for Spain on Thursday and has no exhibition games on its schedule in the coming days.
The Netherlands Team traveled with 20 players to Canada, but it is allowed to have only 17 for events, such as the European Championship.
During the Canada Cup, three players made their international debut, catchers Charlotte Drijvers and Lorraine Kieft and infielder Sterre den Duijn.
All three rookies initially were not on the roster for the upcoming European Championship.
However, veteran player Maxime van Dalen suffered a severe, season-ending, knee-injury during a practice session of the Netherlands Team 2&3189; weeks ago.
She was replaced on the roster by Charlotte Drijvers.
Lorraine Kieft will be with the team in Spain as bullpen-catcher.
This will be the third European Championship that is organized in four years.
In 2019, 23 countries participated in the 21st edition that was held in the Czech Republic and Poland.
There, Italy captured the title and the Netherlands finished in second place, followed by Great Britain and the Czech Republic.
Last year, the next Championship was held in Italy with the participation of seventeen countries.
Again, Italy won the title and the Orange Team again finished in second place.
This time, the Czechs won the bronze medal, followed by Israel.
As the order of European Championship was adjusted, another Championship is being organized this year.
The 23rd Championship is organized in Catalunya, Spain, where Barcelona, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Viladecans and Gavá are the playing sites.
The event opens on Sunday, July 24.
The Final will be played on Saturday, July 30 in Sant Boi de Llobregat.
In total, 21 countries will participate and 99 games are scheduled to be played.
The teams that will finish in the first three places will qualify for the WBSC World Cup.
The Netherlands opens the tournament in Pool B, being joined by Austria, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland.
Playing in Pool A are Belgium, Croatia, Greece, Italy and Poland.
Playing in Pool C are the Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Turkiye and Ukraine.
And playing in Pool D are Denmark, Finland, Israel, Malta, Slovakia and Spain.
...Maxime van Dalen...
...out for the season...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
A new playing format is used for this Championship.
The top-eight of the previous Championship in 2021 will be assigned to the Super Round.
Pool-play in the first round ends on Monday-afternoon.
The top two teams of each pool will play for the standing in the Quarterfinal Group (Pool E and F).
The other teams will continue for the standing in their Quarterfinal Group.
The three best teams of Pool E and F will advance to the Semi Final Group (Pool X) fo the medal games.
The other teams will move to the group that decides seventh to twelfth place.
The teams in first and second place of Pool X will meet in the Final.
The roster of the Netherlands Team looks as follows:
Pitchers:
Lisa Hop (Olympia Haarlem), Marjolein Merkx (Roef!), Lindsey Meadows-Oosterveld (Tex Town Tigers), Rebecca Soumeru (Sparks Haarlem) and Eva Voortman (Neptunus).
Catchers:
Charlotte Drijvers (Roef!), Dinet Oosting and Laura Wissink (both Tex Town Tigers).
Infielders:
Damishah Charles (Amsterdam Pirates), Lizzie Clarijs, Britt Vonk (both Tex Town Tigers), Suka Van Gurp (Sparks Haarlem), Mariëlle Vleugels (Olympia Haarlem).
Outfielders:
Jessie van Aalst, Brenda Beers, Cindy van der Zanden (all Olympia Haarlem) and Annemiek Jansen (Tex Town Tigers).
Coaching Staff:
Ferenc Jongejan (Head Coach), Saskia Kosterink (Hitting Coach), Robert Boersma (1B Coach / Infield Coach) and Tjerk Smeets (Battery Coach).
Supporting Staff:
Bas Besselink (Physical Therapist), Sanne Bolhuis (Team Manager), Lorraine Kieft (Bullpen Catcher).
(July 20)
|
