The excitement is building as Great Britain competes this week in Zurich in the 2013 European Baseball World Cup Qualifier. The winning Team (country) will go onto the next round next year in Czechoslovakia. Relegated last year to the ‘B Pool’ , Great Britain is working hard to regain its ‘A Pool’ status, and the team arrived this past Saturday in Zurich with baseball games planned each day against other B Pool Countries – Switzerland, Poland, Ukraine, Slovenia and Bulgaria.
It was thought that the first game scheduled (Monday, the 22nd) against Switzerland would be a pre-cursor to the final game of the qualifier, and while both teams played well, Great Britain won the evening game (with its 1000 fans watching) with a 14-5 final score.
On Tuesday, Great Britain played against Poland, and the gamed ended in the seventh inning with a mercy rule and final score of 13-3. The game was exciting – as have all of the games been this past week.
On Wednesday, Great Britain played against Slovenia, and the mercy rule went into effect once again with a 12-0 final score… and today won yet again against the Ukraine with a 4-2 final score.
The standings so far are:
 Great Britain |
4
|
4
|
0
|
1000
|
0
|
|
|
2
|
 Bulgaria |
4
|
3
|
1
|
750
|
1
|
|
3
|
 Poland |
4
|
2
|
2
|
500
|
2
|
|
4
|
 Ukraine |
4
|
2
|
2
|
500
|
2
|
|
5
|
 Switzerland |
4
|
1
|
3
|
250
|
3
|
|
6
|
 Slovenia |
4
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
With Great Britain playing Bulgaria tomorrow, should Great Britain lose, they will each be tied with 4 wins each going into the Championship Game on Saturday. There is also another ‘B Pool’ Tournament taking place right now in Vienna, Austria with Ireland, Russia, Belarus, Slovakia, Austria and Lithuania playing games daily. Russia is currently in the lead with 4 wins,
 Russia |
4
|
4
|
0
|
1000
|
0
|
|
|
2
|
 Austria |
4
|
3
|
1
|
750
|
1
|
|
3
|
 Belarus |
4
|
3
|
1
|
750
|
1
|
|
4
|
 Lithuania |
4
|
1
|
3
|
250
|
3
|
|
5
|
 Slovakia |
4
|
1
|
3
|
250
|
3
|
|
6
|
 Ireland |
There are 3 games on Saturday with the best team winning..http://www.baseballeurope.com/43/
in Zurich, Switzerland this week
