Baseball National Team
#TeamAustria
The Austrian Men's Baseball National Team belongs to the top 12 nations in Europe. In 2007 Austria could participate in an A-Pool European Championship for the first time. In 2009 and 2011 Austria missed the promotion in the finals of the B-Pool European Championship. In 2013 and 2015, the Austrian Baseball Federation hosted the European Championship Qualifier at Ballpark Spenadlwiese in Vienna, but again the final was the last stop. However, reconciliation came in 2017, when Team Austria secured the tournament title at the B-Pool in Belgrade. In 2018, they won the European Championship Playoff Series against Lithuania brilliantly and were able to confirm their class ranking right away with a 10th place at the Baseball European Championship in Bonn and Solingen. In 2021, Team Austria finished 11th at the European Baseball Championship. The next attempt will be in 2023 in the Czech Republic.
Coaching Staff:
- Head Coach - Hiroyuki Sakanashi (JPN)
- Pitching Coach - Jimmy Jensen (USA)
- Assistant Coach - Peter Ferak Jr. (AUT)
Past Tournaments:
- Baseball Euro 2021 – 11. Platz
- Baseball Euro 2019 – 10. Platz
- Baseball Euro Playoff Series 2018 – 1. Platz
- Baseball Euro Qualifier 2017 – 1. Platz
- Baseball Euro Qualifier 2015 – 2. Platz
- Baseball Euro Qualifier 2013 – 2. Platz
- Baseball Euro Qualifier 2011 – 2. Platz
- Baseball Euro Qualifier 2008 – 2. Platz
- Baseball Euro 2007 – 11. Platz
U23 Baseball National Team
The Austrian U23 Baseball National Team Program celebrated its greatest success in 2014, when Team Austria won the European Championship runner-up title at the U21 European Championship in the Czech Republic. This was the first time Austria qualified for a baseball world championship. In 2016, the domestic talents were allowed to compete with international stars of tomorrow at the U23 World Cup in Mexico. In 2017, the ABF hosted the U23 European Championship together with Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The team is currently led by national coach Hiroyuki Sakanashi.
In 2022, the next international competition is on the agenda for the future stars of Team Austria. Austria wants to qualify for the U23 European Championship at the U23 Qualifier in Ljubjlana and get back into the top group of European nations.