Herts baseball club back in Europe
The Herts Toucans, in their first year in British baseball's top division, have finished as runner up - and have qualified for Europe next season. It's Herts' first time in European competition since 2019.
The Toucans finished third in the National Baseball League (NBL), recording wins against every other team – including the defending champions, the London Mets.
Pitching ace Masa Hashiguchi led the entire league with an incredible 82 strikeouts in 67 innings.
Herts took on Sheffield Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. They fell 9-3 behind but a big seventh inning helped them surge into the lead and take an 11-9 victory.
In the next round against Essex Arrows, this time it was Herts who jumped out to a big lead, before holding off a rally to win 11-7. Hashiguchi was the winning pitcher.
The first game of the Finals Series against the London Mets was a tight affair, with the defending champions taking it 5-4. Mets dominated Game 2 and their 14-2 win secured the title, but could not take away from the great run the Toucans had.
The team’s progress to the final means they qualify for Europe in 2026, and they will be playing in the CEB Federation Cup. This is the first time since 2019 that Herts has been in Europe, and is the highest level the club has ever played, as the 2019 Falcons were in the CEB Federation Cup Qualifier.
The Toucans’ manager Cole Ryan paid tribute to the way his side had made history: “Every player stepped up to make it a memorable campaign, with standout performances across the roster.”
He went on: “The Club is proud of the Toucans’ achievements and how they have embraced the Herts spirit from winter training through to the national finals. Their debut season has set the stage for an exciting future.”