Playoffs: Trio starts the race as favorites / failure in Paderborn
The team-to-beat: the Heidenheim Heideköpfe are aiming for their fourth championship title in a row before the start of the playoffs (Photo: Kalle Linkert)
The regular season in the 1st Bundesliga ended turbulently on the last day of the game. Dohren and Mainz secured the two remaining playoff tickets at the last minute, while Cologne and Stuttgart were left behind. Now the decisive phase of the season is just around the corner: the postseason begins with three pairings on Saturday at 2 p.m. Defending champion Heidenheim Heideköpfe has to deal with the Hamburg Stealers as second in the south. Vice-champion Bonn Capitals first receives the Mainz Athletics. Südmeister Guggenberger Legionnaires meets the Dohren Wild Farmers for the first time. The second games follow on Sunday. In addition, the Untouchables Paderborn should receive the Munich-Haar Disciples. However, the games had to be canceled due to Covid19 cases among the Untouchables.
Heidenheim relies on the usual recipe
Three teams start with the role of favorites in their luggage. Despite a somewhat mixed regular season, series champion Heidenheim is aiming for title number seven and thus the fourth championship in a row. First place was gone for the team of manager Klaus Eckle weeks ago. The Brenz team also had to fight to the end for second place. In the past, however, the people from Heidenheim have not just proven that they are there when it counts. A few weeks ago, the Heideköpfe also underlined their ambitions by signing Czech international Daniel Vavrusa. With the new catcher and the usual mixture of young talents and old warhorses, the people of Baden-Württemberg start their mission. Also in 2022 the way to the cup will probably only lead over the Heideköpfe. For the southern second, however, the first hurdle is Hamburg Stealers. The champions of 2000 took third place in the final in the north with 11:11 victories.
Former title holders meet for the quarter-final treat
Above all, the Bonn Capitals are the big challengers of the champions of the last three years. The Rhinelanders and the Heideköpfe faced each other in the final five times in a row. Bonn only triumphed in 2018. This year, title number two is finally here. With a record of 21:1 victories, coach Max Schmitz’s team once again walked through the northern relay. Compared to the previous year, the squad was upgraded again with the addition of long-time Solingen resident Daniel Sanchez and ex-Major Leaguer Dovydas Neverauskas. The first test in comparison with the southern group takes place against the Mainz Athletics. The Bundesliga veteran pushed past Stuttgart on the home stretch to fourth place and is now back in the top eight. In 2016 it was Mainz who secured the last title before the dominance of Bonn and Heidenheim broke out.
Premiere for Legionnaires and Wild Farmers
The Guggenberger Legionnaires finally want to regain this position of dominance. For years, Regensburg have been committed to reaching the first final since 2016. The last championship of the Upper Palatinate was nine years ago. The hunger for success is great on the Danube. The main round was promising for coach Tomas Bison’s team. The five-time champion secured the southern championship early on. At the same time, this is the only flaw: After securing first place, the Schwabelweiser recently lost four games in a row. With the Dohren Wild Farmers, a blank slate awaits Bayern. The two teams have never faced each other before. The away appearances in particular will probably be an experience for both teams. The journey of discovery for the people of Lower Saxony in the Upper Palatinate begins.
Paderborn and Munich-Haar on hold
Actually, the Untouchables Paderborn and Munich-Haar Disciples should also duel in the quarter-finals this weekend in the Ahorn-Sportpark. But Covid19 put a spanner in the works. The pandemic has the Untouchables back in its grip, with games one and two having to be cancelled. The series will now start next weekend with three games in Haar, whereby Paderborn will continue to have the second right in game one and two, and Munich-Haar in game three. If the series needs a fourth and possibly a fifth game, it will be continued in Paderborn at the end of July and the semi-finals will be pushed back a week.
