In August, Wiener Neustadt will once again be the hub of baseball Europe. The best eight European U23 national teams play for the European Championship crown at Ducksfield. The Ducks are already experienced in organizing major events. In recent years, international tournaments have repeatedly taken place in the all-time faithful. Coed Slowpitch European Championship, U15 European Championship, A-Pool Qualifier against Lithuania and International Baseball Week are not comparable to the U23 European Championship.
The dimensions are different, as Martin Zoufal explains: “I’m assuming that this will be one of the biggest sporting events of this decade.” For the first time, Wiener Neustadt also has a co-host at its side in Schwechat. The whole region should benefit. “The active ones alone are 2,000 people. With the appendix, we double that.”
Pictures should radiate into the world
In terms of marketing, the EM in Wiener Neustadt should also set new standards. The event will be streamed around the world on ODT platforms. In linear television, too, Zoufal and Co want to “generate air-time, in whatever form and scope”. The team from the leading scouting system will also be there. “That’s what all major league and collegiate teams work with,” explains Zoufal.
The pictures that go across the pond should of course also look a bit the same, which is why the Ducks are bringing their field into shape again, among other things it is planned that stadium seats will be installed.
The EM not only has added value for baseball Austria and the Diving Ducks in particular, but also for the city of Wiener Neustadt, as ÖVP sports councilor Philipp Gruber states: “It is sensational that the Baseball U23 EM is taking place in Wiener Neustadt. That shows how great baseball has become under the flagship Diving Ducks. On the one hand, this event is a great benefit for the city of Wiener Neustadt, because we have guests from eight nations with us. On the other hand, the EM is a great motivation for the youth in the city. We are very proud that Wiener Neustadt will once again become the center of baseball in Europe.”
In terms of sport, some ducks can hope to be in the red-white-red squad at the home European Championship. The extended squad includes Florian Amon, Felix Astner, Julian Faulhaber, Alex Kienberger, Elias Kreska, Jonas Kreska, Eoghan McGarry, Alex Seidenberger, Stefan Sucharowski and Alessandro Zoufal. By the way, Losfee didn’t mean it too well with the ducks. The Netherlands and the Czech Republic go into the group stage as favorites. Austria and Great Britain can only surprise. The U23 European Championship begins on August 7th with a grand opening ceremony at Ducksfield. The decision for gold, silver and bronze will then be made on Saturday, August 12th.
