Opening Day postponed

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The opening day in Swiss baseball on Saturday, April 1st in the Heerenschürli ballpark has to be canceled because of an unplayable field. The reprise of last year’s final between the Zurich Challengers and the Therwil Flyers cannot take place. The field, which was soaked after the wet last week of March and the occasional heavy rain on Friday afternoon, is in no condition to play. No make-up date has been announced so far. The earliest possible date according to the league’s schedules would be July 22nd.
The season opening of the NLB-Team on Sunday, April 2 has also been canceled. The second team of the Challengers would have met the Barracudas Academy on their opening day. A rescheduling of the games is still pending. And also the first game day of the 2023 season for the U15-Cadets has been canceled. (photo Stadt Zürich)

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Challengers Ski Day

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The traditional Challengers Ski Day took place on Saturday, February 24 as usual in magnificent weather. As many as 15 Challengers enjoyed the sun and the snow at Flumserberge. When the event will develop further as it did so far, the Challengers will soon have to discuss about the formation of a ski and snowboard section. Anyway the name for the project would already exist. The table at the restaurant Prodalp was reserved for “challenge RS”.

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Chris Hardy visits the Heerenschürli

Serge Künzler1 Comment

Former Challengers player Chris Hardy visited the Heerenschürli ballpark during his trip to Europe with his family. The Challengers veterans lined up a team to honor Hardy in a friendly game against the Zürich Eighters on Monday night. Amongst the players were former Challengers greats as Gustavo Salami, Thomas Landis, Armin Blickenstorfer, Manuel Schretzmann or Pierre and Roger Burger. In his first game since 2005 Hardy, who works as a biologist and teacher in Maryland, delivered two hits. He played from 2002 till 2004 for the Challengers and hit .349 in 33 games for the NLA-Team, winning the Swiss championship twice.

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U18 EC at the Heerenschürli

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From Monday, July 10 till Saturday, July 15 the first U18 European Championship Qualifier Tournament in Switzerland will take place at the Heerenschürli ballpark. It will be the second international Championship Tournament that will take place at the Heerenschürli after the Seniors European Championship Qualifier Tournament in 2013. The Swiss U18 Nationalteam will play the teams from Belgium, Ireland, Poland and Russia. The Qualification Round will last from Monday to Friday with two games each day, the final game between the 1st and 2nd placed teams will be played on Saturday at noon. For further informations please check the Tournament’s Website.
Schedule:

Monday, July 10, 2 pm: Belgium vs. Ireland
Monday, July 10, 6 pm: Switzerland vs. Poland
Tuesday, July 11, 2 pm: Russia vs. Poland
Tuesday, July 11, 6 pm: Ireland vs. Switzerland
Wednesday, July 12, 2 pm: Belgium vs. Russia
Wednesday, July 12, 6 pm: Poland vs. Ireland
Thursday, July 13, 2 pm: Poland vs. Belgium
Thursday, July 13, 6 pm: Russia vs. Switzerland
Friday, July 14, 2 pm: Ireland vs. Russia
Friday, July 14, 6 pm: Switzerland vs. Belgium
Saturday, July 15, noon: Final

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Nightgames on Friday and Saturday at the Heerenschürli

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The upcoming weekend offers everything for the fans of the Challengers. It starts on Friday, June 30 at 6.30 pm with a NLA nightgame at the Heerenschürli ballpark between the Challengers and their cross-town rivals Zürich Barracudas. The C’s won the first two games against the Barracudas, but both games were on the edge till the last play. Friday’s game will be under a special motto, as the C’s are collecting for the expansion of the vacation center Wannental of the Altried Foundation. More informations about the project can be found at Stiftung Altried and Ferienzentrum Wannental
On Saturday, July 1 the NLB-Team will host the Hünenberg Unicorns at 11.00 am and 2.00 pm at the Heerenschürli ballpark in a fight for 1st place between the best two NLB teams in 2017. Both teams lost only one game in 2017, as they split in their first double header in May.
And at 6.00 pm there will take place the second NLA nightgame between the Challengers and the Barracudas.

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Opening Day on Saturday

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The Challengers 2017 season will start with a Home Opener against the Luzern Eagles on Saturday, April 22 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The team of head coach Robert Sedin added several players to their 2017 roster. The debut of pitcher Sandy Patrone in a Challengers uniform is particularly exciting. The Dominican played 13 years for Rimini Baseball in the Italian Baseball League and won the Italian Championship in 2006. The 33-year-old also pitched 25 times for the Italian Nationalteam and played 2003, 2007 and 2009 at the World Chmapionships. The games against the Eagles will also be very special for Andrea Girasole and Patrick Maier. Both played the last three seasons for the Eagles before returning to the Challengers in 2017. Patrick Zöllig will also give his comeback almost eight years after his last game for the C’s. The games start at 11 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. at the Heerenschürli.
The NLB-Team will open its 2017 campaign against the Thun Hunters. The two teams will meet on Sunday, April 23 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. The games will begin at 11 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.

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Participants at the Spring Tournament announced

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The participants of the 20th Zurich Spring Tournament have been announced. The tournament will take place on the weekend of April 8 and 9 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. Besides the two hosting teams from the Zürich Barracudas and the Zürich Challengers the defending champions Dominican All Stars and the Herrenberg Wanderers will line up. The Gemans finished in fifth place in the Regionalliga Süd/West in 2016 and will play this year after the reform of the German Baseball Leagues – the Regional League has been deposed for 2017 – in the new 2nd Bundesliga Süd. The games will start on Saturday at 11 a.m. and on Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Heerenschürli.

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U15-Cadets in last place at Therwil

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The Challengers U15-Cadets played their second indoor tournament of the winter on Sunday, January 22 at Therwil, after taking part at the indoor tournament at Wil in December. The team of head coach Adrian Kämpfer couldn’t confirm their good performance from the first tournament. Lacking in concentration the C’s lost their first two games against the Flyers and the Kobras. Only in their last game against the winner of the tournament, the Neuenburg Atomics, the C’s played on their regular level. The C’s kept pace with the Germans and still had the chance to win the game in the last inning. At the end the blue and red finished with three losses. The next indoor tournament for the Challengers will take place on Saturday, February 4 at Embrach.
Results U15 Indoor Tournament Therwil

Challengers vs. Rümlang Kobras 6-12
Therwil Flyers vs. Challengers 11-3
Neuenburg Atomics vs. Challengers 4-2

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U12-Juveniles finish in 3rd place at Therwil

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The youngest Challengers’ team, the U12-Juveniles, played its first indoor tournament of 2017 on Sunday, January 22 at Therwil. As several key players of the 2016 championship team moved up to the U15 squad, the C’s lined up with a different roster than last year. Especially in the first games the automatisms didn’t work that well, but the Challengers improved their level of play in the course of the tournament. Against the Neuenburg Atomics, who won the tournament, the C’s were even leading 4-2. At the end the Challengers finished the tournament in 3rd place.
Results U12 Indoor Tournament Therwil

SG TruckStar/Flyers vs. Challengers 8-8
Therwil Flyers vs. Challengers 3-8
Challengers vs. Neuenburg Atomics 4-6
Challengers vs. Rümlang Kobras 8-10

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