European Men's Baseball Championship
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The European Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between men's national baseball teams in Europe, governed by WBSC Europe (formerly the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB)).[1]
| Most recent season or competition: 2025 European Baseball Championship | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| First season | 1954 |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Confederation | WBSC Europe |
| Most recent champion |  Netherlands (2025) |
| Most titles | Netherlands (25 titles) |
| Official website | WBSCEurope.com |
History
Italy won the inaugural European Baseball Championship in 1954, organized shortly after the CEB was formed. The Netherlands won the first tournament they competed in, 1956, and the competition has since been dominated by the Dutch and Italians, with Spain, with two titles, and Belgium being the only other teams to win a championship.
After being an annual competition for five years, it was held every two years.[2] There have been several adjustments to this schedule.[3] Most recently, following a three-year gap after the 2016 championship, the tournament has been held in odd-numbered years beginning in 2019. The 2025 competition was the 38th European championship held. There have been at least 4 teams in each championship, with the field growing to 12 teams in 1997 and 16 teams in 2021.
The European championship has served as a qualifying tournament for the Summer Olympics.[4][5] Tournament games are also included in World Baseball Softball Confederation rankings, which determine participation in the WBSC Premier12.[6][7]
Format and qualification
The current championship classification system divides the national teams into three pools, A, B, and C.
Teams in Pool A and B play in the championship, with teams from A pool playing in two groups where the top two teams proceed to the quarter finals directly and the bottom two teams play in the crossover qualifiers. The teams from pool B play in two groups, with the winners proceeding to the crossover qualifiers and the bottom two teams eliminated. The top four teams from the crossover qualifiers join the top two teams from each A pool group in the quarter finals.
The last two teams from the championship are relegated to pool C that plays the qualifier competition held in the years between the top championship, while the two best teams at that competition will move up to B pool.[8]
Current pools
As of the end of the 2025 tournament.
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C |
|---|---|---|
^ - Relegated to European Qualifier during 2025 championship
Results
Medals (1954–2025)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 25 | 9 | 1 | 35 |
| 2 |  Italy | 10 | 18 | 5 | 33 |
| 3 |  Spain | 2 | 2 | 15 | 19 |
| 4 |  Belgium | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
| 5 |  Great Britain | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 |  Germany | 0 | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| 7 |  Greece | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Israel | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
 Russia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 10 |  Sweden | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 11 |  Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 France | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (12 entries) | 38 | 38 | 38 | 114 | |
Participating nations
| Nation | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1960 | 1962 | 1964 | 1965 | 1967 | 1969 | 1971 | 1973 | 1975 | 1977 | 1979 | 1981 | 1983 | 1985 | 1987 | 1989 | 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2019 | 2021 | 2023 | 2025 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Austria | 11 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium |  |  | | 5 | 4 | 4 |  | 5 | 4 | 4 | | | 4 | | | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | | 6 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 32 | ||||||
 Croatia | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Czech Republic | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | | 14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| France | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 28 | ||||||||||
| Germany | 4 | | 5 | | | 5 | | | 4 | | | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 4 | | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 29 | |||||||||
| Great Britain | | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | | 8 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | | 6 | 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Greece | | 9 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Hungary | 16 | 15 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Israel | 4 | | 6 | 7 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | | 7 | | | | | | | 9 | | 37 | |
 Lithuania | 15 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 35 | |||
| Russia | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | | 8 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 San Marino | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Slovakia | 16 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Slovenia | 10 | 12 | 12 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Soviet Union | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain | | | 4 | 4 | 5 | | | | 4 | 4 | | 6 | | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | | | | 5 | 4 | | 5 | 6 | | | | 9 | | | | | 4 | | 4 | 36 | ||
| Sweden | 4 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 7 | | 7 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 33 | |||||
 Switzerland | 12 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Ukraine | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nations (21) | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Most valuable player
The tournament has regularly issued awards for the most valuable player, best pitcher, batting statistical leaders, and occasionally an All-Star team. Three Dutch players, Hamilton Richardson, Marcel Joost, and Johnny Balentina, have won multiple MVPs, with Balentina most recently repeating in 1995 and 1997.[2]
| Year | Name | Team | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | José Luis Bernardo | Spain |
[11] |
| 1962 | Leo Kops | Netherlands |
[12] |
| 1964 | Boudewijn Maat | [2] | |
| 1965 | Hamilton Richardson | ||
| 1967 | Roland Hoffmann | West Germany | |
| 1969 | Hamilton Richardson | Netherlands |
[13] |
| 1973 | [2] | ||
| 1975 | Charles Urbanus Jr. | [14] | |
| 1977 | Ted Alfieri | Italy |
[2] |
| 1979 | David DeMarco | ||
| 1981 | Paul Smit | Netherlands | |
| 1985 | Marcel Joost | ||
| 1987 | Rikkert Faneyte | ||
| 1989 | Robert Niggebrugge | ||
| 1991 | Guglielmo Trinci | Italy | |
| 1993 | Marcel Joost | Netherlands | |
| 1995 | Johnny Balentina | Netherlands | |
| 1997 | |||
| 1999 | Daniel Newman | Italy |
[15] |
| 2001 | Rinat Makhmoutov | Russia |
[16] |
| 2003 | Xavier Civit | Spain |
[2] |
| 2005 | Ivanon Coffie | Netherlands | |
| 2007 | Brant Ust | Great Britain | |
| 2010 | Giuseppe Mazzanti | Italy |
[17] |
| 2012 | Lorenzo Avagnina | [18] | |
| 2014 | Curt Smith | Netherlands |
[19] |
| 2016 | Stijn van der Meer | [20] | |
| 2019 | Ademar Rifaela | [21] | |
| 2021 | Roger Bernadina | [22] | |
| 2023 | Wander Encarnación | Spain |
[23] |
| 2025 | Didi Gregorius | Netherlands |
[24] |
European B Baseball Championship
- 1982 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 1984 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 1986 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 1988 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 1990 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 1992 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 1994 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 1996 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 1998 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 2000 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 2002 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 2004 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 2013 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 2015 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 2017 European Baseball Championship - Division B
- 2019 European Baseball Championship – B-Pool
Note: No events in 2005–2012.
European C Baseball Championship
- 2014 European Baseball Championship - Division C
- 2016 European Baseball Championship - Division C
- 2018 European Baseball Championship - Division C
European Baseball Championship Qualification
- 2007 European Baseball Championship – Qualification
- 2010 European Baseball Championship – Qualification
- 2012 European Baseball Championship – Qualification
- 2014 European Baseball Championship – Qualification
- 2016 European Baseball Championship – Qualification
- 2019 European Baseball Championship – Qualification
- 2021 European Baseball Championship – Qualification
- 2023 European Baseball Championship – Qualification
See also
- European Women's Baseball Championship
- European Men's U23 Baseball Championship
- European Men's U21 Baseball Championship
- European Men's U18 Baseball Championship
- European Men's U15 Baseball Championship
- European Men's Softball Championship
- European Women's Softball Championship
- European Men's Club Baseball Championship
- European Women's Club Baseball Championship
- European Champion Cup Final Four (Men / Women)
- CEB Federation Cup (Men / Women)
- CEB Cup (Men / Women)
- European Men's Baseball5 Championship
- European Women's Baseball5 Championship
- Baseball awards § Europe