2016 Women’s Softball World Championship Preview – Europe
SURREY, Canada — Europe is represented by the largest number of national teams at a softball world championship, with 11 number of countries. Ireland, Israel, Serbia, and Switzerland are making their women’s world championship debut. Austria, France, and Greece are making their second appearance, while Czech Republic, Great Britain, Italy, and the Netherlands have been on the world stage frequently.
SURREY, Canada — Europe is represented by the largest number of national teams at a softball world championship, with 11 number of countries. Ireland, Israel, Serbia, and Switzerland are making their women’s world championship debut. Austria, France, and Greece are making their second appearance, while Czech Republic, Great Britain, Italy, and the Netherlands have been on the world stage frequently.
The biennial event will bring together a record 31 national teams from all five regions, representing the largest global footprint in the event’s history, with eleven nations will be making their women’s world championship debuts.
All 124 games will be web-streamed to represent the most games ever streamed for a global softball event. All games will be streamed live and available on a subscription basis for a one-time fee of $US 19.95 via worldsoftball.tv.
AUSTRIA
Austria is making its second appearance at a world championship, having finished 27th at St. John’s, Newfoundland, while going winless in six games.
Austria finished sixth at the European championships in 2013 and 2015.
Austria is grouped in Pool B with USA, Brazil, and Israel.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 8:30am vs Brazil
16 July at 12:30pm vs United States
17 July at 8:00pm vs Israel
History:
WWC Appearances: 1
WWC Participation: 1994
Highest Finish: 27th (1994)
Previous Finish: 27th (1994)
Current World Rank: Unranked
CZECH REPUBLIC
Czech Republic, one of the top four countries in Europe for the last couple of decades, is coming off an 11th place finish at the 2014 worlds when they finished with a 3-4 record for the third consecutive championship.
Nineteen year-old pitcher, Veronika Pecknova, is playing her second women’s world championship and will be looking to carry her team further than 2014 where she threw four complete games (3-1).
Czech Republic is grouped in Pool F with Netherlands, Philippines, and Pakistan.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 11:00am vs Philippines
16 July at 10:00am vs Netherlands
17 July at 12:30pm vs Pakistan
History:
Highest Finish: 9th (2012)
Previous Finish: 11th (2014)
FRANCE
France is back at a world championship for the first time since the country competed in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1994. Unfortunately, the preliminary roster for worlds did not include 17-year-old Melissa Mayeux, a baseball/softball phenom in France and the first woman to be placed on Major League Baseball’s international registration list.
France is grouped in Pool A with Japan and Venezuela.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 8:30am vs Venezuela
17 July at 5:30pm vs Japan
History:
GREAT BRITAIN
Great Britain will be looking to build on its 16th-place finish at the 2014 worlds. The Great Britain roster includes infielder Chelsea D’Avila, a Georgetown, Ont., native who plays NCAA ball at Coastal Carolina. “It means the world to me to represent my heritage playing the sport I love.”
Amy Moore of Valencia, Calif., is a five-year veteran of the British team representing the country her father was born in. “Coming from a European country, we’re very underrated,” she says. “I just want people to know who we are at the end of the tournament.”
Great Britain is grouped in Pool D with Canada, Uganda, and Ireland.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 8:15 vs Canada
16 July at 5:30pm vs Uganda
17 July at 5:30pm vs Ireland
History:
WWC Appearances: 5
Highest Finish: 10th (2006)
Previous Finish: 16th (2014)
Current World Rank: 14
GREECE
Surrey 2016 will mark Greece’s second appearance at a world championship. “It will be a great honor to participate,” said Kostis Liarommatis, Greek Softball Federation President. “A whole new generation of players has been raised since the last time Greece participated. Attending the World Championship is part of softball development in our country.”
Greece is grouped in Pool G with China, Cuba, and Guatemala.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 11:00am vs Cuba
16 July at 10:00am vs China
17 July at 12:30pm vs Guatemala
History:
Highest Finish: 9th (2006)
Previous Finish: 9th (2006)
Current World Rank: Unranked
IRELAND
The Irish National Team is making their world championship debut at Surrey 2016, one year after playing in their first European championship. Ireland lost its opening two games, but beat Israel 10-3 in its final game to finish 18th.
Like many teams, the Irish squad is 100 per cent self-funded. “We see this as an opportunity for Ireland to showcase our abilities at the highest level of the game and provide inspiration to a next generation of players…and grow the game within Ireland,” said Softball Ireland president Colum Lavery.
Ireland is grouped in Pool D with Canada, Great Britain, and Uganda.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 11:00am vs Uganda
16 July at 7:30pm vs Canada
17 July at 5:30pm vs Great Britain
History:
WWC Appearances: 0
Highest Finish: n/a
Previous Finish: n/a
Current World Rank: Unranked
ISRAEL
Like Ireland, Israel is also making their world championship debut, although the squad has competed at six European championships. They are also self-funded. The players say competing at worlds could give softball a huge boost in the country.
Israel is grouped in Pool B with USA, Brazil, and Austria.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 3:30pm vs United States
16 July at 8:00pm vs Brazil
17 July at 8:00pm vs Austria
History:
WWC Appearances: 0
Highest Finish: n/a
Previous Finish: n/a
Current World Rank: Unranked
ITALY
Italy has a thriving professional women’s league, which has helped it vie with the Netherlands for top team in Europe. The Italian National Team edged the Dutch 2-1 in the European championship final last year, making it 10 titles for Italy, one more than the country’s fiercest rival.
Italy will be looking to improve on their world championships-best of a sixth-place finish, accomplished in 1998 and 2006.
Italy is grouped in Pool H with New Zealand, Kenya, and Peru.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 8:30am vs Peru
16 July at 5:00pm vs Kenya
17 July at 12:30pm vs New Zealand
History:
WWC Appearances: 10
Highest Finish: 6th (1998 & 2006)
Previous Finish: 9th (2014)
Current World Rank: 9
NETHERLANDS
One of Europe’s powerhouse squads, the Dutch National Team has won nine European championships and have been on the podium nine other times. They matched their best world championships finish with a sixth in 2014 on home soil. The Netherlands will arrive to Surrey fresh off their victory at the U-22 European Championship last week.
Netherlands is grouped in Pool F with Czech Republic, Philippines, and Pakistan.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 3:30pm vs Pakistan
16 July at 10:00am vs Czech Republic
17 July at 10:00am vs Philippines
History:
WWC Appearances: 12
Highest Finish: 6th (2012 & 2014)
Previous Finish: 6th (2014)
Current World Rank: 7
SERBIA
A Serbian National Team team last competed in an international softball competition in 2007 when the country finished 12th in the B Division at the European championships. “For Serbian softball it is an honor to play at the biggest softball competition that exists,” said Slobodan Djuric, the president of Serbian Softball Federation. “The girls dreams are coming true!”
Serbia is grouped in Pool C with Australia, Mexico, and Switzerland.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 11:00am vs Switzerland
16 July at 12:30pm vs Mexico
17 July at 10:00 vs Australia
History:
WWC Appearances: 0
Highest Finish: n/a
Previous Finish: n/a
Current World Rank: Unranked
SWITZERLAND
The Swiss National Team is making their world championship debut a year after going 2-4 at the European Championship in 2015. The two wins came against two other countries — Ireland and Israel — who will compete at worlds for the first time.
Switzerland is grouped in Pool C with Australia, Mexico, and Serbia.
Round Robin schedule:
15 July at 11:00am vs Serbia
16 July at 5:30pm vs Australia
17 July at 10:00am vs Mexico
History:
WWC Appearances: 0
Highest Finish: n/a
Previous Finish: n/a
Current World Rank: Unranked
