30/08/2017 2 Minute Read

Men’s European Super Cup features world’s top softball players

AMERSFOORT, Netherlands – The 2017 Men’s European Super Cup got underway in the Netherlands this week, featuring the top men club teams in Europe. However, there are many top non-European players competing as well, including players from Argentina, Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand.

The Men’s Super Cup is the largest men’s fastpitch tournament in Europe. This year, 20 teams entered to fight for the title of “European Club Champion 2017”.

The tournament is known for its special format. In the first phase, teams play in a round robin. For the second phase, the teams are divided into two groups (top 12 teams in one group and the bottom 8 teams in the other group) depending on the results of the round robin games. The top twelve teams play for the Super Cup, while the remaining teams compete to win the ESF Cup.

The most exciting thing about the Super Cup is the number of world’s top-level players, who come to Europe to play for various club teams.

Nik Hayes premiered on the New Zealand’s National Team at a WBSC World Championship in 2013. With an ERA of 2.67 he seized his second gold medal at the World Championship this year in Whitehorse, Canada. Together with his teammate – catcher Zane Van Lieshout, Hayes is helping Hippos Havlikuv Brod to seize the European trophy.
Penese Iosefo became a World Champion in 2013, and he is another representative of the Black Sox family at the 2017 Super Cup. He is a pickup player for the Brasschaat Braves together with an Argentinian infielder Condrado Zanuttini.
Jerome Haretuku was Iosefo’s National Team teammate in 2013. This outfielder can be seen in a uniform of Danish Stenlose Bulls.
Dion Nukunuku, a brother of a well-known Danish National Team Head Coach Israel Nukunuku, spent his best softball years winning three WBSC World Championship titles in 1996, 2000, and 2004 for New Zealand. He came to Amersfoort with his brother’s team Amager Vikings. Vikings have also brought a young pitcher from New Zealand Liam Twigden.
Samuel Villalvazo pitched for the Mexican National Team at the 2015 WBSC World Championship, and will pitch for Hoofddorp Pioniers at the Super Cup.
There is another special guest to the 2017 Super Cup – Argentinian Junior National Team.

More non-European players: