(T. Rademacher/Solinger Morgenpost/12.6.2010)

The Alligators have been waiting for this anxiously. Finally, the Solingen Baseball Crew has another chance to see how they stack up against the best teams in Europe. Coach Andy Fleischacker’s team is considered the favorite in the European Cup Qualifier, and not just because the tournament will be played in Solingen.

Starting Monday, the regular training schedule will be the last thing on their minds. In the early afternoon, the group stage of the Alligator-hosted European Cup (B Pool) will commence, playing three games daily until a victor will be crowned on Saturday afternoon. Each day’s most anticipated game, in our own biased opinion, would be the evening game with the local Solingen Alligators, with first pitch at 18:00. The Alligators will take to the field five times this week, in order to qualify for the finals on Saturday.

This year, that claim falls to the time Heidenheim Heideköpfe, whom at the tournament in Brno surprised many by finished second, and have thus become the first German team ever in the "Final Four", to take place in Barcelona. That’s a ways off for the Alligators, but  they have been motivated by Heidenheim’s success.

Alligators are considered tournament favorites

Organizationally, the club has lots on its plate for the coming week, and around 100 volunteers have been enlisted to ensure a smooth tournament. Whether this effort will be rewarded in the form of an Alligator victory will have to wait until the coming weekend. Among the six teams participating in the tournament, the Alligators are a strong favorite in part thanks to playing in the strong German league. Andy Fleischacker expects the toughest competition from Russia and Switzerland.

"You never know, because it is difficult to research on your opponents," said the coach. The Therwil Flyers don’t fall into the category of ‘unknown’, as Fleischacker has a background on them through his coaching activities in Switzerland on hand. "I expect a good match, but none of the players surprise me."

On Monday at 18:00 the Alligators begin the tourney against Academica de Coimbra in Portugal. "I don’t know anything about the team," admits Fleischacker. As for history, Portuguese teams in European competitions have yet to demonstrate any significant achievement. This challenge will run through Solingen.

Because the teams have at least five games in front of them, but likely six or seven, Andy Fleischacker has been preparing his battleplan. "In the opening game, I’ll throw each starter for a short period, so that they can all be used again during the week." After that game Sebastian Bernards and Robin Drache will make starts, setting up the task of clinching for aces Josh Rickards and André Hughes.

First step towards qualification

If the alligator in fact win the tournament, they will still be one step away from qualifying for the final four. The pool winners are in for a further qualification round against the bottom of the A Pool and an additional B-Pool tournament winner. The winners will rise to the A-pool - not for for themselves this year, but for their country. To get the showdown, the Alligators would have to finish in the top two of the final qualifier.

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