Challengers Baseball Club Zurich

The first game day of the U18 championship will take place on Sunday, April 27 at the Heerenschürli ballpark. This year four teams will participate in the Juniors' championship, with each team playing on three of the four game days.

The Challengers have a co-operation with the Dulliken TruckStar also for the U18. The SG TruckStar/Challengers will meet the Vikings/Unicorns and the Zürich Barracudas on Sunday, the Cardinals/Hunters/Golgoths have the day off. The games start at 12.30pm and 3pm.

Nein zur kantonalen Volksinitiative "Werbeverbot für Alkohol auf Sportplätzen"

Liebe Sportfreunde 

Am 18. Mai 2014 kommt die Initiative „Keine Werbung für alkoholische Getränke auf Sportplätzen sowie an Sportveranstaltungen im Kanton Zürich“ zur Abstimmung. Mit dieser Initiative gefährdet das Blaue Kreuz als Initiantin die Existenz der 2300 Sportvereine im Kanton Zürich. Für diese unsportliche Tätlichkeit zeigt der Zürcher Kantonalverband für Sport (ZKS) dem Blauen Kreuz Kanton Zürich die rote Karte. Denn keine andere Institution ausser dem Vereinssport trägt täglich auch nur annähernd so viel zur Volksgesundheit, zur Jugendarbeit und damit zur Suchtprävention bei.

Seitens ZKS – Zürcher Kantonalverband für Sport lassen wir nicht zu, dass das Blaue Kreuz dem Vereinssport einen irreparablen Schaden zufügt. Deshalb haben wir per Anfang April unsere Kampagne gestartet.

Damit wir die Initiative mit einem wuchtigen Nein bachab schicken können, brauchen wir breite Unterstützung – auch Eure! Hier sind unsere wichtigsten Argumente aufgeführt, die zwingend gegen die Initiative sprechen, sowie wichtige Informationen, wie der Vereinssport im Kanton Zürich unterstützt werden kann, damit wir den Abstimmungskampf klar gewinnen. Herzlichen Dank für Euren Einsatz!

Sportliche Grüsse

Yolanda Gottardi
Geschäftsführerin Zürcher Kantonalverband für Sport (ZKS)

PS: Wenn ihr noch mehr Gründe brauchst: Hier geht es zu unserem Argumentarium (PDF).

Stimmt am 18. Mai klar NEIN!

C's lose twice to Eagles

The Challengers were downed by the Luzern Eagles on Sunday, April 13, as the Eagles swept the C's winning 11-4 and 11-9. The games were overshadowed by an injury of second baseman Eidrys Reyes in Game 2. Running for a blooper Reyes and right fielder Carlos Nepomuceno collided heavily. Reyes broke down and had to be taken to the hospital with a strong suspicion of concussion. The game continued after a 1 hour injury delay with the Eagles tying the game first and eventually walking away with an 11-9 win in extra-innings - more than eight hours after the first pitch of the day.

The Eagles already took Game 1, as they immediately arrived on the scoreboard scoring twice in the first frame against starter Ryan Byrne and erasing the lead to 5-1 after four innings. The C's stranded runners on third three times, while the Eagles added three runs in the eight and ninth innings delivering a total of six extra-base hits to make it 11-1 and eventually winning 11-4. The C's have now a 1-3 record after losing three in-a-row. They face next the Zürich Lions on May 3 at the Heerenschürli ballpark.

1st League-Team opens season with a win

The 1st League-Team did in the season opener, what it was looking for the whole 2013 season. The SG TruckStar/Challengers won for the first time since the two clubs have a combined team, as the SG posted a 17-4 victory over the Zürich Eighters West on Saturday, April 12 at Bern. Gabe Staub was credited with the win, while Kurt Kovac highlighted the offense with a homerun.

In the second game of the day the SG TruckStar/Challengers lost 5-18 to the Bern Cardinals 2. The SG will meet the Yverdon Golgoths and the Zürich Barracudas on May 3.

C's win opener, lose Game 2

The Challengers split with their cross-town rivals Zürich Barracudas on Sunday, April 6 to start their 2014 campaign. The teams fought two hard battles, as both rallied for q victory apiece. Game 1 was a pitcher's duel between Andy Rüesch for the Barracudas and Ryan Byrne for the C's, as they exchanged zeros on the scoreboard for the first six frames. The Challengers had a runner on third in four of the first seven innings, but the Barracudas opened the score on back-to-back two-out RBI-doubles to make it 2-0.

But the C's answered right away, scoring three runs in the top of the eighth frame. The Barracudas defense misplayed a bunt by Harry Bregy, enabling Jesus Martinez and Bryan Shemley to tie the game before Eidrys Reyes drove in Bregy with a sacrifice fly to right. And the C's added an insurance run in the ninth, as Tobias Siegrist brought home Robert Sedin with an RBI-double. Ryan Byrne was credited with the win in his debut for the C's, allowing only two unearned runs in seven frames, while Tobias Siegrist closed the 4-2 victory with two shutout innings.

In the Game 2 the Challengers had the better start, as Siegrist delivered a two-run double and later scored on an RBI-double by Säntis Zeller to make it 3-0. But this time the Barracudas rallied to win 4-3 for a split.

The C's will host the Luzern Eagles on Sunday, April 13 at the Heerenschürli ballpark.

Cadets sweep Bandits

The U15-Cadets opened their 2014 season with two wins against the Jona Bandits on Sunday, April 6 at Rapperswil-Jona. Jayfry Meier pitched four strong innings and Jeffrey Pomuceno belted a grand slam, as the SG TruckStar/Challengers posted a 18-6 victory in Game 1 and added a 20-8 win in the second game of the day.

Die U15-Cadets eröffneten die Saison mit zwei Erfolgen am Sonntag, 6. April bei den Jona Bandits. Jayfry Meier pitchte vier starke Innings und Jeffrey Pomuceno sorgte mit einem Grand Slam für das offensive Highlight für die SG TruckStar/Challengers auf dem Weg zum 18-6 Startsieg. Im zweiten Spiel des Tages liess die SG einen sicheren 20-8 Sieg folgen.

Challengers finish in 2nd place at Spring Tournament

The Challengers lost the final of this year's Zurich Spring Tournament on Sunday, March 30 against the Dominican All Stars, who won the tournament for the first time. The C's built an early 2-0 lead, but committed several errors in the fourth frame enabling the Dominicans to score five runs to eventually win 6-2.

In their last round robin game the C's posted a 11-8 come from behind victory over the Tübingen Hawks. The C's won three of their four games at the tournament finishing in second place because of one bad inning. The Challengers seem to be ready for Opening Day, as they will meet the Zürich Barracudas on Sunday, April 6 at the Heerenschürli ballpark for the first local derby of the season.

U12 finishes in 2nd place

The U12-Juveniles finished their indoor season with an outstanding second place at the indoor tournament on Saturday, March 15 at Rümlang. The SG TruckStar/Challengers showed its best performance of the year, as the Juveniles beat the Lions/Rainbows and the Hunters/Frogs in the qualification round to finish in a three-way tie for second place with the Lions/Rainbows and the Hünenberg Unicorns. Thanks to the most runs scored - twenty - in the four games of the preeliminary round the SG TruckStar/Challengers faced the Rümlang Kobras in the final game, where the SG lost 3-9.

Die U12-Juveniles beendeten ihre Hallensaison am Samstag, 15. März mit einem herausragenden zweiten Rang am Hallenturnier in Rümlang. Die SG TruckStar/Challengers zeigte die beste Saisonleistung, bei welcher in der Vorrunde die Lions/Rainbows und die Hunters/Frogs bezwungen wurden. Am Ende schaffte die SG die Finalqualifikation dank der höheren Anzahl erzielter Runs (20) im Vergleich mit den punktgleichen Lions/Rainbows und Hünenberg Unicorns. Im Finalspiel unterlag die SG dem Gastgeber Rümlang Kobras mit 3-9.

Challengers go to European Cup

For the 14th time in franchise history and for the first time since 2008 the Challengers will participate at the Baseball European Cup. After the withdrawal of the Embrach Mustangs also the Therwil Flyers resigned their participation, so that the Challengers gained the second Swiss spot for the 2014 European Cup Qualifiers.

The Challengers will play at the Qualifier tournament at Antwerp, Belgium, which will take place from June 16 till 21. The C's will face NADA Split from Croatia, the Vienna Wanderers from Austria, Leksand Baseball from Sweden and the Brasschaat Braves from Belgium.