South Newlandian Roster for World Baseball Classic 63My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Use DH at home: Yes
Choose my runscorers: Please
Choose my lineup: as long as your changes are reasonable
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: TG or Discord in advance, please.
Eject my players: TG or Discord in advance, please; South Newlandians don’t get ejected a lot.
Godmod other events: TG or Discord in advance, please, but most likely yes
Happy to answer any questions!
Manager/Head Coach:
Franklin Bell (DRK) (69)
After 10 World Baseball Classics, including 6 final appearances and three championships, Sofia Rasmussen, the Elephants’ long-time manager, had retired as one of the most successful baseball managers ever, and certainly as an Elephants legend. The man chosen to replace her was, for some reason, Franklin Bell.
Franklin Bell famously pitched for Drawkland for ages, including perhaps the most famous sporting moment of all time, when Drawkland infamously allowed a comeback leading 10-3 in the bottom of the ninth in a WBC Ro16 G5 to Scootalove City. His incredible longevity means he was a player at the same time as both Sofia Rasmussen and many of the players he’s now going to be coaching. After retiring from pitching, he became a coach, first with the LPB’s Peninsulara Kingfishers, which he inexplicably turned into a good team, and later as a Bullpen Coach with the Drawkian national team, who also inexplicably turned good. In his first real tournament managing the Elephants, he took them to the WBC Championship Series, where they blew a late lead in game 7 (somehow not the first time that decade), to finish as runners-up. After an underwhelming tournament at the Esportivan Sporting Festival, where the Pachyderms once again failed to medal, he will start the climb at the base of the mountain again in attempting to lead South Newlandia to a fourth championship -- and first for a Drawkian.
Home ground and UniformElephant Stadium, Elephant Valley (30,000)
The biggest South Newlandian baseball stadium is located in the relative South of the capital city Elephant Valley. The stadium hosts 30,000 people in this configuration. All fifteen home games of WBC48 were played here, and the unranked South Newlandia won twelve of them, including all of the first ten -- cementing this stadium as the forever home of this national team. Its dimensions are fairly typical, with a short wall in the outfield facilitating home run robberies. The wall is curved perfectly symmetrically, and it’s a little smaller than average given it is located pretty much exactly at sea level, which means balls don’t carry too far.
South Newlandia usually play in yellow jersey with a green diagonal stripe across, as well as green batting helmets and green basecaps with an elephant on them. They have blue alternates if these colours clash.
Quick Access Roster
Starters
LHP Dylan Borges (32)
RHP Charles Morgan (33)
LHP Shivay Sahu (29)
LHP Linda Miller (26)
RHP Hugo Alonso-Palmer (23)
Relievers
RHP John Trunkman (35)
LHP Roger Weiß (34)
LHP Gaia Colombo (29)
RHP Maria Thompson (29)
RHP Avi Aguilar (28)
LHP Luna-Desiree Servopoulos (23)
RHP Carolyn Baker (26)
Most likely starting lineup WITH DH
2B Kevin Barros (32)
LF Raffaele Pohl (32)
SS Lio Fischer (28)
RF Teresa Mills (32)
3B Kathryn King (30)
DH Maria Philipps (34)
1B Veer Murphy (34)
C Sofia Löfgren (SNL/SLL, 34)
CF Theo Möller (30)
Bench (with DH in play)
C Luke Scholz (28)
SS Joan Allen (32)
MIF David Wagner (28)
OF Pauline Bardemaker (23)
UTIL Aurora Delgado (27)
Most likely starting lineup WITHOUT DH
2B Kevin Barros (32)
LF Raffaele Pohl (32)
SS Lio Fischer (28)
RF Teresa Mills (32)
3B Kathryn King (30)
1B Veer Murphy (34)
C Sofia Löfgren (SNL/SLL, 34)
CF Theo Möller (30)
Pitcher (will be pinch-hit for more common than average)
Bench (without DH in play)
C Luke Scholz (28)
SS Joan Allen (32)
MIF David Wagner (28)
UTIL Aurora Delgado (27)
OF Pauline Bardemaker (23)
CoOF Maria Philipps (34)
Notes on strategy:The Elephants have always been careful to not overtax their players, and will be making sure to give everyone adequate rest in the Group Stage, which the format should allow sufficient opportunity to do. In particular, Löfgren will likely only catch about 15 games or so in the Group Stage, allowing her to be rested up for the playoffs.
In general, the Elephants think of themselves as a forward-thinking, sabermetric organization, who will make whatever decision gives them the best chances of winning. That means they’ll likely use relievers earlier than most teams, especially in close games, knowing that there’s a good bullpen behind, rather than facing all too much of the third-time-through-the-order penalty. When the DH is not in play, they’ll frequently pinch-hit for the pitcher earlier than most teams would (South Newlandian pitchers never bat outside the WBC -- expect a lot of bunts, strikeouts, and bunt strikeouts), and will often be utilising the platoon advantage. South Newlandians will also basically never intentionally throw at players, knowing this surrenders a free base -- but they will be sticking up for each other if the other team attempts shenanigans. Lastly, the Elephants do not care about the save statistic, and will often use their best relievers in important spots that are not save situations.
When batting, the Elephants emphasise not giving away free outs on the basepaths, with either poorly thought-out steal attempts or overly aggressive baserunning -- if you see an Elephant making an optimistic turn, it is probably with two outs and towards home plate. They’re also more patient at the plate than most. They’re more likely to pinch-hit and pinch-run late in close games. When it comes to lineup cards, they’ll also make sure all their players receive some adequate rest, with backup catcher Luke Scholz likely to get 8 or 9 starts and especially the up-the-middle defenders getting rested at least two or three times during the campaign. That’ll likely come in conjunction with favourable matchups.
Starting pitchers [* denotes best (not necessarily most likely) pitch]
(SP1)
Dylan Borges (32, L)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Splitter*, Changeup, Slider, Sweeper)
With both of the top two starters from last cycle retiring, Dylan Borges is the ace of the team now. He became a star with the Newport Politics Institute, and the southpaw was drafted 10th overall by the Elephant Valley Snow Bears, who won the pennant in Borges’ rookie season. Since then, the lefty has missed some extensive time in recent seasons with injuries (thumb, shoulder), but appears to be perfectly healthy and in form at this point. He’s never blown opponents away with velocity, but he’s pin-point accurate and has a very dangerous pitch mix to boot. The last Classic was his breakthrough tournament, cementing himself as the new #1 for South Newlandia.
(SP2)
Charles Morgan (33, R)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Sweeper, Curveball, Changeup)
Charles Morgan was drafted fourth overall after some dominant years with the Red Elephants in college, and quickly started to deliver for the team. His main weapon is his triple-digit fastball, which was the pitch that initially put him on the map. His secondary pitches have also come along nicely. He’s developed a good changeup to pair with his sweeping slider. These additional tools have given him options against left-handers. Now in the prime of his career, the fireballer is ready to pitch his best.
(SP3)
Shivay Sahu (29, L)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Changeup, Curveball, Slider)
Despite never actually overlapping with Hailey Clark domestically, Sahu’s game is quite similar to the former Elephants’ staff ace. After three seasons with New Colk Tech (Sahu also holds a Grearish passport) and two with Peninsulara, Sahu has impressed enough to get a chance to earn his way to the Elephants. Picked 4th overall, his velo and composure always stood out. Sahu still hasn’t quite reached lofty expectations placed upon him, and his fielding has always been a weakness, but the Elephants believe he can put it together, and the last cycle was his best one yet as he enters the prime of his career.
(SP4)
Linda Miller (26, L)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Changeup, Slider, Splitter)
Linda Miller was one of the most hyped South Newlandian pitching prospects of all time. Without a real weakness and four excellent pitches, everyone thought she would swiftly rise through the ranks in South Newlandian Baseball. That mostly came true, with her making her first appearances in the rotation for the Elephants last cycle, and her trajectory continues to point upwards. In addition to her fastball that has excellent rise, she also had a great slider and generally great movement on her off-speed stuff. If she has any weakness, it is her accuracy, and even there, she’s certainly at least average. It feels likely that she will become the staff ace before too long.
(SP5)
Hugo Alonso-Palmer (23, R)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Changeup, Slider*, Curveball)
Palmer grew up in Ratzupalfu and played college ball there as well, being one of the relative standouts on what ended up a fairly disappointing Egrets team in the first season of NSCBC. Alonso-Palmer’s standout pitch is his slider, and he otherwise doesn’t exactly have blow-away stuff, but he’ll be a hard-working, crafty pitcher who will log more innings than you might expect. He is very much the fifth guy in the rotation as this stage, though, and will likely drop to the bullpen in the playoffs.
Relief PitchersThe Elephants will not have a typical closer setup, but instead operate on leverage. In approximate order, from high- to low leverage. Relievers will never appear in three consecutive games.
John Trunkman (35, R)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Slider, Curveball, Changeup)
After being drafted eleventh overall, Trunkman quickly established himself as one of the best South Newlandian relievers in the game. The young star throws a triple-digit fastball that hitters will struggle to adjust to thanks to an excellent spin rate. Adding a lethal combination of off-speed pitches seems downright unfair, although Trunkman does tend to issue walks at an above average rate. Nevertheless, he will be the main High-leverage option for the Ellies, having steadily gained experience to take on this role. Even though age has started to take a bit of a toll on him, he remains highly effective, for now. Also, his name is Trunkman. You can’t go wrong.
Roger Weiß (34, L)
(Arsenal: Cutter*, Changeup, Curveball)
Weiß fits nicely into a pattern of South Newlandian relief arms that get the job done without elite velo. Weiß isn’t the most accurate, either, but he’s shown that his pitch mix absolutely devastates right-handed batters, but he tends to struggle against left-handed bats. His cutter is his best pitch, but he’s also been getting excellent results on the change that has clearly taken inspiration from his former domestic teammate, Trunkman.
Gaia Colombo (29, L)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Slider*, Changeup, Splitter)
Colombo’s greatness was quickly apparent. The reliever dominated with the Egrets in college before moving to the pros. She’s clearly a very talented lefty and likely future Elephants closer, and is rapidly gaining experience. She and Weiß are pretty much dead even for Bell’s choice as go-to lefty reliever, so it’ll really just depend on the matchup.
Maria Thompson (29, R)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Changeup, Sweeper*)
Thompson always been a bit of a wild pitcher, lacking the accuracy of some others on the roster, but she’s been great in big moments. Her pitch mix has made her a very dangerous weapon; her Sweeper especially eats right-handed batting.
Avi Aguilar (28, R)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Curveball*, Changeup, Sinker)
Aguilar has made a name for himself as pin-point accurate, even though his pitches don’t jump off the page at first glance. He’s been one of the more consistent relievers for the Elephants for some time now, even though he doesn’t usually see too many high-leverage innings; but he could be a player that steps up in this tournament.
Luna-Desiree Servopoulos (23, L)
(Arsenal: Sinker*, Changeup, Curveball)
Servopoulos, a Ruditown native, played college baseball for the Red Elephants. There, she was mostly coming out of the bullpen despite definitely having starter upside, and was overshadowed by Florian Richter there. People that have been paying close attention will not be terribly surprised to see her here, though; her pitch mix works well, and the Elephants can really use a bullpen arm who can go multiple innings easily in the pinch.
Carolyn Baker (26, R)
(Arsenal: 2-seamer, Slider, Curveball*)
Baker is perhaps the most surprising inclusion on this roster. She played for the NCfIR Bees in college, where she was a star closer, but her career already seemed to have fizzled out. The Rüsselsheim native might be slightly out of practise, but the Elephants clearly believe in the upside.
Fielders (Starters)(C)
Sofia Löfgren (SLL/SNL) (34, R)
(Speed: 4/10 | Power: 8/10 | Contact: 6/10 | Fielding: 8/10)
Sofia Rasmussen Löfgren was born in Super-Llamaland, but due to her South Newlandian maternal grandmother, she was eligible to play for South Newlandia, which she has chosen to do. Drafted as an all-around great talent, she became famous when her Walk-off grand slam jump-started the Renaissance coming back in the Esportivan Series, long ago. South Newlandian catchers don’t typically bat higher than eighth, so Löfgren clearly is something special with the bat; and she also stands out as an excellent defender. At 34, she’s now slowly nearing retirement in what has already been a great career that includes a WBC championship. She’s now the longest-tenured Elephant too, and exemplifies the hard-nosed catcher every team benefits from having.
(1B/CoOF)
Veer Murphy (32, R)
(Speed: 4/10 | Power: 6/10 | Contact: 7/10 | Fielding: 5/10)
Murphy is a good player that has learned a lot from teammates like Shawn Zimmerman and, more recently, Lewis Hunter, to improve his game. He’s been hitting well, but isn’t exactly a threat on the basepaths, and hasn’t quite found a natural position with the Elephants, either. They play him at first where he stuck largely because there’s a bit of a shortage of great first basemen right now, and he can fit there defensively.
(2B)
Kevin Barros (32, R)
(Speed: 5/10 | Power: 8/10 | Contact: 7/10 | Fielding: 4/10)
Barros stands out as an elite power hitter for someone playing a difficult defensive position. He came up playing short, but moved to second base eventually. It’s not a perfect fit for him defensively, but he’s forming a hard-hitting duo up the middle. The offensive production, despite some age-related decline starting to creep in, certainly makes up for some defensive limitations, even if it will put some additional pressure on the pitching staff.
(3B)
Kathryn King (30, R)
(Speed: 5/10 | Power: 8/10 | Contact: 8/10 | Fielding: 6/10)
Kathryn King is one of the lesser-known Elephants players, largely because her numbers never jumped off the page. She’s not a great defender, but she puts up very consistent averages and hits for power as well. She’s continued to improve every tournament, and is looking to make additional strides at this level.
(SS)
Lio Fischer (28, S)
(Speed: 8/10 | Power: 9/10 | Contact: 8/10 | Fielding: 8/10)
After four successful years in the Bees in Newport, Fischer was made the number one overall pick. He doesn’t have a true weakness, has developed into a true 5-tool player at the highest level -- with on-base skills from both sides of the plate, power, and excellent fielding to boot. He was known to be a bit of a hot-head in college, but has straightened out well, and is quickly becoming a superstar for the Elephants. This is still only going to be his third Classic.
(LF)
Raffaele Pohl (32, R)
(Speed: 5/10 | Power: 7/10 | Contact: 8/10 | Fielding: 5/10)
One of the most hyped prospects when she was drafted as a teenager, Pohl has developed well. She’s not a flashy outfielder, but she can hold her own well enough on defense. Her real upside comes with the bat, where she is always a threat. She has always had an elite walk rate, and she combines it with a good power swing. She’s played right field before as well, but the Elephants are likely to keep her in left to shield her defensively.
(CF)
Theo Möller (30, R)
(Speed: 8/10 | Power: 7/10 | Contact: 7/10 | Fielding: 9/10)
Möller stands out with his power ability, but especially as a defender. He’s probably the best player on the Elephants defensively, but he’ll want to up his contact rate if he wants to become a true star. His first few campaigns with the Elephants were fairly unremarkable, but certainly solid. His teammates praise him for his work ethic.
(RF/CoOF)
Teresa Mills (32, L)
(Speed: 5/10 | Power: 6/10 | Contact: 7/10 | Fielding: 6/10)
Mills was a largely overlooked player out of Walstreim, scooped up in the second round, but she’s consistently improved all aspects of her game throughout her time in the big leagues. Always a contact hitter at heart, she’s improved her power swing and, most importantly, her plate. She’s managed to win out in the battle for the start in Right Field, but the Elephants will most certainly give Maria Phillips some time in the field too.
(DH/CoOF)
Maria Philipps (34, S)
(Speed: 4/10 | Power: 7/10 | Contact: 6/10 | Fielding: 6/10)
Philipps was a sure-handed glove with a quick first step, but has declined a bit defensively with age. In exchange, she’s become a better hitter, especially improving her power, and her ability to hit to all fields. She’ll get some time out in the field, too, but for now will mostly be used as the Designated Hitter of the Elephants.
Bench(C)
Luke Scholz (28, R)
(Speed: 4/10 | Power: 7/10 | Contact: 6/10 | Fielding: 9/10)
Even back when he was playing in college in Kinjestad, many expected Scholz to eventually succeed Löfgren as the Ellies’ primary backstop. After a strong career with the Otters, he was drafted fifth overall. He’s an excellent defender, both framing and throwing out runners, and does enough as a hitter to frequently earn himself playing time.
(MIF)
David Wagner (28, R)
(Speed: 9/10 | Power: 3/10 | Contact: 6/10 | Fielding: 8/10)
Taken in the same class as Lio Fischer, Wagner commanded a lot less attention. Taken in the second round out of Rüsselsheim, he’s a solid defender and speedy baserunner, but has never hit in a way that suggests he should be an Elephant. It seems clear the Ellies want him as a defensive swiss-army knife and pinch runner, and he seems to be okay with that, happy to contribute to the Elephants in whatever way he can.
(SS)
Joan Allen (32, R)
(Speed: 5/10 | Power: 6/10| Contact: 8/10 | Fielding: 5/10)
Allen was drafted late, having played shortstop at a small Moocha college, without massive expectations. However, she was able to work himself into a key role, becoming the starting shortstop of the Elephants; and has proven that she has the tools to be a very valuable asset; although her fielding isn’t great. She’s lost the starting role for now, but continues to put the work in trying to get as much playing time as possible.
(OF)
Pauline Bardemaker (23, R)
(Speed: 8/10 | Power: 5/10 | Contact: 8/10 | Fielding: 4/10)
Bardemaker, who is from Ratzupalfu but claims some Ko-orenite ancestry, is one of four rookies on this roster. She was fine for the Egrets in her final year in college, capable of getting on base and definitely a threat on the basepaths. Her defensive limitations, especially her arm, will likely keep her from more significant playing time.
(UTIL)
Aurora Delgado (27, R)
(Speed: 9/10 | Power: 3/10 | Contact: 6/10 | Fielding: 9/10)
Delgado came pretty much out of nowhere to make the last roster, but the Elephants are interested in an utility defender given the restrictions of WBC roster sizes. She really isn’t a good option at the plate, but she can defend a variety of positions very well and is also pretty speedy. Watch for her to develop even further with more time at this level.
Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2026 12:08 pm
