World Baseball Classic 63: everything thread [MD6]

by **Banija** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 10:20 am

'Tis the Season' - New faces everywhere as old stars retire, and new players take center stage in Banijan baseball

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- The generation of Sadiiq Xoosh, Gouta Rehana, and Mutebi Nvunyi did unfathomable, unbelievable amounts of winning at the NT level. Xoosh joined the NT for the first time during WBC 55, while Rehana and Nvunyi got their first call-ups at WBC 56. And the results? Well, they were tremendous. Glorious. This trio is, clearly, the most decorated in the history of Banijan baseball, and by a long shot. We've got to talk about the aggressiveness and ambition of these players, of course, to always reach for the stars, and lead a charge of Banijan players to the LPB, the best baseball league in the world at the time. But let's think about the accomplishment of these players at the NT level- when Sadiiq Xoosh rose to the level of stardom as the biggest Banijan baseball star of all-time, and in the rareified conersation of the best ballplayer in the world- full stop.

Those 3 had 7 classics together. Two world titles, at WBC 56 and 60. A silver medal, at the XIX Summer Olympiad (well, minus Rehana, due to the obvious- gender). A second place finish at WBC 57. And both of those classic wins, coming in epic fashion. Both of those coming to the two greatest words in professional sports- game 7. Both winning via heart-stopping thrillers, and these very players being at the very heart of that. In a Lions v. Lions derby in game 7 of WBC 56 (Banija v. Nova Anglicana), it was the culmination of an epic series, an epic battle between the two teams. Remember how epic a 21 year old Xoosh was at the time, hitting 10 home runs in the knockout stages of WBC 56? And who can forget, in the 15th inning of a game 7, a matchup truly for the ages, when Sadiiq Xoosh scored the championship-winning run after a triple to leadoff the inning?

And, of course, WBC 60. Talk about dream moments. The diamond edition of the tournament, On home soil. After a couple of poor classics, WBC 58 and 59, it was WBC 60 where this core, in front of the home fans, led this team to a series of great victories. Just epic series after epic series. Who can remember when we went up 2-0 on Valanora, only for them to turn around and win games 3 and 4, to put all the pressure on us in Game 5? And then a desperate team saw our bats explode, in a 10-3 win, powered by 6 runs in the bottom of the 1st. Then, the following series, going down 2 games to none to Zwangzug- only to have a stunning comeback, from 2-0 down to a mad, 3-2 series win. 'The Reverse Sweep heard 'round the world'. Or country, I guess.

Or, the epic of another tremendous game 7- this time against the class of the sport, the bluest of blue bloods, South Newlandia. Down 4-2, the Elephants 6 outs away from another world title- and the comeback, on. We scored in the 8th. Nvunyi hit the game-tying RBI single in the 9th. And then after that- Xoosh and Rehana, hitting back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the 11th, to win a world title? Epic. Amazing. Beautiful. Legendary. Words cannot describe the moments that these guys have provided for Banijan sports fans.

But they cannot play forever. And so, having accomplished it all, all three have retired- and made way for the new generation of players. 6 field players, including 3 starters, are making their NT debuts for Banija this tournament, and it is the turning of a new chapter- a new era of Banijan baseball. "It is time for other players to take the mantle, to see the path that was laid out for them- and walk it." The expectations, despite losing so much talent, are always high for this team. But are they playing with house money? It's hard to replace guys like Xoosh and Rehana, and Nvunyi, but they are sure as hell gonna try. A lot of players with have the opportunity to be the next big thing.

Salia Kamara will have the first crack. A few big moments himself, he's one of those players who will be 'the man' for this team, expected to come up in big situations. But what about the debutants? Bwire Ssekaana, the left fielder, is the one to watch. Just 22 years old, the lefty has shown he can be a complete hitter- but it's another beast, pressure wise, adjusting to WBC pitching. The decided lack of star power on this team is not commonly how these Banijan teams look- but we'll see if anybody can take this tournament to gain this star power, and help lead the drive towards title #5 for this national team.

by **Zenic** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 10:46 am

Experience is power and third time's the charm.

Those were the through lines running through Siro Amando Alamilla's mind as the Diamond Survivors prepared for yet another World Baseball Classic. This was now the third straight WBC for this particular unit of players and coaches, the first time this had ever happened for Zenic at the highest level of baseball. They were able to make it extremely far in their first trip before coming crashing down in the second. But this was a somewhat new era for this squad as everyone had graduated from college or university and were now part of the BLZ or Baseball League of Zenic, a new amateur baseball league started in the last few years via mostly private equity with a bit of public investment from local governments.

Effectively, this was the first time Zenic was ever sending non-collegiate players to a World Baseball Classic. Alamilla was hoping that the transition would be smooth thanks to everyone having played under him on the national team while still in college. The WBC certainly wasn't going to make it any easier as they would start this new era by playing against a top ten nation in Milchama. They would get a bit of a reprieve by playing Vaishnavaria afterwards but momentum was a powerful thing and Alamilla (and certainly most other managers) would have preferred facing such high ranking team a little later in the schedule.

While the skipper didn't want to look too far ahead, their group was primed for a strong third place finish with a very fortunate second place as long as the hunger for success was there for this crew. Alamilla didn't want to assume the worse but this was most likely this squad's last chance at representing Zenic unless they could make it back to the playoffs proving that Zenician generations were not one-and-dones in baseball. Heck, it might be Alamilla and this coaching staff's last time leading the Diamond Survivors if they can't get this squad to repeat their initial performance.

But this staff would need to take things one game at a time with this current edition's schedule to maximize their future potential. Else this was going to be one somber sendoff.

by **Liventia** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 12:39 pm

Liventia roster for WBC 63

Permissions:
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, feel free to choose my lineup, but be smart about R/L handedness in the batting order and the handedness of the pitcher being faced
Choose my Pitching Rotation: No – the starters are listed in a set order
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes – not more than two games
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
DH used at home: Yes, all games
ABS/review systems used at home: Yes, all games
Godmod other events: Yes

Style mod: +2.

Liventia will play all home games during the group stage at Boister Grounds in Boister.
Instead of its usual home stadiums of the Orean Capital Grounds and Port Cartfort Park, Liventia will head to Boister this campaign to give the stadium – and its 10,000 temporary seats – a test ahead of the WBC playoffs, when this and other smaller stadiums will be used by various national teams as their bases for the WBC finals.

Home ground of the Boister Green Jackets
Dimensions:
Left foul pole 325ft, left field 348ft, left-centre 384ft, centre field 421ft, right-centre 374ft, right field 345ft, right foul pole 321ft; wall height 9ft throughout
Normally seats only 8,800, although 10,000 temporary seats are being added for the tournament in the outfield. A hitter's park more than a pitcher's park, both home runs and doubles/triples have a home in Boister.

*An asterisk denotes the player led his league (NBL/CBL) in that stat this past season. After one Division 2 player made the roster last WBC, three have been called up this year, although all are WBC veterans who just happened to play in D2 this year.

Pitchers

┌────┬─────────────────────┬────────────────┬─────┬─────┬──────────────┬───────┬────────────┬─────────────────┬────────┬────────────┬─────────────┬──────┬───────────┬───────────────────────────────┐
│ #  │ Name                │ Team           │ B/T │ Age │ Role         │ G/GS  │ W-L-SV-HLD │ ERA/FIP/WHIP    │ IP     │ K/K per 9  │ BB/BB per 9 │ OAVG │ Pitch WAR │ Pitches (other than 4FB)      │
├────┼─────────────────────┼────────────────┼─────┼─────┼──────────────┼───────┼────────────┼─────────────────┼────────┼────────────┼─────────────┼──────┼───────────┼───────────────────────────────┤
│ 17 │ Spencer Littlejohns │ Keys           │ R/R │ 26  │ SP1          │ 29/29 │ 9-5-0-0    │ 1.94/2.39/0.91* │ 199.1  │ 243*/11.0* │ 70/3.2      │ .158 │ 5.9*      │ SNK, SPL, CB, SL, CH (no 4FB) │
│ 31 │ Graeme Mountfield   │ Fleas          │ R/R │ 27  │ SP2          │ 30/30 │ 11-7-0-0   │ 1.89*/2.41/0.92 │ 214.0* │ 221/9.3    │ 50/2.1      │ .189 │ 5.5       │ SNK, CB, CH (no 4FB)          │
│ 26 │ Dean Norman         │ Saboteurs      │ S/R │ 32  │ SP3          │ 29/29 │ 9-8-0-0    │ 2.70/2.65/1.09  │ 190.0  │ 176/8.3    │ 53/2.5      │ .222 │ 4.6       │ CH, SL, FRK                   │
│ 5  │ Matthew Filmer      │ Tiger-Cats     │ L/L │ 26  │ SP4          │ 30/30 │ 8-12-0-0   │ 3.29/2.46/1.13  │ 164.0  │ 175/9.6    │ 38/2.1      │ .238 │ 4.8       │ SNK, CH                       │
│ 1  │ Josh Batchelor      │ Blue Birds     │ L/L │ 26  │ SP5          │ 29/29 │ 15-7-0-0   │ 2.74/2.85/1.25  │ 167.2  │ 159/8.5    │ 47/2.5      │ .253 │ 3.7       │ CB, SNK                       │
│ 38 │ Craig Ferns         │ Tiger-Cats     │ L/R │ 28  │ Spot/LR      │ 29/29 │ 12-6-0-0   │ 2.85/2.75/0.99  │ 151.2  │ 130/7.7    │ 26/1.5      │ .218 │ 3.7       │ SL, KCV, CCH, CUT             │
│ 3  │ Elton Golby ↔       │ Snipers        │ L/L │ 33  │ Spot/LR      │ 30/30 │ 13-7-0-0   │ 2.44/2.98/1.13  │ 154.2  │ 109/6.3    │ 44/2.6      │ .227 │ 3.1       │ SL, CUT, CH                   │
│ 18 │ Alfie Aggett        │ Hilltops       │ L/L │ 29  │ Spot/MR      │ 30/30 │ 9-8-0-0    │ 2.59/2.93/1.04  │ 173.2  │ 155/8.0    │ 29/1.5      │ .229 │ 3.6       │ SL, CH, CB                    │
│ 2  │ Paul Massey         │ Bills          │ R/R │ 25  │ Low lev      │ 22/13 │ 3-2-0-1    │ 2.65/2.17/1.05  │ 85.0   │ 87/9.2     │ 20/2.1      │ .217 │ 2.6       │ CUT, FRK, CH                  │
│ 6  │ Tyler Cockburn ↔    │ Snipers        │ R/R │ 26  │ Mopup/Opener │ 25/25 │ 4-5-0-0    │ 3.35/3.66/1.28  │ 118.1  │ 80/6.1     │ 42/3.2      │ .242 │ 1.2       │ SNK, SPL, SL                  │
│ 44 │ Micah Mintey        │ Swordfish (D2) │ L/L │ 33  │ High lev     │ 41/0  │ 5-5-24-0   │ 1.99/1.85/1.10  │ 45.1   │ 50/9.9     │ 20/4.0      │ .184 │ 2.8 (D2)  │ CH, SNK, CB                   │
│ 81 │ Kyle Blenkinson     │ Keys           │ R/R │ 24  │ Setup        │ 68/0  │ 6-2-4-17   │ 2.28/2.58/0.86  │ 71.0   │ 67/8.5     │ 17/2.2      │ .176 │ 1.4       │ CH, SNK                       │
│ 24 │ Mark Staite         │ Saboteurs      │ R/R │ 33  │ Setup        │ 57/0  │ 3-7-35-1   │ 2.63/2.15/1.09  │ 61.2   │ 45/6.6     │ 12/1.8      │ .236 │ 2.1       │ CB, SNK                       │
│ 27 │ Morgan Garside      │ Keys           │ R/R │ 28  │ CP1          │ 60/0  │ 9-5-32-1   │ 1.79/2.47/1.02  │ 70.1   │ 93/11.9    │ 25/3.2      │ .186 │ 2.1       │ SL, FRK, CUT                  │
│ 10 │ Kyle Sheffield      │ Talons         │ R/R │ 32  │ CP2          │ 58/0  │ 7-7-41-0   │ 2.53/2.31/1.06  │ 64.0   │ 75/10.5    │ 19/2.7      │ .207 │ 1.8       │ CB, SNK                       │
└────┴─────────────────────┴────────────────┴─────┴─────┴──────────────┴───────┴────────────┴─────────────────┴────────┴────────────┴─────────────┴──────┴───────────┴───────────────────────────────┘

Starters:
Littlejohns MD1, MD9, MD19, MD28
Mountfield MD2, MD11, MD20
Norman MD4, MD12, MD21
Filmer MD5, MD13, MD22
Batchelor MD6, MD14, MD23
Spot starters/openers will start MD7 (Ferns), MD8 (Golby), MD15 (Aggett), MD16 (Cockburn), MD18 (Cockburn), MD25 (Aggett), MD26 (Golby), MD27 (Ferns)

Position players

┌────┬──────────────────┬───────────────┬─────┬─────┬─────────┬──────────────┬──────────┬─────────────────┬────────┬─────┬────┬─────┬─────────┬──────┬──────────┐
│ #  │ Name             │ Team          │ B/T │ Age │ Primary │ Secondary    │ Games    │ AVG/OBP/SLG     │ H/HR   │ RBI │ BB │ SO  │ SB – CS │ wRC+ │ Bat WAR  │
├────┼──────────────────┼───────────────┼─────┼─────┼─────────┼──────────────┼──────────┼─────────────────┼────────┼─────┼────┼─────┼─────────┼──────┼──────────┤
│ 37 │ Theo Britten     │ Bills         │ R/R │ 31  │ C       │ –            │ 115      │ .290/.343/.369  │ 117/1  │ 33  │ 32 │ 38  │ 1 – 0   │ 116  │ 5.5      │
│ 25 │ Callum Gough     │ Oysters       │ R/R │ 26  │ C       │ –            │ 129      │ .381/.361/.423  │ 133/5  │ 27  │ 51 │ 87  │ 19 – 0  │ 144  │ 5.7      │
│ 15 │ Stuart Medley    │ Rapiers       │ L/R │ 29  │ 1B      │ –            │ 143      │ .275/.368/.481  │ 138/22 │ 83  │ 69 │ 156 │ 5 – 4   │ 163  │ 5.3      │
│ 38 │ Douglas Budden   │ Blue Birds    │ R/L │ 30  │ 1B      │ –            │ 143      │ .273/.355/.420  │ 154/11 │ 64  │ 69 │ 139 │ 39* – 5 │ 137  │ 5.4      │
│ 77 │ Noah Goring      │ Oysters       │ S/R │ 30  │ 2B      │ SS           │ 142      │ .280/.359/.403  │ 139/10 │ 73  │ 57 │ 72  │ 2 – 1   │ 138  │ 6.9      │
│ 8  │ Kane Merrell     │ Rapiers       │ R/R │ 33  │ SS      │ Team captain │ 96       │ .296/.380/.504  │ 105/12 │ 47  │ 48 │ 36  │ 17 – 2  │ 173  │ 5.9      │
│ 19 │ Tim North        │ Capitols (D2) │ L/R │ 25  │ 3B      │ SS           │ 140 (D2) │ .328/.386/.594  │ 176/33 │ 107 │ 49 │ 46  │ 38 – 39 │ 133  │ 5.5 (D2) │
│ 29 │ Reece Raymont    │ Cruisers (D2) │ R/R │ 32  │ 3B      │ 1B           │ 139 (D2) │ .388/.445/.869  │ 216/66 │ 172 │ 57 │ 120 │ 24 – 34 │ 206  │ 8.7 (D2) │
│ 22 │ Ethan Frisby     │ Counts        │ R/R │ 29  │ LF      │ –            │ 141      │ .315*/.392/.483 │ 159/12 │ 74  │ 59 │ 74  │ 34 – 5  │ 161  │ 6.6      │
│ 6  │ Tyler Cockburn ↔ │ Snipers       │ R/R │ 26  │ LF      │ RF, CF, P    │ 136      │ .293/.358/.449  │ 160/12 │ 60  │ 48 │ 125 │ 13 – 4  │ 146  │ 5.7      │
│ 7  │ Phil Cropper     │ Counts        │ L/L │ 26  │ CF      │ RF, (LF)     │ 141      │ .306/.355/.456  │ 169/16 │ 64  │ 42 │ 111 │ 6 – 6   │ 141  │ 6.0      │
│ 57 │ Carl MacQueen    │ Chaos         │ L/L │ 24  │ RF      │ –            │ 243      │ .275/.354/.444  │ 139/21 │ 72  │ 59 │ 79  │ 0 – 2   │ 138  │ 4.0      │
│ 3  │ Elton Golby ↔    │ Snipers       │ L/L │ 33  │ RF      │ LF, CF, P    │ 136      │ .286/.358/.428  │ 147/10 │ 63  │ 57 │ 56  │ 12 – 5  │ 137  │ 5.0      │
└────┴──────────────────┴───────────────┴─────┴─────┴─────────┴──────────────┴──────────┴─────────────────┴────────┴─────┴────┴─────┴─────────┴──────┴──────────┘

On their given start days as the spot starter or opener, Golby and Cockburn will DH. Otherwise, they should be considered for starts in the outfield, and one of the third basemen will DH.

by **Drawkland** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:26 pm

DRAWKLAND NATIONAL BASEBALL TEAM

Name: Base Corps
Demonym: Drawkian
Physiology: Older and Taller (See Here)
29th World Baseball Classic, Rank #5
Manager: Ramon Santos
DH at Home: Yes

Primary Home Venue: Hydrogen Cyanide Field
Drawk City, Drawkland (75,000)

Drawkland's Base Corps was renowned the multiverse over for the way they play baseball. Unfortunately for all Drawkian fans, the way the Base Corps played baseball is "hilariously mediocre." The roster is talented, featuring a some genuine superstars and plenty of other big names to fill the gaps. The issue used to lie in performance: the Corps never put it all together at once. When the bats did well, the pitching was erratic. When the pitching was good, the bats failed to show up. By far, Drawkland's most notable failure lies in The Choke. For some reason, the back end of Drawkland's bullpen was snakebit, and the bats rarely showed out after six frames. The blown lead was an art displayed by the Base Corps so often that many wondered if they're doing it on purpose.

However, five cycles ago, the Base Corps finally had their breakthrough. After 22 consecutive cycles of failing to even reach a WBC quarterfinal in 12 playoff appearances, Drawkland finally did it. With a thrilling 5-game series against Milchama, the Drawkians pulled through, narrowly avoiding another horrifically blown lead, and went on to get spanked by #1 South Newlandia. Now the glass ceiling is broken, and the team just keeps getting better. Against all odds, Drawkland broke even further in WBC 59. Once again the Base Corps fell short against top-ranked South Newlandia, but this time it was taking the Elephants to Game 6 in the championship series. The Corps has yet to return to the championship series, and three consecutive semifinals bringing silver and bronze medals to Drawkland were nice ... but it feels that the old demons have returned to haunt the Corps.

ROSTER IN BRIEF

This is the depth chart for the Base Corps fielders.
Bolded Players are starters in a "full strength" lineup.
Bench players are listed by likelihood of pinch hitting/receiving spot starts.
Players marked with * are in their last year. Players marked with ^ are WBC rookies.
Position, Number, Name, Bats, Throws

Outfielders
LF: #21 Zac MacBay, R/R
CF: #6 Kyle Osborne, L/L
RF: #36 Richelle Frost*, R/R
OF: #33 Brooklyn Beck^, R/R
OF: #5 Rodrigo Jagger, R/L
OF: #12 Connor Avalon, L/L

Infielders
1B: #13 Ted Honeycutt, L/L
2B: #10 Elizabeth Houston, S/R
3B: #8 Alexander Gates, S/R
SS: #3 Aaron Frost, R/R
IF: #23 Flynn Morse, R/R
IF: #9 Serena Walters, L/R
IF: #16 Evan Aston^, R/R

Catchers
C: #84 Jimmy Todd, R/R
C: #18 Dallas deHalt^, S/R

This is the depth chart for the Base Corps pitching staff.
The starters are listed in rotation order.
Barton and Newkirk will get spot starts in the group stage to prevent repeat SP matchups.
Players marked with * are in their last year. Players marked with ^ are WBC rookies.
Role, Number, Name, Bats, Throws

Starting Pitchers
SP: #17 Jeremy Floriano^, R/R
SP: #11 Tyler Silvanus, L/R
SP: #31 Claire Kirkland, S/R
SP: #28 Stuart Ryland, L/L
SP: #46 Joseph Shrubbin*, R/R

Relief Pitchers
SW: #35 Sara Barton*, R/R
LR: #66 Sam Newkirk, R/R
MR: #55 Hadley Ventura, R/R
MR: #45 Chloe Vidal^, R/L
MR: #69 Brice Hefferman^, R/R
LS: #61 Stephanie Bullard, L/L
SR: #32 Robert Butcher, R/R

Closers
SU: #27 Devin Harmon, L/L
SU: #41 Trevor Bell, R/R
CL: #60 Lorraine Lockwood, R/R

The starting rotation order may be modified during the tournament for matchup considerations.

With DH, vs RHP

1. (S) E. Houston    SS
2. (R) Z. MacBay     LF
3. (S) A. Gates      3B
4. (L) T. Honeycutt  1B
5. (L) T. Silvanus   DH
6. (R) J. Todd       C 
7. (R) R. Frost      RF
8. (L) K. Osborne    CF
9. (R) A. Frost      2B

With DH, vs LHP

1. (S) E. Houston    2B
2. (R) Z. MacBay     CF
3. (S) A. Gates      3B
4. (L) T. Honeycutt  1B
5. (R) J. Todd       C 
6. (L) T. Silvanus   DH
7. (R) F. Morse      SS
8. (R) R. Frost      LF
9. (R) B. Beck       RF

no DH, vs RHP

1. (S) E. Houston    2B
2. (R) Z. MacBay     LF
3. (S) A. Gates      3B
4. (L) T. Honeycutt  1B
5. (R) R. Shard      RF
6. (L) K. Osborne    CF
7. (S) D. deHalt      C
8. (L) S. Walters    SS
9. (/) pitcher's spot

no DH, vs LHP

1. (S) E. Houston    2B
2. (R) Z. MacBay     CF
3. (L) T. Honeycutt  1B
4. (S) A. Gates      3B
5. (R) J. Todd        C
6. (R) A. Frost      SS
7. (R) R. Jagger     LF
8. (R) B. Beck       RF
9. (/) pitcher's spot

sorry for this fucked up formatting idk how else I could've made it work like I wanted it to
*Tyler Silvanus, a 2-way player, will DH every game except the day after pitching. If he's the scheduled SP in a non-DH game, use the normal DH lineup.
Non-Silvanus DH day vs LHP: Ted Honeycutt DH, Evan Aston 1B
Non-Silvanus DH day vs RHP: Ted Honeycutt DH, Richelle Frost 1B, Connor Avalon RF

Coaching Staff
Manager: Ramon Santos (#4)
Bench Coach: Russell Northrop (#47)
1st Base Coach: Carl Bancroft (#15)
3rd Base Coach: John Vogels (#55)
Hitting Coach: Roger Madison (#24)
Pitching Coach: Zara Nicolson (#29)
Bullpen Coach: Meghan Gallegos (#67)
Athletic Trainer / S&C: Nicholas Kingston

ADVANCED TEAM INFO

The Base Corps, while frustrating in performance, does have plenty of talent on the roster. This will be their first Classic led by internationally successful manager Ramon Santos. There's been quite a lot of legendary Base Corps names retiring over the last few cycles (including manager Glenn Sutton and outfielder Lane Kavana), so this feels like the first cycle of a new period in Base Corps baseball. The roster can be considered elite, but there's a lot of question about whether these players can perform together as a team when it truly matters. The starting lineup will shift drastically to allow the bench to get plenty of innings in the game since the Corps feels the need to establish a new core for what feels like a new era.

As far as hitting, a lot of the lineup consists of boom-or-bust power bats, with a few excellent all-around hitters that help keep the lineup moving. There's also a few high OBP/smallball hitters scattered throughout the lineup as well. The result is a real feast-or-famine offense, either going off for big run totals or being totally silenced. The strategy is mostly focused on wise baserunning and hit placement, smallball, until a lead is established, then the approach will usually shift to swinging deep, though this isn't a hard-and-fast rule.

Pitching-wise, Drawkian starters are notable for longer outings than human counterparts, mostly due to the higher average endurance. As Santos starts building a new bullpen and rotation, there's likely to be plenty of flex with pitching deployment. With a full rotation of five solid starters and solid spot starters/long relievers in the bullpen, the Corps has the freedom to let the starters put in a longer workload per game since they may not have to worry about a quick turnaround. The famously terrible bullpen will ideally eating as few innings as possible in hopes that it results in fewer blown leads.

Click the spoilers below to read advanced bios about all the players and coaches.

Ramon Santos - #4
Manager
Age: 60 / Corps Cycles: 1 / Team: N/A

Ramon Santos came to fame with Sadeg State University in Drawkland's collegiate athletics system. The longtime Skyhawks manager showed his prowess with several national championships, but he really made his name by leading the "Core Four" era SSU team to an International Baseball Slam title. A few years later, LPB expended to Jaffro in Drawkland, and the new Drawks franchise wanted to make a big local splash hire at manager. Santos got the call and was glad to answer, eventually leading the Drawks to multiple division titles and a Multiverse Series appearance during his tenure. After a couple cycles co-managing the Base Corps alongside longtime manager Glenn Sutton, Santos has fully taken the reins as Base Corps skipper. And not a moment too soon, considering whatever-happened-to-the-LPB has resulted in Santos having no domestic job for the time being.

Russell Northrop - #47
Bench Coach
Age: 67 / Corps Cycles: 0 / Team: Ifferdam Caravan [DRK]

Russell Northrop is the everyday manager for the Ifferdam Caravan, which has recently experienced a complete turnover in team culture. One of the more forgettable and lifeless squads in Drawkland's PBL for the last few decades, a total upheaval of Ifferdam's front office, team staff, and core players has given the franchise new life. The vibes are sky high. The success is ... supposedly going to be consistent. Northrop's done a good job navigating the team through its culture change, and with the Base Corps set for a similar turnaround, they figured he'd be a good man to have on staff.

Carl Bancroft - #15
1st Base Coach
Age: 80 / Corps Cycles: 2 / Team: Archfel Skippers [DRK]

With Al Krauss going into semi-retirement after the relocation of the Sun City Flames, it was time for the Base Corps to find another new base coach. Bancroft is a defensive guru who specializes in infield play. With the skilled infielders occupying this Corps lineup, it was only natural that Sutton find an expert to draw the best out of these players defensively. He did a bang-up job, so Santos has kept him around going forward. Bancroft will also serve as first base coach, though he's typically the third base coach for his domestic Skippers in Archifel.

John Vogels - #55
3rd Base Coach
Age: 71 / Corps Cycles: 4 / Team: Metropolon Engineers [DRK]

The mark of a great third base coach is none of the fans to knowing his name. John Vogels is proud that, were he not standing in the third base side coach's box, only the most autistic of Base Corps fans could identify him or his job. He's also known for being a great clubhouse personality.

Roger Madison - #24
Hitting Coach
Age: 75 / Corps Cycles: 7 (as coach) / Team: Drawk Corps

Roger Madison has been a mainstay of the Base Corps lineup since the very beginning when Madison was just a hot young prospect added to the national team to test his mettle and sell some more tickets. It would just be weird to have a Base Corps roster without him. His status as a pure contact hitter and longevity in the league netted a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. In the meantime, his experience both with hitting and playing the WBC makes him an ideal choice to be the hitting coach, even as the rest of the coaching staff is now well acclimated to WBC play. A sentimental pick, maybe, but it's worked out pretty well since his hiring.

Zara Nicolson - #29
Pitching Coach
Age: 56 / Corps Cycles: 2 / Team: Intersak Lakers [DRK]

Zara Nicolson was a rather young hire that's made waves with the Intersak pitching staff (a recent expansion team finally coming into its own). Though some wondered if she'd have the mettle for national team coaching once Sutton called her name, those worries were immediately quashed. In her first cycle as Corps pitching coach, Drawkland set the curve for runs allowed in a competitive WBC 61 (a few ticks under 3 RA/game). Fair enough, Zara. Now fans clamored for her return, so despite a less auspicious WBC 62, she's around long term.

Meghan Gallegos - #67
Bullpen Coach
Age: 64 / Corps Cycles: 1 / Team: Intersak Lakers [DRK]

Since Zara Nicolson did so well in her debut as the primary pitching coach, she was permitted to bring her domestic bullpen coach once the previous bullpen coach (some guy named Franklin Bell, you might know him) was scooped up by some other team.

Nicholas Kingston
Athletic Trainer / Strength & Conditioning Coach
Age: he won't tell me but it's a lot / Corps Cycles: 7 (as staff, baseball) / Team: Elite Eleven (non-PBL)

Curiously enough, Nicholas Kingston is actually a member of the Elite Eleven, the (in)famous group of eleven immortal athletes who boast about being able to play any major sport at a professional level. The Elite have gained recognition for their stint as the Kick Corps, Drawkland's soccer national team, but they've previously competed as the Net Corps and Base Corps as well. Through all of this, Kingston was noticed for his pseudo-role as the trainer and S&C coach for the rest of the Elite, possessing an almost superhuman instinct for identifying and treating injuries correctly, as well as certified medical training. Kingston actually applied directly for this job, and DISC had no other candidates lined up at the time, so they gave him the nod. As the trainer/S&C coach, Kingston doesn't wear an official jersey, but he normally wears #8 with the Elite Eleven.

Connor Avalon - #12
Center Field, Right Field, Left Field
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Age: 35 / Corps Cycles: 3 / Team: Krakon Generals [DRK]

Connor Avalon may not be the most fearsome lefty bat in the PBL, but he's definitely in the upper tier. He's also got the speed and defensive tools one would demand from a national team outfielder, but his bat just isn't good enough to be consistently starting (especially considering his lefty-lefty splits). He's absolutely a pull hitter, and gets a fair amount of power when he gets a pitch to drive. Expect him to get some starts in this group stage, and a few pinch hit opportunities when a left hander is needed.

Brooklyn Beck - #33
Right Field, Left Field, Center Field
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 28 / Corps Cycles: 0 / Team: Masteser Dolphins [DRK]

The football-brained among us may be surprised to see this name on a baseball roster. But for all-sports ball knowers, Brooklyn Beck is more notable for her baseball acumen than her less-than-stellar collegiate exploits on the gridiron. The former multi-sport star has now turned all her attention to baseball as a professional, and she's bloomed because of it. Fantastic line drive hitting combined with speed and a rocket arm in the corner outfield makes her an all-star candidate, now that she's playing at the PBL level. A couple launch angle improvements could turn her into a perennial 30/30 threat going forward. While there are plenty of other decent outfielders in Drawkland, Brooklyn's extensive international tournament experience in her young career made her an easy selection for a bench spot this cycle.

Richelle Frost - #36
Left Field, First Base, Right Field, Catcher
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 43 / Corps Cycles: 7 / Team: Pittsennat Cadets [DRK]

Richelle Shard (now Frost, after marrying fellow NTer Aaron) was a middling corner outfield and occasional catching prospect in the Pittsennat Cadets minor league system at the beginning of her career. When she finally got her chance at the PBL level, she exploded onto the scene and earned an All-Star berth in her second season. Since then, she has continually improved and become a perennial all-star outfielder thanks to her bat. Her greatest strength is barreling the ball very well, featuring plenty of swing-and-miss but making the contact really count when she gets it. Her batting eye was perhaps her greatest weakness, but she's been making leaps and bounds since her Base Corps debut. She's the main utility option, having the versatility to play corner outfield, first base, or even catcher, but this cycle she'll be getting a lot of starts in right field. Given her age, this is likely her swansong with the Base Corps.

Rodrigo Jagger - #5
Right Field, Left Field, First Base
Bats: Right / Throws: Left / Age: 34 / Corps Cycles: 3 / Team: Corinth City Blazers [DRK]

The rare righty-swinging lefty-throwing player, Rodrigo Jagger is quite agile in the outfield. He doesn't quite have the speed to play center, but he can defensively handle the corner outfield without trouble. If he wasn't totally unable to throw right-handed, he'd likely be a third baseman. Either way, he's a solid boom-or-bust power hitter with some swagger. With the solid talent in the outfield, he may not get many starts, but he'll be a nasty option to come off the bench against lefty pitching.

Zac MacBay - #21
Center Field, Left Field, Right Field
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 37 / Corps Cycles: 5 Team: Drawk City Scouts [DRK]

Zac MacBay was one of the "Core Four" at Sadeg State University, a group of hot prospects who came up at the same time and dominated Drawkian college baseball for several years. His excellent hitting and slightly above-average defense netted him a first-round draft selection by Drawk City, and he rose quickly through the minor league ranks. Now well-acquainted in the PBL, MacBay is a perennial All-Star and former MVP. His ability to hit for extra bases is his greatest strength, alongside plus speed and the ability to swipe some bags when needed. With slight reverse splits, MacBay is a bona fide threat in the box. If he had a slightly better arm, he'd be a true five tool player. Due no truly elite center fielder left on the roster, MacBay is stepping into his secondary position for several games this cycle.

Kyle Osborne - #6
Center Field, Left Field, Right Field
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Age: 30 / Corps Cycles: 1 / Team: Cemmendy Snakes [DRK]

First getting his experience in the second Eight Nations Shield, Kyle Osborne is a solid 30/30 threat for the Cemmendy Snakes. Originally a platoon merchant, he's made big strides against left handed pitching in the last couple years. With the relatively light talent pool in CF right now, he'll be getting more starts than his debut cycle last tournament. He also has top percentile speed, so when he's not starting he'll likely be a pinch runner. His speed also helps him grade as an above-average defending in the outfield, especially in center field.

Evan Aston - #16
First Base
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 29 / Corps Cycles: 0 / Team: Ifferdam Caravan [DRK]

Evan Aston is a classic Three True Outcomes power hitter who plays middling defense. He's a first baseman by trade and one of the scarier right-handed bats in Drawkland right now, but he's not super well rounded. He'll be a pinch hitting option for most of this tournament with a few spot starts sprinkled in. If he happens to be on a heater, he'll get more playing time.

Aaron Frost - #3
Shortstop, Second Base, Center Field
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 41 / Corps Cycles: 7 / Team: Pittsennat Cadets [DRK]

Coming up with the Pittsennat Cadets at about the same time as Richelle Shard (now Richelle Frost), Aaron Frost wrote his name in the PBL history books by winning rookie of the year. His excellent defense, speed, hitting, and luscious locks have made up for his relatively short size (by Drawkian standards). He made waves by signing with the LPB Jaffro Drawks in free agency, becoming one of their headline players (until the franchise folded and he returned to the PBL. At the plate he's a good contact hitter, but his biggest drawback is his complete lack of pop. "Warning track power" has been the pitfall for Frost, who's only hit a handful of homers (most to the opposite field, as he excels on hitting the outside pitch). Despite that, his plate discipline, speed, and bloop single capabilities make him an excellent leadoff hitter. His best skill is his consistency at hitting line drives to the opposite field gap. Make sure you're alert with runners on base too: he's been known to drop a bunt down every now and then.

Alexander Gates - #8
Third Base, Shortstop, Left Field
Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / Age: 36 / Corps Cycles: 5 / Team: Bellator Cavaliers [DRK]

Another of the SSU Core Four, Alex Gates was actually a year younger than his other Skyhawk counterparts. That being said, he was just as good as the rest of them, if not better. In his senior year, with the others gone, Gates continued to dominate college baseball, winning golden spikes honors and being taken second overall before a blockbuster trade sent him back to Sadeg right on the edge of his big-league debut. Since coming up with the Sadeg Knights, Gates has shown off his plus defense in the hot corner along with a penchant to get RBIs by whatever means necessary. His elite bat control makes him an invaluable resource in a lineup, though he's easily capable of hitting for extra bases. Nearing the end of his rookie contract, the Knights shipped Gates to Bellator for an insane haul of prospects ... and he made the Knights look like fools. Gates won MVP honors with the Cavaliers, and he's blossomed into one of the big names in the PBL since then.

Serena Walters - #9
Second Base, Shortstop, Third Base
Bats: Left / Throws: Right / Age: 31 / Corps Cycles: 2 / Team: Hellenmack Athletics [DRK]

Serena Walters is one of the rare players that intentionally sought out a tryout with the Base Corps going into their training camp. A relatively young player with Hellenmack, Walters put together a nice campaign and even earned some ROTY votes, ultimately falling short of the award itself. Still, she was easily the most consistent bat in the Athletic lineup despite being moved around the infield defensively all season. She's received a reasonable amount of playing time with the Base Corps since earning the selection, and now is an established utility piece for the infield.

Ted Honeycutt - #13
First Base, Designated Hitter
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Age: 37 / Corps Cycles: 5 / Team: Esmereldane Rebels [DRK]

Another limb of the Sadeg State Core Four, Honeycutt is a pulling power hitter at its finest. Thanks to his excellent performance in IBS 19 (including hitting home runs in six straight games), Honeycutt got attention in the LPB, eventually signing a contract with the Jaffro Drawks. Even at the highest professional level, Honeycutt has been demolishing baseballs with reckless abandon, and he's managed to further develop his OBP. He prefers to play DH, but with Tyler Silvanus taking that up most days, he's resigned to play first base for most games in a Corps uniform. He isn't awful defensively at first, but any slouching there is made up for with his power. He even won LPB MVP for the Jaffro Drawks in their SNL league pennant-winning season, and has been a consistent star ever since.

Elizabeth Houston - #10
Second Base, Shortstop, Third Base
Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / Age: 37 / Corps Cycles: 5 / Team: Chelstio Stars [DRK]

Elizabeth Houston served as the platonic ideal of a leadoff hitter for Sadeg State's Core Four. Her plate discipline is unmatched, with a low stance and great bat control to force pitchers to attack her with the utmost care. She takes great pride in her OBP above all else, though her defense is perfectly acceptable and she's been known to clock one over the fence when the situation is right. She was taken by the Chelstio Stars in the first round following her graduation, and rose through their minor league system in record time to be their leadoff hitter. Since then, she's been an All-Star every season. She's established herself as an elite talent, and though she hasn't captured a league MVP, she has won All-Star Game and Drawkian Series MVP honors. She heats up at the right time and has a penchant for taking over series. If she starts cooking, look out!

Flynn Morse - #23
Shortstop, Third Base, Second Base
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 32 / Corps Cycles: 4 / Team: Drawk Corps [DRK]

The Drawk Corps team in the PBL had Roger Madison in the middle infield for several decades. With his retirement, the Corps was short a superstar in that spot. Thankfully, Flynn Morse rocketed through the minor league system and came up as an elite shortstop. He mostly gets attention for his great looks, in addition to his flashy defensive plays at shortstop and antics after hitting homers (which he does quite often). His arm accuracy could use a little work, and he needs some more plate discipline, but he's above-average in speed and contact. He could maybe be a starting option for the Corps in a few years ... or he might burn out. For now, he's a nice bench option with opportunities for occasional starts.

Jeremy Floriano - #17
Starter
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 26 / Corps Cycles: 0 / Team: Intersak Lakers [DRK]
4-seam fastball, slider, sinker, changeup, splitter

What happens when you take an elite pitching prospect and put him into the best pitching development organization in the league? He becomes a beast. For an example, look no further than Jeremy Floriano, whose fans in Intersak have quickly taken to calling "Flo." Triple digit fastball? Check. Wipeout slider? Check. A nasty sinker-changeup combo? Check. A mindbending splitter that comes when you least expect it? Sure, why not. Since his ROTY debut season last year, Floriano has quickly become SP1 in Drawkland. It was only natural that he get the call to join the national team, and thank goodness he answered it. The Base Corps has needed a true ace for a while now, and Flo might just be Him.

Tyler Silvanus - #11
Starting Pitcher, Designated Hitter
Bats: Left / Throws: Right / Age: 38 / Corps Cycles: 6 / Team: Bellator Cavaliers [DRK]
4-seam fastball, slider, splitter, curveball, cutter

Tyler Silvanus is a titan of a man. He's become one of the most feared pitchers in the game since his debut. His fastball hits triple digits, his slider has a vicious bite, and his splitter catches even the best off guard. While Silvanus gets plenty of cred for being an All-Star power pitcher, that's not even the best part of his game. He's made his name by being Drawkland's first bona fide two-way player in decades. He hits absolute piss missiles, having eclipsed 40 bombs in over eight seasons (and winning MVP in four of them). He's simply pure talent, and he proved that by being one of the key players in Drawkland's first-ever Round of 16 series win. He's starting to age, but he's still the guy opposing teams need to circle every time.

Claire Kirkland - #31
Starter
Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / Age: 42 / Corps Cycles: 7 / Team: Sadeg Knights [DRK]
4-seam fastball, cutter, slider, changeup, 2-seam fastball

After earning Rookie of the Year with the Sadeg Knights, Claire Kirkland became a fiercely loyal pitcher who consistently places among the best in the league. She's a bona fide power pitcher, with a 90s fastball and cutter, plus a wicked slider in the low 90s. For most batters, that three-pitch mix of movement and speed is enough to put them down, but she also employs a straight changeup from time to time. She may not be young anymore, but she's still a devastating option to have in the middle of the rotation. There's a slight loss of velo recently, but her veteran command does a lot to cover for that. Did we mention she can hit pretty well? Kirkland isn't exactly good enough to be considered a two-way player, but she puts up numbers around the level of a utility bench bat, which is helpful in tournaments where we still have to worry about no-DH games.

Stuart Ryland - #28
Starter
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Age: 33 / Corps Cycles: 3 / Team: Hessport Blockade [DRK]
4-seam fastball, slider changeup, sweeper

Stuart Ryland (often called Stu) is the latest lefty fireballing sensation in the PBL. A counterpart to former Corps starting Andrew Boone's softer, weak-contact inducing left arsenal, Stu is more of a power pitcher who can touch triple digits and embarrass lefties with his slider. He's also great against righties, using his changeup for a good change of speeds to get whiffs. He's been top three in pitcher of the year voting in the PBL with the Waxton Jets, and most fans assume he'll be capturing one sooner rather than later.

Joseph Shrubbin - #46
Starter
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 40 / Corps Cycles: 4 / Team: Hellenmack Athletics [DRK]
4-seam fastball, sinker, slider, 12-6 curve, changeup

They call him "Joe Shrub." He's a tall and lanky pitcher who came up with the Hellenmack Athletics immediately following WBC 58, and he established himself as one of Drawkland's best pitchers. With a wide delivery and a nasty sinker, he's made his name as a finesse groundball pitcher. Joe also has pretty good stamina, often pitching 6 or 7, but he's not prone to shutouts. Unsurprisingly, he was renowned for his quality starts last cycle. He's also decent at the plate, being able to pull balls into shallow left field with regularity. By no means is he a two-way player, but it's always nice to have a guy who can scrap a base hit when the DH is blocked. If his sinker is sinking like it usually does, opposing lineups will have a hard time getting extra base hits. Assuming his sinker is sinking properly, Joe Shrub can deliver a win easy.

Sara Barton - #35
Swing Pitcher, Long Relief, Spot Starts
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 41 / Corps Cycles: 5 / Team: Drawk Corps [DRK]
4-seam fastball, changeup, curveball, 2-seam fastball, sweeper

Sara Barton is normally a starter for the Drawk Corps (domestic team), but she had a long career as a long relief/swing pitcher during her ascent to being one of the Drawk Corps' best rotation arms in her younger years. With the move to a 30-man roster for the WBC, the Base Corps figured a spare arm for spot starts, long relief, or even some high-leverage short relief spots would be a good option. Barton probably won't see a ton of action, but she'll have a couple starts in the group stage and maybe some 2-3 inning relief outings in between. She's a flexible pitcher who can throw a lot of pitches on relatively short notice, and though none of her stuff is overpowering, her deceptive timing and solid command keeps hitters off guard.

Sam Newkirk - #66
Long Reliever, Spot starter
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 35 / Corps Cycles: 2 / Team: Ducentu Brown Sox [DRK]
Knuckleball, 4-seam fastball, 12-6 curveball, sweeper

Sneaking onto the Corps roster for the first Eight Nations Shield turned out to be the best move of young knuckleballer Sam Newkirk's career. Though he only pitched in two games (both dead rubbers where he gave up some runs), it was enough to get attention of a couple squads for spring training immediately afterward. As a free agent with little options, he pitched well enough for the Ducentu Brown Sox to sign him as a late rotation arm. Newkirk put together a pretty good year, earning an extension with Ducentu and later answering questions about his long-term viability. Sutton brough Newkirk back for WBC 61 and he pitched reasonably well in limited action, though whether his knuckleball-dependent arsenal can work consistently at the national team level remains to be seen.

Hadley Ventura - #55
Middle Reliever, Primary
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 29 / Corps Cycles: 1 / Team: Akkor Beach Hammerheads [DRK]
4-seam fastball, slider, cutter, changeup

Several longtime bullpen arms for the Base Corps have retired, meaning solid and potentially long-lasting options are needed in their place. Hadley Ventura has emerged as an excellent bullpen arm for the Hammerheads, displaying great command with his pitches and some nasty stuff (especially in his upper-90s fastball and upper 80s slider). He looks to be a very good relief option regardless of leverage, so hopefully this cycle will give him enough cycle to be a primary reliever in future tournaments.

Chloe Vidal - #45
Middle Reliever, Lefty Specialist
Bats: Right / Throws: Left / Age: 27 / Corps Cycles: 0 / Team: Whisrold Golds [DRK]
4-seam fastball, cutter, slider, slurve, circle change

The pen needed more lefties. Young reliever Chloe Vidal seemed to fit the ball, with a classic 4-seam/cutter/slider tunnel working in her favor to devastate lefties across the league in a couple years of play for Whisrold. She can't exactly handle closing duties, but she's great as part of a reliever train and hopes to keep that going in her debut tournament for the Base Corps.

Brice Hefferman - #69
Middle Reliever, Secondary
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 31 / Corps Cycles: 0 / Team: Hessport Blockade [DRK]
4-seam fastball, sweeper, curveball 2-seam fastball

Another young player brought in to shore up the Base Corps bullpen. Brice Hefferman is a great fireman. Bring him in with runners on, cross your fingers, and an above-average number of times, he'll get you through the inning with no further damage. His sweeper is especially devastating, generating lots of swing and miss.

Stephanie Bullard - #61
Short Reliever, Lefty Specialist
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Age: 40 / Corps Cycles: 4 / Team: Chelstio Stars [DRK]
Cutter, circle changeup, curveball, slider

Stephanie Bullard's got some stuff. She has an interesting loadout of pitches, known best for getting some swing-and-miss. She's been an important piece for the Chelstio Stars, bridging the gap in middle innings and getting to the scary back-end relievers with great consistency. She can work out of other pitcher's jams, thanks to her ability to miss the barrel and get strikeouts, but she can occasionally allow walks if she's not entirely locked in. Still, when she's on, good luck getting a rally going. Of course, she's also nasty against lefties, which is why she'll mostly be called in for those scenarios.

Robert Butcher - #32
Short Reliever, High Leverage
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 39 / Corps Cycles: 6 / Team: Esmereldane Rebels [DRK]
4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball, cutter, changeup, slider

Robert Butcher is one of the most feared relievers in Drawkland, serving as the primary high leverage guy for the Rebels in the PBL. Simply put, he throws pure gas. He has multiple fastballs and multiple deliveries, speeds, and breaks on those pitches. He crowds the zone, and most hitters don't have enough time to figure out his stuff before they're sent back to the dugout on strikes. Butcher can be prone to allowing huge solo shots and usually can't throw more than 25 pitches in an outing, but it's nearly impossible for opposing lineups to string together multiple base hits against him.

Devin Harmon - #27
Setup Reliever, Lefty Closer
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Age: 30 / Corps Cycles: 1 / Team: Masteser Dolphins [DRK]
Sinker, changeup, 4-team fastball, curveball

You don't see a lefty closer every day, but the Base Corps likes to have one on hand for more versatility late in games. Devin Harmon is more of a bad-contact-inducing pitcher with his sinker-changeup combo. Obviously he wrecks lefties, but that bowling-ball type sinker is enough to get most righties out too. Expect to see him in the 9th or especially 8th when lefty "tunnel" is due up for an opposing lineup.

Trevor Bell - #41
Closer
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 35 / Corps Cycles: 4 / Team: Jaffro Drawks [SNL / DRK]
4-seam fastball, circle changeup, slurve, splitter

Franklin Bell may be gone, but his IBS 19 champion Sadeg State alumnus nephew, Trevor Bell, is here to take his place. Trevor has a similar pitch mix to his retired uncle, but with a little more power on it. His fastball reaches triple digits, along with a circle change that can lose anywhere from 15-25mph off the fastball while looking rather similar out of the hand. Since graduating from State and being signed by Jaffro, Bell has also developed his nasty slurve into a more reliable third pitch, and even picked up a little splitter that's reminiscent of his uncle's old forkball. He's a fiery pitcher who loves to pitch in big spots ... and he finally horrifically blew a lead. Back to the setup role, bozo!

Lorraine Lockwood - #60
Setup Reliever, Backup Closer
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Age: 41 / Corps Cycles: 9 / Team: Gelia Blues [DRK]
4-seam fastball, 12-6 curve, changeup, splitter, 2-seam fastball

What can't be said about Lorraine Lockwood at this point? Domestically, she had a meteoric rise to being a consensus top three closer in Drawkland as soon as she got to the big leagues. She doesn't like to define herself as a power pitcher, but she does have an upper 90s fastball along with a nasty straight curve. Her spinrate and presence on the mound combine for a fearsome pitcher, one who puts down batters quickly, mostly by strikeout. Her accuracy is solid as well, but the stuff is what gets most batters out. She was the designated closer for the Corps since Franklin Bell's retirement, then age-based regression put Trevor Bell in that spot. Then Trevor did something that reminded you he's from the same blood as Franklin, so Lorraine will enjoy being the true closer once more before her inevitable international retirement.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO

The Base Corps' main home field has been designated as Hydrogen Cyanide Field, a ballpark housing a massive 75,000. It's nestled in the middle of Drawk City, near the Sports Quarter of the city around the Drawkland River. The field is regularly used by the Drawk City Scouts, but in the offseason it's used by the Base Corps and as a stage for events. Drawkian cities are huge (especially Drawk City) and full of sports fans, hence the larger capacity than your average ballpark.

The ballpark itself is an elaborate retro-classic jewelbox, with an intricate brick exterior and a tasteful metal interior. From the outside it resembles a scaled-up version of the Scouts' first real stadium back in the early days of the game. The entire stadium itself references the three previous venues the Scouts had called home. The outfield dimensions are split into thirds, with each third exactly matching the dimensions of one of the previous parks. Beyond the outfield there's several standing-room-only decks which help bring the stadium around to fully enclose the field, one of the stadium's most striking features. It plays as a hitter's park, occasionally to the benefit of the Base Corps.

Drawk City is a massive, sprawling city of many millions. Because of this, travel can get congested, but there are lots of options for travelers. For teams, buses can be used, and there are several charter/private bus companies who are welcoming visiting teams. Traveling by airship is the favorable option for those wanting to see a big slice of Drawkian culture, traveling in the city. Trains are commonly used for transportation within the city, and the light rail transit system has been perfected over the course of centuries.

Getting to the city also heralds several options. Drawk City has a space port for those from non-Sonnelian regions, and an airport for more "local" travels (say if a team went to a space port with cheaper rates and flew into Drawk City by plane). You can also travel sans-spaceflight by taking a normal airline flight through the portal in Stratosphere City, Isles of Avon (Rushmore) or Elephant Valley, South Newlandia (Esportiva). When in Drawkland, long distance trains or rental self-driving floating cars are excellent options to get between cities.

Drawkian fans like to make a lot of noise. Obviously part of the vibe at a baseball game is the laid-back atmosphere, but when the game gets interesting the crowd will be on the edge of their seats. At Base Corps home games, the Pep Corps (a small fan spirit band affiliated with the team) will play songs and cadences, alternating with the organist and licensed music played on the PA. Some Drawkian fans are known to heckle opposing players, but most are pretty respectful and just happy to watch a game.

Due to the lack of contiguous series for this particular WBC group stage, DISC decided to simplify travel and keep all games at HCN Field for this cycle. It's possible future cycles will see the return of other classic Drawkian baseball venues hosting Base Corps games.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers/scoring events: Yes.
Choose my lineup: No, select the corresponding lineup above.
Choose my pitcher: No, follow the rotation above.
RP injuries to my players: Nothing career-ending. Alert me if it's more than a couple games.
Godmod scoring events: Within reason.
Godmod injuries to my players: Not without prior consultation.
Godmod other events: As long as it doesn't destroy my nation or my organization, I'm fine with most things.
Eject my players: Yes, within reason.
Use ABS and other review systems at home: Yes.
Use DH at home: Yes.

As far as permissions go, as long as it doesn't totally wreck me, I don't mind. TG me if you do something major, but don't feel the need to alert beforehand.
As far as lineup/rotation goes, follow the rotation and use the lineup that corresponds with the DH status and pitcher handedness. Slight modifications are fine but keep the core intact.

by **Serdtgyu** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:26 pm

Serdtgyu Baseball
Head Coach: Derrt Flin
Inspired by the somewhat successful campaign in cricket, Serdtgyu decided to take one Hyster and a bunch of randoms and make a baseball team.

1. 3B L Cyp Hyster
2. DH S/L Jorv Inshur
3. 1B R Intrux Ves
4. CF L Zyrk Deayin
5. RF R Urm Bumnin
6. 2B R Asderol Wead
7. SS R Nol Sawinop
8. C S/L Yrt Mesk
9. LF L O Ewsfik*

*when at home or other places without DH, DH takes LF position, Ewsfik is benched, pitcher bats 9th

PITCHERS
SP L Nuklim Zerl
SP R Bitvor Røxhe
SP R Aiwur Roun
RP R Zyp Lifter
RP R Mäz Rugg
RP L Sælåon Ber

JERSEY:

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: TG/DM
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: TG/DM
Eject my players: TG/DM
Godmod other events: TG/DM
Use DH at home: No

by **South Newlandia** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:34 pm

Some time before the start of the World Baseball Classic, after the group draw was announced, somewhere in Elephant Valley

Glad to see you, Sofia.
Glad to see you, too, coach. It's nice that we could make this work again, really helps the rest of the team to prepare mentally before things actually start happening.
It also helps me to get on the same page with everyone. I assume you've seen the Group Draw already?
Of course I have. It looks interesting to me, a new host, a new format, some familiar faces. Knowing you, you'll want to get through it systematically?
I'd appreciate that. Our schedule starts with a bye, which I like, because it allows us to just sit back and observe what the other teams are working with on the first matchday. After that, our opener is in Garifunya. The Dolfijen, I've read -- they're making their WBC debut, and it's been a while since they were involved in any kind of international sporting event.
But their track record suggests they could be dangerous.
Most of their starters are right-handers, so they should match up well against us, at least in theory. Certainly a dark horse candidate to make it out of the group, we'll need to be careful.
And then we get to our home opener. I've been looking forward to talking to you about this one ever since I've seen it.
Well, you know. Scootalove City.
We'll raise a banner ahead of the game. I know it made sense to raise a runner-up banner after they made it to the WBC51 championship -- I watched it happen on TV -- but I do suspect they might not have bothered with it if they'd known we'd eventually wind up with five of those things.
The Base Corps wishes they'd have this kind of problem.
Fair enough. Either way, how do you feel about the unicorns? And Contrail Nova in particular, seems like she'll be part of the team.
Please don't mention it. Either way, I think the unicorns are a team we shouldn't underestimate in the slightest. It's really tough to project how they'll do as of now.
No lead is ever safe against them.
Please stop. [Editors note: Franklin Bell and the Drawkian Base Corps infamously lost to Scootalove City in the Round of 16 during WBC41, in which the Base Corps led 10-3 in the bottom of the ninth in the decisive game 5 only to allow a miraculous comeback. The Base Corps would take nearly 30 more years to finally reach a WBC Quarterfinal, frequently finding new ways to collapse. Clearly, the series 40-odd years ago remains a sore subject for the Drawkian.]
It should be some fun trips at the very least. Next up on the list is Eshialand.
Very much the second favourites in the group. Eshialand really pushed Liventia in the Round of 16 last time out, and the Owls have been a very consistent team in past WBCs. It feels like they're just waiting for another breakthrough deep run after their third place finish a couple years back. They're also reigning Esportivan champions, and they walloped us in that tournament, too.
Yeah, that was an ugly one. Fortunately the Esportivan Baseball Trophy hasn't been particularly predictive in the past. And it looks like their roster has a suspicious lack of kings on it this time.
They'll still look to improve their inexplicably poor record against South Newlandia. We'll see, but certainly a team where I wouldn't be overly upset about splitting games. Next matchup is Haltoria. They went 11-19 on debut last time. Solid effort for a young team. They feel prone to improve upon that record, but it'll be a tough road for them to make it out of the group. Information about them is certainly hard to come by, though, so we'll have to do our best to prepare adequately.
Moving on, probably my favourite opponent coming up, it is Valentine Z.
Interestingly also went 11-19 last time out, which certainly felt a bit underwhelming. They, too, are candidates for a breakthrough.
It helps that they probably have the best kit in the group?
Maybe.
I just hope I don't have to throw up going through portals as much anymore. Last opponent is Serdtgyu, a third debutant team.
Tough to say much about them at this stage. Not a lot of depth on there. It will be nice to finish the Group Stage at home, though.
Speaking of finishing the Group Stage, how do you feel about Liventia? I'm pretty excited actually. I've been talking to Sofia Gayakwad, the South Newlandian cricket all-rounder, and she's only got good things to say about the country. Our daughters go to the same school.
Small country.
Literally. They like their bat-and-ball sports there, and their athletic competitions in general. You have to if you're gonna host the Olympics.
I’ve read that they’ll let the teams that advance choose their own Liventian quasi-home-venue.
Oh, that is interesting. Any thoughts yet on which one?
I haven’t gone through the specific list yet. I don’t like to plan these kinds of things before we’re assured that it’ll matter. I should have enough time to work it out if we do make it through, but conceptually, I’d like to avoid the major Liventian cities, especially the home venues of the Red-and-Gold. I think it’ll likely be one of their smaller stadiums, maybe one in the middle of the country, to make sure travel isn’t too big of an issue. And of course, a stadium that favours our right-handed batters. I’ll scope it out, I’m sure they have something checking those boxes.

by **Archalit** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:44 pm

What is the ABL?

Before we get on with the storytelling, we need to understand what exactly the ABL is. As you might've guessed, the ABL stands for the "Archalit Baseball League," Archalit's domestic league for baseball. The ABL is a niche of a niche sport in Archalit however, with low viewership and mostly amateurish player quality. Nevertheless, the league has persisted through thick and thin, being one of the longest standing sports leagues in Archalit history.

ABL is, and has always been, a six team league broken into two divisions: the "Sea League" and the "Land League." You may suspect these have to do with the geographical proximity these teams have to the sea, which is mostly accurate (the one exception being Redbranch, a city with a land league team that sits on Archalit's coastline). The Sea League teams consist of the Vinovia Pigeons, the Bolsvoort Blues, and the Charkara Pandas, while the Land League consists of the Ironpeak Invaders, the Redbranch Cowboys, and the Saich Nationals.

The ABL is a much shorter league than many other domestic leagues across the multiverse, consisting of a short 42 game season across late-phase 3 and through phase 4 of the Archalitian calendar*. Throughout the season, teams play 4 3-game series against each league rival and 2 3-game series against each team from the opposing league, totalling 42 games. With an 82 day time-frame before the playoff, the season includes three week-long breaks and 1-2 day breaks between each series. At the end of this stretch, the teams with the best records in each league face off in a 7 game championship series to crown the ABL champion for the season.

In order to build up rosters for the ABL, teams draft prospective players over five rounds before each season begins. With each team earning one selection per round, this makes 30 total players drafted in the league. Each drafted player earns a signing bonus, then teams adjust their roster to fit the 26 person limit. Without a farm system, this may seem to make it especially hard for hopeful players to reach the ABL, but the talent pool is typically low enough that most hard-working players will make the cut.

How do you find those players? Through the schools! There is an Archalit high school tournament, with a regional qualifier and the "National High School Baseball Championship," with 32 teams in a one-game single elimination bracket, though it is worth mentioning that many teams, even the best, rarely ever fill out 26 people, and many teams at the national championships will field only 10 or 11 players. Regional qualifiers tend to be very easy to qualify through with decent coaching so even the national championships isn't especially high calibre competition when compared with other high school championships in other sporting nations. However, it serves the important purpose of scouting players for the university circuit. The university championships is relatively stronger, as one would expect, though many players on any given rotation are still amateur or casual players.

Currently, the top hitters in the league are Matt Drake and Panagiotakis Kappou, both with a career OPS over 0.950. If any hitters in the league had a chance to go abroad, it would be one of those two. These two players can be found on the Archalit NT as infielders, both having decent defensive capabilities. On the pitching side, the best pitcher in the league is the relief pitcher (acting as the closer for Archalit's NT) Denton Knox. As the only pitcher who can consistently pitch over 95 MPH with his four-seamer, most players in the ABL aren't adjusted to his velocity and so he tends to generate a lot of swing-and-miss. For many other top pitchers, the much more lucrative profession is control pitching, with a deep pitch arsenal that lets them generate a lot of bad contact and beat out the majority of hitters in the ABL.

Those are the essentials of the ABL. Everything else comes down to the details, and you'll be seeing many more of those in the near future.

* Archalit's calendar is 365 days across six evenly-spaced phases and are named simply by their phase number (OOC: this means phase 4 is roughly equivalent to July and August).

Upcoming Lineups

by **Liventia** » Mon Oct 05, 2026 1:59 pm

Matchday 1

Group 1
Liventia                              0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 0  6
Montesoro                             0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Natkr                                 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
The Kytler Peninsulae                 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0  2

The Crusader Order of Prussia         2 3 1 2 0 3 0 2 1 14
Valanora                              0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  2

Group 2
Garifunya                             1 0 4 0 0 2 0 2 0  9
Serdtgyu                              0 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 1  7

Scootalove City                       0 0 0 3 0 0 2 2 4 11
Valentine Z                           0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0  4

Eshialand                             4 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 0  9
Haltoria                              0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0  3

Group 3
Archalit                              0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  5
Paradystopia                          0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  4

Quebec and Shingoryeo                 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 0  5
Montesina                             0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  2

Narahn                                0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1
New Montreal States                   0 4 0 3 0 1 0 1 X  9

Group 4
Jaliserra                             0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 1  5
Austroguinea                          0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0  4

Andso Mangis                          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Chromatika                            1 0 0 1 0 6 0 0 X  8

Kamijiro                              0 1 1 0 0 4 2 0 1  9
HimDyr                                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1  3

Group 5
Sword Island                          0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
The Martian Independent Republic      0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2  3

Milchama                              1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1  4
Zenic                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Vaishnavaria                          1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0  3
Zwangzug                              0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

Group 6
Brusselstein                          0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  2
Crpostran                             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Cardenao                              0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2
The Batavia                           0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

TJUN-ia                               0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  2
Drawkland                             1 0 5 1 1 0 1 0 X  9

Matchday 2 and standings

Group 1
The Kytler Peninsulae                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  3
The Crusader Order of Prussia         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Montesoro                             0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1  4
Natkr                                 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  3

Loyo                                  0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1  3
Liventia                              1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 X  4


  Group 1                              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Liventia                               2    2   0    10    6   +4    1.000
2 Montesoro                              2    1   1     7    9   −2    0.500
3 Natkr                                  2    1   1     6    6    0    0.500
4 The Kytler Peninsulae                  2    1   1     5    3   +2    0.500
5 The Crusader Order of Prussia          2    1   1    14    5   +9    0.500
6 Loyo                                   1    0   1     3    4   −1    0.000
7 Valanora                               1    0   1     2   14  −12    0.000

Group 2
Valentine Z                           0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Eshialand                             0 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 X  7

Serdtgyu                              0 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 0  5
Scootalove City                       0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 X  6

South Newlandia                       0 0 1 0 0 2 0 5 0  8
Garifunya                             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0


  Group 2                              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Eshialand                              2    2   0    16    4  +12    1.000
2 Scootalove City                        2    2   0    17    9   +8    1.000
3 South Newlandia                        1    1   0     8    0   +8    1.000
4 Garifunya                              2    1   1     9   15   −6    0.500
5 Serdtgyu                               2    0   2    12   15   −3    0.000
6 Haltoria                               1    0   1     3    9   −6    0.000
7 Valentine Z                            2    0   2     5   18  −13    0.000

Group 3
Montesina                             0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 1  5
Narahn                                0 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0  4

Paradystopia                          1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0  5
Quebec and Shingoryeo                 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 3 X  6

Ko-oren                               0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Archalit                              0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 X  3


  Group 3                              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                  2    2   0    11    7   +4    1.000
2 Archalit                               2    2   0     8    6   +2    1.000
3 New Montreal States                    1    1   0     9    1   +8    1.000
4 Montesina                              2    1   1     7    9   −2    0.500
5 Ko-oren                                1    0   1     2    3   −1    0.000
6 Paradystopia                           2    0   2     9   11   −2    0.000
7 Narahn                                 2    0   2     5   14   −9    0.000

Group 4
Chromatika                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  4
Kamijiro                              0 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 X  7

Austroguinea                          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Andso Mangis                          0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 X  3

Banija                                0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6  8
Jaliserra                             0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2


  Group 4                              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Kamijiro                               2    2   0    16    7   +9    1.000
2 Banija                                 1    1   0     8    2   +6    1.000
3 Chromatika                             2    1   1    12    7   +5    0.500
4 Jaliserra                              2    1   1     7   12   −5    0.500
5 Andso Mangis                           2    1   1     3    9   −6    0.500
6 Austroguinea                           2    0   2     5    8   −3    0.000
7 HimDyr                                 1    0   1     3    9   −6    0.000

Group 5
Zenic                                 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
Vaishnavaria                          3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  4

The Martian Independent Republic      0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0  4
Milchama                              0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  5

Nortallius                            1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  3
Sword Island                          0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 X  4


  Group 5                              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Milchama                               2    2   0     9    4   +5    1.000
2 Vaishnavaria                           2    2   0     7    3   +4    1.000
3 The Martian Independent Republic       2    1   1     7    6   +1    0.500
4 Sword Island                           2    1   1     5    6   −1    0.500
5 Nortallius                             1    0   1     3    4   −1    0.000
6 Zwangzug                               1    0   1     1    3   −2    0.000
7 Zenic                                  2    0   2     2    8   −6    0.000

Group 6
The Batavia                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
TJUN-ia                               0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 X  3

Crpostran                             0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Cardenao                              0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 X  4

Serkovy                               0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 6 0  9
Brusselstein                          0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 6 2 11


  Group 6                              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Brusselstein                           2    2   0    13    9   +4    1.000
  Cardenao                               2    2   0     6    2   +4    1.000
3 Drawkland                              1    1   0     9    2   +7    1.000
4 TJUN-ia                                2    1   1     5    9   −4    0.500
5 Serkovy                                1    0   1     9   11   −2    0.000
6 The Batavia                            2    0   2     1    5   −4    0.000
7 Crpostran                              2    0   2     1    6   −5    0.000

by **Montesoro** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 3:04 am

Manager: Manuel Henriquez
Coaches: Diego Barreto (hitting), Marco Betancourt (pitching), Danny Jaramillo (assistant manager, pitching), Roberto Pirela (first base), Fernando Ruiz (bench), Edgar Rincon (third base)

SP Johan Zambrano (L/L)
SP Rafael Villarroel (R/R)
SP Cruz Gimenez (L/L)
SP Alexander Paredes (L/L)
SP Asdrúbal Sanchez (R/R)

RP Felipe Guzmán (L/L)
RP Alvaro Ramos (R/R)
RP Williams Prieto (R/R)
RP José Portillo (R/R)
RP Domingo Machado (L/L)
RP Henry Guillén (R/R)
RP Juan Andrés Fernandez (R/R)
RP Ronald Colmenares (L/L)

CL Roberto Arismendi (R/R)
CL Gregorio Castellanos (R/R)

C Diego Pineda (R/R)
C/1B Orlando Quintero (R/R)

1B Alirio Murakami (R/R)
2B Luís Chavez (L/R)
2B Jairo Romero (R/R)
2B/SS Ivan Franco (L/R)
3B Rafael Montilla (R/R)
3B Richard Morales (R/R)
SS Oswaldo Rivera (S/R)

LF Carlos Lugo Jr. (L/L)
LF Luís Araujo (L/L)
RF Raul Guzmán (R/R)
RF Kervin Noguera (L/R)
OF Francisco Yepez (R/R)
UT Gilberto Millan (R/R)

RP Permissions
Choose my runscorers: Y
Choose my lineup: Y
Choose my scoring events: Y
Follow my pitching rotation: Y
Use DH at home: Y
Use ABS and other review systems at home: N
Eject my players: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my players: N
Godmod other events: N

Home stadium: Estadio de Béisbol Diego Hurtado, Tunzón, Caroyana
Capacity: 23,000
LF: 333 ft.
CF: 403 ft.
RF: 328 ft.
Artificial turf.

by **Montesoro** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 5:02 am

Montesoro threatened to make a splash on their World Baseball Classic debut, though they were ultimately unable to hold onto their unexpected lead against hosts and WBC veterans Liventia. A packed Estadio de Béisbol Diego Hurtado welcomed the Liventians for the opening game of the 63rd WBC, the first for which the Montesorins had qualified. Oswaldo Rivera put Montesoro on board in the 2nd inning, drawing a walk and scoring on a Raul Guzmán groundball single to left field as visiting pitcher Spencer Littlejohns got himself into a jam. Two further runs were scored as Diego Pineda drew a bases loaded walk and Luís Araujo poked a groundball single before Littlejohns managed to retire the side. On the mound for Montesoro, southpaw ace Johan Zambrano was cruising, with 5 hitless innings spoiled only by a single walk to start, before Phil Cropper overcame the platoon disadvantage to hit a groundball into center to lead off the sixth. Zambrano was pulled, and Henry Guillén couldn't stop the inherited runner scoring as he gave up a single and a sacrifice fly, his own earned run scoring on a subsequent single. Liventia took the lead in the next inning, with captain Kane Merrell driving a 2-run homer off Felipe Guzmán to deep left-center. A horrible throw by substitute first baseman Orlando Quintero, normally a catcher, allowed another run in the inning to extend the lead to 2, and another was added in the 8th, with Douglas Budden hitting a line drive down the left field line and haring around the bases to third, then scoring on a deep flyout from two-way player Tyler Cockburn. Though the eventual result was disappointing, Montesoro could take much heart from a performance in which they were far from blown away by the superior team.

The positions were reversed in their second game. Travelling away for the first time, they paced some red hot heat on the mound as Natkr's starting pitcher was perfect through five innings: 15 up, 15 down, before Carlos Lugo Jr. finally managed to get on base via a walk to lead off the 6th. By then Montesoro had already fallen 2-0 behind, Rafael Villarroel surrendering two solo home runs in a much less confident outing than Zambrano's. Lugo Jr., who had survived a force-out thanks to a throwing error from third base, eventually scored on a Luís Chavez frozen rope single. Rivera hit a 2-run double in the 7th to take the lead, but the game swung back in the 8th as Guillén continued to struggle with his relief role, giving up two hits to allow a run. But it was Rivera who was the hero, again, hitting Montesoro's first ever WBC home run in a highly unusual 9th inning: Natkr's closer registered the rare achievement of striking out four batters in a single inning as Lugo Jr. swung at a wild pitch and hustled to first before the catcher could make the play. One for the history books, but probably small consolation compared to blowing the save and giving up the loss. Gregorio Castellanos touched three figures on the speed gun in a 9th inning to close out for the win. The game was also marked by an unfortunate injury to Rafael Montilla, who collided with a Natkr baserunner and left the game: Richard Morales will take the third base role for now and Montilla may be replaced in the roster based on his prognosis.

by **Zwangzug** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 6:25 am

The Arlington Moon-Tribune

Welcome to the Arlington Moon-Tribune's new feature on "This Day in Baseball History." Unlike stupid radio color commentators, who only interrupt with "this day in baseball history" during interesting periods of action and distract from the buildup, our content is provided to be read at your own pace, preferably when there's not a game going on.

Of course, every calendar system is different, and so any day technically could be this day in baseball history. We hope to strike a balance between relatively faithful representations of time, and cheating where we feel like it's worthwhile.

Just two cycles ago, Zwangzug reached the quarterfinals of WBC61 in the Kytler Peninsulae. Playing at the Angel of Liberation Park in Alaer, they were eliminated by the "Reapers" of Quebec and Shingoryeo. The Reapers won game 2 with a walkoff home run in the tenth inning from Jeong-Woon Yi, which also scored Eunice Ryan-Gekas.

Corey Southland was on that team. "I think it's fair to say that Quebec has reaped a bountiful harvest from that tournament--I mean, they're top seeds now," he recalled. The Alaer ballpark itself was also a memorable feature of that series. "From what little I know of Kytlerian politics, it can be kind of dark and depressing at times. I wouldn't normally associate them with angels. But there they are, with two enormous walls in the outfield. Unfortunately Yi poked it to center field, so it didn't need that much altitude to get out."

Deirdre Woollongong surrendered the homer. Now retired as a player, she works part-time with college-level players who are recovering from injuries. "A lot of times people will say that it's hard for stars to go into coaching, because what comes so naturally to us is almost impossible to translate into words for someone else to do," she noted. "With players who are rehabbing, it's different. I'm not necessarily teaching them how to compete at international level; we're both focused on the basic, routine motions of staying in shape between appearances. It feels good to be able to share my knowledge in this way, even though the worst setbacks I've ever had weren't the kind that landed me in the hospital."

by **Valentine Z** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 7:09 am

Part 0 – Same old, same old.

(A lot of is copy-pasted from the previous season. The first paragraph is a fresh write-up, the players are aged up. RP perms also updated. Please see here for reference.)

Lt. Col. Farzin Alexzander Marcus Dylan Marquis Nelson Vox. “گاهشمار” Danesh Tobias Rockington Caleb Riley Harv. Heydar S. Philip Safavi Yvonnes Johannes Vixer Dexter Lenn. Farad Arsalan: I could have sworn that we missed a season but apparently not. Well, let’s try again, why not? Though… I already had a somewhat bad feeling about this with the 0-2 out the door. We were not up to our usual energy yet, let’s call this practice. Other than that, well, I don’t really have anything else to say, really. I can only hope the best for this season. Let’s just once again hope that no one will get injured, let alone permanently. Or death. Hey, deaths are absolutely possible, all for the worst.

Our home stadium. It is named Genesis Stadium, also known as 起源in Japanese, which we believe translated to mean “Origin”. Located in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, Vostrov, Autonomous Territory of Valentine Z. With a massive seating capacity of 80,000, this was where many started off their baseball careers for domestic leagues, and also where it ends. We believe in the start and the end to be at the same location, something like that. Our proud, clean, compassionate, and cheerful nation of Valentine Z can be accessed mainly by interdimensional portals, which are accommodating to modern airplanes. In other words, simply ask one of the Valentians (you know when you see one), or ask Chief Aviator Eveline Gwen Tracer Hepburn “Fate of Existence and the Omniverse” Ellen Trixie Caitlin Foxworthy Avril Verlene Celinda Sammy Doris T-Rev Oxton Arielle Lindall Leslie Vitesse Allison. She is the primary person who is in charge of these portals, and she will make sure that your travels and visits to Valentine Z are as harmless as possible. We do hope to see you there and wish everyone all the best for this second season of ours!

Visuals and Kits.

Roster.

No  -  Name                                         - Gender -  1x Hgt  -  Age  -  Role        -  Location

31  -  Riley Kimberly Valeria Samara Kosa Evans     -  F     -  251.25  -  60   -  01 - DH     -  Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, United States of America, Voorzichtigheid, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
20  -  Ethan Sam Sienna "BB Mk. 8" Henderson        -  AI/M  -  250.00  -  10   -  02 - C      -  Isalov Industries, Raleigh, North Carolina, Voorzichtigheid, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
47  -  Erika Sedigheh Golpar Maysameh Sahni         -  F     -  237.70  -  41   -  03 - 1B     -  Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Valentine Z
14  -  Morozov Lev Adrian Yulian Timurovich         -  M     -  233.80  -  36   -  04 - 2B     -  Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, Victoriaans Nederlands, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
10  -  Gemma Eloise Isla Evelyn V Robinson          -  F     -  239.07  -  56   -  05 - 3B     -  Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Alanis Star, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
91  -  Fuscolo Lieto Durante Edda Chiarini          -  M     -  238.69  -  63   -  06 - SS     -  Verona, Veneto, Italy, Valentine Z
41  -  Leticia Itziar Ines Scarlett Castañeda       -  F     -  241.87  -  34   -  07 - LF     -  Oviedo, Asturias, Spain, Valentine Z
93  -  Qr'aft Ariuk Z Safwa'tik el-Ut'kayaxe        -  M     -  244.44  -  446  -  08 - CF     -  Sector 78-239, Planet 13-097-301, Galaxy z8_GND_5296, Relative Universe Coordinate [48,56,-58]
6   -  James Twahir Marshall Betty Kadenge          -  M     -  234.48  -  43   -  09 - RF     -  Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, Valentine Z

28  -  Benedito Lima Cabaguil Lizbeth de Matos      -  F     -  236.40  -  44   -  10 - SP1    -  Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Alanis Star, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
3   -  Doria Allison Achik "BB Mk. 8" Urcaguary     -  AI/F  -  250.00  -  11   -  11 - SP2    -  Harumi Robotics, Lima, Peru, Alanis Star, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
25  -  Claudia Anna Ava Sabina Schmetterling        -  F     -  234.13  -  54   -  12 - SP3    -  Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Victoriaans Nederlands, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
7   -  Anne Breya Vivienne Jolana Rodenberg         -  F     -  237.87  -  57   -  13 - SP4    -  Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Victoriaans Nederlands, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
96  -  Efthimia Aspasia Katrina Maro Kondiadi       -  F     -  243.90  -  40   -  14 - SP5    -  Volos, Thessaly, Greece, Valentine Z

22  -  Trina Safiyeh G Tidani Finhas Mesfin         -  F     -  243.77  -  58   -  15 - BP1    -  Adama, Oromia, Ethiopia, Valentine Z
86  -  Zeinab Nima Hassan Joyce Aldama Bol          -  O     -  235.03  -  65   -  16 - BP2    -  Juba, Central Equatoria, South Sudan, Valentine Z
65  -  Milena Irene Kaja Sławomir Gałczyńska        -  F     -  243.79  -  47   -  17 - BP3    -  Ojców, Kraków Powiat, Poland, Victoriaans Nederlands, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
68  -  Cristian Alonzo Alexa Mayuasiri Magrina      -  M     -  236.20  -  36   -  18 - BP4    -  Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, Alanis Star, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
38  -  Layla Ozawa Yūki Shirai Mi-yeon Yoshika      -  O     -  236.73  -  53   -  19 - BP5    -  Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, Vostrov, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
50  -  Bhavabhuti Rajendra Veer Govinda Maity       -  M     -  241.75  -  40   -  20 - BP6    -  Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, Valentine Z
1   -  Maxmilián Milan Václav Adriana Kovář         -  M     -  238.53  -  55   -  21 - BP7    -  Hrádek nad Nisou, Liberec, Czech Republic, Valentine Z

5   -  Denisa Coszcatl Osţÿa Vee'H Ñaupari          -  F     -  233.26  -  59   -  22 - SUB C  -  Sector 41-331, Planet 23-196-320, Galaxy PGC 2842, Relative Universe Coordinate [-224,8650,10008]

8   -  Catherine Stella Aye Khin Than Yaw Zin       -  F     -  234.54  -  61   -  23 - UP1    -  Lashio, Shan State, Burma, Valentine Z
94  -  Denis Aypolat Yasa Negasi A Şamdereli        -  M     -  242.78  -  60   -  24 - UP2    -  Istanbul, Marmara, Turkey, Valentine Z
37  -  Vennie Sakeem Jude Holland Veora Atkins      -  M     -  238.51  -  37   -  25 - UP3    -  Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Voorzichtigheid, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z
77  -  Osaki Ishida Gavril Krasimir Teinosuke       -  M     -  233.32  -  30   -  26 - UP4    -  Hakodate, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, Vostrov, Autonomous Region of Valentine Z

DH    = Designated Hitter.
SP    = Starting Pitcher.
BP    = Bullpen.
SUB C = Substitute Catcher.
UP    = Utility Players.

(All in order of preference.)

RP Permissions.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes!
Choose my lineup: Yes!
Choose my scoring events: Yes!
Follow my pitching rotation: Preferably, but if you have something else... let me know first!
Use DH at home: Yes!
Use ABS and other review systems at home: Yup.
Eject my players: Let me know first.
Godmod scoring events: Can, so long as we are not fouling.
RP injuries to my players: Do not injure them permanently! Also let me know first.
Godmod Injuries to my players: Do not injure them permanently! Also let me know first.
Godmod other events: Just no serious injuries, crazy magic, or levelling Valentine Z somehow.

* You may contact me on this nation's TG box (please don't send anywhere else, it might get lost), or Discord via eveline_gwen_t_allison_hepburn. You can ignore the DND status, feel free to ping me anytime!

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 7:30 am

Baseball. The sport we all love to love and hate in equal measure. Sometimes, it can dazzle the minds in its chaos and flow, while at other times, it can frustrate in the 1093 ways you can lose a ballgame. TJUN-ia has lived through both the highs and the lows of this sport in all of its glory, and Vojtěch Heyrovský's time in charge has also seen it all, but right now, TJUN-ia is 13th in the world - good enough to make the Playoffs, but not good enough to make a deep run when we're there. He wants to change that, of course, but with a debate swirling about female players having to play Softball at the upcoming Olympic Games for a nation that is co-ed in both sports, the main point of conversation might not be what he does in this WBC. But the mission remains the same - make the Playoffs and see what happens after that. With everyone playing each other four times in this group stage, the battles to come are long and numerous...so let's get into it.

TJUN-ia 2-9 Drawkland
Just like the World Bowl, the journey for the Battin' Jaguars would begin in Drawkland as the Base Corps welcomed us to Hydrogen Cyanide Field, hoping to show us as much mercy as the World Bowl Opener in recent times. Joseph "JoJo" McAlbo would start against Jeremy Floriano in his first start, and considering what happened here...maybe we shouldn't have bothered turning up. Elizabeth Houston started the scoring immediately; Idelys DiOrio had to wait until the 3rd to get one back...and then the hosts scored 5 in the bottom of the 3rd. The game was over right there...and that's all you need to say about that.

The Batavia 0-3 TJUN-ia
Just like those Jaguars on the Gridiron, the first home game would be the bounceback moment as we took on The Batavia at Rounders Field. Peter Glendinning started this one, and while it was scoreless after the opening four innings, we would finally find our stride soon enough. Maui Aiona with 2, Luke Jaxon got the 3rd and that was all she wrote.

A 1-1 start isn't too bad at all, but we have more to offer in the next few weeks. GO BATTIN' JAGS!

Record Box
Last Games: L 2-9 @Drawkland (5), W 3-0 vs The Batavia (18) in Portside.
Record: 1-1 (4th)
Next Games: @Crpostran (26), vs Serkovy (UR) in New Washington

by **The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 1:15 pm

Reunion and Remembering

The day before South Newlandian match, Contrail and Stuart Nova are exploring Elephant Stadium to get a good feel for the place before the game. Is it also an excuse to just goof off a bit as father and daughter? Also yes. It can be both. After buying a bunch of random silly souvenir novelty elephant fan themed fashion at the official gift shop, they continue exploring the stadium.

Down the hall, Franklin Bell along with other park staff where doing there own check of basic equipment. Equipment for both his team and the visiting team, as well as general quality inspections of the gear. Franklin didn't immediately recognize Stuart, who was in a novelty South Newlandian Elephant bucket hat at the time. Neither did Stuart at first, but getting closer made him flash back to WBC 41. He runs up to Franklin after Stuart mutters "No way that can't be him..." "Hey! Been a long time since ive seen you!" Franklin looks shocked, seeing a ghost from his past. He almost walks away but after hearing the genuine warmth in his voice.

Franklin replies "Hey? Your not here to rub that... event in my face are you?"
"Nah, infact i'm here with my daughter Contrail to check out the stadium and hang out with her a bit." Stuart replies. He reaches out for a hand shake and Franklin shyly shakes his hand.
"Contrail, I'd want to introduce you to Franklin. You probably know him from...well."
"Its nice to meet you Franklin!" Contrail exclaimed. "Thank you ma'am. Its nice to meet you too." He turns, "You had a kid Stuart?"
"Well yeah, I met Rhodochrosite in my 30's. Got married. Eventually we got to know the best person in our lives." Stuart hugs Contrail.
Stuart pulls out his phone and shows Franklin a picture of Contrail's thirteenth birthday. They had rented out a deluxe Stellar Canidae Base room. The room is themed like a hanger for space fighters with the beds shaped like sci fi spacecraft. Skibidi Rizz has pushed Contrails face into a cake. The background has ''Lady' Amalthea the Second getting a napkin Pixie Knight and Bonnie Scotland bursting out laughing and a surprised looking Jannette.

The next image is of Contrail fighting back by throwing cake back at Skibidi Rizz and then the next few images are just a chaotic cake brawl.
After lots of laughing, the final photo shows real cake being brought out.

"We had to pay alot for both cakes and had to plan out if we could do this planed prank. We also had a feeling Contrail would react like that so we asked room service ahead of time how much it would cost to clean up the room... yeah it was a lot but the memories were priceless."

Contrail scoffs in mock betrayal "I can't believe you would team up those two clowns to set me up on my birthday!" She playfully punches her dad's shoulder while smiling.

Franklin responds with a photo of his own. "Reminds me of my nephew's graduation. When Trevor graduated Sadeg State his friends set up a tub of water balloons and dumped it on him." He smiles, the memories of the post graduation chaos are still fresh in his mind.

After more chit chat, the three eventually leave. While that grand slam for Franklin is still a sore spot for him, he's happy to see that Stuart is overall a chill guy when he's off the field. Maybe after this the whole incident became ever so slightly less of a sore spot. Only slightly. When game ten comes around, he will have to look into
Stellar Canidae Base and recommend slides for them to go down when there at the resort for the game.

by **Banija** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 4:12 pm

The Busukuma Post
Covering All of Banija, All of our News, All of the Time

Banijan Census Preview- Big changes coming as census draws down to a close

BUSUKUMA, NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION- The Banijan Census Board has been working diligently, over the past 6 months, as part of a critical process- it happens so infrequently, and yet, the consequences are always profound. Yes- that is the Banijan census. The last one hit a constitutional trigger, that caused Banija's Lukiiko to expand from 500, to 600 members, after the population got over a certain amount of people. But this one, while not expanding the Lukiiko, is going to be critical for all sorts of reasons.

#1 - The first ever official count for Lugave, and the Northern Territories

Since the last census, of course, there has been plenty of population growth within Banija. So re-apportionment, of course, is at the top of minds. But even more critically- Banija's borders have changed, dramatically, since the last census. We are now a transcontinental nation, for the very first time- sea to shining sea. We have a northern coast, to go along with our southern and western (well, now southwestern) coasts. But while Lugave and the Northern Territories have now legally been part of Banija for a number of years, population data has been based off of their former governmental data. Now, the Banijans will be collecting the data as we do within our own country- and that will have big consequences.

Obviously, the biggest consequence is re-apportionment- which we will get to later on. But when you talk about integrating these two new northern economies into Banija, and bringing up their standard of living with the rest of the country- well, getting this most accurate data will help when it comes to figuring out how the government can investment in these places. From knowing exactly where to focus road-building v. public transit investment, other infrastructure data, educational investment- the building of plenty of state-backed universities, for one.

#2 - Lugave will be apportioned into the Lukiiko- While the Northern Territories will be on the outside looking in

This will be the first proper apportionment for Lugave, which means that this state will soon be able to get its proper number of elected representatives. How does this work? Well, for those who do not know. The Lukiiko has a hybrid election system. There are 600 seats in the Lukiiko. This is a fixed number. 300, are elected in constituencies, drawn by various state electoral boards- and each state is apportioned a number of seats, by population. Aka, a state has 25% of Banija's population, they'll have 75 seats. Here is the current apportionment of these 300 seats- well, technically at the moment it is 304, as Lugave was given four seats in the Lukiiko until the next regularly scheduled census.

Region	Total Population	% of Population	Total Seats	Re-Apportionment	Population Per Seat
Moravica	32,936,635	24.6%	73	+10	451,187
Kitara	19,996,373	14.9%	44	+11	454,463
Buganda	12,172,382	9.1%	28	+4	434,728
Bunyoro	15,293,282	11.4%	34	+4	449,802
Ankole	17,393,382	13.0%	38	+5	457,721
Hangaza*	21,392,000	16.0%	47	+8	455,149
Mukegara*	52,000	N/A	1	+/- 0	52,000
National Capitol Region**	3,928,000	2.9%	10	+2	392,800
Aksum	10,748,112	8.0%	25	+6	429,924
Total	133,912,166	100%	300	+50	446,374

*= Mukegara are an autonomous tribe that are located within Hangaza. Because of their constitutionally guaranteed autonomy, they are guaranteed exactly 1 constituency seat in the Lukiiko, and do not vote in proportional list.
**= National Capitol Region has co-terminus boundaries with the City of Busukuma.

For more details, Read here.

Last time, of course, they had went from 250 FPTP seats, to 300 seats- so every state was gaining. But now, it's a zero sum game- so we'll see what states will be the biggest losers. This, of course, will have some serious political consequences- and it is hard to say what consequences those will have. Will the right-leaning areas (like Moravica & Aksum), or the left-leaning areas (like Ankole & Busukuma) be winners or losers here? It will be fascinating.

Lugave, of course, is a full state- a co-equal state, on the same level as the other Banijan states. Not sovereign, of course, as the various states of Banija are creations of the state, not the other way around. But the Northern Territories, formerly Abahamba, are simply considered just that- territories. Ergo, no right to representation in the Lukiiko, and while that remains the 'long-term' plan of the government, they are taking time to 'Banijan-ize' the Territories. Whatever that means. It is still under 'direct rule', aka under the direct rule of the Banijan central government- although the government has confirmed that when the census is carried out, they will set up a responsible, Territorial Government.

All of former Abahamba will get just 4, non-voting elected members of the Lukiiko, all elected by constituency.

#3 - Communities of Interest- Where are the migrant populations?

Banija has been a strong, powerful country for a couple of generations. So while for the vast majority of our history, we had almost minimal foreign population- there has been plenty of immigration in recent years, helping swell Banija's population growth, as well as ensure and increase Banija's diversity. While, of course, the entire country is not quite a melting pot- the state-backed Mormonism definitely gives a ceiling on that type of growth- there are all sorts of migrant and second-generation communities in Banija.

The census is the best way to dig through that, and it will have great breakdowns on the various groups of people from other countries who call this country home- and many times, who call themselves Banijan.

Banija explodes in the 11th inning as they open the World Baseball Classic with an 8-2, extra inning win over Jaliserra

JALISERRA- The hype and expectations for Banija's return to the WBC, were quite high. After a semifinal run last time out, the ambitions are quite high- although tempered by the fact that many of Banija's superstars. who have defined Banijan baseball for the best part of two decades, are simply not here. First time since WBC 55 that we have a team without Sadiiq Xoosh, Gouta Rehana, or Mutebi Nvunyi- guys who have been the very core of this team for so long. Hell, Xoosh played with Malik Solely- this is the first Banijan NT, all the way since WBC 49, that doesn't have either Malik Solely or Sadiiq Xoosh on the roster. No obvious superstars on this roster. But it's going to be a lot of lineup experimentation, and a lot of shuffling, for the manager.

"What a challenge I have- but what an opportunity for these players." Said Banija's manager, Kingston Jassey. "There will be all sorts of opportunities to be part of a winning team, to make a name for yourself, to accomplish great things for the front of jersey. Every single person this roster- from the bullpen, to the bench, and all the starters, will have to step up in a critical moment- don't shy away from it." And well, his words became true far more quickly than anybody expected- aka, the first game of the tournament!

We started the tourney a day after everybody else, of course, because we had a bye. And against Jaliserra, we had a pitching duel. Baaku Kutate's still got it at age 35, and he was mowing through Jaliserra's lineup- except, of course, during the second inning, when he allowed back-to-back solo home runs, to Jaliserra's #5, and #6 hitter. Otherwise, he threw a gem- 6 innings, 4 hits, 1 walk, and 5 Ks. Threw 98 pitches- he labored, but the manager did not want him going over the century mark so early in the tournament.

Banija's offense, on the other hand, was also shut down by Jaliserra's starter. He was better than Kutate- better than pitch for pitch. 6 innings, 2 hits, just a single earned run- via a Bwire Ssekaana solo shot, in his first ever at-bat for the national team, in the top of the 2nd inning. But when he gave up the ball to his manager in the seventh, and the Jaliserra needed his bullpen to shut down the Banijan lineup, well... That was when our bats woke up. Bwire Ssekaana led off the seventh with a walk, and that got things going for the Banijans. Loboto had a single as well, and then Damba Mukalo, the team's second baseman, grounded into a prototypical 6-4-3 double play- but of course, that advanced Ssekaana from 2nd to third base. Man on third, two out for Banija's #9 hitter. Luzinda had an elite battle- an 11 pitch at-bat, before smacking a RBI double down the left field line. The bottom of the order came through for the Banijans, tying the game at 2.

The game was down to Banija's relievers- scary words for fans of this NT. But the Banijan bullpen, was lights out- everybody's fresh. Ilman Ceesay had a 1-2-3 seventh, LUkomwa threw in the 8th, Jallomo Tate, the closer, pitched in both the 9th and the 10th, while Tshikala Bakika threw in the 11th. Those 4 relievers, threw 5 combined shutout innings- combined for 8 Ks, and allowed just 1 hit, and 1 walk. Fiery. The Banijans were mostly shut down, until the 11th inning came around- and then, everybody came alive. Salia Kamara led off the 11th, and Banija's right fielder was first pitch swinging- and he smoked a solo HR over the wall in left field, 3-2. But that was just the beginning. Suddenly, everybody was getting on base- and the highlight of the 6 run inning, what really broke it open, was the one out, bases loaded, bases clearing double by Damba Mukalo, to break things open. To take the game from 3-2, to 6-2, and put it out of reach.

"It's that killer instinct I need- when there's an opportunity to bury a team, we have to take it, and on this day- we took it." Kingston Jassey told reporters. "It always feels nice to get a win on the first day of the tournament. But as everyone knows- the World Baseball Classic has never been won, or lost, on Matchday 2. There's a lot we got to work on, and figure out- but it's always nice to get one going in the win column."

The Banijans will get on a flight to Hoima, to face off against Andso Mangis on Matchday 3, before traveling to the home of the group leaders, Kamijiro, for a big battle on Matchday 4.

by **Archalit** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 6:41 pm

The ABL Finals
“Runners on the corners with two outs here in the bottom of the 9th at The Saloon with the ABL championships on the line as the cleanup hitter Matt Drake is coming to the plate.” It was really a dream scenario for any baseball player no matter where you play or where you come from. Bottom of the ninth, the team down by two runs, coming up to the plate with the championship on the line.

Pop.

“And this is hit well! It is carrying! Deep left field!” And when you reach that moment, and you deliver everything you have, for just a moment, time freezes. The crowd goes quiet. The air stills. The only movement in the entire stadium is the ball. And just as you notice it, “THAT BALL IS GONE!” The air horns blared. Lights shone across the stadium, extending off into the adjacent sea. In Archalit, at the end of a long season of baseball, and in front of a half empty stadium, the roars of the crowd bathed the city of Redbranch in a cacophany of cheers.

Matt Drake, as confident as he is, jogged the bases with a straight face and stuck his fist in the air. He looked at the walls, the crowd, the lights, soaking in the moment. And when he rounded third to see the rest of the team waiting for him at home, he roared.

“The Redbranch Cowboys walk off the Charkara Pandas! The Redbranch Cowboys win the ABL with a game 7 walk-off for the first time in ABL history!” The season, and the ABL finals, were historic. But not for the legacy of game 7 or the historic stats put up by a number of the league’s players. No, what made this 2047 season of the ABL so historic is what came after.

When Rookies Fly
“Swing and a grounder up to short, Kappou…” As the ball rolled up to the shortstop, with a swift movement, he threw the ball to first and immediately felt a sense of regret. “Tosses to first, and it’s… off the glove of Matt Drake! Matsuoka in to score, and Letha Newich will stay at first with an RBI single and it’s now a one run game!”

Now Denton Knox was feeling the difference. From only giving up two runs in his 2026 campaign with 20 saves over the 42 game season, to already surrendering a run in his second appearance in the closer position. The difference was clear. Better arm speed, better contact, better vision, better players. One out, top of the ninth, a save situation against the eleventh ranked baseball team in the multiverse. He could hold off the Charkara Pandas in the ABL finals, but this situation felt far more important. The crowd was packed. Die-hard Ko-orenite fans filled a fan box that engulfed a third of the stadium’s seating. He felt a shiver run down his spine every time he threw a pitch. Fear and excitement in equal measure.

“Strike three, and Shichirō Aiso goes down looking. Denton Knox just needs one more out to continue this rookie team’s miracle run.” Even though this was only their second game (their first being an extra innings win against Paradystopia), it really was already a miracle. The team of semi-professional (at best) players had already recorded 8 runs in two games against rosters that are, on paper, far better than they were. How miraculous would it be to come out on top in both games.

“The payoff pitch… popped up! Benjaman Roddy drifts into foul territory, and… BALL GAME!” And the team celebrated like they had just won the championships. Two wins, zero losses. The vibes could not be better.

Actually, maybe they could be. After beating the second and third seed in the group, the next game the Pirates had lined up was against the toughest opponent in the tournament, the overall first ranked team in the multiverse, the Grim Reapers, Quebec and Shingoryeo.

Upcoming Lineups

by **Chromatika** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 7:48 pm

Outliers Batter Andso Mangis, Clipped by Kamijiro

Game 1
Andso Mangis                          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Chromatika                            1 0 0 1 0 6 0 0 X  8

Game 2
Chromatika                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  4
Kamijiro                              0 0 0 1 2 2 1 1 X  7

Eddard Friend's home start in Game 1 was exactly what the Outliers needed, going seven strong innings, conceding four hits and striking out eight as the veteran showed that he still has the speed to get by opposition the levels of Andso Mangis. The big inning was the bottom of the sixth, Egorova and Statt getting on to set up a three-run shot by Sturdevantt that cleared the center field fence by a good thirty feet. Chromatika would add on three more runs in that inning and the bullpen would preserve the shutout victory to give the home team their first win.

Their first road trip was to Kamijiro, the #2 seed in the group, Ashleigh Witters taking the mound. With the Chromatik bats being kept at bay, the home team took it to Witters in the fourth through sixth innings, the starter exiting at the bottom of the sixth having given up four runs. They'd add on four runs at the top of the fourth - Sturdevantt driving in three - but the damage was done. It was always going to be difficult to take wins off of Kamijiro on the road - the better question would be if the team could upset them in the home legs instead.

HimDyr will be the only opponent in the next batch of matches, along with the Bye - the team will put Marceaux Justinian on the mound in hopes of getting the victory and improving to 2-1. Sturdevantt has been the only reliable bat through two games, but that was expected of him - and the team will need the same from him and others if they are to reach the heights that they aspire to.

There isn't really a lot that can be decided until the competition completes at least two round-robins. Until then, it's a matter of getting into the groove of things and figuring out what works and what doesn't.

Player Profile: 1B Jackson Mydol
Mydol is an avid avian photographer in the offseason, going to parts of rural Chromatik in order to try to take photos of migratory birds. He's had a lot of fun trying to discover the Rushmori birds that are now going over Chromatika. An only child, he spends a lot of time supporting children's hospitals and other philanthropic ventures of the like. He's been dating his girlfriend for three years, she being a park ranger who works in the Mountain District. A very interesting pro, indeed.

Player Profile: 2B Alena Egorova
The thirty-three year-old has a Computer Science Engineering degree from Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology, and is an avid programmer, having done software development during the offseason when not training. A bit of a homebody, she's not the type to go out very often, but makes up for it by the group of friends that she has - writers, playwrights, and other such literary people. She's very well read, very well put together, and successfully married to one of the biggest names in Chromatik literature - Dré Schmidt. She has a lot waiting for her when her career is over.

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 7:52 pm

The Kytler Peninsulae "Phoenix" National Baseball Team
Official team information for World Baseball Classic 63

Background information
Named the Phoenix in this incarnation after reforming following the Kytlerian Isolation, the Kytlerian national baseball team were quick to break into the business end of multiversal competition - which wasn't new for Kytlerian national teams - but then turned into legitimate championship contenders, which was. (At least in the "Big Five" team sports. Chess is apparently another matter, and in the pre-Isolation era so was lacrosse, but in Big Five competition no Kytlerian team had even made it past the last eight before.)

In WBC61 - a tournament for which the Kytlerians were primary hosts - the Phoenix broke new ground in Kytlerian sport with a staggering playoff run; after a reverse sweep of Hapilopper in the repechage, they swept Banija in the octos, claimed a first Big Five quarterfinal success in Kytlerian history against South Newlandia, then won a thrilling semifinal series against the Drawkian side that were about to replace the Elephants as the top-ranked in the multiverse. Quebec & Shingoryeo denied them a fairytale championship in Alaer, but while the Phoenix relinquished a 3-2 lead in that series it turned out they hadn't blown their only chance; they produced another unlikely run to the championship series in Chromatika the very next cycle, and this time - after the third Game 7 decider in as many cycles, and one between the losers of the prior two at that - actually won it. The biggest single accomplishment in the long, bifurcated history of Kytlerian sport.

Kytlerian baseball has evolved in a distinctive direction, and the origin story for this was the unique way the DH debate was settled here. Under the "Kytlerian Compromise," pitchers bat, but managers have one opportunity per game to sub in a pinch-hitter for the pitcher but not remove the pitcher from the game (the use of this must be declared at the time of the substitution). The pioneering manager Angufams Apyrphung reasoned that if he used this opportunity on the starting pitcher's first plate appearance, then immediately pulled the pitcher on the second, his starter would not only never need to bat but would almost certainly have a low enough load to be able to start on shorter rest next game. After Apyrphung's Clifford Milliners won three Kytlerian Baseball League titles in a row, his methods became increasingly popular across the league, and now it is absolutely standard practice for Kytlerian teams to use a three- (or at most four-)starter rotation on very limited pitch counts; that, of course, means more relief innings (but also more relievers to share them). For simplicity, the Phoenix simply go no-DH in their home games - not because their pitchers aren't a hole in the lineup, but because they're more likely to be able to fill it.

The KBL recently became a feeder league to the newly-introduced Rushmori Elite Baseball League (REBL), a merger with the Tikariotian Baseball League. Although that pretty quickly became awfully controversial following the Tikariotian synthetic RPD scandal...

Phoenix Roster
All players have handedness listed as bats/throws.
All ages are +2 from the last WBC.
All teams are from the Rushmori Elite Baseball League.

Catchers
C/DH #3 Sven Magnusson S/R, 32, Santa Mordana Stars
C/DH #4 Clituleng Wilopteere R/R, 24, Bay City Falcons
C #25 Telma Eyjólfsdóttir S/R, 31, Vengife Legends

Infielders
1B/DH #12 Baldur Valgeirsson R/R, 26, Bay City Falcons
2B/SS #15 Jessica Skirboll S/R, 25, Roddens Tigers
3B/2B #26 Connor Dodd R/R, 27, Alaer Angels
SS/2B #31 Raymond Endycott R/R, 25, Roddens Tigers
3B/RF #32 Clituleng Avilass S/R, 27, Zube Nationals

Outfielders
RF/LF #6 Arndór Asbjørnsson R/R, 35, Santa Mordana Stars
CF/SS #8 Scott Whitley S/R, 26, Florley Flowers
RF/CF #22 Fredrik Färm L/L, 27, Starnwood Racers
CF/LF #29 Fyls Minanad R/R, 28, Zube Nationals
LF/CF #34 Mallory Anderton-Bunney L/L, 26, Carroll Lewiston Thrillers

RP permissions:
Choose my lineup: Y
Choose my pitcher: N, but you can choose how my relievers are handled
Choose my runscorers: Y, but it's recommended to check the scouting report for how they might do it
Choose other statistics: Y
Use DH at home: N
RP injuries to my players: Y, but DM/TG first
RP ejections to my players: Y, but DM/TG first
Godmod events: N

Starting pitchers
SP #9 Þóri Ævarsson L/L, 23, Starnwood Racers
SP #24 Brian O'Carroll L/L, 29, Bay City Falcons
SP #30 Fyls Mopukest R/R, 35, Zube Nationals

Relief pitchers
RP #7 Park Sung-Jae R/R, 32, Alaer Angels
RP #11 Dennis Bigalke R/R, 20, Carroll Lewiston Thrillers
RP/SP #14 Sartiros Cothasat R/R, 33, Starnwood Racers
RP #16 Raymond Dijkstra R/R, 28, Roddens Tigers
RP #17 Dan Costelow L/L, 28, Florley Flowers
RP #21 Brandon Vassell R/R, 29, Starnwood Racers
RP #23 Rempidar Flentang L/L, 28, Bay City Falcons
RP #27 Xavier Zierer-Quigley R/R, 26, Zube Nationals
RP #29 Alex Maradiaga L/L, 28, Santa Mordana Stars
RP/SP #40 Melanie Hebden L/L, 27, Florley Flowers

Coaching staff
Includes but is not limited to...
Manager: Dean Charles
Bench coach: Liam Whyte
Hitting coach: Raymond Gurley
Pitching coach: Shrifflu Taklik

Scouting Report
Executive summary: Arndór Asbjørnsson is arguably the biggest clutch hitter in the multiverse right now; the rest of the lineup are mostly longer on athleticism than consistency. The pitchers in the rotation make 75-pitch-max starts every three games; Mopukest brings the veteran savvy, the other two are big pitchers with big stuff that go big on pounding the zone. Relief options are diverse and plentiful, and just as well considering how much the pen will be required; Park is the veteran closer, Zierer-Quigley the younger flamethrowing alternative.

Catchers: Primary catcher duties will probably still fall to Magnusson, a slap-hitting switch-hitter who is calm to a fault behind the plate, but he may soon be giving way to Wilopteere, an Absolute Unit type whose plate discipline and ball-blocking weaknesses are at least partly offset by his fearsome power and throwing arm. Telma is a cool story - there are few enough women in Kytlerian baseball at all, let alone at catcher - and can absolutely call a game very well for whoever's on the mound, but she's definitely the third catcher here.

Infielders: Meet the new infield duo, same as the old infield duo; with Zoe Anderson injured and Alexander Fox hitting the aging wall, Skirboll and Endycott are like-for-like replacements from the other northwestern REBL team, which is to say that they won't hit many bombs but will hit for average and reduce your ability to do the same. Want bombs? That job falls to Baldur the BFG, filling the gap left by Magnus Álfarsson's shoulder injury. Dodd is a handy utility player who can be no more or less than competent at most defensive positions, while Avilass is a glove-first option at the hot corner with a cannon arm; both have a tendency to give opposing defenders plenty to do themselves, as they make plenty of hard contact but without ideal loft.

Outfielders: Asbjørnsson was meant to only be remembered for his contribution to Kytlerian radio history; now he's the hero of the greatest achievement in Kytlerian team sport history following a string of clutch homers in both of the last two WBC cycles. The other outfield spots are more in flux, with multiple good options and no great ones. The hyper-athletic Färm, an aspiring pro skateboarder before focusing on baseball in his teens, is the best CF defender here; Whitley is another athletic standout with blazing speed who's also a strong option at the six, but plate discipline remains a big problem for him and he could well be ticketed for pinch-runner/defensive replacement duties again; Minanad has more experience and a well-rounded skill set but still tends to strike out a lot, albeit often as a consequence of running deep counts. With Deuce Hampton recovering from UCL surgery, the Phoenix go with a big-name fifth outfielder in Anderton-Bunney; she's not as athletically gifted as the players in front of her, but at least a couple of them could learn from her approach at the plate.

Starting pitchers: The fixed rotation order, pending injury, is Mopukest, O'Carroll, Ævarsson.

Mopukest moved to the rotation from a swingman role for WBC61 and entrenched his clutch reputation there, notably in a one-hit, 19-out start in Game 5 of the Semifinal Series; in the absence of the LPB arms, he was suddenly the WBC62 staff ace and largely played up to that even as he got literally knocked out of the Championship Series after taking a comebacker to the face in GAme 1. He builds his profile around two excellent heaters - a hard four-seamer full of rise from his vertical arm slot, and a two-seamer that offers confounding arm-side run. His offspeed pitches are a changeup that works well at drawing too-early swings but which he sometimes struggles to command, a curveball that can sometimes be spotted out of his hand but which is very effective when it isn't, and a lesser-spotted slider that he's been working into his mix in REBL.

O'Carroll is a 205cm Unit whose wipeout sweeper and scorching four-seamer were big bat-missing pitches even before his command and control levelled up. His secondary pitches (changeup, cutter) remain very much secondary; this super-sized southpaw loves to pound the zone with his two best pitches betting that opposing lineups can't do anything with them - and on the biggest stage of all, in the WBC62 Championship Series against an Ellies lineup that had been destroying lefties, he allowed just two runs in as many starts.

Ævarsson has been likened to O'Carroll since he was still in school, thanks to also being a left-handed Unit ("only" 202cm, but heavier) and also pairing a scary fastball with a big breaker - just a very different one, a vicious knuckle-curve that should not be able to drop as much as it does in as little time as it takes to get to the plate. He also flashes a great changeup, but it can sail on him too often, as can his lesser-used slider. But he has scary stuff and throws it for strikes, sometimes that's all you need, and it turned out WBC62 Game 6 (in which he went hitless in five-plus innings) was one of those times. It's frankly concerning how old he isn't, given what he's done already.

Relief pitchers: Cothasat and Hebden are starters for their KBL clubs, and if a starter gets injured or penned one of them will probably step into the rotation. Cothasat is noted for his sinker/two-seamer - it's hard to tell if that's one pitch or two, but not hard to tell that he draws plenty of weak contact from that sink-and-tail action that allows his relatively modest four-seamer to play up around the top of the zone; he also has a lesser-deployed curveball that can be a surprise strike-stealer at least (and indeed at most). Hebden is a kitchen-sink southpaw junkballer who pitches backwards off her banana of a slow curve and basically throws everything except a fastball worthy of the name; she memorably made the start in WBC62 Game 7 and allowed only one run in four innings.

There's no fixed hierarchy in this pen, and with three of the WBC62 relievers rehabbing UCL tears there's plenty of change too. Quebecois-Kytlerian Park has historically been the first choice for saves, pairing his trademark late-breaking splitter with a four-seam fastball and living off the way those two pitches tunnel (he also has a slider for surprise value); however, he blew saves in both Game 6 and Game 7 of the Championship Series, albeit with the latter being won by the Phoenix in extras anyway. That could hand ninth-inning work over to flamethrowing Zierer-Quigley, whose name has earned him the amusing nickname "Triple Word Score" and whose pitching is a Triple Fastball Mix of four-seamer/two-seamer/splinker that works on a similar level to Park's attack but with more velo and less control. Of the other pure relievers here, Dijkstra and Flentang are sinker-slider guys who draw a lot of groundballs, which works pretty well when you have really good middle infielders behind you; Maradiaga works north-south with a fastball-curveball approach, as does Costelow but with a splinker complicating the equation in his case; Vassell works off the horizontal divide between his tail-heavy sinker and his gyro slider. The most interesting name here is Bigalke, picked up by the Thrillers in the trade that sent O'Carroll to Bay City and playing a swingman role with a view to an eventual starting job in Carroll Lewiston; he pairs a sometimes-erratic upper-150s fastball (97-99 in Vibe Units) with a slider and cutter, both of which he has better feel for. He could well be this roster's likeliest future replacement for Mopukest in the Phoenix rotation.

Home field
Phoenix home games will all take place at Angel of Liberation Park, Alaer (41,093), which hosted the Championship Series of WBC61. Described as "a bandbox on stilts," it has short, approximately-symmetrical dimensions (93m/305' to the corners, 119.5m/392' to CF) with towering outfield walls known as the "angel's wings" that swoop from 5m (16.5') high in CF to double that at the foul poles (yes, 10m high walls 93m from the plate); high-launch-angle types might play up here on the HR front, but broadly speaking this is a doubles park. Think "hypermodern Fenway with an Oops! All Monster wall" for a(n unhinged) RL comp.

by **Milchama** » Tue Oct 06, 2026 9:09 pm

"What a game?!"

"I can't believe it! I fully expected us to cruise in that game and then well..."

"But once the Martians took the lead in the 7th, I was sure that was it"

"Oh absolutely, Rigby's crushing shot off the wall to score 2 clearly looked like the game"

"Miller was absolutely struggling there"

"Yeah, he's a 7 inning pitcher and in these games, sometimes you gotta go to the bullpen early. I mean look at the Mongols who really try to pull pitchers early"

"I know, it's crazy, pulling them after only 6 innings, nuts"

"It's insane"

"As everybody knows, if a starter can get through the first inning unscathed, there is no reason they can't go at least 8"

"Definitely"

"Either way, Miller is just not a workhorse starter"

"Oh yeah, he only pitches around 200 innings a season and rarely throws a complete game"

"6 or 7 innings is nice but that's not even a quality start. Well I guess if you only give up 2 runs in 7 it is but that's pretty rare"

"Yeah, it can be but if you have a quality start it's because you went 8 or 9, not because you only went 7"

"Either way, especially in a tournament like the WBC, Wartsickle should have pulled them"

"Definitely, though I understand the hesitation"

"Me too, I totally understand where he's coming from"

"But we definitely felt screwed"

"Oh yeah, we felt screwed big time"

"But man did the bottom of the order come through"

"Kefauver's double was big but Tannenbaum's perfect bunt, and it was hit! to put runners on first and third was fantastic"

"100% and then even if Krennick struck out, for the pinch hitter Tal Ted to hit that towering fly ball was beautiful"

"Perfect pinch hit at bat, yeah, it looked like a home run for 2 seconds but a deep fly ball was just what the doctor ordered"

"I mean you could see Ted celebrating once he hit it and he knew he didn't have enough"

"Oh that was really clear but either way a perfect play"

"Pretty much perfect"

"So that was nice"

"But god was the relief pitching scary"

"Yeah two runners on the in the 9th, lead off batter reaches in the 10th, the crazy error on McConstaff in the 11th. It seemed like every inning the Martians threatened"

"But we did shut them down"

"That we did!"

"And then it was McConstaff's turn to play hero by smacking a double to score Heffard and that was the ballgame"

"Yeah, it was scary but a win is a win"

"Precisely my good human"

"That sounds weird as not man"

"Well, I don't know your gender"

"Fair enough"

"Still what a game"

"What a game!"

"It was all crazy, it was all a dream, it was alright"

"Exactly just like MewithoutYou would have wanted it"

"I don't think anybody will get that reference"

"It's fine I came out swinging which is what matters"

"That's even worse as a reference, also we don't know where South Philly is because it's not real"

"Ugh"

"Let's end this"

"Sure"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

by **Garifunya** » Wed Oct 07, 2026 8:27 am

Game 1: Garifunya 9, Serdtgyu 7

De Dolfijnen's first WBC game was not without its struggles, but it ultimately ended in victory. Offense was definitely on display in Game 1, with the veteran Bastiaan Kamphuis slashing an opposite-field single off of Serdtgyu ace lefty Nuklim Zerl following an Emmanuel Joachim walk and stolen base to lead off the game. Two innings later, Kamphuis doubled off of Zerl after Joachim drew his second walk to lead off the inning, setting up runners on third and second for young star Laurens de Vries. De Vries, another lefty, had struck out on a Zerl off-speed pitch in his first at-bat, but crushed a hanger for a two-RBI double and a 3-1 lead. Powerful left fielder Gijsbert Mbongo followed with a towering home run to left-center to put de Dolfijnen up 5-1. Serdtygu "head coach" (rather than manager) Derrt Flin did not have the luxury of removing Zerl, at that point the owner of a 22.50 ERA, because he only had three relievers available for the entire tournament. The southpaw buckled down and retired nine batters in a row before running into trouble again in the sixth inning. A walk to Jaan-Michiel Sint-Germaan and a seeing-eye single from Ismail Rooseboom brought in reliever Sælåon Ber for the tired Zerl, who walked the lefty-mashing David Essink and then hit Joachim, forcing in a run. Kamphuis' third hit of the night brought home Rooseboom, though the slow-moving Essink could not score. Still, it was 7-5 Dolfijnen. In the top of the eighth, Rooseboom singled with two outs against Ber and daringly stole second. Righty-hitting Stijn Aardsma came off the bench to pinch-hit, and Flin countered with his own righty Mäz Rugg. Aardsma roped a double to left to score Rooseboom easily, Joachim drew his third walk of the night, and Kamphuis hit a flare that dropped in for his fourth hit and second RBI of the night. All in all, nine runs scored with a combination of walks, singles, steals, and extra base hits was a remarkable effort for a Dolfijnen squad that plenty of experts might have predicted to struggle to score against multiversal pitching.

Unfortunately, the pitching side was not so effective. Hendriks Krijgsmaan is the ace of the staff, and manager Jaakob Kayemba selected him to start the first game to give de Dolfijnen the best chance of winning. But Krijgsmaan never seemed to get his feet under him after Serdtygu cleanup hitter Zyrk Deayin mashed a letter-high fastball over the center field fence in the bottom of the second. It was a challenge pitch, and Deayin was up to the challenge. Even up 5-1, Krijgsmaan walked three batters, hit another, threw a wild pitch, and gave up four hits in the third through fifth innings, giving back the entire lead. He was definitely frustrated with himself, but Kayemba left him in, presumably trusting his ace. After the game, Krijgsmaan would express gratitude, saying, "I appreciate Jaakob leaving me out there. I did not pitch anywhere close to my best game, but I've always believed you have to work through your mistakes, and I got the chance to do that. My teammates picked me up, and we won. That's all that matters." Krijgsmaan did end up the winning pitcher after the sixth inning rally, but he will want to do more to deserve it in future outings. The veteran righty Abdullah Kuilman gave up back-to-back doubles with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to close the lead to 7-6, but induced a groundout to end the inning. Wilkens Kambata and Albert Calixte tossed scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively, turning the ball over to young closer Dirk Knuijt for a save chance in the ninth. Knuijt has a dangerous running fastball, but it ran a little too much in this outing, with a walk, hit batsman, and wild pitch putting the tying run at the plate with nobody out. A mound visit from pitching coach Eziekeel Faustin seemed to settle him down, and he struck out two batters around a sacrifice fly before getting a groundout to shortstop Felix Dykhoff to end the game. Shaky at times, but it was a win.

Manager Jaakob Kayemba Comment: "It feels good to get that first win under our belt. There were definitely some nerves out there for everyone, but I'm proud of the guys for sticking with it. They could have crumbled after giving up that lead, but they came up with some big knocks, and our bullpen held it down. We've got a long way to go, but 1-0 is the best first step we could have taken."

Key Stats: SP Hendriks Krijgsmaan 5 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, HBP, WP, Emmanuel Joachim, 0-1, 2 R, 3 BB, HBP, Bastiaan Kamphuis 4-5, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2B

Game 2: South Newlandia 8, Garifunya 0

This game was the complete opposite of the Serdtgyu game in many ways. Not many expected de Dolfijnen to challenge the second-ranked Elephants of South Newlandia, but the capacity crowd of 7,000 at Staad Nasyonal in the capital of Frederykvil were instead treated to a beatdown. Where the first game had included nine runs of offense from a variety of sources, this one had almost none at all. South Newlandia started their ace Dylan Borges, and he exposed the gulf between de Dolfijnen's offense and top-level multiversal pitching. Borges is a control artist, and he showed it off, dotting the corners with his fastball and tight slider, and even his sweeper. More than one Dolfijnen hitter slunk back to the dugout when it looked like Borges' big sweeper would miss way outside, only to curl into the zone for a devastating strike three. Borges' command was so precise that Montesorin home plate umpire Alberto Oropeza actually gave him pitches slightly off the corners consistently. There is no ABS system in Garifunya, so Garifunyan hitters had no recourse but to expand the zone. Borges' outing was so dominant that he faced only the minimum of eighteen hitters, ending up with ten strikeouts, six looking, and four swinging, mostly flailing at the changeup and the splitter below the zone. The Elephants' sabermetric inclinations to avoid the third-time-through-the-order penalty combined with their desire to rest their players in relatively meaningless group stage games led manager Franklin Bell to pull Borges despite having a perfect game through six. Luna-Desiree Servopoulos tossed a perfect seventh inning, but gave way to Carolyn Baker when the game became a blowout in the eighth. Gijsbert Mbongo broke up the perfect game and the no-hitter with a leadoff single, and Ismail Rooseboom hit a seventy-one-hopper past a diving Kevin Barros in the ninth, but other than that, de Dolfijnen were no threat, striking out fifteen times against zero walks. Manager Jaakob Kayemba, when asked why he didn't call for a bunt from someone like Emmanuel Joachim or Ismail Rooseboom to break up the perfect game and get the offense started earlier, said, "We didn't find a good time for that. Borges is a good-fielding pitcher, and the South Newlandian coaching staff had [Veer] Murphy and [Kathryn] King positioned well to take that away. All credit to Borges for being possibly the best starter in the multiverse." General strategy and opinion in Garifunya frowns upon bunting to break up no-hitters, but it's not clear whether that played a significant role in his decision.

On the pitching side, it was also pretty much the opposite. Lodewijk Sint-Franciscus was a bit of a sacrificial lamb, representing the squad's worst starting pitcher to go up against the best team in the group, but he turned in a better start than Krijgsmaan. He retired the first six hitters in order despite not striking anyone out, inducing a variety of soft contact. But the veteran Veer Murphy fouled off six pitches and waited Sint-Franciscus out to draw a leadoff walk in the third, later coming around to score on an RBI double. Sint-Franciscus only notched his first strikeout in the fifth, but had surrendered just the one run and four baserunners with a good pitch count through five, with Kayemba electing to leave him out there for the sixth. Kathryn King's two-run shot made it 3-0, but Sint-Franciscus buckled down to strike out Maria Philipps to end the inning. It was a Herculean effort to limit one of the best offenses in the multiverse, and if de Dolfijnen had been having a better offensive day, it might have been enough to give them a shot at tying or taking the lead. But the Elephants' pitching was far too dominant, and Matthijs Jansen pushed the game out of reach by giving up five runs in the eighth inning. Kayemba let Jansen throw 50 pitches to soak up the final three innings, perhaps reasoning that since the game was out of reach, it didn't make sense to burn another pitcher. It was a sharp reminder that de Dolfijnen needed to up their game if they hoped to even have a shot at finishing as high as fourth place. They get a bye to wash the bad taste out of their mouth and prepare for Scootalove City, who are returning after a long hiatus and have been streaking to open up the tournament.

Manager Jaakob Kayemba Comment: "I told the guys, 'We're not on the island any more. We're playing with the big boys now.' South Newlandia isn't one of the best teams in the multiverse for nothing, and they showed us the level we need to get to if we want to be competitive in this tournament. I'm proud of Lodewijk for battling his way to a quality start, but in every other aspect of our game, we need consistent excellence. We're not going to be able to hang with the good teams if we don't turn in a good performance day in and day out. Ultimately, caps off to the Elephants. They played a great game; we're going to learn from our mistakes, practice hard on our bye day, and look forward to Scootalove City. That's the first game of a six-game stretch, and we want to start it off right. We'll get another shot at the Elephants, and I know we'll be better."

Key Stats: SP Lodewijk Sint-Franciscus 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, Gijsbert Mbongo 1-4, Ismail Rooseboom 1-4

by **Kamijiro** » Wed Oct 07, 2026 8:58 am

Your Kamijiro Diamond IX Roster and Background

"Diamond IX?"

It's once more time for Kamijiro to throw together a roster for their most popular amateur sport, baseball. It's known locally as "Diamond IX" due to a misunderstanding between two departments, Chamonix and Miraisaki. Chamonix, the former French colony, had their own rules, called "baiseball" which is a long-dead variant of "baseball" (although there are 'revivalist movements' for it). It involved seven players, a rubber ball, and no clothes. They accepted an invite to play "baseball" at a university on the outskirts of Miraisaki, and the headlines that a bunch of nude Chamonix 20-somethings generated can still be found in the University archives to this day. Because of this misunderstanding, a placeholder name was created. The shape of the field is a diamond, and there are nine players. So, Diamond IX was supposed to be the placeholder until a name agreement could be reached. However, the name stuck (mostly because nobody could come up with another name for it) and it's been called that ever since. But to the rest of the world, it's just baseball. Within Kamijiro, the game is still entirely amateur. There is no dedicated professional league and 'teams' are comprised of those with full-time professions that play on the side.

The largest dedicated baseball field in Kamijiro is a small field on Jirō Island, which theoretically holds about 4,000. That still has never been touched and even then, it's half standing room only. The seats total about 2,000. The field itself is quite small by international standards (dimensions are listed below) and it was only recently fitted with safety nets for the dugouts and behind home plate to meet international regulations.

Unlike other sports in Kamijiro, baseball is all about having fun. Every other sport is about winning all the time. Even the obscure ones can get pretty feisty. Most baseball players aren't in it to win, they're just doing a weekend leisure activity. Teams like to rotate around and make sure everybody gets involved, so sometimes teams will even agree to play fifteen inning games just to allow player rotation. This means games can go four or five hours. Most teams opt for a designated hitter as to ensure everybody can get play time.

The Roster

Starting Pitchers:
Atsuji Akaminai.    Handedness: Left.   Age: 27. Hometown: Narakugai, Miraisaki.        Jersey #:  7. Profession: Unknown (Likely Illegal).
Clarence Bartley.   Handedness: Right.  Age: 32. Hometown: Laramie, St. Jerome.         Jersey #: 76. Profession: Farmer.
Orielle de Côteaux. Handedness: Switch. Age: 24. Hometown: Rém, Belle-île, Chamonix.    Jersey #: 42. Profession: Forensic Investigator.
Howard Ellis.       Handedness: Left.   Age: 26. Hometown: St. Jerome City, St. Jerome. Jersey #: 14. Profession: Baseball Player (St. Riecarn Saints, South Newlandia).
Adélaïde Mignault.  Handedness: Right.  Age: 22. Hometown: Giverny, Chamonix.           Jersey #: 34. Profession: Batting Cage Attendant.

The headliner of this group is the illustrious Orielle "Mains d'Or" de Côteaux. She's a switch-pitcher, the only one in recorded Kamijiroan Diamond IX history to have recorded 200+ strikeouts with both arms. She graduated top of her class at Université de Trèves in criminal justice and criminal psychology. She's the pride and joy of Belle-île. Not a power pitcher by any means, but her slider has some incredible movement on it and fools even the most disciplined of hitters. She got demoted to lab work a couple years back after deciding the conflict of interest with Atsuji was far too large to handle. Her boss didn't appreciate that.

Atsuji "Red Wolf" Akaminai throws absolute heat into the corners, likely honed from his days cutting class to play ball with the grown-ups at a local field. He has a nasty temper to go along with his laser-beam fastball, and he doesn't take kindly to batters pimping homers. He's been ejected from several games for pitching high and inside, gaining a reputation as a bit of an enforcer. He had done a mini-takeover of the downtown district of the city of Miraisaki, the area known as Narakugai. He and his men expelled the police following an attempt by the government to ban alcohol and enforce a curfew. The bootlegging business has done his pockets wonders. He's well-known as a mob boss, but he's paid enough people to ensure his safety for the Classic. Expect him to appear at games he's not playing in draped in a crimson suit, and the games he is playing in with a sleeveless jersey.

Clarence "Sunrise" Bartley and Howard "Nightfall" Ellis are pretty much identical in terms of pitching ability - just mirrored, with Clarence being a righty and Howard being a lefty. Their upbringings could not be any more different if they tried. Clarence is a farm boy who trained his aim by throwing balls into tiny squares painted onto a barn and Howard is a city kid who practiced with friends at a high school field under bright lights and plays baseball for the Saints in South Newlandia. Clarence is likely going to call it a career after this season. He prefers farming and his shoulder's been complaining after every start.

The final starter in the rotation is Adélaïde "Poignard" Mignault, a fiery pitcher out of one of Chamonix's best sporting academies. Her temper isn't as hot as Atsuji's, but it may give it a run for its money. She won't throw the ball directly at your head, but she will curse you out to the point where you genuinely can't think anymore - she drowns out your thoughts. But either way, as expected, that makes her a bit of a loose cannon. She recently graduated from Académie de Giverny-Sud and since she did not get signed by any professional teams and is barred from playing in Kamijiro, she's taken up work as a batting cage attendant.

The starting pitcher rotation simply runs through those five in the order of Orielle, Atsuji, Clarence, Howard and Adélaïde. So, Orielle takes game one of a series, Atsuji takes two, Clarence takes three, then Howard takes game one of the next series, Adélaïde takes two, so on.

Bullpen:
Oli Arceneaux.      Handedness: Left.   Age: 19. Hometown: New Imperia, Jirinho.        Jersey #:  9. Profession: Stevedore.
Joaquim Gomes.      Handedness: Right.  Age: 20. Hometown: Cascais, Porto de Kamijiro.  Jersey #: 37. Profession: Student (Universidade de Porto).
Tenshi Hikari.      Handedness: Left.   Age: 27. Hometown: Narakugai, Miraisaki.        Jersey #: 30. Profession: Unknown (Likely Illegal).
Devyn Navire.       Handedness: Left.   Age: 21. Hometown: Jourdain, Chamonix.          Jersey #: 88. Profession: Dispensary Owner.
Shousuke Takagi.    Handedness: Right.  Age: 28. Hometown: Ōzu, Miraisaki.              Jersey #: 44. Profession: Video Game Programmer.
Ellie Xanthe.       Handedness: Right.  Age: 30. Hometown: Spolia, Jirō Island.         Jersey #: 35. Profession: Restaurateur.

The primary closer is Tenshi "Death's Hand" Hikari. He's the best friend of Atsuji (although Atsuji insists the correct term is 'right hand') and, much like Atsuji, is another fireball pitcher who loves trying to shatter the catcher's glove hand. His specialty is the four-seamer, which he regularly throws at over 98 miles an hour. His distinctive ice-white hair coming out of the bullpen usually means that his team is looking to end the game quickly - he's a ninth inning specialist. He had a historically bad meltdown against Eshialand during the playoffs to cost Kamijiro a potential 2-1 series lead and spent most of the time between then and now practicing his pitching along with running Narakugai's "import/export business" for alcohol. He's raring to go.

Shousuke "Ice Cold" Takagi is a slow-pitch king. His control is spectacular and his pitches rarely get over 85 miles an hour. He gets a lot of batters to ground into double plays and is often brought in to bail somebody out of an inning where there's multiple runners on base and the starter is getting tired or is just letting it slip a bit. He gained the name "Ice Cold" after coming in with no warm-up and getting his team out of a bases-loaded, no outs situation without giving up a run. He's had his ups and downs with the National Team, but he's still fired up and ready to go.

Ellie "Shadow Dancer" Xanthe is... well, she's Ellie. A former escort (and current restaurateur), she's mastered the art of teasing just enough to get what she needs. Both on the diamond and off of it. She usually puts pitches wide and low with extra spin, trying to get undisciplined batters to swing at what's essentially a shadow. Her body control while pitching is something to behold, despite her unorthodox windup and pitch style. This will likely be her last cycle with the team, as he restaurant has taken off in the off-season, but she'd like to give it one last shot before retirement.

Then, there's the fresher faces in the bullpen, Joaquim "Quinho" Gomes and Devyn "Oisiveté" Navire. Joaquim graduated from Tavira Upper and went to Universidade de Porto to play baseball for their school team. He's pretty run-of-the-mill, a steady hand with good aim, but it's his antics that make him good enough to play on the national team. He does tricks with the ball to distract batters, his wind-up varies between short and long and he generally is just a hassle to deal with if you're trying to hit against him. He led UDP's team to a Kamijiroan Collegiate Baseball title. Then there's Devyn. He's possibly the most sluggish-looking person you'll ever see. Built like a stick, pale as a sheet, the bags under his eyes large enough to be checked at the airport, and shaggy black hair that goes down to his shoulders. But those pitches? They're fast. Very, very fast. He recorded a 102 MPH pitch in warm-ups one time, but he says that wasn't even the fastest he'd thrown. He's gone from being a pot-smoking part-timer to a pot-smoking dispensary owner.

Oli Arceneaux is the only true rookie on the roster. He was "discovered" by Atsuji while he was hiding out in Jirinho and he managed to pitch seven shutout innings against the Kamijiroan team in an exhibition match. His weapon of choice (and weapon of mass destruction, truly) is the curveball. He is employed at the docks of New Imperia, foregoing college entirely and going straight into the working world.

Batting Lineup (w/ Designated Hitter):
1st: (1B) Félix Cavaco.     Handedness: Switch. Age: 23. Hometown: Relâmpago, Porto de Kamijiro. Jersey #: 27.  Profession: Baseball Player (St. Riecarn Saints, South Newlandia).
2nd: (RF) Ryuji Phaëthon.   Handedness: Left.   Age: 26. Hometown: Spolia, Jirō Island.          Jersey #: 1.  Profession: Male Model.
3rd: (SS) Emi Phaëthon.     Handedness: Right.  Age: 26. Hometown: Spolia, Jirō Island.          Jersey #: 11. Profession: Botanist.
4th: (DH) Napoleon Sarre.   Handedness: Right.  Age: 32. Hometown: Trèves, Chamonix.             Jersey #: 50. Profession: Painter.
5th: (2B) Lucian Belvedere. Handedness: Left.   Age: 27. Hometown: Croydon, St. Jerome.          Jersey #: 29. Profession: Historian.
6th: (3B) Markus Blaauw.    Handedness: Switch. Age: 25. Hometown: Kustplaats, Nieuw Volendam.   Jersey #: 21. Profession: Baseball Player (St. Riecarn Saints, South Newlandia).
7th: (CF) Daijiro Kamada.   Handedness: Right.  Age: 30. Hometown: Iyo, Miraisaki.               Jersey #: 17. Profession: Chef.
8th: (LF) Maou Ashiya.      Handedness: Right.  Age: 21. Hometown: Aoshima, Miraisaki.           Jersey #: 99. Profession: Unknown (Likely Illegal).
9th: (C)  Magurix Gaëtan.   Handedness: Left.   Age: 23. Hometown: Île de Jeux, Chamonix.        Jersey #: 39. Profession: Aerial Photographer.

Note: when playing without the designated hitter, everybody slides up one and the pitcher goes to ninth.

Félix "Knee Socks" Cavaco is probably one of the best contact hitters Kamijiro has to offer. He doesn't get much power, but he gets on base a lot. The kind of player you love to have first. Got his nickname from the one time he forgot his socks and was forced to play in knee-highs for a game.

Ryuji "Sun King" Phaëthon and Emi "Sun Queen" Phaëthon are twins who were born on the exact stroke of noon on the Summer solstice. Their family name literally comes from the son of Helios, the Greek god of the sun - they are half-elf refugees (their ages have been adjusted to their approximate age in human years) and have lived on Jirō Island for some time now after immigrating to Kamijiro. They are naturalized citizens. Both of them have a good amount of power on their swings, but it's their eye for the ball that really stands out. They rarely swing at anything silly. They recently fell on hard times and Ryuji had to go from being a priest to being a male model. The money's good, but he's still quite upset at 'debasing himself.' The closest thing he's done to nudity is a singular shirtless swimsuit advertisement, so most people think he's overreacting.

Napoleon "Little Emperor" Sarre is a child of Chamonix old money - he spent his youth playing catch with his dad and his teen years sneaking off of his family's property to go play games at the local field. He's grown up now and paints for a living. He does Baroque art and one of his paintings recently broke the Kamijiroan record for an art sale. "Little Emperor," of course, comes from his namesake, but it also fits his play. He's a bit short, but boy can he hit the ball. A true cleanup hitter. He's complaining of back aches and pains a lot more recently, so this will probably be his last cycle.

Lucian "Silk White" Belvedere is forever 27. At least, that's what he says. There's some clues as to what he means by that and a few people are in on it now. He lives alone in a big house, doesn't go out except to play night games. He doesn't have great plate discipline, but if he makes contact, that ball is as good as gone - he led his team in home runs last season, despite only playing night games. He's also a half-elf, and his age has been adjusted to human years. He was also the one who bought Napoleon's painting for a whopping 6,666,666 Jirōes. When asked about why he bought it for that amount, he simply just ignored the question. The painting may (or may not have...) been a boudoir painting of himself, which Napoleon had planned to give to him. That was until a collector saw it and started an insanely high bidding war. Either way, that painting is up in Lucian's chambers.

Markus "Corner Pocket" Blaauw gained his nickname from his excellent defensive work on third base. His hitting leaves a lot to be desired, but he's good for the occasional base hit. He's particularly good at staying alive, fouling off a lot of pitches. He's also quite valuable for driving up opposing pitchers' pitch count. He signed pro with the Saints and has made his pro debut. He's worked on his hitting a bit, but it still has plenty of room for improvement.

Daijiro "Island" Kamada does a really good job of expending the least amount of energy - he can almost sense where batters will send their pop-ups. He calls the defensive shifts and is the captain of the outfield. As a batter, he's middling-to-bad, but his feel for the game on defense is second to none. He often plays on an 'island', separate from the rest of the team, as they rotate around him and he doesn't really move unless he absolutely has to. He one time caught three runners out in the same inning by walking to a spot in the outfield before the pitch was even thrown and waiting there. All three batters popped up to the spots he had walked to. He is also likely to call it a career after this cycle.

Maou "Devil King" Ashiya is another one of Atsuji's boys that got brought along. He's a high-school dropout who spends all of his time playing baseball or committing felonies. He's quoted as saying "If I can hit a homer and be home in time to bootleg with the family, it was a good day." He bats really well considering his age and is lightning quick around the bases. He bats near the bottom of the lineup so that the top of the order can drive him in later. He outran a police chase after almost getting caught smuggling through the Miraisaki border. He had an active warrant out for his arrest until Atsuji made some phone calls and they dropped the case.

Magurix "Wings" Gaëtan is a half-fey, half-elf refugee of war who lives on an island by himself. He has wings, hence the nickname, and they do work, he can fly for short periods. However, in order to promote fairness, he plays catcher, a position where jumping isn't really in the job description. His age has also been approximated to a human's lifespan. His batting is pretty solid and he's a contact hitter. Much like Maou, he plays at the end of the lineup so that he can be on base for the top of the lineup. He recently graduated college (he went back because he was bored) and is using his wings as a business, taking stunning aerial photographs. If you ever need a picture taken from way up high without a plane shadow in frame, he's your guy.

The team still does not employ backups. Aside from the three pro players who are coming back to join the team, the team is entirely amateur and if injuries do happen, then new players will be called up. The team also does not employ a manager. Instead, team captain Orielle de Côteaux makes the team decisions - she has the full respect of the squad and her elegant, flowing speeches help the team find their identity before each match. Here's to another great season, Diamond IX!!

And now, the field's dimensions and information. Both the left and right foul poles are at 315 feet and center field is 400. It's symmetrical, so the left-center and right-center are at 357.5 feet. It's small by modern standards, but it's a very home-run friendly field and that helps get all of the fans excited. The grass is Kentucky Bluegrass (not the genre of music) and it's maintained daily during the season. The dugouts are at field level with nets in front of them.

There are various concession stands with every flavor of Kamijiroan cuisine imaginable! The main concourse has a Jiji's Ramen, which is a fast-casual (but not fast food) restaurant that offers classic ramen. Next to it is Shepherd's Crook, which offers classic dishes like fish and chips, along with savory pies and beer. Lots of beer choices there. There's also Le Pâtisserie, which, you guessed it, has a ton of pastries on offer along with coffee and wine. They employ a maître pâtissier and are licensed by the Chamonix Association des Pâtisseries. There's a Cajun-style place called The Lou - that food is so ridiculously spicy your eyes will water just passing by. To top it off is a classic fast food joint which offers classic ballpark snacks, to include burgers, hot dogs and fries. Oh, and more beer. Although Miraisaki outlawed alcohol, it's more than free-flowing everywhere else in the country, this being a prime example.

And, for those who just want the RP stuff...
Choose my run scorers: Yes.
Choose my lineup: There really isn't a lot of variability to it, but sure. Note that the starting pitchers have been somewhat penciled in.
Follow my pitching rotation: Yeah. Just remember that Tenshi "Death's Hand" Hikari is the closer.
God-mod scoring events: Yes.
RP injuries: Yes, but bear in mind that, as this is an almost entirely amateur team, there are no back-ups. Players will play through injury or a bullpen pitcher will be used if direly needed.
God-mod injuries: No, thanks.
Eject my players: Atsuji "Red Wolf" Akaminai, Tenshi "Death's Hand" Hikari, Maou "Devil King" Ashiya and Adélaïde "Poignard" Mignault would be the most likely to be ejected, for RP purposes.
God-mod other events: Yeah, just don't blow up the stadium or something like that.
We use a designated hitter & the Ohtani rule applies, although we don't use it.

by **Zenic** » Wed Oct 07, 2026 10:25 am

That was the worst possible start Alamilla could think of.

Falling to a top ten team like Milchama wasn't bad but losing by getting shutout was certainly far from acceptable. Losing to Vaishnavaria was painful and an acknowledgement on Alamilla's thoughts from before the tournament began: momentum was power. Zenic should have beaten Vaishnavaria if they had been able to build up some momentum beforehand. Yet getting utterly decimated by Milchama at the same time their second opponents were beating Zwangzug certainly did not help. Now, Zenic were in an 0-2 hole that looked to get worse before it got better.

Zwangzug were another top ten team and one hungry for a win after dropping their opener and getting the second matchday off. A loss here would leave Zenic 0-3 before getting a matchday off to stew in their failure and then getting The Martian Independent Republic and Nortallius in the next window of play. A win could get them back on track with a shot at 3-2 before their final match of the first cycle of this quadruple round robin. But at this point, there was simply too much to work on for Alamilla and the team to focus on so they were going to work on anything and everything they could.

Something had to change but the Diamond Survivors were going to need a lot more data to find out what exactly needed to get better before a shot at the playoffs become a legitimate option.

by **Eshialand** » Wed Oct 07, 2026 10:52 am

The Start We Needed?

The story of baseball in Eshialand has never stopped surprising, has it? The latest Esportivan Sporting Festival saw the Screwballs very much be the third wheel of the Eshian cohorts, behind the footballers who returned from WC101 as quarterfinalist heroes and the chess players who finally won their long-awaited ECC. Compared to those teams, the Screwballs were on a historic downswing, dealing with both the retirement of Harry Brentwood and the temporary replacement of Ani'a Fa’anerafa by the country's bumbling king who claimed he “almost went pro”.

But then, the funniest thing happened. The football team, after rocketing through the group stage, immediately fizzled out and got unceremoniously bounced by Sylestone in the first round of the knockouts. Their usual tradition of losing dramatically to Kanzlia would be carried on by the chess team, who'd lose their second consecutive final. As for the Screwballs… they proved they were still here to play.

This team's win over Paradystopia, at a time when doubt in the squad was higher than it had been in many years, was completely out of nowhere. Sure, they had reached the final in the previous edition, but that had been a better version of the team, or at least so their fans were thinking. Whatever brought the team to regional good was something that they needed heading into this WBC; it was time for the Great Eshian Baseball Renaissance.

The format of WBC63 was set to be an absolute marathon. Quadruple round robin, no series format, 24 separate fixtures. This group stage, more than any other, would be a test of consistency. You couldn't just pop off for an entire group stage or have a down series against a lower-ranked team, you have to stay more or less consistent throughout all 28 matchdays with only four byes to offer a repreive. The Screwballs were ready for this test.

But first of all, they would have to start off strong in their first match in Haltoria. And while every fan will have their own definition of what a “strong start” even is, pretty much all of them will agree that putting 4 runs on the board before your opponents even pick up a bat is squarely within their definition. The rest of the game was a lot more reserved than the top of the first, with neither team getting more than 2 runs in an inning after that, and those 4 runs proved to be enough to win the game on their own, the final score standing at 9-3.

Next up was the Screwballs’ home opener, with the first team coming to visit Yeshley this year being the Hunters of Valentine Z. Any Valentian squad coming to Eshialand is always sure to be a sellout, with this game in particular sparking debates about whether Yeshley Field was too small to keep up with the team's modern demand and whether the Ministry of Sport should fund either renovations to expand its capacity or the construction of a new stadium outright. While the debate would be a major talking point in Parliament over the next couple days (with some in the opposition wondering why the government continues to throw money at sports while leaving industries behind), the only thing that mattered today was the actual baseball being played.

Immediately, something was off about the Hunters’ form. While they did strike first, opening the scoring in the top of the second as Fuscolo Lieto Durante Edda Chiarini’s double allowed Morozov Lev Adrian Yulian Timurovich to score from first, Doria Allison Achik "BB Mk. 8" Urcaguary’s pitching left something to be desired. There was definitely a hole there that the Eshians could exploit, should an opportunity arise.

That opportunity came in the bottom half of the same inning, with Ani'a Fa’anerafa doubling to start a sequence that led to four Eshian runs scoring before the inning was over. The scoring calmed down after this, with the 4-1 score holding until the seventh-inning stretch, but the Hunters just couldn't get back on the board afterwards, the final score reading 7-1 for the home team.

This was the start that the Eshians so desperately needed. After the stagnation of the last couple of WBCs, the Screwballs weren't just screwing around, they were here to get back to the knockouts and, hopefully, make a deep run. We've already met their first two opponents, but the other 4 would all be quite interesting tests for the team: Serdtgyu were new to the sport, but already showed a lot of promise. While they did lose their first two games, they were both very close affairs, and there was a lot of optimism for what the team would become. Then would be the inevitable matchup against South Newlandia. Death, taxes, South Newlandia baseball. The good news is that their last meeting, the final match of the Esportivan Baseball Trophy’s group stage, had ended 14-6 in Eshialand's favor despite the game being hosted in South Newlandia, so there was a chance to steal a win or two… but the bad news was these were still the Elephants, after all.

The Owls’ final two opponents (before their byes, conveniently placed at MDs 7, 14, 21, and 28 to demarcate each rounding of the robin) would both be unranked teams who had past experience in international baseball long ago: Garifunya, who'd participated in a couple of IBSes many a year ago but never tested the waters of the WBC, and a name that lives on in perhaps the most famous WBC story of all: Scootalove City.

Yes, the very same Scootalove City that went into the bottom of the ninth of Game 5 of the WBC41 octofinals against Drawkland trailing ten runs to three. In the most oft-told story in the history of the WBC, the Unicorns put a 9 on the board, the most iconic moment in baseball's most legendary curse. For the first time in 17 editions, they were back, and the Screwballs would get the pleasure of playing them.

What a group this was. Often a group with three unranked teams out of seven would mean a lot of boring games, but none of these matchups were boring. Everybody came in with their own strengths and stories, and every game was going to be another battle. 2 of those battles have been played, and 22 of them remained to be seen.

Good luck Eshialand, you're gonna need it.

by **Ko-oren** » Wed Oct 07, 2026 12:26 pm

Len 'Pijpenbroek' Pepenbruthen - international name 'Pijpenbroek' for easier referencing abroad, Gehrennan name Pepenbruthen - knew his career was likely to end soon. Thirty-six years old, perhaps with another year or two in the tank, but no guarantee that that was going to be at the highest level. The South Newlandian Elephant Valley Homers were his employer for however long they saw fit to keep him, after a long career over there. He had been one of the first Ko-orenites to jump over to the Esportivan league once he showed that he was a good bit above the level of our own domestic ProNine League and one of the few remaining competitions operating at a higher level is that of South Newlandia.

At this point, he spent barely any time in Ko-oren. He was there for World Baseball Classics, and that was more or less it. He spends Spring, Summer, and Autumn in Elephant Valley, and then he could decide to visit his family in Winter... but he's from Shemurdar and that means it's a very big jump from playing a primarily summer sport one day and immersing yourself in near-zero wet and cloudy weather for a few months until the league starts up again. He'd still be in Ko-oren annually, but that was purely for Classic business: playing in the few intra-squad friendlies to gauge his level versus other second basemen (safe to say, Len's still got it) and then playing the home games if that Classic's group stage structure allowed for it.

As the years went on, he was forced to think of his career post-baseball. He had a small injury scare at 32, but he recovered - and even became a league All-Star for the Homers afterwards - and while he could be one of the medical miracles who could play until he's 40, at some point the Homers will stop paying him. Then what? He realised that he had very little in the way of what his old Ko-orenite buddies called 'marketable skills', in the sense that those buddies had finished courses in 'soft skills' for a job called 'management consultant' or they had finished a degree in education and were now teachers at a secondary school in Shemurdar suburbs and were likely to do that for at least another two decades. Len was fast-ish for a 36-year old baseball player, could launch a ball over the infield semi-regularly, and had an uncanny ability to avoid errors on second base.

"Vianol! Buddy!" He called his old - national team - teammate Vianol Sivurila from his apartment in Elephant Valley. "I hope it's not too late over there, time difference and all."

"It's nearly midnight, thanks for asking. What's up?"

"Hey, weird question, but how did you retire?" He asked this question to set up the later 'and what are you doing now?'. Len wasn't great at keeping up with friends and family, and even worse at keeping up with ex-teammates, but Vianol and him did bolster the Ko-orenite infield for a decade. They were going to remember each other. That is, Len was going to remember Vianol: Vianol is not one to forget a teammate, ever.

"Oh, uhh, did your team lose that bad, that you stayed up wondering if this is it?"

"Not really. Just wondering. I kind of hope to keep playing, but ehh, at some point the gig is up. Hopefully in like five years. But, "

"But you need a backup plan?"

"Kind of, yes." That was another reason for calling him: Vianol had the ability to tell you things about yourself that you didn't realise. Perhaps that's why he was the de facto captain of the Dragonflies (and Aviansola Admirals) locker rooms.

"Injured?"

"No. Just old."

"I felt when it was time when it was time. When I stopped looking forward to eight months of playing while nursing every little nagging injury during it."

"And what are you doing now? Did you know what you were going to do afterwards?"

"I liked the social side of the game too, and it turns out Joshimans go nuts for ex-players doing public speaking. So it's a little corporate now, but I'm doing that, and helping groups of people work together better."

"So... kind of what you spent most of your career doing."

"Pretty much."

"Weird question, but, what do you think I could do?"

"Hell of a question to ask at midnight. Don't you just want to stay around baseball for longer? Coaching - your mechanics are great - so you can help new guys do what you do."

"You think so?"

"I can come up with a better answer, but you gotta let me sleep first."

"Alright, can do. Is it ok if I call?"

"You? Always."

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Wed Oct 07, 2026 12:59 pm

The Taegukgi: The Korean-language voice of the Commonwealth

Many Shrouds of Kang Gwang-Bae

Kirsten Yoon-King

JOONGYEONG, JOONGYEONG -- Kang Gwang-Bae is no ordinary politician. The Liberal national caucus chair, who makes his return to parliament after eight years spent away from the Jeongdeokgoong politics he's always adored, thrives on the adrenaline it offers, whether on the trenches or the nitty gritty bits of the events he's come to attend and witness.

'It's no secret that I'm that someone who values being out there on the ground,' Kang said on his interview with The Taegukgi. 'Half this job is to work with people, and not being afraid to exchange fists as needed. You aren't here to hate doing tasks that involve dealing with personalities. If this means working across the aisles, or throwing the grenades yourself, so be it.'

It had come around long way for Kang, who had changed parties twice and worked with no less than a half-dozen party leaders, including the prolific longtime Greens leader Florence Stanasila, the outgoing Mahan Premier Kenneth Bryce-Mercer, and two Prime Ministers. If anything, it was his work as the confidante and then deputy leader to Stanasila, who first brought him out of Shingoryeoite Liberals in 2056 and then back with them a decade later.

Gwang-Bae's odyssey as the Arsene Pineau Kim Liberal on his return came as the cabinet for the second Kang Tae-Goo ministry is set to be announced in the coming weeks with party's factional ranks are expected to be triggered with potential succession race to the moderately popular Prime Minister looming in the horizon. Kang the Younger's shown fluid allegiance before, having endorsed both Progressive and Red Tory members of the caucus before for crucial leadership and nomination races before. But as someone who has been on both winning and losing side of the competition, Kang Gwang-Bae's still as cautious as ever with the stakes that he put himself whenever he jumps on board.

Navigating through a party as big tent as the Shingoryeoite Liberals, who have traditionally rivalled the Moogoongwha and the Shinminjeon as the conventional big three, is not an easy task. Regional lines are notable, as are political alignments, even more so when they involve provinces like his adopted home of Mahan where they have traditionally dominated provincial discourse as well. While most find Kang a likeable figure, whose fiery words and love of the field stands out, they don't necessarily agree with intensity he brings in an effort to secure success.

Trail of success and controversies follow him, especially in nominations and power struggles. Perhaps the most notable examples include nomination races, where he's played a big part on a notable victory and a close loss for his wife, Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs Ellery Brubaker and her protegee Adrienne Thomas-Ironside. He's once recommended setting fatwa on Stanasila's successor, just-resigned Greens leader Shimon Reid, for 'spreading a virus of hatred and division on the Shingoryeoite voters in the name of opportunism'.

Since the return of Liberal government under Kang Tae-Goo, Kang the Younger's has also come to form considerable clout among the political communities, not only in federal politics, but also in his provinces of Mahan and Saguenay as well. It's a long time coming, with Kang Gwang-Bae having served as a mentor to no less than a dozen federal and provincial Liberals who he had brought on board. Now, they had come to form a powerful bloc of parliamentarians and aides that he rarely mobilises, but from time to time would activate on most opportune timing, something that the 63-year-old Kang the Older has so far found good use of.

'I think we'd be lying if there isn't a sphere of influence Mr. Kang, this being the Junior, draws in the province,' said Marcel Cirinnà, former Saguenay Liberal MLA and current advisor to Premier Jorge Tedesco. 'And yes, he does promote a slate of strong candidates within the provincial party, though he does not limit himself to the Liberals. We see a guy who wants to build competitive teams of doers who can win - and so his confidence in Premier Tedesco is always a plus if you'd ask me.'

Kang Gwang-Bae's investment goes back to the idea of provincial politics as a cultivating ground for federal success. Mentorship and pipelines are nothing new in Quebeco-Shingoryeoite politics, and while the discourse itself is often contentious across the Shingoryeoite Liberals, with most notable opponent of the idea being his former employer in Bryce-Mercer no less, the crossover between two levels is nothing unusual. Just from the year alone Kang the Younger's secured two prominent provincial parliamentarians, Treasurer of Mahan Harry Goldbloom and aforementioned Tedesco's Deputy Premier of Saguenay, Rose Bonnardel, successfully recruited for Mudeung Centre and La Carpentarie ridings. Goldbloom had no issue getting elected winning over 60% on preferences, first on a 2074 by-election and then in general, while Bonnardel squeaked by securing 53% at a former Greens seat.

But it's also one that hits Kang too. A Midtown Kingston resident in his twenties, he too considered running for Jeongmyeong-St. Pierre's and Lymington-Terrace, including latter's by-election to succeed Harold Goldbloom, but decided to hold off. The news of Bryce-Mercer considering retirement, which had begun as early as 2073, caused him to go through a change in heart.

The decision to not jump provincially, though on a greater opportunity, was done out of sheer loyalty sake according to Yang Soon-Nyeong, his parliamentary colleague. 'It's a sign of loyalty and respect, if you think about it,' she said. 'By not jumping provincially, when you could be the one giving this embattled premier a push-off, I think it shows how well he reads the room and advises someone like Kenneth, who he's known for decades. Weaker men would have bitten the bullet to chase opportunity, but not him.'

Kang, who gave a speech to Stanasila, on her 75th birthday party the past week, seemed mostly unfazed when asked about the personal loyalties he's held with his former boss, as well as the fact he's become who he followed into the dark for a decade of his life. The Taegukgi talked to him at various point about the long odyssey of allegiances he's gone through, and how he's made his peace returning to federal politics as more than an organiser.

'In life you are fortunate to have many mentors and teachers who give you the opportunity to succeed,' Kang said. 'And what can I say? I was very privileged to have served with her first as the chief of staff, and then with her as the Member of Parliament. My memories from then have carried me into the life after, not only helping Ellery on her own parliamentary journey, but also allowing me to return. I'm just a very lucky man at the end of the day.'

Kang's cross-partisanship flair, while sometimes causing some to roll their eyes, is well received at 11 Gwangmoo and among his caucus-mates. Prime Minister Kang Tae-Goo was quick to appoint Kang the Younger to the East End constituency, at the advice of Party President Dr. Hong Yi-Woong, but it is where Stanasila and Works and Pension Secretary Heo Hae-Seon have run fundraisers for Kang in the constituency that's drawn attention for others. 'Nothing new here, folks, just showing you how it takes a village to raise a child,' he said.

Heo, whose brother Hae-Seung of the Reapers' baseball fame is an occasional guest of honour for her events, was quick to answer. 'I'm sure that Gwang-Bae is way more comfortable on a coalition like ours than a divided front like what the Greens have become.'

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