September 15-17 Baseball European Championship warm-up series Belgium vs France

From September 15 to 17, 2025, Belgium and France will face off in an unprecedented Baseball European Championship warm-up series. The three games will be played in Antwerp and Merchtem, just over a week before the start of the European Championship in Antwerp.

The series has been officially sanctioned by WBSC Europe and will feature the Belgian Red Hawks against their long-time rivals from France.

Schedule

• 15 & 16 September 2025 – Belgium vs France in Antwerp
• 17 September 2025 – Belgium vs France in Merchtem
  

All three international games will start at 18:00, with the ballparks opening from 17:00. To promote baseball in Belgium and the Red Hawks ahead of the European Championship, entrance will be free of charge for all fans.

Head coach Marc Janssen commented: “We knew France would be coming to Rotterdam via Belgium. A high-level European Championship preparation is crucial for both teams. On the one hand, we can fine-tune our positioning and tactics. The boys play in different teams throughout the season, so they mainly need to get used to each other. On the other hand, these are official international matchups, so the pressure is on from the start.”

Belgium and France have a long history in European Baseball. The two nations last met at the 2019 European Championship in Bonn, where the Red Hawks suffered a loss. At the 2021 edition, Belgium finished 8th while France placed 15th. In 2023, the tables turned: Belgium closed in 11th place, while France finished 7th.

Both teams will be eager to test their strengths before heading into the European Championship 2025, where they will compete on different sides of the knockout stage bracket if Belgium advances through Group D in Antwerp.

Bron: September 15-17 Baseball European Championship warm-up series Belgium vs France - WBSC Europe - wbsceurope.org