Stuttgart’s Blake Rossignol steps off second base to receive a throw as Ramstein’s Jaxon Lundell slides during the first game of a doubleheader on the baseball field near Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The two schools often meet with the D-I baseball championship on the line. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

The games may be played in the Kaiserslautern Military Community, but Stuttgart believes the Division I baseball tournament goes through it.

The Panthers enter the DODEA European championships as the No. 1 seed after going undefeated in the regular season Their only non-win came in the first game of the season – a 8-8 tie with the Royals at Ramstein’s South Side field, where the first day and championship game will be played.

So, the team expects to get everybody’s best Thursday through Saturday.

“The championship goes through Stuttgart in some sense,” Panther coach Justin Ray said. “Knowing that everybody’s going to play extremely hard, we’re going to see everybody’s best pitching, and mentally preparing for that and rising to the occasion is a challenge for our boys.”

It’s a challenge Stuttgart (13-0-1, 11-0-1) has been savoring after getting thumped in last year’s final with Ramstein.

Eight seniors are on the roster, and Ray said most were on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, for the title-game loss. He also pointed out the loss motivated them over the offseason.

This spring, though, the Panthers haven’t worried about offensive issues. They scored fewer than 10 runs just four times, and outside of the doubleheaders against Ramstein (8-8, 12-11) and Wiesbaden (10-5, 10-6) and their last game of the regular season at Vilseck (7-4), they haven’t had games closer than six runs.

Stuttgart boasts a lineup that has three batters hitting .500 or better – seniors Caiden Ray (.531) and Trenton Cook (.529) and junior Ryan Santana (.520). Five others – seniors Tyler Blalock, Brandon Eves, Jamie Arnold and Aidan Hanley and Josh Zipperer – also are batting higher than .400.

The coach has so many options that he must look at stats before games to decide who will be in the lineup.

“We are two deep at every position,” Justin Ray said. “I can confidently field two teams that would be competitive in DODEA. To have that level of depth is something that as a coach is a luxury and also a stressor because you want to get everybody playing time.”

Another team with depth is Stuttgart’s biggest rival – the defending champion.

Ramstein (12-1-1, 12-1-1) has the most on the mound. Coach Alfredo Rios said he has six or seven pitchers, which has kept pitch counts and innings low throughout the season. It was a strength last season, and heading into the tournament, he once again will have plenty of options available for each game.

“All we got to do is look at last year. We made it to the finals with Conor McGinty without pitching one pitch until the final game,” Rios said. “We’re looking to see that happen again this year for maybe two pitchers so we can have two pitchers in our final game – if we make it to the finals.”

Ramstein boasts impressive offensive numbers, averaging 13.5 runs per game. Five Royals were hitting over .400 heading into the regular season’s final weekend, starting with freshman Luke Seaburgh at .581. Sophomore Caden Nims has recorded a .441 average, while catcher Chuck Wheeler at .432, outfielder Christian Roy at .424 and pitcher/shortstop Liam Delph at .405 round out the top five at the plate.

“This is what I’ve been harping on for the past few weeks,” Rios said. “Once we get the bats going, no stopping.

“Everyone will get up there with a determination to rip that ball. It’s amazing to watch.”

While both teams are favorites for a rematch in the final, both Ray and Rios said they can’t sleep on Wiesbaden, as Jon Ring’s team earned the third seed and played both squads tough during the season.

Sigonella’s CJ Davis sprints towards second while Aviano pitcher Colin North delivers to the plate as the two teams battled Saturday, March 18, 2023 in a doubleheader at Aviano Air Base, Italy. The Saints and Jaguars hope to at least reach the tournament finals this week against perennial power Naples. (Kent Harris/Stars and Stripes)

Divisions II/III

The Naples Wildcats picked up right where they left off when they hoisted the Divisions II/III championship in the KMC last spring.

Naples (12-0, 10-0) has breezed through the season, outscoring opponents 200-14 during the regular season. Against division opponents, the advantage increases to 188-7.

It’s no wonder why coach Jim Davis has just one worry heading into the Division II/III European tournament this Thursday through Saturday.

“We’re our biggest enemy,” he said. “It’s not coming out and getting right on top of teams right away. Maybe not being ready to play, per se. As long as we’re locked in, I think we’re going to be pretty tough.”

The toughness starts on the mound, where the Wildcats have an embarrassment of riches. Davis said he can turn to seven starters if he wants.

He also had a pair of aces in Ella Taitingfong and Logan Barker. Taitingfong picked up the win in last year’s championship game as a sophomore, and Davis said her command allows her to be effective. Barker, meanwhile, spent the offseason adding velocity to allow him to overpower hitters.

The rotation is so strong that newcomer Jonathan Vousboukis, whom Davis said “lives and breathes baseball,” stays as the second part of the battery at catcher despite having starting-pitcher potential.

“In a perfect world, I think I can get away with four or five, but it’s nice to have the extra arms in case pitch counts go up,” Davis said. “And I only graduate one of them. I’m a good place next year, too.”

While that’s not good news for Divisions II/III for the future, teams will attempt to unseat the Wildcats this week.

Aviano has just one loss in the division, which came against third-seeded Sigonella on opening day (12-8). The Jaguars, meanwhile, have had an up-and-down season, but they are the last squad in the tournament with a winning record. The Saints and Wildcats didn’t play during the season thanks to a weekend slate canceled by weather.