MLB Elite Tournament Hosted in UK for First Time

This article was written for, and first appeared on, baseballsoftballuk.com.

Major League Baseball (MLB) announced rosters today for its Elite European Development Tournament, which is being held at BaseballSoftballUK’s Farnham Park Baseball & Softball Complex from 25-27 June. A total of 90 players from 13 European countries, including two from the UK, will take part in the tournament, which is part of the Mitel & MLB Present London Series 2019 legacy events.

The Elite European Development Tournament (EDT) will be held in the UK for the first time ever this year at the site where British Baseball, British Softball and UK Little League Championships take place annually. The complex opened in July 2013 and has since grown to include six fields and the Home Plate Bar and Kitchen. It recently played host to other legacy events, including the MLB Cadet Camp and the Coach Development Programme.

Great Britain Baseball will be represented by catcher Aidan Pearce and outfielder Ollie Thompson, both of whom have represented Great Britain at European youth championships. The Netherlands (19), Italy (17), and the Czech Republic (12) will send the most players to the EDT, with France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Belarus, Belgium, Slovenia, Switzerland and the US Air Force Base at Ramstein also represented.

Over the past eight years, MLB has conducted more than two dozen elite development camps and tournaments across Europe. These two-week camps events are held in seven or eight nations per year for the best 12-to-15-year old players, with experienced professional coaches offering high-level instruction.

The tournament features a scouting showcase for representatives of MLB clubs and includes a mixture of drills and games, with the players assigned to Blue, Gray or Red teams. The top athletes from Elite Camps will travel to the US to play in the Arizona Classic in front of professional and university scouts from around the United States.

Opening ceremonies will take place from 12:00-1:00 pm on 25 June, with games that afternoon starting at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. The subsequent two days will see competition begin at 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm. Come out and enjoy the best young players in Europe and grab some ballpark food from Home Plate while you’re there!