Greece national baseball team
| Greece national baseball team | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | Greece |
| Federation | Hellenic Baseball and Softball Federation |
| Confederation | WBSC Europe |
| Manager | Chris Demetral |
| WBSC ranking | |
| Current | 50 7 (31 December 2025)[1] |
| Highest | 32 (December 2014) |
| Olympic Games | |
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2004) |
| Best result | 7th |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 1 (first in 2011) |
| Best result | 16th |
| European Championship | |
| Appearances | 6 (first in 2003) |
| Best result | 2nd (1 time, in 2003) |
The Greece national baseball team also known as "Hellas", represents Greece in international baseball play. The team are a member of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and WBSC Europe. The team is managed by Chris Demetral and it is currently ranked 50th in the world by the WBSC.[1]
History
The first time that Greece put together a national team that got any recognition in the baseball world was ahead of the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. Greece, as the host country, was faced with the dilemma that the actual baseball talent pool in the country was very small, and what players were available were amateur. However, as a result of lenient citizenship laws, various minor leaguers from the United States were able to play for the Greeks. Among the better known players were Baltimore Orioles prospect Nick Markakis, former major leaguer Clay Bellinger, and various other players of Greek descent.[2][3]
Greece made its international debut at the 2003 European Championship qualification, contested in Hungary. The team finished the tournament undefeated and qualified for the 2003 European Championship in the Netherlands.[2][4] Surprisingly, Greece finished as runners-up in the tournament, losing the final to the host Netherlands team.[5] Second baseman Chris Demetral and outfielder Cory Harris were included in the tournament's All-Star Team, while Peter Maestrales finished the championship as the leader in both stolen bases and runs scored.[6]
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the Greek national team, led by American college baseball coach Dusty Rhodes[7] finished the tournament in 7th-place, with a single win against Italy.
As runners-up of the 2003 European championship, Greece qualified for the 2005 Baseball World Cup. However, the Greek government curtailed all funding to the Hellenic Baseball and Softball Federation, so the team did not participate, with the Czech Republic taking their place.[2]
International tournament results
| Summer Olympics record | Qualification record | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | W | L | RS | RA | W | L | RS | RA | ||
| 2004 | Preliminary round | 7th | 1 | 6 | 24 | 49 | Qualified as hosts | |||||
| 2008 | Did not qualify | Did not participate | ||||||||||
| 2020 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 1/3 | – | 1 | 6 | 24 | 49 | – | – | – | – | ||
| Year | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands 2003 | 2nd | |
| Czech Republic 2005 | 9th | |
| Germany 2010 | 4th | |
| Netherlands 2012 | 7th | |
| Czech Republic, Germany 2014 | 10th | |
| Netherlands 2016 | 11th | |
| Italy 2021 | 14th | |
| Czech Republic 2023 | 13th | |
| Netherlands, Italy, Belgium 2025 | 13th | |
| Average Finish | 9th |
| Year | Position |
|---|---|
| Panama 2011 | 16th |
| Average Finish | 16th |
Current roster
| Greece roster – 2023 European Baseball Championship | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaching staff | |||
Pitchers
|
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
|
Manager Coaches
| ||
References
- ^ a b "WBSC World Rankings". WBSC. 31 December 2025. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^ a b c "History". Greek Baseball. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "European Championship Men". Hellenic Baseball Softball Federation. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "European Championship Seniors - Pool B". Baseball Europe. Archived from the original on 5 August 2004. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "XXVIII European Seniors Championship - "A" Pool". Baseball Europe. Archived from the original on 5 August 2004. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ Wedemeijer, Harry. "European Championships, A-Pool 11 - 19 July 2003, Netherlands". wanadoo.nl. Archived from the original on 19 November 2004. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "University of North Florida - 2008 Baseball Coaching Staff". Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2009.