Manchester Players Celebrate GB Victory in Czechia

MSL talks to the Great Britain players in our league about winning the 2024 Coed Slowpitch European Championships in Czechia.

Official photos: WBSC/Jan Beneš/Beny Photo/David Kratochvíl/Aneta Šimůnková

Players:
Joe Grantham – Thunder
Tom Russell – Thunder
Zoe Le Roux – Thunder
Katie Jessop – Travelling Dodgers

Staff:
Luis Arrevillagas – Assistant Coach
Luis Allan Arrevillagas – Bat Boy

How are you feeling after the win?

Joe: “Really good. I think as a team we all played really well, hit very well and worked well together. And the team that Dan [Spinks] picked was the right team for that tournament.”

Katie: “The vibe on the bench and then on the field as well was relentless.”

Zoe: “Even outside of softball the vibe was so good.”

Tell us about your perfect game Joe.

To achieve a perfect game, a team must not allow any opposing player to reach base by any means.

Joe: “It was against Serbia. 37-0. But for slow pitch it’s very, very rare to throw a no hitter. I think the last GB pitcher to do it was David Lee.”

Bristol and NSL Tigers player David Lee helped GB win five Co-ed Slowpitch European titles, one Men’s Slowpitch Europeans and an ISF World Cup.

Zoe: “It’s a perfect game, not a no hitter.”

Joe: “Alright, sorry, it’s a perfect game, so, didn’t even walk anyone. A perfect game doesn’t come without great defence behind me, so it’s hats off to them as well.”

Who were your standout fielders for that game?

Joe: “I think it was everyone in that game. I think everyone just took their time, fielded the ball well, threw the ball, it was just one of them. Yeah, so I’m really happy with it.”

What puts GB above the rest of Europe?

Joe: “I think it’s the constant playing, really. In Manchester we do believe that we have one of the best leagues because it’s one venue, we play multiple teams and things like that. And without the Manchester League we wouldn’t be where we are now. And then, obviously, all of us are going up to NSL and playing against teams from all over the country, playing against other people from all over the country, I mean, that sets the precedent for it, really.”

Zoe: “Like, constant high level competition.”

Tom: “I think NSL as well shows that all the best players from across Europe, they all come and play in the NSL. Like, the best Czech players, the best German players, they all come and play here. So it clearly shows that it’s the best place to play.”

You beat everyone by some margin, apart from the Czech team. What do the Czech have that no one else does?

Tom: “They just have the big bats I think. They just hit better than the rest.  I think they were a bit more consistent, more than the other teams had. Big guys would stick it over the fence and girls would hit too. I think that separated the Czechs, they had people that did it consistently for a whole game, or a whole week. But I think their women were the big difference. A lot of the other teams had decent guys, but the Czechs had those really, really good guys, but also had the women to back it up.”

Katie: “And they did it back to back as well. There was an inning of ten runs, which put them in a really good position that we were going to have to fight back for.”

Yes, I saw in the final that the Czech scored ten runs in the 4th. How did you make your comeback?

Joe: “Umm, I think the change of pitcher said it all.”

Everyone laughs. The pitcher was changed to Joe in the 5th inning but he is making a joke here.

Zoe: “Joe, you’re meant to let someone else say that!”

Joe: “No, I’m joking! I think as a team, we all dug deep, and I think from the start, even though we went 10 runs down, I think that even the crowd knew and the Czechs knew that this is GB and GB can always come back from anything.”

Tom: “Stayed loud. We got louder. We managed to out shout their crowd.”

Luis: “One of the keys for the whole week was the discipline in the batters boxes for the players. So there were quite a few walks and very key walks as well. So we were not swinging. Chris Yoxall’s at-bat is a good one to mention. But everybody actually throughout the game, and through all of the games, they were really, really disciplined on the box, they were not swinging at bad pitches.”

Not going for glory?

Luis: “Absolutely not going for glory.”

Katie: “And if they did get a home run it was a tactical home run where there were runners already on the base and you were scoring more, otherwise it was just hitting to get on [base].”

Joe: “As well as leading by example. One of our captains, Chelsie [Robison], she was one of the main people, I think she took three walks that game, just to show us, look, take your time on the box, there’s no need to start chopping and trying to hit these balls, just take your time.”

Luis: “And that was the same through the week, so we managed to do that in the final when we were 10 down as well, so that’s why I think we managed to actually come back, because we did exactly the same as what we’re doing all week.”

What have you learned from being on the GB team that you can take back to MSL?

Katie: “I think first of all, just to enjoy it. Enjoy playing. We definitely enjoyed being a team and playing together. You can feel that in the vibe on and off the field. And then, you know, in terms of batting and stuff, like you said, be disciplined, choose the pitch that’s right for you and don’t just swing at anything.”

Tom: “I use that experience that we’ve had to then help everybody else as well, like help the league get better. We’ve had opportunities that a lot of other people haven’t had and are able to bring back that skill. Sort of like leadership or whatever it is, bring it back and help everybody else in the league and in our teams too, I think it helps them get better as well.”

Joe: “I think it shows as well that we are very talented, but it’s not pure talent with us. It’s just being consistent and it’s just putting the right things in place. Even just hitting little ground balls and things like that. Anybody in our league could try, as long as they put their mind to it, there’s a chance for them to be a part of it. I think GB Softball, I think a lot of people see it as elite-elite, but it’s not. It’s just, the only difference between us and anyone else is that we’re just more consistent with it. And if anyone puts their practice in, anyone can be there.”

Zoe: “I started in the Manchester League in Division 2. I worked my way up. I started in C grade at what used to be Diamond Series. I’ve worked my way up, throughout it all, and I’m now at the top of it. It just shows what you can do.”

Tom: “She robbed one over the fence.”

Luis: “So in the final, we had an amazing catch in the outfield by Zoe. She’s got the bruises to show as well. But that was one of the game changers in that final. Because she robbed that home run for a third out.  And then after that, we came back and started the battle. And that’s possibly the game changer after that actually. We came back and started hitting the game. Shot them down and from then on they didn’t score a run. I think they scored one or two possibly.”

Joe: “Just got everybody back up again, got the mood up and the vibe up a little bit, so you can realise that we’re still in the game.”

How does the European international standard compare to the National Softball League?

Tom: “It’s very mixed. The very top of NSL is right up there with the very best. Some of the slightly newer countries to it are slightly weaker, but they’re getting better and better every time we see them play. There’s definitely some of the teams at the top end of the European tournament who are right up there with the very best that we’ve got.”

Joe: “I think a lot of teams as well weren’t as strong this year as they normally are. So the likes of Germany and the Dutch, they’re normally really, really strong teams, but they just didn’t have their players that normally come. So, I think that was a bit of a difference as well. Nothing against the Dutch, I thought they were still a strong team. But compared to us, we were just, I thought, too strong for people.”

Luis: “We have continued to develop as well, but they possibly haven’t as much.”

Joe: “It’s too big of a divide between fastpitch and slowpitch. Whereas we treat slowpitch as more of a good sport, they treat it as just a bit of fun and turn up.”

Zoe and Katie, this was your first outing with the GB team. What did you enjoy most about the experience of your first GB tournament?

Katie: “I think for me, the pride of getting to wear Great Britain across your chest, and then stepping up, playing the sport that you love, surrounded by the people that you love, knowing that everyone back home is supporting you as well, it’s just a great feeling. And then to actually make an impact or just be in the vibe with everyone is just the best feeling ever.”

Zoe: “I feel like it’s been a long time coming because I got selected for Mexico, which didn’t happen, so I was really chuffed to get chosen with the new staffing for the Europeans. It’s just absolutely buzzing to learn from such experienced players. Like, there’s so many people on that team. that have so much experience in various different aspects of the game and everyone’s there, they’re just so encouraging, they want to support you no matter what and they’ll always give you advice, and even if you completely mess up they’ll always have your back and they’ll always pick you up, which is amazing.”

Luis, what was your role throughout the tournament?

Luis: “I was assistant coach. I was mainly on the field. I was coaching third base. Other than that, it was just working with the team, with the staff team. Getting everything ready for these guys to be able to perform on the field. And they did just so well. There were no big stars in the team. Even the guys that you know that are amazing, the women that are amazing in there, they were just right behind everyone. So everyone was exactly at the same level there. And picking each other up, as you know.”

And finally, who had the best moustache?

Luis, Joe and Tom all grew moustaches for the tournament and then shaved them off when they became champions.

Joe: “It was definitely Luis’.”

Zoe: “I think it was the three of us at the airport.”

In the photo from the airport, Luis had drawn moustaches on Katie, Zoe and Luis Allan.

Joe: “I think Luis’ was the best moustache because everywhere we went in the airport, So many people coming and saying it’s a great moustache. So me and Tom, unfortunately never got that. But for the record, I think he cheated because he did dye it.”

For real?

Zoe: “Just For Men!”

Joe: “I do think the best part of it was the shaving on the winning night at two in the morning. I think me, Luis and Tom just felt so much better about it. Felt like a weight had been lifted off our lips.”

The next Coed Slowpitch European Championships will be hosted by the UK at the National Baseball and Softball Complex at Farnham Park in 2026.

GB Scores

Full results at WBSC Europe

Day 1 – Tuesday 16th

Great Britain 16 – 0 Netherlands

Germany 0 – 17 Great Britain

Day 2 – Wednesday 17th

Great Britain 17 – 2 Belgium

Ireland 6 – 22 Great Britain

Day 3 – Thursday 18th

Great Britain 37 – 0 Serbia

Austria 6 – 21 Great Britain

Day 4 – Friday 19th

Great Britain 35 – 5 Norway

Czechia 12 – 19 Great Britain

Final – Sat 20th

Czechia 18 – 23 Great Britain