WBSC Europe Vice-President Softball Gabriel Waage has published Issue 31 of the VP Softball Report, providing an overview of the 2026 softball season so far and looking ahead to the major events still to come.
Photo by Petra Voet
The report reflects on an exceptionally busy summer, with European Championships, World Cup events and the upcoming European club competitions demonstrating the continued growth and strength of softball across the continent.
Slowpitch Season Opens with Record Interest
The international season began with the Men's Slowpitch European Championship in Belgium, where the Netherlands completed an unbeaten tournament to claim the European title. The Coed Slowpitch European Championship in London welcomed ten participating nations, including first-time appearances by Lithuania and Poland, highlighting the continued expansion of slowpitch softball in Europe. Great Britain successfully defended its European title after an undefeated campaign.
European Champions Crowned Across Four Fastpitch Championships
Four European Fastpitch Championships were held during July.
Czechia successfully defended both the U18 Men's and U16 Men's European Championship titles, while Lithuania secured qualification for the 2027 WBSC U-18 Men's Softball World Cup, marking the country's first-ever participation in a WBSC Softball World Cup.
In the women's competitions, Italy completed an undefeated tournament to win the U22 Women's Softball European Championship, with Czechia taking silver and the Netherlands bronze after six days of competition involving 19 national teams.
Italy also captured the U15 Women's European Championship, defeating Czechia in the gold medal game. The tournament, hosted in Rosmalen, Netherlands, served as the qualifier for the 2027 WBSC U15 Women's Softball World Cup, with Italy and Czechia earning Europe's qualification places.
Europe Continues to Host Major WBSC Events
Following previous Women's Softball World Cup stages hosted across Ireland, Spain, Italy and Czechia, Prague welcomed Stage A of the 2026 WBSC Women's Softball World Cup. Looking ahead, Czechia will also host the 2027 WBSC U18 Men's Softball World Cup in Havlíčkův Brod and Ledenice.
European Club Season Ready to Begin
Attention now turns to the European club competitions.
The August calendar begins with EMRYT, WBSC Europe's flagship youth development tournament, followed by the women's club competitions:
Premier Cup (Haarlem, Netherlands)
Cup Winners' Cup A (Caronno, Italy)
European Cup (Wittenbach, Switzerland)
Cup Winners' Cup B (Janossomorja, Hungary)
The month concludes with the Men's Softball European Super Cup in Czechia, while the season will finish in October with the European Softball Masters Cup in Barcelona, featuring 10 women's teams and 8 men's teams.
Coach Development Continues Through EBSCA
The report concludes by encouraging coaches to register for the European Baseball and Softball Coaches Association (EBSCA) Training Camp 2026, which will be held in Diessen, Netherlands, from 21–25 October, with the Pre-Camp Elite Pitching Day taking place on 20 October.
The full WBSC Europe VP Softball Report – Issue 31 is available to download here.
