Marcel Aerts is going to defend the U15 title that he conquered last year. The Chargers of 2019 dominated the battlegrounds both offensively and defensively. Led by Robberse and De Weirdt, who hit 7 of the 12 team homers, and all their pitchers striking out 45 batters in 29 innings, the Chargers had it all. The only thing Aerts needed to do is add his fun factor and off they went, straight for the title, never looking back.

In 2020 this will be hard to duplicate. Aerts will be optimistic as ever and full of smiles. In his 5th tournament, the Oosterhout native will look to at least have quality pitching again. As a pitching coach for the Hoofdklasse team of Oosterhout Twins it will be certain that that aspect of the game has his interest. In his active playing days he reached Hoofdklasse level himself as a reliever, pitching for Oosterhout Twins and Sparta-Feijenoord of Rotterdam. His trademark: a sidearm delivery that got hitters off guard between a two-seam fastball and a kind of a slurve (a combination of a slider and a curve).

Paul Bun on inking Aerts again: “Well, Marcel is a very talented manager who knows the ways of the game of baseball. That’s for sure. And being born and raised literally next to the Oosterhout Baseball park, it is great to have him and see him playing a big role in a baseball game on the ground that he is so familiar with. A no doubter for us as tournament management to have around.” 

One thing will be for sure: Marcel Aerts will get his team going, led by his contagious smile. The game has to be fun to play. And that is what BATC Baseball is all about. Welcome back coach!