Statement from Battle at the Castle Baseball tournament management

It is with great regret that the Battle at the Castle baseball tournament management has today decided that the 2020 tournament will be cancelled due to public health and financial concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic.

First of all, it still is unclear if hosting of our event from july19th until july 24th 2020 would be permitted by Dutch authorities with regard to health and safety of all youth baseball lovers from around the world that make BATC Baseball happen. Health and safety are of course our main concern. Yet there are investments to make in the upcoming weeks of which it is very uncertain that they will materialise in july.

As most of the baseball seasons in any country in the world still need to start, there will be no possibility for us to postpone the tournament to a later timeframe in the summer or even later in the year. All calendars will be filled with league games. And most of all, BATC Baseball must be played under the best weather conditions possible which help create the sweet baseball atmosphere that we enjoyed in all editions.

It is with great regret that a streak of seven consecutive BATC tournaments comes to an end. We enjoyed a great interest in our tournament again for 2020, drawing more than 250 registrations. The kids flooded us with great recruitment videos, all to fetch a roster spot on our great stage. We know the kids will be disappointed, as are the managers, coaches, volunteers and our hosting club Oosterhout Twins.

Finally, we would like to thank the BATC Baseball community for their understanding of these unique and challenging circumstances. It is your passion for baseball that shaped our event year by year and we can only add that we are aiming to come back stronger as ever in 2021.

Everybody stay safe, keep hope and faith. And remember: You will see fastballs again this season, wherever you may be. Be ready to square them up.