MSQA clinches spot in ePremier12 with win in Europe Finals
Italy’s MSQA took home the championship in the in-person ePremier12 Europe Finals and a berth in the HUGAN WBSC ePremier12 2024 with a 2-0 series victory over Switzerland’s Boomer_77. The competition was held at the Serie A Football Stadium - Bluenergy Stadium - in Udine.
“I think the matches were really cool. To be here is a really big achievement, and then even to win it is even better,” MSQA said following the game. “We had some competitive games, so I’m happy about the results and the game quality as well.”
Both players reached the ePremier12 Europe Finals by being the two top-ranked European players in WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS.
In Game 1, MSQA got a run in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI single by first baseman Hideo Gundo to take an early 1-0 lead. In the top of the third, Boomer_77 tried to go on a late two-out rally with runners on first and third, but MSQA’s starting pitcher, Akira Myojin, was too much to handle, getting the game-ending groundout and cruising to a 1-0 shutout victory in the three-inning contest.
“It was really close in the third inning in the first game, I managed to get a double play which really helped and then left the tying run on third base,” MSQA said. “Then I think I got into more of a rhythm in the second game.”
MSQA was certainly in that rhythm in Game 2, starting early in the top of the first with a solo home run from Taku Kishida off of Kazune Inukawa to take a 1-0 lead.
The theoretical floodgates would open up in the top of the third for MSQA, as he belted three home runs – a two-run shot from pinch hitter Yokan Ukami and solo homers from Kishida and Gundo – to go up comfortably 5-0.
After pitching around a two-on, two-out jam in the bottom of the first, Myojin settled in again for MSQA, striking out four to get the shutout victory and give MSQA the Europe championship.
The win makes MSQA the eighth player to qualify for the HUGAN WBSC ePremier12 2024, joining SHORA, NEGRAY Ben Zen, Tomokun, CMWANG, SheShe, and DOIYA in the 12-player field for the tournament.
Looking ahead, the ninth and 10th qualifiers will be determined at the ePremier12 USA Finals, which take place on 24 October at the North Carolina State University Esports Lab in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
This in-person tournament will feature the six best United States players who qualified through the USA eBaseball™ Power League and the USA eBaseball™ Cup presented by USA Baseball competing for two spots in the HUGAN ePremier12.
The final two spots in the HUGAN ePremier12, which will be filled by Wild Card players, will be the third-place player from the ePremier12 USA Finals and the third-place player from the ePremier12 Chinese Taipei Finals.
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA will also be where Group A play in the HUGAN ePremier12 Opening Round will take place from 25-26 October, which will feature six of the 12 competitors, with the top two moving on to the HUGAN ePremier12 Super Round from 21-23 November in Tokyo, Japan. MSQA, who will be in Group A for the Opening Round, said he’s looking forward to the competition.
“I think the experience will be great whatever the result there. I’m just going to be there trying to do my best, and hopefully steal some games and go as far as I can go,” MSQA said. “It’s going to be tough, but let’s see what we can do.”
Group B play in the Opening Round will take place from 2-3 November at New Taipei City Esports Base, where the other six competitors will compete for the other two spots in the Super Round.
Want to get in on any future tournaments in the WBSC eBaseball Series? Get your copy of WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 today, or apply for a coupon code HERE to forge your path to the world stage!