Last year the Guzzlers (USA/GER) won the ESSL league championships followed by the Los Coyotes (DOM/AUT) and Linz Grizzlies (AUT). This year new teams take the stage and old teams improved. For this season it appears as though the cards are being reshuffled.

Read about the first power ranking of the season:

1. Bad News Bombers
Last ranking: –
Tendency: –

Coach Drew Chesser formed a team with a lot of new players. Additionally, he strengthened the team with the power of Jason Parker (ESSL hitting champion 2014). We will see if this team really has some bad news for the other teams in the league. But remember last year the Grizzlies already showed that hitting long balls is not always the receipe to win every game.

2. Guzzlers Europe
Last ranking: 1 (season 2014)
Tendency: –

Will the Guzzlers be able to repeat their title? Will they also be able to answer the “bad news” from the other US-team? At the moment this is something that is difficult to answer but we think that the missing of the Rhino (Jason Parker) might have weakened the Guzzlers a little bit. That’s why they are placed as second for the first ranking. But there is a simple way to proof that the crystal ball is wrong by winning the ESSL Germany tournament in Reutlingen.

3. Los Coyotes
Last ranking: 2 (season 2014)
Tendency: –

The Dominican team always looks for challenges when the play the game and they have one goal – to be #1. Their strength is that they grow with the challenge. The stronger the opponent, the more they are concentrated. However, this is also the weak point. Because they need emotions for winning they sometimes struggle when everything is too relaxed.

4. Dream Team
Last ranking: 5 (season 2014)
Tendency: –

It looks like Dream Team learned from last year and added two important players to their roster. One is Tomo Zezlina a great pitcher and a smart hitter. With his experience he can lead the team to a succesfull way up to the top. The second player is an outfielder with power as long as he keeps concentrated – Jerman Matic. After the first tournament we will see if Dream Team lives up the expectations.

5. Bulldogs
Last ranking: 4 (season 2014)
Tendency: –

It seems like the Bulldogs have some changes in front of them. Last year it was a team that were very close to beat the Guzzlers and they already won against the Los Coyotes. This team is very smart and can fight until the end. However, this year there are several new players involved and it’s a big question if the new players wil be able to achieve a breackthrough. Their goal is to be at least the #1 of the Slovenian teams. At the moment it looks like a close race.

6. PGS
Last ranking: –
Tendency: –

On the paper it’s a new team but the core players are from the Grizzlies, last year #3 in the ESSL. However, the team has to deal with several injuries and it seems like that their main goal will be the Super Cup in September. Their playing style is hitting line drives and using their speed to create pressure on the bases.

7. Los Titanes
Last ranking: –
Tendency: –

It’s another new team that enters the scene. Last 2 years the Titans played in the Austrian league and are well known for their unpredictability. There are games when it seems that they give up the control but suddenly the hit the ball everywhere and score a lot of runs. Their weakness is still their lack of concentration and experience. It’s a pretty young team.

8. Toros
Last ranking: –
Tendency: –

Toros are a big unkown team this season. They are rumours that they have the potential to be one of the top four teams but on the other side it’s a question mark if they will be capable to get their strongest players together. For Germany the team will not show the true face because they miss some players with real power. With their full squad we expect a strong defensive team.

RANKING #1

1. Bad News Bombers
2. Guzzlers Europe
3. Los Coyotes
4. Dream Team
5. Bulldogs
6. PGS
7. Los Titanes
8. Toros

When was your team founded?
The team was founded in 2011.

In which city is your team located?
Our team is located in Linz. It’s the third largest city in Austria.

Give us a short history of your team
Our president and team player Ofraini Ortega founded the team in 2011 and named the club after the team he played in the Dominican Republic. We are a young and strong team but we have to learn how to play the game of Slowpitch on that high level. But we learn fast

What do you expect from this season and what are your goals?
We are working hard to have a great first year in the ESSL and our goal is to reach the top 4 ranking in the ESSL. Additionally, we aim to win the Austrian League (ASSL) and the Linz city championships.

What do you think of the ESSL?
ESSL is a great opportunity to play against the best Slowpitch teams in Europe.

How do you see the future of the ESSL?
The ESSL will have a bright future ahead with more teams participating.