The 23rd annual "Pinkstertoernooi" or Pentecost Tournament, run by the Mr Cocker HCAW Baseball and Softball Club in the Netherlands on Sunday and Monday, May 27-28, is offering places to youth softball and baseball teams from Britain.
The competition will feature youth baseball at Under-18, Under-16 and Under-13 levels and youth fastpitch softball for Under-16 and Under-13 female teams.
In previous years, the tournament has hosted youth national or club teams from the Czech Republic, Serbia, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, France, Slovenia, Belgium, Russia, Spain and Lithuania, as well as from American bases in Europe.
Tournament details
While the entry fee is 75 euros per team, the organisers offer free accommodation in the training hall at the club, plus breakfast, for older baseball players and coaches, while Under-13 baseball players and all softball players will be lodged with host families. Low-cost lunches and dinners will be available at the club and there will be a BBQ and other events on Sunday evening.
All teams are guaranteed three games per day, and the tournament will be split into "A" and "B" levels to keep competition even.
The club is located in the town of Bussum, between Amsterdam and Utrecht. International teams are welcome to arrive on Saturday, May 26, the day before the tournament starts.
Competition will take place on Sunday and Monday, since this is a Bank Holiday weekend in the Netherlands (though not, this year, in the UK).
The deadline for entry is March 2, and teams are requested to bring an umpire with them. Entries will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information or to enter, email pinkstertoernooi@hcaw.nl or look at the tournament page on the club's website.