Completed Event: Baseball at San José State on May 3, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 6
Baseball
at San José State
L 1-6
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Downtown Haarlem, The Netherlands
Stankiewicz, USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Have Early Success at Honkbal-Haarlam Baseball Week
7/19/2012 8:12:00 AM | Baseball
Semifinal games are set to begin today; medal games this weekend
The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team opened action last week at the Honkbal-Haarlem Baseball Week in Haarlem, The Netherlands with wins in four of their first five games, including an exhibition against the host team. GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz, who is serving as an assistant for the team, and the rest of the squad landed in The Netherlands after having travelled to Cuba for a five-game series against the Cuban National Team. Prior to that, the team spent nearly two weeks in North Carolina practicing at the National Training Complex.
“The players are tired from the hectic summer schedule and their college seasons,” said Stankiewicz. “Because of that, we have chosen to do a lighter practice schedule than usual. The guys are doing a great job of staying focused and together as a team in this final week. From the very beginning, we, the staff, made it clear that this tournament would be the pinnacle of our time together. They know that and want to finish strong.”
The team initially began the summer with games against Coastal Plain League teams before embarking on their trip to Cuba. The experience against the Cuban National Team provided great practice for the Collegiate National Team as they worked in preparation for the tournament.
“We feel that the five-game series in Cuba has been a key ingredient to our early success here in Haarlem,” Stankiewicz said. “Traveling to Cuba and playing such a good team showed our young players that they could play with anyone in the world. Our guys are mentally stronger because of their experience in Cuba.”
The squad has been in Haarlem for over a week already, spending most of their time at Pim Mulier Stadium. An off-day on Monday allowed for an opportunity to explore the city and immerse themselves within the culture.
“The people here in the Netherlands have been great,” Stankiewicz said. “Baseball is catching on quickly and they love to see our young players. They obviously root for their national team first, but we have become the second most popular team. Overall, it has been a great experience. When traveling through the different towns, you definitely know you are not in the United States anymore. There is a lot of cobblestone in the city and huge historical churches everywhere.”
As part of the tournament, the Collegiate National Team has already recorded victories over The Netherlands (3-0, exhibition), Japan (4-1), Cuba (5-2) and Chinese Taipai (2-0). Their only loss came against Puerto Rico in a tightly contested 3-2 game.
“The first four games have been low scoring, so fortunately we have pitched well and played very good defense,” Stankiewicz explained. “Our offense has been just okay, but most of the other teams are struggling offensively as well.”
Pim Mulier Stadium is considered one of the best in the country, having served as host of the 2005 Baseball World Cup. Despite rain delays prior to some games, the fans have been enthusiastic in cheering on the participating teams.
“The stadium is rocking every night even in spite of some rain,” said Stankiewicz. “The people love to sing and dance in the stands. It is colorful and loud; somewhat like a carnival. Our players love it and feed off of their passion and love for the game.”
The semifinals of the tournament are scheduled to get underway today, while the medal games will be played tomorrow and Saturday. The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, having spent the last month in preparation for this weekend, is hoping to bring home a gold medal when they return from the last portion of their summer experience.
If you missed previous blogs, click here for Week 1, click here for Week 2, click here for Week 3 and click here for Week 4.
For more information about the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team, click here.
“The players are tired from the hectic summer schedule and their college seasons,” said Stankiewicz. “Because of that, we have chosen to do a lighter practice schedule than usual. The guys are doing a great job of staying focused and together as a team in this final week. From the very beginning, we, the staff, made it clear that this tournament would be the pinnacle of our time together. They know that and want to finish strong.”
The team initially began the summer with games against Coastal Plain League teams before embarking on their trip to Cuba. The experience against the Cuban National Team provided great practice for the Collegiate National Team as they worked in preparation for the tournament.
“We feel that the five-game series in Cuba has been a key ingredient to our early success here in Haarlem,” Stankiewicz said. “Traveling to Cuba and playing such a good team showed our young players that they could play with anyone in the world. Our guys are mentally stronger because of their experience in Cuba.”
The squad has been in Haarlem for over a week already, spending most of their time at Pim Mulier Stadium. An off-day on Monday allowed for an opportunity to explore the city and immerse themselves within the culture.
“The people here in the Netherlands have been great,” Stankiewicz said. “Baseball is catching on quickly and they love to see our young players. They obviously root for their national team first, but we have become the second most popular team. Overall, it has been a great experience. When traveling through the different towns, you definitely know you are not in the United States anymore. There is a lot of cobblestone in the city and huge historical churches everywhere.”
As part of the tournament, the Collegiate National Team has already recorded victories over The Netherlands (3-0, exhibition), Japan (4-1), Cuba (5-2) and Chinese Taipai (2-0). Their only loss came against Puerto Rico in a tightly contested 3-2 game.
“The first four games have been low scoring, so fortunately we have pitched well and played very good defense,” Stankiewicz explained. “Our offense has been just okay, but most of the other teams are struggling offensively as well.”
Pim Mulier Stadium is considered one of the best in the country, having served as host of the 2005 Baseball World Cup. Despite rain delays prior to some games, the fans have been enthusiastic in cheering on the participating teams.
“The stadium is rocking every night even in spite of some rain,” said Stankiewicz. “The people love to sing and dance in the stands. It is colorful and loud; somewhat like a carnival. Our players love it and feed off of their passion and love for the game.”
The semifinals of the tournament are scheduled to get underway today, while the medal games will be played tomorrow and Saturday. The USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, having spent the last month in preparation for this weekend, is hoping to bring home a gold medal when they return from the last portion of their summer experience.
If you missed previous blogs, click here for Week 1, click here for Week 2, click here for Week 3 and click here for Week 4.
For more information about the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team, click here.
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