Netherlands national baseball team
| Netherlands national baseball team | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Federation | Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation |
| Confederation | WBSC Europe |
| Manager | Evert-Jan 't Hoen |
| WBSC ranking | |
| Current | 7 (31 December 2024) |
| Highest | 5 (December 2014) |
| Lowest | 9 (3 times; latest in June 2021) |
| Uniforms | |
| World Baseball Classic | |
| Appearances | 5 (first in 2006) |
| Best result | 4th (2013, 2017) |
| Olympic Games | |
| Appearances | 4 (first in 1996) |
| Best result | 5th (2 times, most recent in 2000) |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 17 (first in 1970) |
| Best result | 1st (1 time, in 2011) |
| Intercontinental Cup | |
| Appearances | 5 (first in 1983) |
| Best result | 2nd (2 times, most recent in 2010) |
| European Championship | |
| Appearances | 34 (first in 1956) |
| Best result | 1st (24 times, most recent in 2021) |
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, representing the country in international men's baseball. They are the best-ranked team in the Europe, and ranked seventh in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The team is controlled by the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation, which is represented in WBSC Europe.
The Netherlands participated in the Summer Olympic Games in 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008. The team has also participated in other major international baseball tournaments, including the World Baseball Classic (WBC), Baseball World Cup, and Premier12. The Netherlands' best finish was winning the 2011 World Cup, defeating 25-time champion Cuba in the finals. More recently the Dutch finished fourth in the 2013 and 2017 WBC.
The team is made up primarily of players from the Netherlands in Europe, and from Dutch territories and islands in the Caribbean that are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Baseball is extremely popular in Aruba and Curaçao, which were part of the former Netherlands Antilles. Some foreign-born players of Dutch descent have also been members of the team. While baseball only maintains a niche following throughout Europe, the Netherlands and Italy are the two European countries where the sport's popularity is strongest.
The Dutch team has finished in either first or second place in 31 of the 32 European Baseball Championships in which it has appeared. The exception was the 2023 European Baseball Championship, which the Netherlands placed third.