Rohrbach’s Crazy Geese retain East regional baseball title

Rohrbach’s Crazy Geese have won the East regional baseball league title for the second consecutive year, ORF reported. The club defeated the Danube Titans 8-4 in Sunday’s final.

Baseball is a minor sport in Austria, but Rohrbach near Mattersburg has the only baseball club and the only baseball field in Burgenland. Christian Suchard of the Crazy Geese said the club had built most of the facility with its own hands and through its own work.

The Crazy Geese used their home advantage in the final after a season marked almost entirely by victories. The team lost just one game, Suchard said.

For the title defence, Rohrbach brought in pitcher Noah Zavolas specifically for the final. Zavolas previously played professionally in the United States and now plays in Amsterdam.

“I grew up in Massachusetts and always wanted to become a professional,” Zavolas said. “I lived that life for six years. Then I came to Europe. It is simply great to travel around here and get to know different baseball cultures.”

Mason Quick travelled even farther for the game. The teacher from North Dakota had already spent several weeks in Rohrbach during the summer and flew back for the final weekend. He said he needed permission from his school principal, who supported the trip.