Nooa Määttä and Elmo Pihkala represented Puumat in the Finnish national team at the European Championship Qualifier in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Määttä finished among the tournament's top hitters with a .438 batting average and a .875 slugging percentage, while the young Finnish squad took clear steps forward on its road to the 2030 qualification campaign.
The Finnish Men's National Baseball Team competed last week in the European Championship Qualifier in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Puumat was represented in the Finnish national team by Nooa Määttä and Elmo Pihkala.
The tournament was also an important milestone in the national team's long-term rebuilding project. The young Finnish squad made significant progress throughout the week and was able to challenge stronger opponents with brave and confident baseball.
Nooa Määttä had an especially strong tournament, performing well both on the mound and at the plate. Nooa finished among the tournament's top hitters with a .438 batting average, ranking sixth overall, and a .875 slugging percentage, the third-best mark in the tournament.
The national team is still young and developing in many areas, but the week also showed how much potential there is in this group. The long-term goal is clear: Finland aims to compete for a place in the European Championship through the 2030 qualification campaign.
Now Nooa, Elmo and the other national team players return to their club teams. For Puumat, the focus shifts back to Superbaseball and the decisive games of the final part of the season.
