Puumat traveled to Hungary for the European Federation Cup Qualifier (1–6.6.2026), finishing the week with two victories—a 5–2 win over Bulgaria's CBS Lions NSA and a 20–7 win over Romania's Thunder Wolves. The team returned home with growing confidence and a strong belief that the gap to Europe's B-pool top teams is within reach.
When Puumat traveled to Hungary for the European Federation Cup Qualifier (1-6.6.2026), the goal was to measure themselves against international competition. By the end of the week, the team returned home with two victories, growing confidence, and, most importantly, a strong belief that the gap to Europe’s B-pool top teams is within reach.
Puumat opened the tournament with a 5–2 victory over Bulgaria’s CBS Lions NSA. Although the following games against Norway’s Kristiansand Suns and Titanai ended in defeats, the team demonstrated that it could compete with some of the strongest opponents in the tournament. In their final game, Puumat exploded for 20 runs and defeated Romania’s Thunder Wolves 20–7.
“The week in Hungary was extremely important for our team. We were able to challenge the tournament’s best teams with an offense that performed at a high level throughout the week. In addition to the two wins, we gained valuable experience and confidence that we are moving in the right direction.”, says Tomio Pihkala, Head Coach of Puumat.
The tournament also highlighted the team’s next area for development. At the international level, pitching depth is often a key factor in determining success. Puumat received several strong performances on the mound, but a longer tournament requires greater pitching depth in order to compete for the very top positions.
Most encouraging, however, was the fact that the gap to Europe’s elite did not appear large. The team played competitive baseball in every game and demonstrated that Finnish baseball continues to make significant strides forward.
