View source for Greece national baseball team

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox National baseball team
|Name = Greece national baseball team
|Image = Greece baseball logo.svg
|Country = {{flag|Greece}}
|Federation = [[Hellenic Baseball and Softball Federation]] (HBSF) 
|Confederation = [[WBSC Europe]]
|Manager = [[Chris Demetral (baseball)|Chris Demetral]]
|WBSC Rank = {{WBSC World Rankings|GRE}}
<!-- Olympic Games -->
|Olympic apps = 1 
|Olympic first = 2004 
|Olympic best = 7th
<!-- World Baseball Classic -->
|WBC apps = 
|WBC first = 
|WBC best = 
<!-- World Cup -->
|WC apps = 1
|WC first = 2011 
|WC best = 16th
<!-- Intercontental Cup -->
|IC apps = 
|IC first = 
|IC best = 
<!-- European Championship -->
|EC apps = 6
|EC first = 2003 
|EC 2nd times = 1
|EC 2nd most recent = 2003
}}
[[File:Final Team Photo with Trophy.jpg|thumb|The Greek team at the 2021 WBSC Europe Lithuania Qualifier]]
The '''Greece national baseball team''' represents [[Greece]] in international baseball play. The team are a member of the [[World Baseball Softball Confederation]] and [[WBSC Europe]]. The team is managed by [[Chris Demetral (baseball)|Chris Demetral]] and it is currently [[WBSC World Rankings|ranked 37th]] in the world by the [[World Baseball Softball Confederation]], behind [[Guam national baseball team|Guam]] and ahead of the [[Pakistan national baseball team|Pakistan]].<ref name="WBSC World Rankings"/>

==History==
The first time that Greece put together a national team that got any recognition in the baseball world was ahead of the [[2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Athens Summer Olympics]]. Greece, as the host country, was faced with the dilemma that the actual baseball talent pool in the country was very small, and what players were available were amateur. However, as a result of lenient [[citizenship]] laws, various minor leaguers from the United States were able to play for the Greeks. Among the better known players were [[Baltimore Orioles]] prospect [[Nick Markakis]], former Major Leaguer [[Clay Bellinger]] and various other players of Greek descent.<ref name=history>{{cite web|title=History|url=https://www.greekbaseball.com/history|website=greekbaseball.com|access-date=12 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=European Championship Men|url=https://greeksoftball.gr/en/baseball/european-championship-men|publisher=Hellenic Baseball Softball Federation|access-date=12 May 2025}}</ref>

Greece made its international debut at the [[2003 European Baseball Championship – Qualification|2003 European Baseball Championship qualification]], contested in Hungary. The team finished the tournament undefeated and qualified to the [[2003 European Baseball Championship]] played in the Netherlands.<ref name=history/><ref>{{cite web|title=European Championship Seniors - Pool B|url=http://www.baseballeurope.com/history/esb2002.htm|website=baseballeurope.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040805172111/http://www.baseballeurope.com/history/esb2002.htm|archive-date=5 August 2004|access-date=12 May 2025}}</ref> Surprisingly, Greece finished as runners-up in the European Championship, losing the final to the host nation, the [[Netherlands national baseball team|Netherlands]].<ref>{{cite web|title=XXVIII European Seniors Championship - "A" Pool|url=http://www.baseballeurope.com/history/esa2003.html|website=baseballeurope.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040805171856fw_/http://www.baseballeurope.com/history/esa2003.html|archive-date=5 August 2004|access-date=12 May 2025}}</ref> Second baseman [[Chris Demetral (baseball)|Chris Demetral]] and outfielder [[Cory Harris]] were included in the tournament's All Star Team, while [[Peter Maestrales]] finished the championship as the leader in both stolen bases and runs scored.<ref>{{cite web|first=Harry|last=Wedemeijer|title=European Championships, A-Pool 11 - 19 July 2003, Netherlands|url=http://home.wanadoo.nl/hwede/stats03/ek03/awards.046.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041119145246/http://home.wanadoo.nl/hwede/stats03/ek03/awards.046.html|archive-date=19 November 2004|access-date=12 May 2025}}</ref>

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the Greek national team, led by [[Dusty Rhodes (baseball coach)|Dusty Rhodes]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.unfospreys.com/coaches.aspx?rc=24&path=baseball |title=University of North Florida - 2008 Baseball Coaching Staff |access-date=3 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211131815/http://www.unfospreys.com/coaches.aspx?rc=24&path=baseball |archive-date=11 February 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> finished the tournament in 7th-place, with a single win against [[Italy national baseball team|Italy]].

As runners-up of the 2003 European Championship, Greece qualified to the [[2005 Baseball World Cup]]; however, the Greek government curtailed all funding to the [[Hellenic Baseball and Softball Federation]], and the team did not participate, with the [[Czech Republic national baseball team|Czech Republic]] taking their place.<ref name=history/>

==International tournament results==
===Olympic Games===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! style="background:#1A3499;" colspan="7" | [[Baseball at the Summer Olympics|{{color|#FFFFFF|Summer Olympics record}}]]
! style="background:white; width:1%;" rowspan="9" |
! style="background:#1A3499; color:#FFFFFF;" colspan="5" | Qualification record
|-
! Year
! Round
! Position
! {{Tooltip|W|Won}}
! {{Tooltip|L|Lost}}
! {{Tooltip|RS|Runs scored}}
! {{Tooltip|RA|Runs allowed}}
! {{Tooltip|W|Won}}
! {{Tooltip|L|Lost}}
! {{Tooltip|RS|Runs scored}}
! {{Tooltip|RA|Runs allowed}}
|-
| style="border: 3px solid red" | {{flagicon|GRE}} [[Baseball at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004]]
| Preliminary round
| 7th
| 1
| 6
| 24
| 49
| colspan=4 | ''Qualified as hosts''
|-
| {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008]]
| colspan=6 | ''Did not qualify''
| colspan=4 | ''Did not participate''
|-
| {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics|2020]]
| colspan=6 | ''Did not qualify''
| colspan=4 | ''Did not participate''
|-
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| Total
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| 1/3
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| –
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| 1
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| 6
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| 24
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| 49
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| –
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| –
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| –
! style="color:#FFFFFF; background:#1A3499;"| –
|}

'''[[European Baseball Championship]]'''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!Year
!width="100"|Position
|-bgcolor=silver
|Netherlands [[2003 European Baseball Championship|2003]]||[[Image:Silver medal europe.svg|Silver|16px]] 2nd
|-
|Czech Republic [[2005 European Baseball Championship|2005]]||9th
|-
|Germany [[2010 European Baseball Championship|2010]]||4th
|-
|Netherlands [[2012 European Baseball Championship|2012]]||7th
|-
|Czech Republic, Germany [[2014 European Baseball Championship|2014]]||10th
|-
|Netherlands [[2016 European Baseball Championship|2016]] ||11th
|-
|Italy [[2021 European Baseball Championship|2021]] ||14th
|-
|Czech Republic [[2023 European Baseball Championship|2023]] ||13th
|-
|'''Average Finish'''||8th
|}

'''[[Baseball World Cup]]'''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!Year
!width="100"|Position
|-
|Panama [[2011 Baseball World Cup|2011]]||16th
|-
|'''Average Finish'''||'''16th'''
|}

==Current roster==
{{baseball tournament roster
| TeamName = Greece
| TournamentName = [[2023 European Baseball Championship|<span style="color:#FFFFFF;">2023 European Baseball Championship</span>]]
| BC1 = #1A3499
| BC2 = #1A3499
| FC1 = white
| FC2 = white
| ActiveAlt = Players
| CoachesAlt = Coaching staff
| Pitchers = 
{{MLBplayer|21|Daniel Gosselin}}
{{MLBplayer|11|Max Gouoren}}
{{MLBplayer|38|Jonathan Kountis}}
{{MLBplayer|27|Dimitrios Kourtis}}
{{MLBplayer|33|Dimitri Lettas}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;3|Yanni Orfanidis}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;7|[[Pete Sykaras]]}}

| Catchers =
{{MLBplayer|20|[[Erik Pappas]]}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;1|Antonio Torres}}

| Infielders = 
{{MLBplayer|24|Peter Dudunakis}}
{{MLBplayer|10|Achilleas Karaiskos}}
{{MLBplayer|23|Billy Les}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;5|[[Peter Maestrales]]}}
{{MLBplayer|13|Tom Roulis}}
{{MLBplayer|25|Ari Sechopoulos}}

| Outfielders = 
{{MLBplayer|29|Kasey Caras}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;9|Paul Neophytou}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;6|Nick Spiliotis}}
{{MLBplayer|26|Loukas Soukeras}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;2|Alejandro Torres}}

| Manager = 
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;4|[[Chris Demetral (baseball)|Chris Demetral]]}}

| Coaches = 
{{MLBplayer|18|Scott Demetral}} {{small|(bench)}}
{{MLBplayer|32|Demetre Kokoris}} {{small|(pitching)}}
{{MLBplayer|34|[[Mike Tonis]]}} {{small|(coach)}}
{{MLBplayer|28|[[Noah Zavolas]]}} {{small|(coach)}}

<small><span class="plainlinks">[https://www.wbsceurope.org/en/events/2023-european-baseball-championship/teams/23892 Roster]</span></small>
}}

==References==
<references/>

== External links ==
*[https://www.greekbaseball.com www.greekbaseball.com]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20020328042241/http://www.baseballgreece.com/ English Language website on Greek Baseball]}}


{{Europe baseball teams}}
{{Greece National Teams}}
{{Baseball in Greece}}

[[Category:National baseball teams in Europe]]
[[Category:Baseball teams in Greece|National]]
[[Category:National sports teams of Greece|Baseball]]
[[Category:2003 establishments in Greece]]
[[Category:National sports teams established in 2003]]

{{Greece-sport-stub}}
{{Europe-baseball-team-stub}}