In the coming weeks, the Attnanger ASAK Athletics are preparing for the new baseball season with an intensive series of test matches – with the announcement of going back to the final of the Bundesliga playoffs. In 2021, the Athletics failed in the semi-final series on the way to title number five. The later champions from Wiener Neustadt used the famous “one moment” in the decisive fifth game to turn the game around and advance to the final. Understandably, the disappointment in the A’s was great at the time, especially since they had beaten Traiskirchen, the favorite for the title, in the quarter-finals. “The final series is our top priority this year,” says Athletics President Sebastian Libiseller.
Player coach Andreas Lastinger drilled his team to full fitness in winter. Now, at the end of the preparation, the focus is on match practice. Eight preparatory games, including against top international teams such as Hluboka (Czech first division club) or the elite team of the Regensburg Legionnaires, are on the program until the championship starts on April 16th. The A’s are also testing against the champions of the 2nd Bundesliga East, Stockerau Cubs, and are using the Upper Austria Cup in their own stadium to prepare. “This year’s preparation will challenge us at a high level early on and will give us a good start to the season,” said Coach Lastinger, who swapped his German for an Austrian passport in the winter.
The Athletics roster remains largely unchanged compared to the 2021 season. As reported, Attnang’s living baseball legend Dave Burns announced his retirement from active duty at the age of 47. Maciej Wroblewski, who returned to Poland for family reasons, is also one of the departures. Richard Reifmüller moves to Stockerau in the second division and will return to Attnang-Puchheim at least for the friendly on April 3rd. Marcel Vitale will miss the start of the season as he started his scholarship in the USA in the fall, where he is aiming to take the next step in his career as a pitcher and player in addition to his college education.
Source: Nachrichten
