First Time Playing on Artificial Turf

The Düsseldorf Senators were guests of the Paderborn Untouchables last weekend—and even though they lost both games by a narrow margin, the day was a big step forward for the Senators.

Even the trip there was special. With perfect baseball weather, the team headed to Paderborn, where they faced not only a strong youth team but also an impressive facility. For many Senators players, it was their first time playing on the Untouchables’ new turf field. The modern field, the entire baseball complex, and the atmosphere on site left a strong impression on everyone. It was immediately apparent how much is being invested in baseball in Paderborn—for that, the hosts deserve nothing but great respect.

There was plenty going on around the two games as well: While the second-division games were taking place on the main field, a large youth tournament featuring teams from various regions and even international guests was held on the side fields. This created a special baseball atmosphere throughout the day, which further enhanced the game day.

On the field, the Senators played what were likely their best games of the season so far. The level of play was high; both games were fast-paced and featured solid baseball from both sides. Particularly encouraging was the significant improvement in Düsseldorf’s offense. After the past few weeks, it was clear that the team was approaching the plate more aggressively and making much better contact with the ball.

In the first game, Anton De Angelis took the mound again and delivered a strong performance. He kept the Paderborn offense in check throughout the entire game with numerous strikeouts and solid pitching. A tight pitcher’s duel developed early on, remaining completely open until the fifth inning with the score tied at 2-2.

On offense, the Senators delivered an early highlight: Nori Ogata hit an impressive home run well over the fence, putting Düsseldorf in the game early on. But in the fifth inning, a series of unfortunate plays allowed Paderborn to score several runs. Despite promising moments and strong offensive plays, the Senators ultimately fell short, losing 2-5.

It was particularly encouraging to see that several players from the second team stepped up to fill the many gaps in the roster and performed exceptionally well. Offensively, in particular, the team showed strong overall development and significantly more confidence at the plate.

Narrow Loss

The second game also remained exciting right up to the end. Tom Kremer started on the mound for the Senators and delivered a very solid performance over three innings. Düsseldorf’s defense once again looked significantly more stable than it had at the start of the season, with plenty of great plays and strong fielding.

Offensively, Düsseldorf remained dangerous and even managed to build a 5-4 lead at one point. After Tom, Robin took over on the mound, before Nori Ogata took over the game later on. The game remained completely open until the final innings and turned into a real nail-biter.

In the end, it was the little things that made the difference. Paderborn scored the decisive run in the sixth inning, while the Senators, despite having runners on base in their final at-bat, were unable to bring home the tying run. Thus, the second game was also lost by a narrow margin, 5-6.

Despite the two losses, the positive feeling prevailed after the day’s games. The team showed clear improvement, playing with more courage, aggression, and overall much greater stability than in the weeks prior. The improvement was particularly evident on offense.

The day was rounded out by a very successful livestream from the Paderborn team, as well as an overall very pleasant and sportsmanlike atmosphere both on and off the field. The cooperation with the umpires was also viewed very positively by all sides.

All in all, it was a game day that, while it didn’t result in any wins, clearly showed the Senators that they’re on the right track.

Stunning comeback: Senators 2 turn the game around against the Kapellen Turtles

The Düsseldorf Senators’ second team put on a true offensive spectacle in today’s District League game. Against the Kapellen Turtles, the Senators celebrated a well-deserved 23-13 home victory after an impressive comeback.

The game started off promisingly for the hosts. The Senators got off to a good start and made their mark early on. But in the third inning, the Turtles took control and briefly took the lead. With strong hitting and a relentless offense, the visitors put pressure on the Düsseldorf defense.

The Senators’ response, however, was not long in coming. In front of their home crowd, the team showed great fighting spirit and really turned it on in the fifth inning: With a total of 14 runs in an outstanding offensive display, the Senators impressively turned the game in their favor.

The team was now highly focused, particularly at the plate, and consistently exploited the visitors’ weaknesses. The Kapellen Turtles could no longer find an effective response, allowing Düsseldorf to confidently hold onto their lead until the end.

In the end, the scoreboard showed a decisive 23-13 victory for the Senators 2.

First Home Win of the Season against the Bonn Capitals 2

On their next home game day in the 2nd Bundesliga, the Düsseldorf Senators hosted the Bonn Capitals’ second team. The visitors arrived with a very young, athletic squad that displayed plenty of speed, solid defensive positioning, and strong pitching throughout both games. So another challenging game day awaited the Senators—but this time with a well-deserved victory.

Game 1: Narrow Loss Despite Strong Performance

The first game was a close contest from the start. On the mound for the Senators was newcomer Tom Kremer, who delivered a strong performance right off the bat in his first official pitching appearance for Düsseldorf. With several strikeouts, a calm demeanor, and a commanding presence, he kept the Bonn offense in check for a long time and gave his team the chance to keep the game close until the end.

The pitching was strong on the Bonn side as well. As in previous weeks, the Senators initially struggled to be aggressive and consistent enough at the plate early on. As a result, the game remained low-scoring for a long time. It wasn’t until the fourth inning that the first runs were scored.

In the sixth inning, the Senators had a golden opportunity to turn the game around. With the score at 2-3, Düsseldorf came close to tying the game, but Bonn managed to escape the jam. In the seventh inning, the Capitals added to their lead, while the Senators were unable to mount a decisive comeback in their final at-bat.

In the end, it was a narrow 3-5 loss in a game that could easily have gone Düsseldorf’s way.

Senators claim their first Win of the Season

In the second game, the Senators made it clear from the start that they were determined to respond. Anton De Angelis took the mound and once again delivered a very solid performance. He provided a standout moment as early as the second inning: he finished the entire inning with just three pitches—three pitches, three outs. It doesn’t get much more efficient than that.

However, it was Tom Kremer who made the first big statement. After pitching strongly in the first game, he immediately provided the highlight of the day on offense in the second game: In the first inning, he hit a massive 3-run home run against the wind, giving the Senators an early 3-1 lead.

In the second inning, Düsseldorf added to their lead. Bonn couldn’t quite find their rhythm on the mound; several hit-by-pitches put the Senators on base, and Düsseldorf capitalized on the opportunity consistently. The score was 6-1 for the hosts early on.

But Bonn remained dangerous. In the third inning, the Capitals responded with a two-run home run, narrowing the gap to 6-3. Nevertheless, the Senators held their ground. Defensively, in particular, there was a clear improvement over the previous week. Javier Liere and Nori Ogata made key plays with strong defense, diving catches, and precise throws, helping to stop the Bonn offense time and again.

The Senators held a 7-4 lead going into the seventh inning. But the final inning turned into a nail-biter. Bonn fought back with walks and errors, scoring two runs and loading the bases with two outs. The tension was at its peak.

Then came Bonn’s final at-bat: a hard hit toward second base. The ball was caught in the air—game over.

With the 7-6 victory, the Düsseldorf Senators secured their first win of the season.

Looking back, it was a successful game day for the Senators. After a difficult week against Wuppertal, the team showed a clear improvement, especially on defense. The plays were cleaner, the body language was right, and there were also more promising signs on offense.

Of course, there is still work to be done—especially at the plate, where more consistency and aggressiveness are needed. But this game day showed that the team is taking steps forward.

And in the end, that’s exactly what counts: progress, team spirit, and the first win of the season.

Düsseldorf Senators 2 suffer clear defeat against the Duisburg Flying Bats

In the Bezirksliga, the Düsseldorf Senators 2 suffered a decisive defeat. They lost 0–13 at home to the Duisburg Flying Bats.

From the start, the Senators struggled to get into the game. The hosts from Duisburg played strongly on both offense and defense and capitalized on their opportunities consistently. The Flying Bats steadily built their lead as early as the first few innings.

The Düsseldorf offense, on the other hand, struggled to gain momentum. Promising starts failed to yield any runs, while Duisburg kept the pressure high with solid hitting and aggressive baserunning. Defensively, too, the Senators struggled to control the Flying Bats’ play.

In the end, a well-deserved 13-0 victory for Duisburg was on the scoreboard. For the Düsseldorf Senators 2, the task now is to quickly put this game behind them and show a response in the next match.

Sunshine in Wuppertal

On the third day of play, the Düsseldorf Senators visited the Wuppertal Stingrays—and the first game, in particular, is one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

The game actually started off well. Offensively, they got off to a good start, including an early home run by Nori. Later on, Tom also made a strong statement with another long ball. For long stretches, it was an open game in which both teams put runs on the board and gave each other no quarter.

What defined this game, however, was the Senators’ defense—and unfortunately in a negative way. Officially, only a few errors were recorded, but in reality, the error rate was significantly higher. In total, there were well over ten instances where balls weren’t fielded cleanly, wrong decisions were made, or simple plays weren’t executed. These weren’t just classic errors, but also mental lapses and unnecessary actions that repeatedly gave Wuppertal extra opportunities.

As a result, they kept the opponent constantly in the game, even though their own offense produced enough to actually win the match. In the end, that’s exactly what cost them: In a game that could have gone either way, the necessary stability was missing at the decisive moment—and the Senators had to admit defeat by a narrow margin of 11–12.

Decision after 1 hour and 44 minutes.

The second game presented a different picture. The defense was significantly more solid, and the number of major errors was reduced. Andi took the mound and fought his way through the innings, even though the Wuppertal offense repeatedly posed problems for him and kept up constant pressure.

Despite the improved defense, the Senators fell behind early and trailed for the entire game. Offensively, they lacked the consistency needed to mount a decisive comeback. Wuppertal played out the game solidly, and the match ended in the sixth inning with a score of 4–15.

To make matters worse, the Senators could only field nine players on this game day. With no substitutes available, everyone had to go the full distance—an additional strain that became noticeable as the day went on.

The bottom line is a game day that clearly demonstrated, especially in the first game, what needs to be worked on. With such a high error rate, it’s nearly impossible to win games in this league. At the same time, the team hung in there despite the circumstances—and that’s exactly what we need to build on now.

Sometimes you lose…

On the second day of the 2nd Bundesliga season, the Düsseldorf Senators hosted the team from Neunkirchen—and experienced an intense home opener featuring two instructive games.
The first game started out as a closely contested matchup. Both pitchers dominated the action; the game was fast-paced, clean, and of high quality. It wasn’t until the third inning that the decisive moment arrived: Following a defensive error that could have ended the inning, the visitors capitalized on their opportunity. Immediately afterward, a three-run home run gave them a 4-0 lead. The Senators found their rhythm again after that but were unable to close the gap significantly. The final score was 8-1, even though the game was much closer for a long time than the result suggests.

…sometimes the others win

The second game followed a similar pattern. Nori Ogata made his first start of the season on the mound; he gave up a few runs in the first inning but then found his rhythm and kept the visitors’ offense in check. Offensively, the Senators continued to struggle to get on base consistently and build momentum. It wasn’t until the final inning that they managed to score a few runs, making the final score a bit more respectable. Overall, however, they lacked punch for long stretches, so this game also went to Neunkirchen with a score of 3-9.

The quality of the opponent was striking: Neunkirchen played very consistently throughout both games and capitalized on their opportunities.

Despite the two losses, it was an important step for the Senators. The team fielded a nearly full roster and was able to play together in this lineup for the first time—a factor that will be crucial in the coming weeks.

A special highlight was the first full-scale livestream of a home game day. Following sporadic tests in preseason games and, among other places, in France, the concept was now fully implemented for the first time—with multiple cameras, a commentator, and continuous coverage of both games. The response was all the more gratifying: Around 30 viewers watched the action simultaneously at times, with a total of over 350 views recorded. For the club, this is an important step toward greater visibility and a strong foundation for the upcoming matchdays.

On the field, the main priority now is to become more consistent in attack and continue to adapt to the level of the 2. Bundesliga. The foundation is there—now it’s a matter of executing it on the field for the entire duration of the game.