Baseball (Division 1): To reach the final, La Rochelle is condemned to a feat in Montpellier

The Buccaneers must win three straight games this weekend in Hérault to have any hope of winning the title. Playoff history is not in their favor.

For the past ten years, the French Baseball Federation's statistics have been clear. 14 teams have lost the first two games of their semifinals, as is the case for La Rochelle against Montpellier , and none have managed to reverse the situation. You have to dig into the archives to find a glimmer of hope.

The last time such a reversal occurred was in the 2011 final, when Rouen won at the expense of… Montpellier, who collapsed at the end of the series. It will therefore take an exceptional performance this weekend for the Buccaneers to qualify for the final. There is no other solution than winning three consecutive matches on the “Cudas” ground, which will have become an impregnable fortress in 2025 (14 matches, 14 victories).

While the mission seems very complicated for the men of Pablo Ossandon and Patrice Briones, they still have some solid arguments to put forward. Last weekend, the Maritimes held their own, leading in the first game (3-0), and even staying in contact with their opponent all weekend, hoping for a final magical swing of the bat to save them.

Unfortunately, it didn't happen, the opposing defense remained solid and focused, and it was on two "facts of play" (according to Patrice Briones) that Montpellier, the 2023 French champion, got out of trouble and justified its status as favorite (5-7, 1-3). But the Buccaneers have already demonstrated amazing mental resources this year, as during the two successes snatched at the very end of the suspense against Rouen in the regular season.

On Saturday or Sunday, one of the two clubs will be in the final and will have the chance to celebrate its fortieth anniversary in style. If it were to be La Rochelle, it would be a truly rare feat in the history of French baseball.