Rip Leads Netherlands to U-23 European Baseball Championship
8/30/2021 5:24:00 PM | Baseball
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The U-23 European Baseball Championship just wrapped up in Verona, Italy, and former Spartan Julian Rip led all hitters in the tournament as he batted .600 to lead the Netherlands to the championship title. A native of Vianen, Netherlands, Rip started all five games for the Dutch at right field and in the leadoff spot.
"It is always an honor to represent my country. It brings a different atmosphere and pressure to the games because you know that the whole country is following the team," Rip said. "Being able to represent the Netherlands is an awesome experience every time. I get goosebumps every time the national anthem plays before every game."
Rip racked up 12 hits including three doubles and three triples, drove in seven runs, and recorded a 1.050 slugging clip as the Dutch went 5-0 in the tournament to win the championship. He also scored 11 runs, swiped two bases, and notched a perfect fielding percentage across those five games.
"We went to the tournament with a goal to win gold. We knew that we had a talented group and that we had a good chance of winning the tournament. Of course, we still had to play well and compete, and luckily we were able to dominate the whole tournament," Rip said. "Personally, I had a really good tournament and I won the best hitter award. I was really happy I was able to help the team win. Having the captain role and being one of the older guys, I was able to set an example for the younger guys and guide them where needed. Winning the European Championship and being able to pick up the trophy and celebrate that with that amazing group was really special."
In the first game of the tournament, Rip drove in the first run of the game with a single back to the pitcher. He went on to bat 3-for-4 with three RBI, three runs scored, and a walk as the Dutch mercy ruled Belgium 17-3 in six innings. Rip also had two RBI-singles in a 10-run sixth inning for the Netherlands.
The next day, the Netherlands knocked off Germany 10-1 to secure a spot in the semifinals. Rip led off the bottom of the first with a triple down the left field line and scored on a sac fly to tie the game up early. He finished that game 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored.
The Dutch picked up their second mercy rule victory on day three with a 10-0 win over Ukraine. After a leadoff triple to center in the bottom of the first, Rip scored on an RBI groundout to get the Netherlands on the board early. In the bottom of the fifth, he doubled through the right side with one out to spark a seven-run inning for the Dutch. He led his team at the plate on the day, hitting 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, a walk, and two runs scored.
On day four, Great Britain got off to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Dutch responded with a four-run effort in the bottom of the inning starting with a leadoff single to short from Rip, who went on to score the first run of the day for the Netherlands off a two-RBI double. Rip also had an RBI-double to left center as part of a six-run inning for the Dutch in the bottom of the fourth. He finished his day with two doubles, a single, one RBI, and three runs scored.
In their smallest margin of victory in the whole tournament, the Dutch defeated Germany on the final day to win the championship by a score of 7-3. Rip opened the scoring in the game with a two-RBI triple in the second, and he drove in the seventh run in the top of the seventh when he beat out the throw on a fielder's choice.
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