Ramstein pitcher Christian Roy does a back flip after he struck out a Kaiserslautern batter for the final out during the Division I title game at the 2025 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2025, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Something changes whenever the Ramstein Royals step up to the plate with two outs.
That was evident during Friday afternoon’s Division I title game at the 2025 DODEA European baseball championships against crosstown rival Kaiserslautern at Southside Fitness Center. The Royals dropped all their runs when they had no margin for error en route to an 8-4 victory.
Senior corner infielder Caden Nims said the main difference between the team’s success with two outs and hitting before those scenarios Friday was their sticks were finding the holes in the Kaiserslautern defense. Yet he also admitted a flip switches for the Royals (16-2) when they step up to the plate with two outs.
“We’ve been very good at putting bat on ball all year, and with two outs, nothing fazes us,” Nims said. “We’ve been disciplined, and we’ve trained for those moments in practice.
“We were ready for it, and we delivered.”
The Royals delivered a repeat championship, as well as the program’s third in the last four seasons.
Assistant coach Calvin Delp said teams such as Kaiserslautern and Vilseck had made it for Ramstein to repeat this year, which adds a layer to this European trophy.
“We had to work our way through the tournament this year,” Delp said. “They didn’t let adversity affect them, came out and just played ball, kept everything between the white lines and had fun, played as a team.”
Kaiserslautern pitcher Bryant Lokey throws home during the Division I final against Ramstein at the 2025 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2025, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein shortstop Christian Roy goes into left field to catch a fly ball during the Division I final against Kaiserslautern at the 2025 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2025, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Kaiserslautern senior Logan Bell runs to third base following a hit during the Division I final against Ramstein at the 2025 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2025, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein senior Conor McGinty pitches during the Division I final agaisnt Kaiserslautern at the 2025 DODEA European baseball championships on May 23, 2025, at Southside Fitness Center on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
In crucial moments against the Raiders (14-4), Ramstein showed how it handled adversity that Delp mentioned.
In the top of the first inning, Kaiserslautern took a one-run lead thanks to a Logan Bell double that scored junior Nick Sullivan. In the bottom half of the frame, Ramstein responded with a pair of runs thanks in large part to a back-to-back triple and double by Nims and junior catcher Will Schmiedel.
Then, in the third inning, Rueben Todman parked a 0-2 pitch from Ramstein starter Conor McGinty over the left field fence to cut Kaiserslautern’s deficit to 4-2. Yet, once again the Royals matched the Raiders in the bottom half when junior Jaxon Lundell drove in with Eiji Carpenter with a double.
The last instance came in the fifth inning, when the Raiders got back to within two at 6-4. Todman singled to right field, driving in teammates John Leonard and Nick Sullivan.
And again, the Royals stretched out the lead with a two-run triple into right-center field from freshman Travis Yockel.
“We’ve been preaching just win an inning,” Delp said. “If you win or tie more innings than you lose, you’re going to win the game.”
It helps to win an inning if you have the one-two punch of McGinty and Christian Roy. McGinty, lefty, throws a little slower than Christian Roy, a right-hander with a canon.
The Royals navigated the field to make sure both were available for Friday’s contest.
And the two delivered. McGinty went five innings with two runs allowed, while Roy ended his season with a performance of one hit and two runs allowed over two innings.
“I know if I’m struggling, he’ll come in and he’ll do great,” McGinty said of Roy. “It puts the pressure on them rather than us to do well and perform at their highest level.”
Kaiserslautern coach Justin Bates said he was devasted for his team, but he also expressed his belief in his squad.
“We faced all the best pitchers, every game was tough, nothing was given to us and we worked as hard as we could,” Bates said. “I honestly believe we left it all out on the field. As coaches and players, you can’t ask for any more than that.”
