A new era has begun for the Guggenberg Legionnaires. Iconic player Matt Vance took over as coach from former champion Martin Helmig a few weeks ago. Now the people of Regensburg are setting the next course for a successful future. An important building block has been fixed in the last few days: national player Alexander Schmidt will continue to play in the center of the infield.
The Schwabelweiser’s long-time shortstop will remain on the Danube for at least another season. With the further signing, the Upper Palatinate team secured the services of the most valuable player of the past season. The 25-year-old was recently voted Most Valuable Player in the 1st Baseball Bundesliga South.
“He is one of our most important team leaders. He plays and prepares with the fire, intensity and focus that I want to see from all my guys. I look forward to being part of his continued development, hopefully for many years to come,” said new Legionnaires coach Vance after the announcement.
The special touch with Matt Vance
For Schmidt, who lives in Regensburg by choice, the appointment of his long-time teammate as head coach has a special touch. “What I’m most looking forward to is playing for one of my idols,” says Schmidt on the club’s website. “Being a Legionnaire means so much to me. I came to the sports boarding school here in Regensburg ten years ago and was immediately welcomed very well. The whole Legionnaire community is one giant family,” Schmidt continues. After the end of his future coach’s playing career, he is one of the longest-serving players in the five-time champions’ squad.
In 2014, the infielder, who was born in Canberra, Australia, found his way to Upper Palatinate via Berlin. Little by little, the young star established himself as a regular. Initially as a backup behind his future coach Vance, Schmidt became an indispensable top performer over the years – both for the Legionnaires and for the German national team. In 277 games so far in the highest German baseball league, Schmidt has made a name for himself primarily through his outstanding defensive performances.
“It was a pleasure to follow Schmidt’s development over the past ten years in Regensburg. He has developed from a 16-year-old boy looking for his place into one of the best shortstops in the Bundesliga. And all his hard work has now paid off with the South Season MVP award,” praises Vance.
Highlights also on offense
Schmidt doesn’t just show his skills time and time again in defense. The shortstop is also always good for a highlight on offense. The long-time resident of Regensburg proved this impressively last season. In the end, Schmidt’s .400 batting average ranked fourth in the South. With 30 runs batted in, Schmidt hit the most points on his team.
The 25-year-old will try to build on that in 2025. The first highlight comes before the start of the Bundesliga season. The qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Baseball Classic will take place from March 2nd to 6th in Tucson, Arizona. Major League Baseball recently announced this. Germany meets China, Brazil and Colombia there. Two teams from the pool book tickets for the final round of the official Baseball World Cup.
