Virgin Islander Jay D. Smith and the Great Britain (GBR) Baseball U23 Team have created history by winning the European Championship in Czechia on Saturday, August 9, 2025. Photo: Provided

Jay D. Smith played a major role as Great Britain pulled off a 9-7 come-from-behind victory over host nation Czechia. Photo: Paul Stodart

Jay D. Smith (3rd from left) was part of the successful Great Britain U23 Baseball team at the U23 European Championship. Photo: Paul Stodart/File

Smith played a major role as Great Britain pulled off a 9-7 come-from-behind victory over host nation Czechia.

The Gold Medal is Great Britain Baseball’s first since the 1938 Amateur World Series, the first edition of what would become the Baseball World Cup, in which Great Britain defeated the United States four games to one to become World Champions.

Czechia took early lead

Czechia jumped out to an early lead against starter Cam Moore, making his first appearance of the tournament. Simon Klacl and Michal Sindelka would walk, Jan Popisil dropped down a perfect bunt for a single, and a pair of fielder’s choice groundouts scored Czechia’s first two runs, with a Michal Pokorny single bringing home another. Eddie Taylor got the call from the bullpen with two down in the inning, and struck out Ondrej Hrdlicka to end the rally, but Great Britain was at a three-run deficit before their first at-bat.

Cole Leclair had a one out single for GBR in the first, but Great Britain were unable to score, and Czechia added to their lead in the second. Three more runs would cross the plate for the hosts, with another added against Ollie Duthie in the third inning, and Great Britain, found themselves in a familiar position: with a significant deficit in a European Championship Final.

Jay D. Smith to the rescue

Jay Smith, however, had other plans. With the bases loaded against Czech starter David Krecek in the bottom of the third, the speedy outfielder laced a double to left centre to clear the bases, scoring Tucker Stockman, Quinn Allen and Andrew Johnston. Matyas Trcka was summoned from the bullpen, and was greeted by Jackson Wallis, who launched a two-run home run to left field. When all was said and done, five British runs had crossed the plate, and the score was 7-5 in favour of the Czechs.

Duthie took command of the game on the hill for Great Britain, working around a leadoff double in the fourth to retire the next eight batters to keep the deficit at two before surrendering a single in the sixth and giving way to Zac Colletti (2-0), who got a first-pitch pop-up to end the inning.

In the bottom half, Wallis singled with one out and Will Kraemer added a base hit of his own, bringing Captain Jake Lambdin to the plate. Lambdin launched a 1-0 pitch down the left field line for a double to score Wallis and put the tying run at third in Kraemer, before Stockman’s double to left and a Czech error scored everyone, Tucker included and gave Great Britain the 9-7 lead.

GBR holds on 

Czechia would mount a comeback attempt in the seventh, with a pair of singles to start the inning to put the tying run aboard, and a well-executed bunt to move both into scoring position, but Colletti struck out Vlach before inducing Klacl to fly out to centre, and Great Britain’s U23s mobbed the field in celebration.

Jackson Wallis of Great Britain took home the Championship MVP trophy, with three hits in three at bats, the two-run home run amongst them, and three runs batted in. Stockman finishes the tournament second in runs scored with six and tied for the lead in doubles with 3. On the mound, Colletti ends the Europeans as the only pitcher to notch two victories, along with one of four saves across the competition, with Alistair Morin tallying one himself. Zac Sohosky finishes second in strikeouts with 12.

Great Britain Baseball’s next tournament will be the European Baseball Championships, where the Senior National Team will play in Pool B in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, from September 20-27, 2025.