The Barracudas de Montpellier are a French baseball team in French Division 1 Baseball Championship based in Montpellier, Hérault. They were founded in 1985. The team plays its home games at Veyrassi Sports Complex on the northern edge of the city of Montpellier.
History
Under Canadian coach Greg Hamilton, the team won three consecutive French leagues titles from 1993–1995. In 1994, the then 22-year old fellow Canadian pitcher Jeff Zimmerman would spend a season with the Barracudas. Five years later, in 1999, the righthander was selected for the American League All-Star team as 26-year-old rookie for the Texas Rangers. In his '99 season, Zimmerman went 9-3 with a 2.36 ERA for the AL West champs. In his career, the reliever would post a 17–12 record with a 3.27 ERA in 228.2 innings in the majors. Following the departure of Greg Hamilton after the 1997 season, the club had nine different managers from 1998-2008.
In 2009, Jean Michel Mayeur took over the helm and for three seasons was player/coach before becoming the full-time manager in 2012. Mayeur would remain manager through the 2022 season. In early 2010, local product Anthony Cros would become at the time, just the third French player to sign with a pro club in North America. The power-hitting righty spent 2010 with the Quebec Capitales before returning to the Barracudas the following season. Cros' number 55 is one of five numbers retired by the club to this date. In 2011 and 2015, the Barracudas lost to the Rouen Huskies in the French Series. The club has finished in the top 4 in the 11 team French Division 1 in every year but one since Mayeur became manager. In 2018, Montpellier pitcher Yoan Antonac, who came up through the Montpellier youth teams and academy, was the first player from the club to be signed by an MLB franchise. Antonac spent parts of three seasons in the Phillies system before returning to Montpellier in 2022.
In 2019, the club finished in third place in France with a 23–9 record, thanks in large part to Venezuelan ace Kevin Canelon, who finished 11–1 in 110.2 IP, with 125 K and a 0.49 ERA. The annual Challenge de France was held in Montpellier in 2019, where Senart edged Rouen in a thrilling final by the score of 7-5. Following the end of the 2019 season, the club said goodbye to former AAA Venezuelan shortstop Larry Infante. Infante, in his two seasons with Montpellier, batted .389 (63-for-162) with 27 runs scored, 1 HR, and 31 RBI in 44 games played.
After a year without baseball due to Covid-19, the 2021 Barracudas won the Challenge de France, qualifying the club for the 2022 CEB Cup, alongside 2021 French champions Rouen. Kevin Canelon, Erly Casanova and Owen Ozanich anchored the pitching staff, which finished with a league best 2.12 ERA. The Barracudas added power hitting infielder Ariel Soriano mid-way through the season. Youngsters Mathis Nayral and Pierre Doat made their division 1 debuts for the club.
In 2022, the Barracudas rotation, led by Kevin Canelon, Owen Ozanich and Mathis Nayral, led the FFBS in team ERA for a second consecutive year, posting a 2.34 team ERA. Offensively, Ariel Soriano led the charge, batting .338 with 1 HR and 18 RBI in 19 games. The team finished the season with a 12-7 overall record, bowing out in the semi-finals to eventual champion Rouen.
Eager to bring a championship back to Montpellier, the Barracudas finished the 2023 regular season with the best record in France, finishing first in their pool with an 19-5 record. The Barracudas, now coached by Ozanich and Giovanni Luciani, beat the Toulouse Tigers in the semi-finals before meeting the Montigny Cougars in the 2023 French Series. Playing in their first finals since 2015, the Barracudas were led by their pitching staff to a thrilling five game series victory. Youngster Ben Couvreur, at only 16 years of age, took home French Series MVP honors, while player/coach Owen Ozanich started and won the decisive game five at home in Montpellier. Kevin Canelon sealed the win by pitching in relief on back to back days!
European Cup appearances
1994 Champions Cup (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 1995 Champions Cup (Nettuno, Italy) 1996 CEB Cup (Zagreb, Croatia) 1997 CEB Cup (Montpellier, France) 1998 Champions Cup (Karlovac, Croatia) 2000 Champions Cup (Nettuno, Italy) 2001 CEB Cup (Montpellier, France) 2002 Champions Cup (Regensburg, Germany) 2005 CEB Cup (Montpellier, France) 2007 Champions Cup (Hoofddorp, Netherlands) 2011 CEB Cup (Montpellier, France) 2016 CEB Cup (Rouen, France) 2022 CEB Cup (Rouen, France) 2024 CEB Cup (TBD)