Colfax alum Marcus Maeder to pitch for Swiss National Team

Colfax High School alum and former Pioneer Valley League MVP Marcus Maeder is on to the next step in his baseball career. The right-handed pitcher has not only found a home in the starting rotation at Sacramento City College but also with the Swiss National Team, with which he'll compete in the European Baseball Championship qualifier in August. Maeder was a standout for the Falcons last season, throwing two no-hitters and boasting an 8-0 record with a 0.48 ERA and 108 strikeouts. In his collegiate debut Saturday, Maeder allowed one run and four hits with three strikeouts in four innings. He learned of the opportunity to play for Switzerland when he saw on social media head coach Chris Byrnes was looking for players. "He was looking for players with passports that could possibly play and help improve the team. One thing they were really looking for was pitchers, so I reached out to him via Twitter," Maeder said. "From there, he looked at my high school stats and I went on a quick phone call with him and now I'm part of the team." "Marcus was like an early Christmas present because not only is he a pitcher, but he has a lot of talent and he is so young. I was just so excited to get that," Byrnes said. "He's going to be one of the pieces for us to help us earn a possible chance for the World Baseball Classic qualifier in 2025." Byrnes added that in Switzerland's last tournament, two of its top pitchers with minor-league experience were injured so Maeder has an opportunity to make an impact right away. "We're excited that he projects in the mix of the starting lineup for us," Byrnes said. "He's really confident and has good command. I talked to his pitching coaches and I know he can really spin the ball well and that he's got good off-speed stuff. He's got good control so I don't have to teach him that. He already has it." Maeder, who qualifies for the team because of Swiss descent on his father's side, said he's excited for the opportunity to take his game to the next level and represent his family and homeland. "I've heard the competition is going to be fairly decent. I expect it to be something similar to Division I baseball here or slightly better," Maeder said. "There should be guys coming down from the pros and Triple A to represent their country as well. For me, this is a great opportunity to represent not only my team but a nation. That's what really excites me, and I really strive to do well there and represent the American Swiss community well." Maeder's father, Herb, is the son of Swiss immigrants and has done his best to stay in touch with his roots over the years. "My parents are both from Switzerland, so I'm first-generation Swiss. I was born in San Francisco, but I grew up speaking Swiss because that's all we really did in our household until kindergarten," Herb said. "All our relatives were in Switzerland, so we traveled back to Switzerland every other year or so." Marcus said perhaps nobody is more excited about him playing for the Swiss team than his father. "My dad is super fired up and he already has all of his family members lined up for all the games back there," Maeder said, adding he wants to play in memory of his grandparents as well. "My grossmami and grosspapi are no longer around, but I'm sure they'd be proud and happy to see our name on my back on the Swiss jersey. I do it for them as well. They've always helped me." Maeder will report to the team in early August for the qualifiers, which will take place in Zurich, meaning many of his Swiss relatives will be able to see him play. "They're pretty pumped. They are regulars at soccer games and if you know anything about Swiss soccer games, they go crazy and have flares in the stands and everything," Maeder said. "They told me that they're just going to come to our Swiss baseball game with the same energy." Byrnes said he's still in search of players to join the team for the 2024 competition and that any interested players should reach out to him on social media. "It's an opportunity to showcase your skills and a great opportunity for the kids coming over to play," Byrnes said. "It is such a tremendous experience of being in Europe and playing against that competition. There is really nothing like it." Asked what he hopes for with the experience, Maeder said he wants to get the most exposure possible while representing Switzerland to the best of his abilities. "The majors is the ultimate goal, but I also want to get a degree in college," Maeder said. "I think I'm gonna get a lot of opportunities in Switzerland as well because there's European scouts for MLB teams over there."