Cuban national baseball team to debut in Can-Am League

HAVANA, Cuba, Jun 9 (acn) Cuban baseball team will debut today versus the Quebec Capitales at the start of its tour of 19 games against squads of the Canadian-American League (Can-Am).

Made up by 28 players, the Caribbean side will carry out an intense tour of several cities in Canada and the United States, which will run until July 2 and will serve as preparation towards upcoming international events highlighting the match against American university squad, from July 22 to 27 in three Cuban cities.

Its opponents, the Quebec Capitales, appear third in the standings of this professional baseball circuit with balance of 11 wins and 8 losses, behind the New Jersey Jackals (14-6) and Rockland Boulders (12-7).

The list is completed by the Sussex County Miners (10-9), Ottawa Champions (8-12) and Trois-Rivieres Aigles (3-16), according to the official site of the event.

Roger Machado, Cuban manager, could send to the mound the right-hander Freddy Asiel Alvarez, with Yosvany Alarcón as catcher, while Guillermo Aviles (1B), Raul Gonzalez (2B), Yunior Paumier (3B) and Yorbis Borroto (SS) would defend the infield, and Luis Robert Moirán, Julio Pablo Martinez and Lazaro Ramirez will be the outfielders.

The Antillean side will debut against a team which includes in its payroll their countrymen Roel Santos, Yurisbel Gracial and Yordan Manduley, as part of a growing exchange with the Cuban Baseball Federation.

Outfielder Santos highlights offensively with an average of .333, product of 22 hits in 66 at-bats, with four doubles and eight RBIs, while infielder Gracial is hitting for .246, with one homer and eight RBIs, and SS Manduley has a BA of .571, although he has only be present in two games because of an injury.

Donal Duarte (BA of .257) -9 hits in 35 at-bats, with a double and two RBIs- and Alexander Malleta (103), only three hits in 29 AB, are also involved in the Can-Am League as part of the Ottawa Champions.

This series of games against the Can-Am League is the beginning of a long training process toward the 4th World Baseball Classic, agreed for March 2017.