HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 9 (acn) The Cuban National Baseball Directorate (DNB) announced a 26-men team that will hold the traditional friendly match against Nicaragua from next July 12-16 in Managua, capital of that Central American country.
Yovani Aragon, DNB director, also said that the official roster of the squad that will attend the coming Pan American Games of Lima, Peru, will be announced upon the return of this match.
Oscar Valdez, Yosvani Alarcon, Yunior Ibarra and Alfredo Fadraga will be the catchers, while Yordanis Samon, Carlos Benitez, Raul Gonzalez, Jorge Enrique Aloma, Cesar Prieto and Ricardo Ramos appear in the infield.
The manager Rey Vicente Anglada and his coaching staff also chose the outfielders Yoelkis Guibert, Yuniesky Larduet, Yurien Vizcaino and Sergio Barthelemy.
Meanwhile Lazaro Blanco and Freddy Asiel Alvarez lead the 12-pitcher list, which also includes Wilson Paredes, Frank Luis Medina, Pablo Luis Guillen, Pedro Alvarez, Yariel Rodriguez, Misael Villa (L), Yosimar Cousin, Andy Rodriguez, Yudiel Rodriguez (L) and Yadian Martinez.
It highlights the absence of veteran OF/DH Frederich Cepeda, as well as the inclusion of lefty OF/1B Vizcaino, leader in RBIs in the last Cuban baseball season.
In their recent raids in the Can-Am League and the 5-game match against the US national university squad, Cubans had adverse balance of 9 wins and 11 losses.
Anglada already defined his first three starting pitchers: Blanco, Alvarez and Yariel Rodriguez, but neither Cousín nor Villa, had good performances in those previous contests, so this will be a very good opportunity to pick the fourth starter for Lima 2019 Pan Am Games.
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