Wait-and-see mode for CNMI sluggers

Nothing is definite yet as far as the CNMI’s participation is concerned in the baseball competition in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia next month.

Saipan Major League’s Rose Igitol said during the NMASA meeting last week at the conference room of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium that they are still looking for funds for the trip to the French territory.

NMASA had earlier estimated the cost of the Pacific Games participation at $1,800 per delegate and the CNMI has listed 28 athletes for baseball, according to the Pacific Games Council website.

The list include Tyrone Omar, Jerome Delos Santos, Byron Kaipat, Peter Tomokane, Franco Flores, Manny Sablan, Ryan Ada, Elton Santos, Joshua Jones, Vince Cepeda, Thomas Joab, Harry Nakamura, Nokki Saralu, Juan Maratita, Jesus Iguel, Eric Tenorio, Eli Aughenbaugh, Craig Sanchez, Jester Garcia, Justin Alexander, Jeremy Rabauliman, Jesse Mesa, Michael Pangelinan, Nathan Guerrero, Keoni Lizama, Marvin Ngeskebei, McGarette Duenas, Miguel Iguel, Kevin Kapileo, Jesse Garcia, and Robert Bansil. However, the list is not official, as final rosters of participating teams are only due at the technical committee meeting in New Caledonia on Aug. 27. Countries were required to submit entries by names on June 28 and athletes not on the list will not be allowed to compete.

Majority of the players the CNMI listed were members of the Commonwealth squad that won the silver medal in the 2010 Micronesian Games. Several of them were also part of the team that beat Guam in the gold medal match in the 2006 Micronesian Games on Saipan and others are from the Saipan Little League program.

Igitol said they are hoping to raise enough money to allow CNMI players to compete against the region’s best in Noumea. Besides the CNMI, five other countries are entered in the baseball tournament—American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Guam, and Palau.

The group is holding a series of fundraisers for the New Caledonia trip. SML has scheduled a tournament later this month, while players will be selling raffle tickets with the draws to be held mid August. Hot lunches will also be sold from July 15 to 29. SML also welcomes support from local businesses.

For more information about the fundraising tournament, contact Tony Rogolifoi at 288-5426.