Rogolifoi: We’re the best in Pacific

Family members and friends of the CNMI Baseball Team trooped to the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport early yesterday morning to welcome back the 2011 Pacific Games gold medalist.

The 16-man squad, manager Tony Rogolifoi, and Saipan Major League president Rose Igitol arrived on Saipan at 12:30am yesterday and were greeted with a huge cheer from their relatives and friends. Majority of the members of the CNMI Baseball Team wore their gold medals when they returned home. They won the gold medal against Guam after pulling off an 8-4 triumph in the finals of the baseball competition in the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia last Friday.

“We’re the best in the Pacific. Nobody can doubt that now,” Rogolifoi said when asked about the team’s success in New Caledonia.

“It’s worth the trip. We almost did not make it to New Caledonia, but now we’re back with the gold medal. All the hard work the players and officials put in for the past few months paid off. This victory was a product of the team’s commitment and dedication,” Igitol added.

Igitol was talking of how the CNMI Baseball Team struggled for funds for the Games. The challenges continued even when they were already in New Caledonia, as the CNMI sluggers lost back-to-back games (against Guam, 5-6, and New Caledonia, 2-3) after winning over Palau, 1-0. Rogolifoi’s wards then recovered with victories over American Samoa and Fiji to make it to the playoffs. In the Final Four, the CNMI had to beat New Caledonia, 11-5, and Palau, 8-0, to advance to the finals.

“The boys just showed a lot of heart in the playoffs, especially Joshua Jones, who is our Ironman. This win vindicated us from that loss against Palau in the 2010 Micronesian Games,” Rogolifoi said.

Jones closed out for the CNMI in the last three games, giving only one run against Guam and shutting out Palau. He pitched 31 innings in the Pacific Games and allowed less than 10 hits with more than 30 strikeouts.

“I just did what coach told me to do—throw those strikes and be confident and trust my teammates. I was not scared against Guam, as I beat them twice in Palau last year. It was hard to play three straight games, but I am happy I survived,” said Jones, who was greeted by her mother, Julie.
“I’m so proud of him, as all the hard work in those practices for two months paid off. Josh is a quiet type of person when he is out of the field, but when he starts playing, you see a very different man, a determined one,” Julie Jones said.

Ben Santos had the same good words for his son, Elton, who also pitched for the CNMI.

“He made us proud by bringing home the gold medal. Before he left, he told us, they will win and they did,” the older Santos said.

Juan Maratita, who played at third base for the Commonwealth, said the victory in the Pacific Games made up for the twin losses he experienced for two years. Maratita was part of the CNMI Team that lost to Palau in the Micro Games last year and the Big League All-Stars who bowed to the Philippines in the finals of the 2011 Asia Pacific Regional Tournament. The third baseman made 11 hits, just one short of the team’s best hitter Juan Iguel (12).

Completing the winning CNMI roster are Eric Tenorio, Ian Rogolifoi , Keoni Lizama, Mike Iguel, Vince Cepeda, Tyrone Omar, Franco Flores, Thomas Joab, Jerome Delos Santos, Byron Kaipat, Manny Sablan, and Craig Sanchez.