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If no U21, SBL to push through
Saipan Baseball League coordinator Tony Rogolifoi said their new season will open in early January if the Baseball Confederation of Oceania Under-21 tournament won’t push through.
GSM Brewers’ Tyrone Omar, right, waits for the pitch in their finals match last season against the Falcons in the Saipan Baseball League in April this year. Omar and the rest of the Brewers are expected to return as they try to defend and clinch a fourth straight title. (Jon Perez)
Saipan will be hosting the BCO-organized tournament, a qualifier to the 2016 Mexico U21 Baseball World Cup in Sinaloa.
“We’ve set late December or early January next year for the BCO tournament. But if there won’t be any tournament, then we’re going to push through with SBL’s opening in January,” said Rogolifoi.
He added that they are waiting for information coming from BCO on which among the 13 other member nations will be joining. Guam and Palau are expected to send teams to the tournament that has an age limit of 17 to 21 years old.
World No. 14 Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia are the other BCO members.
That’s why Rogolifoi is advising interested teams that would join the new SBL season to start preparing.
“I would suggest that they now complete their rosters, get sponsors, and prepare their uniforms and bats,” he added.
The Go See Mark Brewers are expected to return and resume with their hunt for a fourth straight title.
The runner-up Falcons, the A’s, the Fielders, Jets, North Starz, and the Yankees are the other teams that competed last season and most likely would join the 2016 edition.
The Francisco M. Palacios Baseball Field, Saipan’s lone public baseball facility, is awaiting repairs after the steel fence and batting cages were damaged by several typhoons. The lights will also be replaced.
The Northern Marianas Sports Association, which now manages the Oleai Sports Complex, is waiting for the financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to start with the repairs.
