More showing up for baseball tryouts

Nearly 60 players have been attending tryouts for the CNMI National Baseball Team for next year’s Pacific Mini Games at the Oleai Sports Complex. (DAVID ATTAO)

From just 30 players, the tryouts for the CNMI National Baseball Team for next year’s Pacific Mini Games have nearly doubled with close to 60 now training thrice a week at the Oleai Sports Complex.

“As you can see from Day 1 it’s doubled up on the number of participants showing interest to come out and try out for the 2022 Pacific Mini Games. We’re gonna continue this week Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and Saturday we’re going to start the first of on-the-field training with fundamentals of fielding, our situational plays, our soft-tossing drills, our outfield drills, and our pitching,” said national team coach Derron Flores.

Aside from Flores, also coaching the national team is Gary Cruz and both will be under the purview of national team manager Manny Sablan. The coaching staff of the team will have some tough choices to make in the coming weeks, according to Flores.

“There’s so much talent here. It’s gonna be a tough decision to trim the field to the final 20 but will do our best to select the elite 20 to represent us in the upcoming Pacific Mini Games next June,” he said.

The plan is for baseball-related training to commence this Saturday and this will go on for at least two weeks—three at the maximum—before Sablan, Flores, and Cruz begin the unenviable task of making the cut for the national team.

“We hope to have our national team all set by the second week of January. We should have our final 20-man roster at that time,” said Flores.

As far as players from Tinian and Rota wanting to try out are concerned, Flores and company already flew to Tinian last Saturday to conduct tryouts in the neighboring island. Rota is up next this weekend if plans don’t miscarry.

“We also want to accommodate our neighboring brothers on Tinian and see if there are any potential players that we can invite down to our training here on Saipan. Keep in mind that if you’re identified you will have to pay for your trip to Saipan and also accommodations while training here Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.”

Flores added that like players trying out from Saipan, players from Tinian and Rota will have to earn a spot on the team.

“Nobody’s guaranteed a slot but they’re guaranteed a slot to try out,” he said.

The national team coach said coming into Week 2 of the tryouts there are still some familiar names who have not showed up for tryouts yet.

“There’s some missing players that are not coming out. These are potential national players. Why they’re not here I’m not sure. It might be work schedule or family matters. It’s not too late at least before the week ends come out this Saturday or maybe the last time to tryout is Monday,” said Flores.

Team manager Manny Sablan and coaches Derron Sablan and Gary Cruz brief players about the tryout process at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field. (DAVID ATTAO)

With all the challenges besetting baseball the past several years, Flores assured everyone that they will exert all effort to represent the CNMI the best they can in next year’s Mini Games.

“Our goal as ambassadors of the CNMI is to carry that flag and to win here at home. Win that gold medal in front our crowd and our home fans. I’d like to ask the central government, the leadership, as well as the House of Representatives and the Senate to please prioritize and look at our national sport. We don’t have a field now but I’m confident that if everyone put their minds together we can have a ground-breaking and get this field ready for the Pacific Mini Games and our [Saipan Baseball League] season as well,” he said.

Strength and conditioning coach Joey Tudela, for his part, said a week and a half into non-baseball training and he already likes what he sees from the players.

“They’re doing good and they’ve started to get moving again. It’s what you can expect from guys coming off 2-3 years with no season. We’re not trying to build cross-fit athletes or weightlifters here. We’re just making them able to get moving so they can play baseball,” he said.

Tudela said he’s been trying to vary the strength and conditioning training, mixing up fast and short sprint-type runs with 200m and 400m long distance runs to build stamina. Also in the exercise docket are some calisthenics and body weight movement activities.

“We have 50-60 players every tryout so we can’t really workout in the gym because of lack of equipment and

protocols,” he said.

On players’ attendance, Tudela said everyone has been showing great commitment to become part of the national team.

“We’re happy with everyone’s attendance and everyone’s showing effort and showing up for training every other day. They’re all training as hard as they can with what is presented in front of them,” he said.