SBL to help young players transition

Darrion Jones, left, and a number of other Big League division players in the Saipan Little League are eligible to see action in the upcoming 2016 season of the Saipan Baseball League. (Jon Perez)

Saipan Baseball League coordinator Tony Rogolifoi is hoping that all the teams that will be competing in the upcoming 2016 season would get more youth players.

Rogolifoi told the Saipan Tribune yesterday that players who are still eligible to play in the Big League division of the Saipan Little League are welcome to join any team in the SBL.

Verlance Secharmidal, Frankie Lieto, Keola Camacho, Jose Lizama Jr., and most of the players on the Jets team of manager Froilan Camacho Jr. are just some of Big Leaguers that played in the SBL last season.

He added that SBL wants to help all youth players, especially those who had already finished their eligibility in the Big League division, to slowly transition to the adult brand of playing baseball.

“SBL is encouraging all teams that will join this season to recruit more young players. We want to see more young players from the Big League division of the Saipan Little League next season,” said Rogolifoi.

“In this way they help the young players, especially those who graduated from the Big League division, transition from the Little League program into playing against the veterans.”

Rogolifoi added that in the process the SBL is helping the players develop their skills in order to advance to a higher level.

“It also helps the younger players develop their skills. That’s what the local baseball program is for, youth development,” added Rogolifoi, who guided the CNMI to gold medals in the 2006 Saipan Micronesian Games and the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia.

Rogolifoi, who is also the executive director of the Northern Marianas Sports Association, said the SBL also wants to become an instrument where some of the CNMI’s top baseball players earn the chance of getting athletic scholarships in the mainland.

“The SBL wanted to create a pathway for local players to advance and see action in the mainland. At least a junior college or if there’s a possibility a Division II school in the NCAA,” added Rogolifoi.

“Sure the competition there will be tough but it is for their own good. They should go and learn more about playing baseball.”

Josh Jones and Trey Rabauliman are currently members of separate school baseball teams in the mainland with the former playing for the University of West Alabama Tigers, while the latter is seeing action for the Lower Columbia College Red Devils in Longview, Washington.

Jones helped the Tigers, who swept the Gulf South Conference tournament, to a second straight crown that earned them a spot on the NCAA Division II regionals.

Rabauliman, on the other hand, earned a spot on the Northwest Athletic Conference Division second team last season where the LCC Red Devils clinched the NWAC baseball crown.