‘We’re going to come in as underdogs’

Members of the CNMI National Baseball Team warm up before the start of their inter-squad scrimmage with umpires last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ball Field.(MARK RABAGO )

With the last two seasons of the Saipan Baseball League mothballed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the damage sustained from Super Typhoon Yutu by the Francisco “Tan’Ko” M. Palacios Baseball Field, the CNMI National Baseball Team is actually not the gold medal favorite for next month’s Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022.

In fact, national baseball head coach Deron Flores went as far as labeling the team as the “underdogs” in the five-team Mini Games field that includes Guam, Palau, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands.

“We’re going to come in as underdogs, but we’re going to come in with our heads up high and we’re gonna play NMI baseball. We’re not going to take any team lightly and we’re not going to underestimate anyone. We’re going to take it one game at a time,” he told Saipan Tribune before the team’s first inter-squad scrimmage with umpires last Saturday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ball Field.

Flores said despite having no real-game experience as a team, the players are peaking at the right time and said that they’re about ready to give their 100% when the Mini Games unfurl.

“We haven’t played for the last three years because of the typhoon and the pandemic but we’ve been getting inter-squad scrimmages prior to our cuts last year. For the past month we went back to doing our inter-squad scrimmages as well as live pitching.”

Asked what type of team this 2022 iteration of the CNMI National Baseball Team is, Flores could only say it’s a well-balanced one.

“We’ve been on it having started our training since last year in November so we’re about game-ready. It’s a well-balanced and an all-around team. We got pitching, we got speed, we got defense, we got power, we have spray hitters, contact hitters,” he said.

Pitching ace Josh Jones said the team is ready to defend the gold medal it won the last time baseball was played in the Pacific Games, which was 2011 in New Caledonia.

“I think we’re almost there and the team’s ready. We have really, really good chemistry and we’re still building on it. I don’t see us having weaknesses right now and we’re just trying to get better as a team and do our job and perform.”

The former University of West Alabama Tigers flamethrower said the team’s pitching and defense is what they’ll be hanging their hats on.

“Our defense and pitching right now is our best attributes and our hitting is just below those two but we’re just getting better. One thing good about hitting is it’s very easy to improve and the way I see it now they’re getting better.”

Jones also doesn’t see training at the smaller “Tan Ge” ballfield as a disadvantage as opposed to the “Tan’Ko” ballfield which was out of commission due to a much-needed makeover for the Games.

“We have a field right here that’s almost like a high school baseball field. We do our scrimmages here at least three times a week right now. But the way I see it, it doesn’t matter what field you’re on a Little League field or a big field we’re going to be ready.”

Outfielder Juan Iguel echoed Jones’ observation that the team is about ready to lock horns with the best in the region.

“Training is doing good and the boys are getting there. We’re going to be ready come game time. We have good teamwork, good chemistry out there, and good communication which is very important on the field. I also believe our defense is going to be tough and we’re going to be fast, we’re always going to be fast, as Team CNMI is always fast.”

Iguel added he’s also excited to play Guam in the team’s first game, which curiously is happening a day before the June 17 Mini Games opening ceremony.

“Facing Guam is something we’re going to look forward to. Of course everybody knows CNMI-Guam matchups are always the best rivalry in sports in Micronesia. It’s going to be exciting and it’s going to be tough and we’re not going to count anybody out. We’re going to play from the first to the last inning and we’re going to give it all we got.”

After game against Guam, the CNMI will then play Palau, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands in the one-round robin tournament. Only the Top 4 teams advance to the medal round where the No. 1 seed takes on the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed squares off against the No. 3 seed. The winners will then face off against each other for the gold medal.