With a squad led by a crop of outstanding college players, the Bahamas Baseball Federation (BBF) is hoping that its representatives for the 2011 World Baseball Challenge (WBC) make an immediate impression, particularly to professional scouts.
Coming on the heels of what was another successful Andre Rodgers Championships, the prestigious World Baseball Challenge will be held July 8-19, in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. The 24-member squad will be led by collegians Desmond Russell, Richard Bain and Ali Knowles, along with recent college graduate Ramon Grant, and local slugger Sherman Ferguson.
The team, which held its last full practice session yesterday evening at the Junior Baseball League of Nassau's (JBLN) Field of Dreams Complex, will stage a 'Media Day' this evening, and a light workout tomorrow evening, before leaving for Prince George, Canada, on Thursday afternoon. The team will play its first game on Saturday afternoon against Chinese Taipei.
"I think we'll definitely go over there and be competitive," said BBF Secretary General Teddy Sweeting yesterday. "We think that the guys are going to play respectable baseball and give a good show. We feel confident that they will perform well. There's no doubt that this is the best possible team that we could put together at this particular time. This team is made up of the best Bahamian baseball players in college, and without a doubt, I think they will perform well," he added.
A total of six teams are set to compete in the tournament - the Bahamian team and Cuba from this region, host country Canada from North America, and the Beijing Tigers, Chinese Taipei and Japan from Asia.
The BBF sent a squad to the first Prince George tournament two years ago, putting up its best showing in a game against a powerful American squad. Team Bahamas lost that game, 8-1, but right-handed pitcher Russell gave up just four hits and had his team within one run, 2-1, in the seventh inning. He finished the game, yielding just two earned runs.
Team Bahamas finished winless in that inaugural tournament two years ago, but the young squad turned a number of heads with their tremendous talent and knowledge of the game. This year's World Baseball Challenge has improved, in terms of quality of teams, with the additions of Cuba, Chinese Taipei, Japan and the Beijing Tigers. They will join Team Bahamas and host country Canada in a round-robin plus playoffs format.
Five years ago, a senior men's squad from The Bahamas recorded a historic 2-1 victory over a squad from Cuba at the World University Games in Havana, Cuba. It was the first time that a senior national team from The Bahamas defeated a senior Cuban squad.
 
 
TEAM BAHAMAS
OUTFIELDERS
Richard Bain
Ali Knowles
Sherman Ferguson
INFIELDERS
Dale Davis
Lynden Pindling III
Stephen Curtis
Nathan Smith
CATCHERS
Theodore 'Trae' Sweeting
Etienne Farquharson
Rodger Johnson
PITCHERS
Patrick Waugh
Ahmad Williams
Marcus Holbert
Calvin Fowler
Byron Ferguson
David Sweeting
Jonathan Groezinger
Ronald Pena
Lavaughn Ferguson
DH/1B/OF
Brandor Murray
Larry Russell
UTILITY
Aneko Knowles
POSITION PLAYERS/PITCHERS
Desmond Russell
Ramon Grant
 
COACHES
Patrick Knowles
Arthur Seymour
MANAGER
Bertram Murray Jr.

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