The GBPA 14th BBF Andre Rodgers Championships is set for this weeknd, June 23-26, at the Emera Baseball Complex, in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Once again, a number of leagues from around the country will be participating this year.
The Grand Bahama Port Authority's (GBPA) 14th Bahamas Baseball Federation (BBF) Andre Rodgers Championships is set for this weekend, June 23-26, at the Emera Baseball Complex, in Freeport, Grand Bahama. The event has attracted hundreds of spectators over the years in the nation's second city, and organizers are hoping for much of the same this year. It will be hosted in commemoration of the historic victory by a Bahamian squad over a Cuban team in baseball. It's the 10-year anniversary of that 2-1 victory for The Bahamas that occurred at the 2006 World University Games.
The opening ceremony of the baseball championships is this Friday at 7 p.m., and it will be carried live on Cable Bahamas OUR TV channel 12. Immediately following the opening ceremony will be a major league division (11-12) game.
Once again, five divisions will be contested at the BBF Championships: coach pitch (7-8), minor (9-10), major (11-12), junior (13-15) and high school (16-18).
A number of leagues from around the country will be participating this year. The two teams out of New Providence, the Freedom Farm Baseball League (FFBL) and the Junior Baseball League of Nassau (JBLN) will both be sending five teams in all five divisions to the event.
The Grand Bahama Little League (GBLL) and the Legacy Baseball League will both be represented in all of the divisions with exception of the high school division; the North Abaco Baseball League will compete in three divisions, namely minor, major and junior; the Grand Bahama Amateur Baseball Association (GBABA) will compete in two divisions, namely junior and high school; and the Eleuthera Junior Baseball League of Rock Sound will compete in just one age group, which will be the junior division.
A few Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts are scheduled to attend the championships in Freeport to evaluate talent and host a try-out showcase for players to participate in the first MLB Summer Training program.
In addition to the Grand Bahama Port Authority, the title sponsor, other sponsors coming on board are Insurance Management (coach pitch), Gatorade (major), the Freeport Oil Company Limited (FOCOL) for the junior division, Summit Insurance (high school), the D'Albenas Agency and the Pelican Bay Hotel.
Cable Bahamas OUR TV channel 12 will provide coverage of five live games: Friday at 8:30 p.m., GBLL vs. JBLN (major); Saturday at 1 p.m., GBLL vs. Legacy (major); Saturday at 8 p.m., FFBL vs. JBLN (major); and gold medal games on Sunday at 10 a.m. (minor), and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. (major).
During the championships, the BBF will also be handing out a number of awards. The finalists for the Juco (junior college) Player of the Year Award are Ural Forbes, a catcher at Galveston College; Anthony Romer, an infielder at Pratt Community College; Daniel Johnson, an outfielder at Pratt; and Gerrio Rahming, an outfielder at Wallace Community College.
The finalists for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Player of the Year Award are Crandon Wallace, a first baseman at Bryan College; and Chad Burrows, a pitcher at Bryan. The finalists for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II and Division III Player of the Year Award are Shaquille Rolle, an outfielder at North Greenville University; Arien Seymour, a pitcher at Francis Marion University; and Lyndale Morley, a pitcher at Claflin University. The finalists for the NCAA Division I Player of the Year Award are Tevin Symonette, an outfielder at Lipscomb University; and Cole Dubet, an infielder for Saint Louis University.
The finalists for the International High School Pitcher of the Year Award are Chavez Fernander, who attends Faith Baptist Christian Academy; Warren Saunders, who attends Linsly School; and Dorion Kemp, who attends Christchurch School. The finalists for the Local High School Player of the Year Award are Kristian Robinson and Jake Knowles (JBLN), Tahnaj Thomas and Dominique Collie (FFBL) and Yeshua Saint (GBABA). Finally, the finalists for the International High School Player of the Year Award are Floid Giddings and Warren Saunders from Linsly, Chavez Young from Faith Baptist, Bertram Murray III from Trinity Christian Academy and Divonte Murphy from Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School.
The BBF is asking the general public to come out and support the young baseball talent in the country, getting a first-hand glimpse of who will be the next professional players in the country. A total of 14 Bahamians, including Antoan Richardson, Jervis "Champ" Stuart, Anfernee Seymour, Lucius Fox, Byron Murray, Todd Isaacs, Jasarado Chisolm, Larry Alcine Jr., Reshard Munroe and Kyle Simmons, are currently in minor league systems in professional baseball in the United States.
Sheldon Longley, Guardian Sports Editor
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