The Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) announced on Monday the formation of the team that will participate in the IV Under-23 World Cup, scheduled for October 13-23 in Taiwan, according to official media reports on the island
Heading the payroll are players like Pedro Pablo Revilla from Guantanamo and Guillermo García, both hired by teams from the Japanese Professional League, as well as pitcher from Matanzas Naykel Cruz, with experience in Mexican professional baseball, according to a report from the agency Latin Press (PL).
Statements by Alain Álvarez, team mentor #Cuba under 23 years of age, after making official the Cuban team that will participate in the IV U-23 Baseball World Cup in #Taiwan2022scheduled from October 13 to 23.#Cuban Baseball #CubanSport pic.twitter.com/dLixgIOCft
— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) September 26, 2022
Marlon Vega from Mayabeque and Frank Abel Álvarez from Pinar del Río, two pitchers who currently play outside of Cuba, also stand out in the staff of 11 pitchers that make up the squad along with two catchers, seven infielders and four outfielders.
Most of the selected players were also part of the cast that last June won the silver medal at the category’s Pan American Championship, held in the Mexican city of Aguscalientes, where they lost in the final to the representation of
The cuban team will be one of the six that will make up group B of the upcoming event, along with the teams from Puerto Rico, Australia, South Korea, the Netherlands and Mexico.
According to the competition system of the IV Under-23 World Cup, the first three places in each group will advance to the so-called super round. Key A is made up of the novenas from Taiwan, Colombia, Germany, Japan, South Africa and Venezuela.
Cuba comes to this tournament in the midst of the worst drought of wins in top-level tournaments of any category, and facing in recent years a remarkable exodus of players of all ages, who seek on their own to sign a contract with a team of the United States Major Leagues.
Recently, the Cuban representation won the subtitle in the World Cup in the sub-15 category, also held on Mexican soil, when it fell in the final against the American representative. Although all the players returned after the contest, independent media have confirmed that at least two of the players from that team left the Island to fulfill their dream of reaching the MLB.
Cuban Team
Receivers (2): Andrys Pérez García (MTZ) and Brayan Javier González Baño (LHA).
Infielders (7): Pedro Pablo Revilla Leiva (GTM), Christian Leandro Rodríguez García (VCL), Yuri Marcos Fernández de Armas (VCL), Carlos Rafael Rodríguez González (LTU), Cristian Hidalgo Chávez (LHA), Ariel Alejandro Díaz Wall (VCL) and Jeifer Rodríguez Hernández (PRI).
Outfielders (4): Guillermo García García (GRA), Dany de Jesús Oramas Navarro (CFG), Carlos Antonio Monier Torres (SCU) and Dairon Montalvo Castillo (CAV).
Pitchers (11): Naykel Yoel Cruz Saldívar (MTZ), Oscar Ernesto Hernández Horta (VCL), Leodán Manuel Reyes Lugo (PRI), Roberto Enrique Hernandez Navarro (SSP), Alexander Valiente Rodríguez (GTM), Marlon Vega Travieso (MAY) , Frank Abel Álvarez Díaz (PRI), Randy Cueto Pérez (VCL), Alex Guerra (SSP), Luis Alejandro Serpa Socarrás (CFG) and Andy Vargas Lescaille (LHA).
Direction: Alain Álvarez Moya (DT), Julio César Álvarez Pérez, Dioel Reyes Viquillón, Pedro Luis Lazo Iglesias and Roberto González Bonachea.
