The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas will field a pair of teams set to participate in the Babe Ruth League’s Cal Ripken Baseball Major/70 World Series.

Hosted August 4-13 at the Ballparks of America in Branson, Missouri, the event will feature 28 of the top teams representing various regions across the United States and countries around the world.

Eight teams will compete in the International Bracket, including both Bahamian teams - the gold medallists from Babe Ruth Regional Championships which will represent the “Caribbean Region” and the other listed as “Team Bahamas” which had an automatic bid into this year’s field.

The Caribbean Region champions won the gold medal and advanced to the World Series with a 3-0 shutout win over Cuba when The Bahamas hosted the regional qualifier at the Baillou Hills Complex.

The team, managed by Javier Bowe, opened tournament play with a 6-5 win over Cuba followed by a 2-1 win over Aruba and a 4-0 loss to the Bahamas Tournament team.

They recovered from the pair of losses and ended the tournament with three consecutive wins, 7-0 over Puerto Rico, 7-4 over Aruba in the semifinal and the win in the final over Cuba to finish the tournament with a 4-2 record.

Antwon Bain was named MVP while Chishard Thompson Jr was the winning pitcher of the title game and was named the top defensive player.

The Caribbean Region team will be placed in International Pool F in Branson, alongside Canada, Mexico and Aruba.

Team Bahamas won the bronze at the regionals with an 8-0 win over Aruba. They finished the tournament with a 6-1 record.

The team, managed by Lionel Ferguson Jr, had the number one seed in tournament play after five consecutive wins, 20-0 over the Cayman Islands, 6-0 over Puerto Rico, 4-0 over Bahamas Host, 5-0 over Cuba and 3-2 over Aruba. They lost 7-2 to Cuba in the semifinals before the bronze medal win.

They will be placed in International Pool E in Branson and will be grouped with Puerto Rico, Australia and Taiwan.

Pools A, B, C and D will feature 20 American teams grouped by regions.

Teams begin pool play on August 5 when the Caribbean Region will face Aruba at 2pm followed by Bahamas vs Australia at 4:30pm.

The Bahamas will face Mexico on August 6 at 7pm and the Caribbean Region will take on Taiwan the following day at 2pm on August 7.

Both teams will be in action on August 8 when The Bahamas faces Puerto Rico at 4:30pm and the Caribbean Region faces Mexico at 5pm.

Pool play concludes on August 9 when The Bahamas faces Taiwan at 11:30am and the Caribbean Region faces Canada at 4:30pm.

Bracket play games will be hosted August 10-12 followed by Championship Day on August 13.

In 2021, The Bahamas finished fourth in the International Bracket.

The Bahamas was also represented outside the lines of play as Greg Burrows Sr was named a member of the World Series Task Force and Martin Burrows served as an umpire throughout the event.

Major/70 is a level of baseball beyond Little League but before professional baseball that allows players to play on 70-foot base paths with a 50-foot pitching distance.

It also allows runners to take leads and steal for the first time, playing mainly by official baseball rules.

The Bahamas has a rich tradition of success in the Cal Ripken Baseball tournament after winning the 2010 Southeast Regional Championship and the 2010 Major/60 World Series.

Four players from that roster - Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr (Miami Marlins), Lucius Fox Jr (Washington Nationals), Chavez Young (Toronto Blue Jays) and Quinton Rolle (Cincinnati Reds) - went on to have professional careers at various levels of baseball.

Chisholm eventually became the eighth Bahamian to advance to the Major League and is currently an All-Star second baseman for the Miami Marlins while Fox was the ninth to advance to the MLB and is currently in AAA baseball alongside Young.