VI Caribbean Cup | The Caribbean tournament is set to kick off this Wednesday, featuring six teams, with defending champions Cuba taking on St. Maarten

Cuba is prepared to defend its championship title in the Caribbean Cup as the VI Caribbean Baseball Cup kicks off at the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas, on October 23. The tournament will take place until October 28 and will include six participating teams.

In a tournament sanctioned by the WBSC, the Cuban team has introduced a notably different lineup from the 2023 edition, focusing on a youthful strategy by fielding a squad filled with up-and-coming talents. Leading the team is the young coach Alexander Urquiola, who hails from Pinar del Río.

In an interview with Bohemia magazine before the tournament began, the mentor emphasized the youthfulness of the team, stating that "While there is a noticeable age gap, it is advantageous to cultivate a group of talented individuals for such a competition." He highlighted the importance of young players gaining international competition experience early on, "as they represent the future of the team."

Urquiola's experience includes leading the Vegueros de Pinar del Río to second place in the most recent national tournament, National Series 63. Additionally, he guided Cuba to a second-place finish in the U15 category at the 2022 World Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico, showcasing his success both nationally and internationally.

This VI Caribbean Cup will have, in addition to Cuba (No. 9 in the WBSC World Ranking), the teams of Curaçao (No. 29), Dominican Republic (No. 12 and double titleholder of these events), the US Virgin Islands (No. 66), the newcomer St. Maarten (without ranking) and the home team, Bahamas (No. 47).

Cuba is set to have its first match against St. Maarten this Wednesday at 11:00 am (local time). Following this, the team will play against the Dominican Republic on Thursday 24, the US Virgin Islands on Friday 25, the Bahamas on Saturday 26, and Curacao on Sunday 27 as per the schedule.

Urquiola provided a preview of how the Cuban team would line up for the first game, indicating "Denis Peña is set to play first base and bat cleanup. Jean Lucas Baldoquín and Euclides Pérez were mentioned as potential designated hitters, while Rodolexis Moreno and Adrián Pérez were likely to cover third base and shortstop, respectively. Yulieski Remón was expected to defend second base, with Jorge Rojas as the catcher. The starting outfielders were named as Francisco Martínez, Darián Palma, and Carlos de la Tejera. Elicer Arrechavaleta would be available for both defensive duties and baserunning as needed."

Following the completion of the five qualifying round matches, the teams placed third and fourth will battle for the bronze medal, while the top two teams will vie for the championship title. The medal contests are scheduled to take place on Monday, October 28th.

The venue for the event is Andre Rodgers Stadium in Nassau, featuring synthetic turf and a capacity for 5,000 spectators. Additionally, all games of the Caribbean Baseball Cup will be streamed live on the R1LIVE pay-per-view platform.

Apart from winning the title in the previous tournament, the Cubans secured second place in the 2022 edition, losing 9-4 to Puerto Rico in the final. In their debut the year before, Cuba also came in second, losing 4-3 to Curacao in the championship match.

The 2025 tournament has been declared as a qualifying competition for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, similar to how the 2022 IV edition served as a qualifier for the 2023 Central American Games.

CHAMPIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN CUPS

I CC 2018 - Dominican Republic

II CC 2019 - Dominican Republic

III CC 2021 - Curacao

IV CC 2022 - Puerto Rico

V CC 2023 - Cuba

TEAM CUBA TO THE VI CARIBBEAN CUP

Pitchers (9): José Ignacio Bermúdez, Osdany Rodríguez, Rafael Orlando Perdomo, Enyer Fernández, Eliander Bravo, Albert Valladares, Sammy Benítez, Yosiel Serrano, and Randy Martínez.

Catchers (2): Yaidel Darío Guerra, and Jorge Rojas.

Infielders (7): Denis Peña, Adrián Jesús Pérez, Leonardo Alarcón, Jean Lucas Baldoquín, Yulieski Remón, Euclides Pérez, and Rodolexis Moreno.

Outfielders (4): Elicer Arrechavaleta, Carlos de la Tejera, Darián Palma, and Francisco Martínez.

Coaching Staff:

Manager: Alexander Urquiola

Trainers: Eddy Cajigal, Julio César Álvarez, and Donald Duarte

Pitching Coaches: José Ramón Riscart, and Rogelio García (invited)

Other representatives: Yosvany Aragón (FCBS), and Alfredo Negret (Doctor)