National coach Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen has announced the players with whom he will not only hunt for title prolongation at the Haarlem Baseball Week, but also hopes to earn back the A-status. The Kingdom team opens the week as early as Friday night at 7:30 p.m. with a game against young Team USA.
This edition, national coach ‘t Hoen chose a mix of talent and experience, but for the loyal followers of Dutch baseball, especially familiar names. Fifteen of the 24 selection members are playing in the Lucky Day Baseball big league, in which Curaçao Neptunus is the outspoken purveyor with no fewer than nine delegates. Players from the home big league are supplemented by some nine top players and talents from foreign leagues.
PITCHING
Especially on the mound, the big league players are traditionally well represented on the Kingdom team, and the same goes for this edition in Haarlem. Lars Huijer (HCAW) threw a great game against title favorite Japan in the semifinals two years ago and hopes to reach that same level again soon at Pim Mulier Stadium.
He will once again be joined in the rotation by Shairon Martis (Curaçao Neptune). The pitcher who will always be known as the man of a no-hitter at the World Baseball Classic silenced Curaçao’s bats in the final two years ago and has actually been an integral part of the Orange for years.
A third starter – as at last year’s WBC – could be Martis’ teammate Tom de Blok, but that honor could also fall to Koen Postelmans. Indeed, he is making a great start to the season at the club from Rotterdam.
Another option could be Jaydenn Estanista (Jersey Shore BlueClaws, High-A). The young pitcher from the Philadelphia Phillies organization also started a game at the WBC and is the only Kingdom player to come over this Baseball Week from the Minor League, where he plays for the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, after recently being promoted from Single A. The native Antillean struggled with a serious injury last year, but is now fit again.
The other big league pitchers on the selection are Juan Carlos Sulbaran, Aaron de Groot, Ryan Huntington (all Neptune), while Kevin Kelly (Sultanes de Monterrey, Mexico), Eric Mendez (Atleticos de Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic) and Scott Prins (Ottawa Titans, Canada) were flown in alongside Estanista to keep opponents short.
EXPERIENCE
Wladimir Balentien quit baseball since last Baseball Week, but Roger Bernadina and Juremi Profar, both currently active with the Macerata Angels in the Italian Serie A, were also of great value to the Kingdom team offensively two years ago, so ‘t Hoen can count on their powerful input again this edition. Also traveling with them from the Boot are Junior Martina, Eugene Helder (both under contract with Bologna Fortitudo) and Jiandido Tromp (San Marino).
For Helder, it could be his debut on the Kingdom team. The 28-year-old Aruban already reached the highest Minor League level at age 21 and shared a locker room in the Seattle Mariners organization with Julio Rodriguez, Mitch Haniger, J.P Crawford, Jarred Kelenic and a recovering Felix Hernandez, among others, but never managed to make that final step to the Majors.
TALENT
These experienced forces are often supplemented by young talent. For example, 21-year-old Tyriq Kemp makes his debut with the Kingdom team this week. The talent, who currently plays in America for Baylor University, often excelled at international youth tournaments in recent years and so now gets to report to the big Orange. There he meets a very good acquaintance, namely his brother Dwayne. Kemp senior – though that reference is actually still assigned to pater familias Adonis – already collected more than 100 internationals, but will find his little brother at his side for the first time in Haarlem.
Whether the young Kemp can count on a starting place, however, remains to be seen. What is certain is that behind home plate will be a rookie. Indeed, Jair van Borkulo (HCAW) and Sem Kuijper (DSS-Kinheim), 22 and 20 years old, respectively, are the two catchers on the selection and will therefore have to decide among themselves who gets to start. Both were European Under-23 champions last year in Austria, where Kuijper was even named Player of the Tournament.
The other selectors are Stijn van der Meer (Neptunus), Delano Selassa, Jeandro Tromp (both HCAW) and Denzel Richardson (Amsterdam Pirates).