Hensley Meulens to manage Netherlands at final WBSC Olympic Baseball Qualifier

The coaching staff of the Dutch National Baseball Team has been confirmed for the upcoming WBSC Olympic Baseball Final Qualifier, as announced by the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB). The coaches bring Olympic playing experience to the squad.

Hensley Meulens, who was the skipper of the Netherlands at the WBSC Premier12 2019, will return as the manager. Evert-Jan't Hoen, who managed the Dutch National Team at the Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier, will serve as his bench coach.

Meulens and Hoen were on the Netherlands National Team that defeated Cuba at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

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Meulens, born in 1967 in Curaçao, had a professional baseball career that spanned from 1985 to 2002. The slugger, nicknamed BamBam, played for the New York Yankees, the Montreal Expos and the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB), the Chiba Lotta Marines and the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). He served as the San Francisco Giants' batting coach and contributed to three World Series titles. He was the bench coach of the New York Mets.

Hoen, born 1975, was a middle infielder who signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 1995. He spent six seasons with their organization, appearing in 485 Minor League games, including 66 at the Triple-A level. He also played in the Dutch Hoofdsklasse for Neptunus Rotterdam. He also helped the Netherlands National Team win four European Baseball Championships.

The staff also includes hitting coach Sidney de Jong, pitching coach Robin van Doornspeek, third base coach Ben Thijssen, first base coach Wim Martinus and bullpen coach Lester Victoria. They all represented the Netherlands as players.

"We are very pleased that we have been able to put together such a strong technical staff," commented Tjerk Smeets, the Dutch Baseball and Softball Federation's Technical Director. "Once again, forces from all over the Kingdom join together."