Cuba announced a 24-player roster for the Central American and Caribbean Games.
The roster includes 13 participants from the 2023 World Baseball Classic: catcher Andrys Pérez García; infielders Bárbaro Erisbel Arruebarruena Escalante, Yadil Orestes Mujica Díaz, Dayán García Ortega, Luis Vicente Mateo Terry; outfielders Yoelkis Guibert Stiven, Roel Santos Martínez and Yurisbel Gracial García; pitchers Yeudis Reyes Gamboa, José Ramón Rodríguez Menéndez, Yunieski García Viera, Yoennis Yera Montalvo and Naikel Yoel Cruz Zaldívar.
PITCHERS (11): Yeudis, Javier Mirabal Espinosa, José Ramón, Miguel Alejandro Neira Mendoza, Viera, Yera, Naikel, Jonathan Carbó Campoalegre, Franky Quintana Gamboa, Renner Rivero Estrada and Yunieski García Viera.
CATCHERS (2): Yunior Ibarra Araque and Andrys.
INFIELDERS (7): Arruebarruena, Dayán, Yasniel González Vega, Mujica, Yordan Manduley Escalona, Mateo and Guillermo José Avilés Difurnó.
OUTFIELDERS (4): Guibert, Roel, Raico Santos Almeida and Gracial.
Manager Armando Johnson. whose staff includes coaches German Mesa, Rafael Muñoz, Armando Ferrer, Pedro Lazo and Andres Garcia, told the local press he believes his team will compete for gold.
World No. 7 Cuba will compete from 24 June to 1 July with No. 3 Mexico, No. 6 Venezuela, No. 10 Dominican Republic, No. 11 Puerto Rico, No. 17 Nicaragua, No. 32 Curaçao, the host and No. 59 El Salvador in the baseball tournament of the Central American and Caribbean Games at the Parque Nacional de Pelota Saturnino Bengoa in San Salvador.
The top four finishers will qualify for the XIX Pan American Games baseball tournament, scheduled in October in Santiago, Chile.
The host nation Chile, No. 15 Colombia (winners of the Junior Pan American Games) and No. 24 Brazil, also winners of the South American Games, are already qualified. The winner of a qualifying tournament scheduled in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 16 to 21 July, will be the eighth participant.
The Central American and Caribbean Games will be streamed live in Asia and Europe on GameTime.
