Havana, November 7 (PL)-- The second Elite League of Cuban Baseball begins today in three parks of the country, although the opening ceremony will be in the eastern province of Las Tunas, where the hosts receive the Industriales team from Havana.

The initial program is completed with the Sancti Spíritus-Artemisa and Santiago de Cuba-Matanzas games, teams that also won the right to participate in the tournament, reserved for the best six teams in the standings of the National Series.

The island's winter tournament foresees a 40-game regular phase schedule for each team before the post-season among the top four teams in the standings, to be held in January 2024.

Although most of the best players based in Cuba have work commitments in various professional leagues in the region, the LEBC organizers have provided opportunities in the regulations for them to join their respective teams at any time.

After the officialization of the rosters in the technical meeting, it was confirmed that former Major League Rusney Castillo will wear the suit of the Cocodrilos de Matanzas.

Castillo belonged to the Boston Red Sox organization and played for three seasons in the Big Tent, between 2014 and 2016.

Before trying out for MLB, Castillo participated in five Cuban seasons with Tigres de Ciego de Avila, with which he won the title in the 51st campaign (2011-2012) and was part of the national team to a World Cup and the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, both in 2011.

The decision to play at night, starting at 6:30 p.m., in addition to favoring the spectacle, ensures the possibility of a better game-training balance, according to the coaches.

The first edition of the LEBC had a different format and the champion was Agricultores, a team that grouped players from the provinces of Las Tunas and Granma, located in the east of the country.