Leñadores de las Tunas

Havana, Jan 7 (RHC) On Monday, the Cuban Baseball Federation announced the reinforcements that will make up the Leñadores de Las Tunas team for the Series of the Americas to be held in Nicaragua at the end of this month.

A total of 11 players from seven provinces will now form part of the green and red troop that will represent Cuba in the competition organized by the recently created Baseball Association of the Americas, where the champion clubs of the leagues of Panama, Colombia, Curacao, Argentina, and Nicaragua will also participate.

Catcher Nelson Batista and infielder Yordan Manduley (Holguín), slugger Guillermo Avilés (Granma), and outfielder Yoelquis Guibert (Santiago de Cuba), the latter a member of the national team, were the position players chosen by coach Abeicy Pantoja.

The so-called Eastern Nightmare, winner of two consecutive crowns in Cuban baseball, was reinforced with seven pitchers and rounded up a team that will undoubtedly put up a fight on the island.

Yoannis Yera (Matanzas), Geonel Gutiérrez (Artemisa), and the Havana duo of Raymond Figueredo and Andy Vargas (Industriales), all members of the Cuba team that participated in the III Premier 12 Tournament, were called up.

The list is completed by Frank Herrera (Industriales), Dariel Góngora (Camagüey), and Danni Betancourt (Santiago de Cuba), all of whom left excellent numbers last season.

It is worth mentioning the presence of Cuban legend Danel Castro, the highest hitter in the history of this sport in Cuba (2,502), who after 30 seasons had announced his retirement.

With these new additions, the easterners now have a more competitive team to face the new challenge ahead and try to wave the flag of Cuba at the top of the podium in the first international competition of 2025.