Yasmani Tomás

Havana, February 22 (JIT) - The capital's Industriales can have no other prediction than to improve their second place and challenge for the title in the upcoming 63rd National Baseball Series.

This is what their mentor Guillermo Carmona said, in an exclusive interview with JIT, about the exchange between the National Baseball Commission and the sports authorities in Havana for the season that will begin on 9 March.

The team has the same base as the one that played last season, with the inclusion of slugger and fourth baseman Yasmani Tomás from the opening day against Las Tunas, said Carmona.

Carmona said that several key players will barely be able to play in the first few games, as they have contracts in Italy's professional league. Among them are starters Raymond Figueredo and Reemberto Barreto, along with infielder Jorge Alomá.

The Lions, like the other 15 teams, will have until 23 February to announce their 40-man roster.

Dr Francisco Montesinos referred to the medical triad and urged the mentors to respect the rest of the players returning from the professional leagues, especially from Japan and Europe, in order to adapt to the time change.