Alfredo Despaigne heads Cuban team to Premier12 tournament
The Cuban team to the Premier12 tournament will be managed by Miguel Borroto, who will replace Rey Vicente Anglada after Cuba’s failure to advance at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
Despaigne, a star player of Japan’s professional league Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (current champion), stands our on the list of 37 players.
Premier12 gathers the 12 best national baseball teams according to the World Baseball and Softball Confederation ranking.
This year, the tournament will be held in three different countries: Mexico, South Korea and Japan, and offers qualification to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Below is the list of players forming the pre-selection roster:
Catchers: (3)
Ariel Martínez, Yunior Ibarra, Yosvani Alarcón.
Infielders: (9)
William Saavedra, Yordanis Samón, Raúl González, Alexander Ayala, César Prieto, Yurisbel Gracial, Pavel Quesada, Yordan Manduley, Erisbel Arruebarrena.
Outfielders: (8)
Alfredo Despaigne, Yoelkis Guibert, Roel Santos, Oscar Luis Colás, Frederich Cepeda, Geisel Cepeda, Yusniel Ibáñez, Jorge Luis Peña.
Pitchers: (17)
Lazaro Blanco, Raidel Martínez, Liván Moinelo, Freddy Asiel Álvarez, Yoanni Yera, Carlos Juan Viera, Yosimar Cousín, Yariel Rodríguez, Vladimir García, Vladimir Baños, Frank Madan, Andy Rodríguez, Ulfrido García, Frank Luis Medina, Yudiel Rodríguez, Yasmani Insua, Miguel Ángel Lastra.
