By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Jan. 18, 2023
Curacao announced its 35-Man Preselection Roster for the 2023 Caribbean Series Wednesday.
This year’s Caribbean Series is the first time the nation of Curacao has been invited to the tournament. The 2023 event will feature teams from seven nations for the first time out of their respectable winter leagues, as well as a national team representing Curacao.
The Curacao Baseball Federation (CBF) will bring their national team consisting of players that play in Major League Baseball organizations, Caribbean professional winter leagues, Curacao’s professional league Federashon Beisbol Korsou AA league, and the Netherlands’ Honkbal Hoofdklasse league. Curacao’s Federation Professional Leagues consists of three levels from Rookie, A, and AA.
Next season, in 2023-24, Curacao will have a professional winter league in place, replacing the Curacao Professional League that started in 2018 and folded following the 2019-20 season. The winner of the previous Curacao Professional League played in the now-defunct Latin American Series tournament, which stopped in 2020 and consisted of five other countries’ independent professional leagues, such as Liga Invernal Veracruzana 2013-16 & 2019, Liga Veracruzana Estal de Beisbol (Mexico) 2017-2018, Liga Argentina de Beisbol 2019, Liga Profesional de Beisbol Colombia 2013-2019, Probeis Panama Professional Baseball League 2013-2019, and Liga de Beisbol Professional Nacional 2013-2019.
The Latin American Series ended following 2020 when the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation, which operates the Caribbean Series, decided to invite Panama to the 2019 Caribbean Series, which was later relocated from Margarita Island, Venezuela to Panama City, Panama.
Curacao is looking to make history this Caribbean Series as a baseball nation on the rise, having recently found success in World Baseball Softball Confederation events. The island took first place at the 2021 Caribbean Baseball Cup, second place in the Haarlem Honkbalweek 2022 tournament, and this past December earned a berth for the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador by placing third at the 2022 Caribbean Baseball Cup in the Bahamas.
Curacao’s first game of the Caribbean Series will be against the winner of the Cuban Elite League Final for host nation Cuba on February 2 at 10:30 a.m. EST.
Curacao National Team 35-Man Roster for the 2023 Caribbean Series
Pitchers (Professional Team)
Shairon Martis (Curacao Neptunus)
Jair Jurrjens (Tigres de Aragua)
Kevin Kelly (Curacao Neptunus)
Nelmerson Angela (L&D Amsterdam Pirates)
Wendell Florins (Gigantes de Cibao)
Franklin van Gurp (Estrellas Orientales)
Temesh Lourens (Royal Scorpions)
Jordan Lucas (Santa Rosa Indians)
Cody Mincey (Miami Marlins)
Cerillio Soleana (Royal Scorpions)
Juancarlos Sulbaran (Curacao Neptunus)
Cal Maduro (Collecchio)
Ruderly Manuel (Wildcats)
Nigel Calmes (Wildcats)
Henry Sosa (Rakuten Monkeys)
Kevin Lenik (Sioux City Explorers)
Ryan Hunington (Curacao Neptunus)
Catchers (Team)
Sicnarf Loopstok (L&D Amsterdam Pirates)
Dashenko Ricardo (Curacao Neptunus)
Ortwin Pieternella Vargas (San Marino)
Infielders (Team)
Andrelton Simmons (MLB Free Agent)
Jonathan Schoop (Detroit Tigers)
Darren Sefarina (Santa Maria Pirates)
Dudley Leonora (San Marino)
Shervyen Newton (Kansas City Royals)
Raywendley van Gurp (Royal Scorpions)
Sharon Schoop (L&D Amsterdam Pirates
Outfielders (Team)
Jurickson Profar (MLB Free Agent)
Rogear Bernadina (Leones de Leon)
Aldrich de Jongh (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Edmond American (MLB Free Agent)
Utility Players (Team)
Jeremy Profar (Bravos de Leon)
Ceddanne Rafaela (Boston Red Sox)
Ray Patrick Didder (Miami Marlins)
Wladimir Balentien (Gigantes de Cibao)
Curacao’s Schedule at the 2023 Caribbean Series
Thursday, February 2
Cuba vs. Curacao – 10:30 a.m., La Rinconada
Friday, February 3
Curacao vs. Mexico – 6 p.m., La Rinconada
Saturday, February 4
Curacao vs. Panama – 10:30 a.m., La Rinconada
Sunday, February 5
Colombia vs. Curacao – 1 p.m., La Guaira
Monday, February 6
Curacao vs. Puerto Rico – 3 p.m., La Rinconada
Tuesday, February 7
Venezuela vs. Curacao – 7:30 p.m., La Guaira
Wednesday, February 8
Curacao vs. Dominican Republic – 2 p.m., La Guaira