The 2022 American Association champions Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks announced their official roster for the Baseball Champions League on Monday.
Last season, the RedHawks won the American Association championship over the Milwaukee Milkmen in six games in the best-of-seven championship series.
The Baseball Champions League will be played in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, at Parque Kukulcan Alamo. The inaugural event will pit the 2022 champions of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, the American Association, the Serie Nacional de Cuba and the Liga Profesional de Beisbol Colombiano against each other in a round robin series, with the teams with the two best records playing a championship game on October 1.
In a historical first, the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks will play the 2022 Cuba Serie Nacional champion Alazanes de Granma to open the Champions League at 1 p.m. CT on September 28. The game will be the first time a team from the Serie Nacional has faced a U.S.-based professional team.
Later on September 28, a 7:30 p.m. opening ceremony will precede an 8:30 p.m. matchup between the Caimanes de Barranquilla from Colombia against the Leones de Yucatan.
On September 29, Granma will face Barranquilla at 1 p.m. CT and Yucatan will face Fargo-Moorhead at 8 p.m. CT. The next day, Barranquilla will face Fargo-Moorhead at 1 p.m. CT and Granma will play Yucatan in the nightcap at 8 p.m. CT.
The Championship Game will be at 6 p.m. CT on October 1, with a closing ceremony to follow.
Last year, the Zona Sur winner Leones de Yucatan won the 2022 Serie del Rey, beating the Zona Norte winner, the Sultanes de Monterrey, in seven games for their fifth LMB championship.
The Government of the State of Yucatan will also help with organizing the event from Liga Mexicana de Beisbol’s Leones de Yucatán franchise, who play at Parque Kukulcan Alamo.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation Americas website stated on August 22, “Starting the 2024 season, the plan is to add regional events in the other continents, with the winners advancing to a Final Four.”
The Baseball Champions League’s goal is to expand to include 140 leagues worldwide in the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and Asia to build more international club competition events, which could lead to possibly having national teams compete against club teams as well.
The other international events where club teams and national teams are still competing against each other are the World Port Tournament and Honkbal Haarlem Week Tournament, which are both held in the Netherlands during alternating years.
The WBSC Europe sector has several similar events, including the European Champions Cup, European Confederation Cup, the pool rounds of the Baseball Federation Cup Qualifier and Baseball Federation Cup for European club teams.
The WBSC Asia sector held the Asia Series, featuring top club teams, from 2005-08 and 2011-13 with the champions from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, the Korea Baseball Organization, the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan, the Australian Baseball League, the winner of the European Champions Cup, and an All-Star team from the China Baseball League before the event was discontinued after the 2013 tournament.
The Baseball Champions League event will provide a lot of scouting opportunities for winter league teams in both Australia and the Caribbean, as well as for the Pan-American Games in October and the Baseball United Showcase league that will play in Dubai from November 9-12.
The Baseball Champions League is part of the World Baseball Softball Confederation event portfolio which includes the Premier 12, World Baseball Classic, and age-group World Cup events.
The Liga Mexicana de Beisbol social media pages on Facebook, Twitch and YouTube will stream all live games for the 2023 Baseball Champions League until the final out of the championship game on October 1.
The 2023 American Association champion Kansas City Monarchs will be representing in the Baseball Champions League for next years event.
The coaching staff for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks will be the same from the 2023 American Association season.
The Baseball Champions League roster for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks will consist of players from the 2022 Miles Wolff Cup Champion Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
2023 Baseball Champions League Schedule
Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023
2 p.m. EDT – Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks vs Alazanes de Granma
9:30 p.m. EDT – Caimanes de Barranquilla vs. Leones de Yucatan
Friday, Sept. 29, 2023
2 p.m. EDT – Alazanes de Granma vs. Caimanes de Barranquill
9:30 p.m. EDT – Leones de Yucatan vs. Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023
2 p.m. EDT – Caimanes de Barranquilla vs. Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
9:30 p.m. EDT – Alazanes de Granma vs. Leones de Yucatan
Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023
7 p.m. EDT – Championship Game: 2nd Place vs. 1st place
2023 Baseball Champions League Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Official Roster
Pitchers
Garrett Alexander
Colten Davis
Alex DuBord
Grant Gavin
Ashton Goudeau
Tyler Grauer
Charlie Hasty
D.J. Snelten
Mitchell Verburg
Christian Young
Catchers
Chris Herrmann
Roy Morales
Infielders
Manny Boscán
Dayson Croes
Sam Dexter
Leobaldo Piña
Correlle Prime
Drew Ward
Justin Wylie
Outfielders
Evan Alexander
Max Murphy
Alec Olund
Conor Panas
Dillon Thomas
2023 Fargo-Moorhead Baseball Champions League Coaching Staff
Chris Coste – Manager/Third Base Coach
Anthony Renz – Bench Coach/First Base Coach
Kevin McGovern – Pitching Coach
Robbie Lopez – Bullpen Coach