Nicaragua manager Sandor Guido. (Photo Courtesy of FENIBA)
The Federacion Nicaraguense De Beisbol Asociada announced yesterday the preselection roster for the San Salvador 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games.
The baseball tournament at the games will be played at Parque De Pelota Saturnino Bengoa from June 24 to July 1.
The seven countries that will be participating in the 2023 Central American and Caribbean games are World No. 7 Cuba, No. 11 Puerto Rico, No. 3 Mexico, the host nation, 59th ranked El Salvador, No. 32 Curacao, the 10th ranked Dominican Republic, and No. 6 Venezuela.
Nicaragua is 17th in the World Baseball Rankings, and recently hosted the Central American and Caribbean Games qualifier in February at Estadio Nacional Soberania in Managua, placing first and going undefeated in the tournament playing against Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvador.
Sandor Guido will be the manager for Nicaragua national team once again and have a similar roster to the one he managed at the World Baseball Classic, along with players currently in the Campeonato German Pomares Ordonez league run by the Comision Nicaraguense de Beisbol, and players from the Liga de Beisbol Profesional Nacional winter league.
Nicaragua went winless in the World Baseball Classic in Pool D, facing the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Israel at loanDepot Park in Miami. Nicaragua was outclassed by teams with rosters filled with Major League Baseball talent, and so they’ll have to qualify for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
During the last Central American and Caribbean Games in 2018 held in Barranquilla, Colombia, Nicaragua placed fifth during the baseball event, posting a 3-4 record in a tournament that had all the top Caribbean baseball countries participating.
In the 2019 Pan-American games held in Lima, Peru, Nicaragua took home the bronze medal beating Colombia 6-0. It was the last time the nation placed high in a WBSC senior event.
Nicaragua will play three exhibition matches from June 19-21 against Puerto Rico prior to the start of the 2023 San Salvador Central American and Caribbean Games. The first game on June 19 will be held in Rivas at Yamil Rios Ugarte Municipal Stadium and the last two games will be held at Estadio Nacional Soberania before heading to San Salvador.
2023 Nicaragua Preselection Roster
Pitchers (Team)
Leonardo Crawford (Dantos)
Fidencio Flores (Leon)
Joaquin Acuna (Leon)
Danilo Bermudez (Rivas)
Nixson Munoz (Rivas)
Ernesto Glasgon (Caribe Norte)
Kenword Burton (Caribe Sur)
Keny Cruz (Granada)
Oliver Espinoza (Masaya)
Jorge Bucardo (Dantos)
Goffrey Bennett (Zelaya CT)
Bryan Torres (Leon)
Santos Jarquin (Boer)
Alvaro Amador (Las Minas)
Jesus Garrido (Chinandega)
Catchers
Rodolfo Bone (Masaya)
Emanuel Trujillo (Chinandega)
Wiston Davila (Boer)
Infielders
Ivan Hernandez (Chontales)
Benjamin Alegria (Dantos)
Jose S. Orozco (Matagalpa)
Elian Miranda (Chinandega)
Aldo Espinoza (Dantos)
Edgard Montiel (Boer)
Lenin Aguirre (Carazo)
Jacksell Mairena (Esteli)
Outfielders
Sandy Bermudez (Chontales)
Luis Montealto (Rivas)
Norlando Valle (Leon)
Bismarck Rivera (Boer)
Omar Mendoza (Dantos)
Alvaro Acevedo (Rivas)
Gean Rigby (Caribe Sur)
Coaching Staff
Sandor Guido – Manager
Marvin Bernard – Bench Coach
Cairo Murillo – Pitching Coach
Orestes Gonzalez – Bullpen Coach
Norman Cardoze – Hitting Coach
Antenor Lopez – First Base Coach
Adolfo Matamoros – Third Base Coach