The Leñadores de Las Tunas will be the representatives of Cuba in the 2025 Americas Series, a prize for the champion team of the last two Serie Nacionales. The first edition Serie de Las Américas, a tournament belonging to the newly created Baseball Association of the Americas will take place from January 24 to 30, 2025 in Nicaragua.
After checking with our sources, the Cuban Baseball Digest was able to confirm the names that will be traveling to Nicaragua. The key figures of the last seasons of the Leñadores head the list, namely the Alarcón brothers (Yosvani and Yordanis) and the Baldoquíns (Roberto and Jean Lucas); as well as the internationally tested Rafael Viñales. The name of Danel Castro also stands out on the team, the infielder announced his retirement at the beginning of the last National Series, however he was a key player in the title of the 62nd National Series.
A total of 11 players from other provinces were chosen to reinforce the roster by the team’s leadership, with pitching being the main area reinforced with seven. Among those best known by international baseball fans are players like Yoennis Yera, Yordan Manduley and Dariel Góngora, who have worn the Las Tunas uniform in previous campaigns or in international events.
The squad led by Abeicy Pantoja will debut against the hosts on Friday, January 24 at the Soberanía National Stadium, a day later they will face the representative of Panama in the only match they will have at the Roberto Clemente stadium. On the 26th they will meet with Curaçao at Soberanía Stadium. On Monday the 27th they will face Colombia and on the last day of the qualifying round (January 28) they will face Argentina, a country with the least baseball tradition among the participants.
If they finish amongst the top four, they would be playing in the semifinals a day later. Meanwhile, the final is scheduled for Thursday the 30th at the Soberanía Stadium.awakening?
Roster for the Leñadores de Las Tunas in the Serie de Las Américas:
CATCHERS (3): •Yosvani Alarcón •Rafael Viñales •Nelson Batista *
INFIELDERS (8): •Yudier Rondón •Roberto S. Baldoquín •Yordanis Alarcón •Jean L. Baldoquín •Yunior Otero •Danel Castro •Yordan Manduley * •Guillermo Aviles *
OUTFIELDERS (4): •Yuniesky Larduet •Héctor Castillo •Denis Peña •Yoelkis Guibert *
PITCHERS (12): •Eliánder Bravo •Alberto P. Civil •Rodolfo Díaz •Keniel Ferraz •Alejandro Meneses •Raymond Figueredo * •Andy Vargas * •Geonel Gutiérrez * •Dariel Góngora * •Yoennis Yera * •Frank Herrera* •Danny Betancourt*
(*) Reinforcements