ELEVEN teams will compete in the Tan Holdings Saipan Baseball League which will kick off on Saturday, March 25 at the renovated Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
The teams are the CK Bears, the Cardinals, the Braves, the Falcons, the Brewers, the Bandits, the Blue Jays, the Junior Nationals (U18), the Comets, the Natives and the D9ers.
As the title sponsor, Tan Holdings donated $10,000 which will cover the costs of utilities, field maintenance, among other things.
The tournament will follow a single round-robin format and is expected to end before June so the CNMI can prepare for the Micronesian Games that will be held in Palau in June.
“I think this is a good example of people wanting baseball back,” stated SBL President Jay Santos when asked about the record number of participating teams.
“I’m excited there are 11 teams and this tells me they want baseball back. I hope it’ll be a competitive season,” he added.
Santos is also eager to see how far the Junior Nationals will go against more experienced athletes. “We know the importance of involving the youth,” he said.
Santos likewise shared that he and his team are ready for the opening day.
“We have a lot of ideas for opening day. In the states, whether it’s the MLB, college, high school or Little League, it’s a huge event. Opening day is a celebration to begin the baseball season and we want to bring several things that will bring the crowd out,” he added.
“We’re hoping to have some fun activities during the season. People will come out to support their husbands, sons, grandsons, boyfriends — we hope to get a big crowd as we all enjoy baseball.”
Saipan Baseball League President Jay Santos, center, holds a press conference with Tan Holdings President and CEO Jerry Tan, 3rd left, and SBL officials earlier this month regarding the upcoming baseball season.
