In Australian Baseball League action from today, Stefan Welch went 1-for-4, with two RBI’s, as Adelaide was handed an 8-2 loss. Hours before the game started, Welch was named to the provisional roster of the Australian team that will represent the country in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He now has 24 RBI’s on the ABL season, tops among all Adelaide players.
With the championship series set in the Dominican, the league canceled the last day of the round-robin tournament. The best-of-nine championship series will begin tonight with Leones del Escogido going up against Aguilas Cibaenas. Starling Marte, Kris Johnson and Gregory Polanco all played for Escogido this year, while Willy Garcia has appeared in a handful of games for Cibaenas. Neither Polanco nor Garcia has played since the playoffs have started.
In the U18 National Youth Championships, Nick Hutchings went 0-for-1, with a walk and run scored. The 16-year-old pitcher, signed by the Pirates in November, played third base last night. He has also pitched twice in the tournament, played first base and started a game at shortstop.
In other news from the World Baseball Classic, Ali Solis will represent team Mexico, while Ivan De Jesus will play for team Puerto Rico. Solis is currently playing in the Mexican League playoffs with Tomateros de Culiacan, while De Jesus saw his Winter season end two weeks ago when his team refused to play their last two games of the season due to owed wages. De Jesus and all of his teammates were suspended from the playoffs and Caribbean Series as a result.
The Colombian Baseball League wrapped up it’s season on Wednesday night. Dilson Herrera went 0-for-3, finishing with a .204 average in 121 AB’s, hitting six doubles and five homers. Yhonathan Barrios went 0-for-1, ending the season with a .237 average in 76 AB’s. Harold Ramirez didn’t play the last game. He batted .217 in 115 AB’s, with six doubles, one triple and one homer. The league’s playoffs start tonight, with a game between Leones(Barrios and Oderman Rocha) against Tigres(Ramirez and Tito Polo).
