Iguel, Kaipat are 2023 BASA open MVPs

Lamarc Iguel and Byron Kaipat are the playoffs and regular season most valuable players, respectively, of the 2023 Budweiser Belau Amateur Softball Association Open League.

In an awards ceremony after the best-of-three championship game between the Aimeliik Bat Boys and Just 4 Fun last Sunday at the Dandan Softball Field, the MVP awards and individual awards were given to the season’s top players.

Iguel was named the playoff MVP after he helped Aimeliik Bat Boys bounce back from their Game 1 loss and win the next two games of the championship round with five homers and 10 RBIs to clinch the softball title.

No Excuse’s Kaipat, who was a pitcher and slugger, was named the regular season MVP as he led his team to a third-place spot of the season. Kaipat was also named the runs scored champion with a total of 32 and the home run champion with a total of 19.

The season’s batting champions were shared by No Excuse’s Kimo Angailen and Just 4 Fun’s Tony Salas with their 30 for 38 at-bats for a .789 average.

The triples champion was Mamaaw’s Jon Norita with four.

Kebruka’s Mario Salas was the doubles champion with a total of seven.

Mamaaw’s Ze Lifoifoi was the RBI champion with a total of 41.

For the pitching awards, Aimeliik Bat Boyz’s Luis Iguel was the earned run average champion with a 7.411 ERA while Saipal’s Dominic Hideo was the strike out champion with a total of 31.

The Sportsmanship Award went to No Choice.

Luis Iguel, who was the ERA pitching leader, was asked after the championships how they held off Just 4 Fun and he said, “We were just trying to get in their head and put pressure on them.” He said Just 4 Fun came out swinging in the first game, “so they got us. But in the next couple games, we came back. We got our bats and defense going and we all worked together.”

Before the awards ceremony BASA president Leo Bobai said, “I just want to recognize our main sponsor for the 2023 open league, MarPac. I also want to recognize Saipan Mayor [Ramon] “RB” Camacho. Thanks for the trash bins on the field every Sunday. And JoJo Attao for preparing the field every Sunday for the games. I also want to recognize our BASA officers and board members for their hard work throughout the season.”