CNMI All-Stars: ‘It was great’

One by one, the champions of the Pacific Regional Baseball Tournament made their way through Customs and into the arms of their families, as the CNMI Little League All-Stars returned to Saipan after participating in the 2004 Little League World Series in South Williamsport, PA.

Wearing their gold and purple uniform used at the World Series, the boys passed through the Saipan International Airport electronic doors to find a warm welcoming and cheers from friends and family.

The 14 players and their coaches looked a little tired from the flight, but they were clearly happy to be home. The team represented the islands of the Northern Marianas well, displaying their local brand of sportsmanship to the world, and now they were excited to share their experiences.

“It was cool, yeah, it was so cool. The fans were all over the place, and whenever the umpire made a bad call they would always boo. Everything, it was so cool. I mean, you’ve got TV guys all over the place, reporters here, and reporters there. It was nothing like I’ve ever experienced. We had team uncles that were our hosts, and we had Uncle Walt and Uncle Bill. They were close to us, and when we left it was Walt’s birthday,” said Justin Alexander.

“They gave us a lot of stuff, like helmets, bats, and batting gloves. We got to keep our hats from the tournament and they gave us jackets too,” said Alex Benevente.

“That was the best place that I’ve ever stayed at, but I want to get some rice. I miss rice because they hardly serve it there,” said slugger Cameron Sers Nicolas.

The Cam-man wasn’t alone in his longing for rice. Just about all of those who took the trip mentioned that they were anxious to eats some rice and that they had to go to Chinese restaurants to eat some in Williamsport. Many of their first conversations revolved around supertyphoon Chaba, how cold it was in the mainland, and how happy they were to be back.

The manager of the CNMI All-Stars was also glad to be back, and he shared a bit about his thought on the trip.

“It was a beautiful tournament, the boys enjoyed it and they will always remember it for the rest of their lives. It’s a thrill of a lifetime and I love it. The uncles, the officials, everything-we were well taken care of. We were treated like VIP’s there. Williamsport is the best for hosting Little Leagues, they really can take care of the kids, and we will cherish it for the rest of our lives.”

The boys went to the original field upon which the Little League World Series started and met the old timers who have won in previous years and have sign posts with their names on them. Benevente explained what kept the boys from earning the title in this year’s tournament.

“It was awesome, and we were in the strongest pool. It’s just that the bats were not there, but the boys worked hard. After the games, all of our opponents told us that we had a good team, but they showed up with their quality baseball. Our boys are right there, at the same level as their players, with good players, good defense, and [pitching], but when we needed the offense, it didn’t show up. That’s the luck of the game, but some of the boys really produced,” said the manager.

The outcome of the tournament wasn’t the only thing that determined whether or not the teams had a good time, but the boys were given a couple of exhibition games after they finished their regular pool games.

Coach Ray San Nicolas was able to have his chance in the spotlight as well, as he was named the manager for the two exhibition games played after the regular games were finished. His teams beat the Canadians and a team from Washington State, but he was more focused on returning to Saipan than relishing in his victories.

The boys made it back safely, and Philip Manalo, Alex Benevente, Keith Kintol, Eli Augenbaugh, Ofero Taitano, Cameron Sers Nicolas, Eric Tenorio, David Camacho, Donovan George, Justin Alexander, Anthony Rogolifoi, Ike Aldan, R-Jay Joe, and Anthony Tenorio can hold their heads high for a job well done.