Junior League looking for fifth straight

Yesterday the Junior League All-Stars of the CNMI left the comforts of home on Saipan and boarded a ferry bound for the Asia-Pacific Tournament in Tinian, but if they manage to repeat the paths of their four predecessors, they will complete their journey upon that hallowed grounds of Taylor, Michigan.

Manager Juan Tenorio will be joined by head coach Ike Taitano and assistant coach Henry Lizama in the dugout, and he believes that his team is ready to take the next step because they were willing to put in the time and commitment all season long.

When Juan Iguel, Elton Santos, Jonathan Salas, Marley Techur, A. J. Dela Cruz, Ben Taisacan, Ben Cabrera, Ryan Ada, Isaih Wabol, Mario Salas, Ofero Taitano, Tako Camacho, Juan Tenorio, and Zachary Flores take the field tomorrow, Tenorio said that they will be a much improved unit than when they first gathered less than a month ago.

“I feel that the Junior League and all of the teams of the CNMI are ready to take on this challenge. We’ve been practicing for the past two and a half weeks and I believe that the kids have learned everything that they need to, and so we’re ready to move on,” said Tenorio.

Taking a bunch of youngster overseas and keeping them focused on the task at hand may be more than some coaching staffs could handle, but Tenorio said that he instilled responsibility and discipline in his players, and that his boys will stay on track.

“I believe any undertaking this big posses a lot of challenges but like I said throughout the season—it’s not just purely baseball. We also have a session where the boys sit down and we go through the rules. We have practice rules, established rules for tournaments and resting, and the kids clearly understand that the kids have to play this game by the rules,” he said.

Aside from the regulations, Tenorio said that his team received several reminders about their daily conduct and game-time signals.

“We gave a pep talk about the rules, daily occurrences, and the hand signals to make sure that they continue to understand and to continue to reinforce so that we can be talking in sign language,” he said.

The Junior Leaguers should definitely be ready for the opposing hitters, as they stocked up with nine pitchers that include four of the top six from the regular season and Techur the strikeout king.

“With our pitching ability on the team I think that these kids will do well. Not only are they pitchers, they can play any field,” said Tenorio.

Despite having a team designed to thwart enemy sluggers, Tenorio said that his team’s biggest strength is on the other side of the plate.

“Our hitting. These kids can really hit this ball. We’ve been working very hard on that also, so if they put on a pitcher that throws fast balls, these kids are going to rip them out,” he said.

Part of the experienced manager’s strategy included his team taking BP with pitchers from the older boys in the big League and the grown men of the Saipan Major League to get them ready for anything.

While all of the boys are happy to go Tinian to represent the CNMI against the top teams in the region for the chance to go to the mainland to play baseball, team captain Ryan Ada said that he believes that the key to his squad’s success across the channel is teamwork.

The regular season RBI champ knows what it takes to get to Taylor, Michigan, as he was part of the 2004 team that made the journey. This will be his second chance to earn the right to play along the Great Lakes, and as with all but one of his teammates, it will be his last.

A win in the Asia-Pacific Tournament would be the first chance that half of the kids make the trip to the mainland, but for third baseman Mario Salas, just playing in the tournament is breaking new ground.

“I’ve never been to Tinian. I’m excited, and it feels great. We feel pretty strong,” he said.

Salas was unable to say what he believes to be the strongest part of the team because he said that teammates are solid all the way around.