CNMI sluggers face Palau today

The Commonwealth sluggers will begin the CNMI’s bid in the 2011 Pacific Games today when they play Palau at 9am (8am Saipan time) at the Baseball Mont-Dore at Mont-Dore in New Caledonia.

The CNMI-Palau tussle is a rematch of the 2010 Micronesian Games in Koror and manager Tony Rogolifoi’s wards are eyeing for vengeance. Palau defeated the CNMI in last year’s Micro Games gold medal match, 7-3. The Commonwealth bets bowed to Palau two times last year, losing a controversial rained-out semis match. Palau is the Pacific Games defending champion, having won in the Samoa Games in 2007 against New Caledonia. American Samoa finished third.

“Our first competition will be tomorrow (today) in baseball, against Palau and its a possible preview of the gold medal game,” CNMI chef de mission and NMASA president Michael White said in an email to Saipan Tribune.

White added the Commonwealth sluggers, golfers, and beach volleyball players are doing well in New Caledonia and are excited to play in their first game.

“Everyone is doing fine. The accommodations are satisfactory, the food is good, and the weather is great. The three teams that are here (baseball, beach volleyball, and golf) have all had a chance to practice, and everyone is happy with the sports facilities,” White said.

The baseball competition, which will be played in a turf field, started yesterday with the host losing to Guam in the first match 1-3 and Fiji beating American Samoa in the second game, 8-3.

After the CNMI-Palau tiff today, Guam will take on Fiji in the second match. Only six nations are entered in baseball and they will play in a round-robin competition with only the Top 4 teams advancing to the playoffs.

Both the CNMI and Palau are fielding the core of their 2010 Micro Games team in today’s early rematch.

Meanwhile, Ian Rogolifoi, the youngest player on the CNMI Baseball Team, was the flag bearer of the Commonwealth during the opening ceremony last Saturday. The CNMI sluggers were joined in the parade of nations by golfers Jess Wabol, Jess Taylor, Adam Hardwicke, and Tony Satur and beach volleyball players Tyce Mister and Chris Nelson. Athletics’ Trevor Ogumoro, Douglas Dillay, and Rachel Abrams missed the opening rites, but will join the rest of the CNMI delegates at the Athletes Villages today after leaving Saipan last Sunday evening.

The CNMI golfers, beach volleyball spikers, and tracksters will have their separate competitions later this week.

Meanwhile, preliminary games in football, tennis, table tennis, basketball, cricket, sailing, squash, volleyball, va’a (canoe) started yesterday. As of 7pm (Saipan time) yesterday, the Pacific Games website’s medal board has yet to show any nation winning the first medal in the quadrennial meet. Medals are expected to flood when swimming and athletics begin their competitions on Sept. 2 and 5, respectively.