PRESS RELEASE – Men’s baseball will soon make a return to the University of Guam after nearly 20 years. The Triton Athletics Department, which previously had a baseball program from the 1970s through the 1990s, will reinstate the university’s varsity men’s baseball program this spring. The team will participate in the Guam Major League starting in February.
“We are excited to be bringing baseball back to the university,” said Athletics Director Doug Palmer. “It was a championship program at one time, and we hope we can renew those championship days again.”
The Triton Athletics Department has formed a working alliance with the Guam Baseball Academy, which will assist the university in developing and executing a three-year varsity baseball program strategy. The strategy consists of building a competitive baseball team, developing a program to train high school baseball athletes into UOG baseball athletes, and starting a baseball academy to continue to elevate the skill level of players and coaches.
“I am proud to work with UOG and Doug Palmer in building the new varsity sport of baseball,” said Bill Bennett, founder of the Guam Baseball Academy. “I am looking forward to kick-starting the tryout sessions and on-field practices and then continuing to participate in the player and team training sessions and curriculums.”
With no scholarship funds available to start the program, Palmer said he is hopeful that private funds will generate scholarships for the baseball program.
The team will use the George Washington High School baseball field for tryouts and as a practice facility. Palmer also plans to bring back the UOG batting cage facility and add a backstop and pitching mound area to the soccer field area behind the Calvo Field House.
“Having a UOG baseball team will further grow the Triton spirit among our student population as well as provide a new opportunity for student athletes to get involved and be part of a team,” said Lawrence Camacho, dean of Enrollment Management and Student Success.
The year 2020 will bring even more growth to the department, Palmer said, with the hopeful addition of two women’s sports as well.
The search for a head men’s baseball coach will begin immediately, and tryouts will take place in late November or early December. Practice will start in mid-January to prepare for the Guam Major League.
Those interested in applying for the coaching position can email an application letter, a resume, and three references (name, email, and phone number) to palmerd@triton.uog.edu. For more information, call Athletics Coordinator Alonika Reyes-Fielder at (671) 735-2861. Applications will be accepted until Monday, Nov. 11.
(AP/Carlos Osorio)
