PRESS RELEASE – (PHOENIX, AZ) In a remarkable display of family legacy and baseball excellence, Team Guam secured a third-place finish at the 2024 Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL) World Series, marking their second consecutive year in this unique father-son tournament.
The team’s journey began with a chance conversation in a rental van during the 2022 Senior Softball tournament in Las Vegas, when Agana Heights native, Gene McDonald and former Guam resident, Pete Ojeda discussed the possibility of forming a Guam squad for the MSBL World Series.
“I had played in this tournament with a team from Seattle alongside my son Alex, and the experience was incredible,” recalls Ojeda. “When I explained the tournament’s dynamic to Gene, we both knew we had to bring this opportunity to Guam’s baseball families.”
The MSBL World Series was held October 24-27, across several Major League Baseball spring training facilities in Arizona. The tournament journey took Team Guam through some of baseball’s most pristine spring training venues, including Tempe Diablo Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels, the Milwaukee Brewers’ spring training complex, and Hohokam Stadium, home of the Oakland Athletics.
Team Guam opened their campaign with an impressive three-game winning streak dispatching Team Las Vegas, the Chicago North TSP’s, and Colorado Spring Bigfoot in a display of both offensive firepower and defensive excellence. Their championship aspirations were ultimately halted as the team fell one game short of advancing to the championship game.
The squad’s remarkable run featured multiple family pairings: Joe Tuquero and Guaifon Terlaje, Stan and Brent Blau, Roland “Undo” Cruz and RJ Cruz, Ken Ray and Daniel Paulino, Freddy and Keedyn Cepeda, Pete and Alex Ojeda, and JP and Xander Aguon, and the uncle-nephew combination of Gene and Shane McDonald. These family ties were complemented by the skilled play of teammates Jathan Muna-Barnes, Franklin “Boonie” Ninete, Lynnwood Baker, Pete Castro, and Chris Guzman.
“Having so many family connections on one team created a unique chemistry that you can’t manufacture,” noted team manager, Ken Ray Paulino, “When you’re playing alongside your son or nephew, there’s an extra level of trust and understanding that elevates everyone’s game.”
“From that first conversation in Vegas to now completing our second year, this tournament has become more than we ever imagined,” Ojeda reflected. “Playing on major league spring training fields alongside my son, representing Guam – it’s transformed from a simple idea into something truly special.”
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