BASEBALL LOOKS FOR REDEMPTION

A preview of Team Guam heading to Palau for the 2025 Pacific Mini Games June 29 – July 9 amongst 24 island nations

By Patrick Lujan

Baseball has been a sport that has held regional bragging rights for generations. Generations in which Guam, CNMI and Palau have held the reigns as kings of the diamond. Currently, the CNMI holds that distinction.

Guam seeks to regain that status in the upcoming 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau, returning a more experienced team from the 2022 Mini Games in Saipan in which it played victim to the historic, heroic and unthinkable Josh Jones story.

About half of that Guam team returns, as well as manager Joe Tuquero, who was part of the coaching staff in Saipan under then manager Spider Ninete. Tuquero has been at the helm of the Guam Junior National Team for the better part of a decade.

After such heartbreak in 2022, the focus still remains on gold. The team is still young – actually younger in average of age, but more seasoned as three years ago. The range is 16-22 years old with one player aged 25. It doesn’t help that adult baseball on Guam has been limited in recent years with the Guam Major League inactive since 2022.

Requesting not to mention individual names, manager Tuquero says, “competition will be tough. We are aiming for gold, like everyone else.”

Expect the defending champion CNMI squad to bring back their core (including Jones) for another shot at gold. Palau also looks to have a golden performance in front of the home crowd. FSM is also geared to round out a very competitive pool of teams.

Baseball gets underway on Monday, June 30th and concludes on Tuesday, July 8th.