The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the Bahamas women’s national team will miss out on the opportunity to qualify for the Central American and Caribbean Games, the men’s team has been invited to participate by virtue of being the champions of the English Speaking Amateur Softball Confederation (ECASC) Tournament in 2015.

During the ECASC Tournament for Women currently being played in the US Virgin Islands, Burkett Dorsett said it was agreed that since there won’t be a similar tournament played for the men, it was agreed by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) that the Bahamas would be given the nod to represent ECAST at the CAC Games, scheduled for San Salvador, El Salvador June 23 to July 8.

“The WBSC decided that the current men’s champions, the Bahamas, would be invited to represent ECASC in the men’s division of the CAC Games in El Salvador,” said Dorsett, who is in El Salvador where the decision was made two days go. “The Bahamas was sent the invitation by the WBSC and they accepted it.”

Dorsett, the WBSC’s technical commissioner and the immediate past president of ECASC, said although the Bahamas has not played any international softball recently because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they should be able to field a very strong team for the CAC Games.

“I know some of the men’s national team players were working out in anticipation of the Bahamas being invited to the CAC Games,” Dorsett said.

“Now that it’s official, they will be able to continue to work out and increase their level of preparation for El Salvador.”

The Bahamas men’s team will be one of seven countries that will participate in the CAC Games. Among the others are host country El Salvador, Cuba, Mexico, who would have qualified in other areas in Central America and the Caribbean region.

The women’s national team, on the other hand, would have had to participate in the ECASC Tournament currently underway in the US Virgin Islands, wrapping up on Sunday.

But unfortunately, The Bahamas Softball Federation opted not to send a team because of the lack of funding and the short notice to prepare the team.

“I believe the Bahamas would have been able to fit right in, but a lot of the teams here have improved,” according to Dorsett, who travelled to the tournament with umpire Thomas Sears and immediate past BSF president, Ted Miller. “There are a lot of teams who have brought in some of their collegiate players to try and qualify their team for the CAC Games. The pitching here is awesome.

“I think it will come down to a fight between the British Virgin Islands and Curacao because they both have excellent pitching. It’s a well played tournament so far.”

Dorsett commended the US Virgin Islands on their organisation of the tournament.

He also noted that Sears has been given high marks for his officiating during the tournament.

He noted that as the top ranked umpire in the country, Sears has performed remarkably well. But he noted that there are expected to be some changes made at the end of the tournament.

Instead of having BSF certified umpires, Dorsett said they will be listed as ECASC/WBSC certified umpires, which means that the umpires will have to go through a certification course in order to be able to officiate in any ECASC/ WBSC events.