The YMCA of the Cayman Islands national youth squads put up a good fight at the International Baseball Invitational, balancing their wins and losses pretty evenly and proving they can hang with the region’s best.
Three Cayman teams – the 12U baseball, 15U baseball, and girls’ softball team – competed at the Invitational in Fort Myers, Florida, from 7-11 July.
Finishing with an even record
Both the 12U and 15U baseball selections started their campaigns on a high note, each stringing together consecutive victories to open pool play.
Head coach Stephen Anderson’s 12U team kicked things off with an 8-4 win over Bahamas Freedom Farm, followed by a tense 4-3 win over the USA Stars.
Meanwhile, the 15U baseball team, led by head coach Bill Souza, dominated the USA Dreams 10-3 and kept the momentum swinging with a 5-1 win against the USA Stars.
Both boys’ squads ultimately dropped their final two pool play games to finish with 2-2 records and securing second place in their respective brackets.
Under last year’s tournament rules, these finishes would have secured both Cayman teams a spot in the playoffs, but a newly implemented tournament point system this year left both squads short by just a single point.
Both baseball teams wrapped up their Florida trips on 11 July with exhibition games, where the 12U boys narrowly fell 7-6 to USA Hancock and the 15U boys lost 9-5 to Bahamas Freeport.
Reflecting on the experience, 15U head coach Bill Souza expressed immense pride in how the Cayman players conducted themselves both on and off the diamond, highlighting that their four months of rigorous preparation truly paid off.
“They all represented themselves, this programme, their teams, their families, and most importantly Cayman proudly. On the field, I was most proud of my 15U team for how they played against Puerto Rico,” said Souza.
“Even though the game ended in a 3-10 loss, Puerto Rico is normally a baseball powerhouse in the Caribbean, and the team rose to the occasion and showed that when they play at their best, they are capable of competing with anyone,” he added.
Souza emphasised that the tournament serves as a vital benchmark, motivating the players to keep working hard.
“Collectively, I believe the baseball teams continue to learn about the level of competition that exists outside of Cayman and the hard work they need to keep putting into their training and overall development to continue competing with those programmes,” Souza said.
“Most teams we compete against train together year-round 5-6 days per week, and we are winning games and putting up strong competition against some of the top programs in our region. This helps motivate out players to keep working hard to prepare for their next opportunity,” he added.
Girl’s softball shows visible growth
History was also made on the softball diamond as the Cayman girls’ softball team captured their first-ever international victory.
Guided by head coach Hailee Bugg, the girls opened their campaign with a hard-fought 4-4 tie against Fort Myers on Wednesday, 8 July after their initial game against Mexico was rained out the day prior.
Following tough defeats against Mexico and USA Naples, the team bounced back on the final day, 11 July, defeating the USA 11-1 to secure their historic win.
Beyond the field, the girls enjoyed an inspiring tour of the athletic facilities at Florida Gulf Coast University, giving them a firsthand look at a collegiate programme and what is possible through continued hard work, commitment and dedication to the sport.
The girls’ coach Hailee Bugg praised the visible growth in her players compared to their previous tournament.
“This tournament showed just how much our girls have grown [since their last one], not only in their skills, but in their confidence, resilience, and belief in themselves. They trained harder, prepared with greater purpose, and came in hungry to prove that they belonged at this level and were capable of competing against higher-caliber opponents,” said Bugg.
She added, “I was especially proud to see several players naturally emerge as true captains on the field and in the dugout, leading by example and lifting up their teammates.
“They played with a confidence and determination that showed they understood that just because we were down by a few runs, the game was never over, and that mindset will continue to carry them forward as we prepare for [upcoming events].”
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