(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Bologna Baseball & Henk Seppen)
 Roster Netherlands Team announced for Baseball Week Haarlem
Nederlands
 NIEUWEGEIN (Neth.) -
On Wednesday (July 3), Manager Evert-Jan 't Hoen has announced the names of the 24 players who are listed on the roster of the Netherlands National Baseball Team for the upcoming Baseball Week Haarlem.
From July 12 through 19, the Orange-squad will participate in the 31st edition of this international event in the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem (Netherlands).
Besides the Netherlands, National Teams of Chinese Taipei, Italy, Japan, Spain and the USA will also participate.
For Spain, it will mark the first time it participates in the international tournament, which was first organized in 1961.
Spain is the reigning European Champion, capturing the title last year for the first time since 1955.
In a press release by the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB), it is stated that
''Team Kingdom of the Netherlands will be going after title-prolongation of the Haarlem Baseball Week in the Pim Mulier Stadium from 12 to 19 July and will do so with a strong selection with a nice mix of experience and talent.
Manager Evert-Jan 't Hoen has called up 24 players for the largest baseball event in Europe and has mainly called on players from the Lucky Day Baseball Major League with a number of additions from foreign (professional) competitions.''
Six players on the roster will make their debut in the National Team.
They are righthanded pitcher Koen Postelmans, catchers Jair van Borkulo and Sem Kuijper, infielders Eugene Helder and Tyriq Kemp and outfielder Jeandro Tromp.
Kemp is the brother of veteran player Dwayne Kemp.
Their father Adonis Kemp also played for the Netherlands Team in the nineties.
Kuijper is the first player to represent the combination-club DSS/Kinheim, which plays in the big league since 2020.
All play in the Dutch big league, except for Helder.
The Aruban infielder played professionally in the Seattle Mariners-organization in 2014-2019, playing at the Rookie League and Single-A levels.
In 2020, Helder briefly played for UnipolSai Fortitudo Bologna in the Italian Serie A.
He then played for Draci Brno in Czechia in 2021 and 2022.
Last year, he was a regular for Bologna for whom he also plays this season.
Helder leads Bologna with a .381 average, 21 runs scored and 32 basehits.
Helder has two homeruns and batted in 14 runs in 27 games.
...Eugene Helder...
(© Photo: Bologna Baseball) |
Helder is one of five players on the Orange-roster who play in the highest Italian League this season.
The others are infielder Junior Martina (Bologna), infielder Juremi Profar, outfielder Roger Bernadina (both Hotsand Macerata Angels) and Jiandido Tromp (San Marino).
At the moment, Tromp leads the Serie A with five homeruns.
He heads the team of San Marino with 20 RBI's and is second best in runs scored (18) and basehits (26) in 27 games.
Martina is Bologna's second best hitter behind Helder with a .338 average in 26 games.
He also follows Helder with 18 runs and 26 basehits and heads the team with three homeruns.
Bernadina hits .269 and shares the team-lead of Macerata with two homeruns and is second best with 13 runs scored in 20 games played.
His 11 RBI's are third best of Macerata.
Profar played in six games so far and hits .333 with four runs scored and one RBI.
Also playing for Macerata is former Netherlands Team-player Dudley Leonora, who hits .316.
Four more players on the roster play abroad.
All of them pitchers.
Righthanded pitcher Jaydenn Estanista is the lone one who plays in the American Minor Leagues.
The Curaçaon pitcher currently plays for Jersey Shore BlueClaws (High-A) in the Philadelphia Phillies-organization.
Since June 23, he appeared in three games as reliever, striking out twelve batters in six innings.
Estanista, who plays professionally since 2021, began the season with Clearwater Treshers (Single-A) for whom he pitched in 16 games in relief and was 1-0 with 44 strikeouts in 31 innings.
Eric Mendez Matos plays for Atleticos de Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.
In 2018-2023, the Aruban pitcher played professionally in the Minor Leaagues for Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers.
Last year, Estanista and Mendez both participated with the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.
Kevin Kelly and Scott Prins are the other two pitchers who play abroad.
Kelly played many seasons in the Dutch big league for Neptunus.
This season, the righthander plays in Mexico for Sultanes de Monterrey.
Kelly is currently 1-2 and pitched in 12 games, striking out 32 batters in 44 2/3 innings.
Prins played in the previous seasons for Amsterdam Pirates with whom he captured the Dutch Championship-title last year.
Prins also began the 2024 season with Pirates.
But he made his professional debut in May, pitching for Ottawa Titans (Canada) in an American/Canadian Independent League.
At the moment, Prins has pitched in nine games (five starts) and is 2-3 with a 5.50 ERA and 23 strikeouts and 50 hits given up in 36 innings.
The most players on the roster play for Curaçao Neptunus.
The current leader of the big league has nine players on the Orange-roster, including six pitchers.
Four players play for HCAW.
Reigning champion Amsterdam Pirates and DSS/Kinheim both have one player.
The roster looks as follows:
Pitchers (11):
Tom de Blok, Aaron de Groot, Ryan Huntington, Shairon Martis, Koen Postelmans, Juan Carlos Sulbaran (all Curaçao Neptunus), Jaydenn Estanista (Philadelphia Phillies-org., High-A, USA), Lars Huijer (HCAW), Kevin Kelly (Sultanes de Monterrey, Mexico), Eric Mendez Matos (Atleticos de Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic) and Scott Prins (Ottawa Titans, Canada).
Catchers (2):
Jair van Borkulo (HCAW) and Sem Kuijper (DSS/Kinheim).
Infielders (7):
Eugene Helder, Junior Martina (both UnipolSai Fortitudo Bologna, Italy), Dwayne Kemp, Tyriq Kemp, Stijn van der Meer (all Curaçao Neptunus), Juremi Profar (Hotsand Macerata Angels, Italy) and Delano Selassa (HCAW).
Outfielders (4):
Roger Bernadina (Hotsand Macerata Angels, Italy), Denzel Richardson (Amsterdam Pirates), Jeandro Tromp (HCAW) and Jiandido Tromp (San Marino, San Marino).
Coaching Staff:
Evert-Jan 't Hoen (Manager), Sidney de Jong (Bench Coach), Michael Duursma (1B Coach), Ben Thijssen (3B Coach), Diegomar Markwell (Pitching Coach), Nick Stuifbergen (Bullpen Coach), Martijn Verhoeven (Quality Control Coach).
Supporting Staff:
Rian de Boer (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Quintijn van der Roest (Physical Therapist), Matthijs Bakker (Team Manager), Seb Visser (Media Officer), Niels van Weert (Technical Manager KNBSB).
(July 3)
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