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Updated: January 14, 2013
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Grand Slam/Marco Stoovelaar

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Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2013 by Marco Stoovelaar


National Team-roster announced for World Championship
Nederlands
AMSTELVEEN (Neth.) - Today, January 14, the coaching-staff of the Dutch National Men Softball Team announced the names of the 17 players who are selected for the squad to participate in the upcoming World Championship in March in New Zealand.

Fifteen players already were selected earlier, but with the addition of infielder Eldrick Dijkhoff and pitcher Erwin Visser, the roster is now completed. Dijkhoff is playing softball in the Aruban competition, while veteran pitcher Visser plays for Almere and already played for the national squad in the past.

The roster is as follows:
Pitchers:
Arjan Baanen, Jeroen Mulder (both Storks), Erwin Visser (Almere) and Jeffry Visser (DVH).
Position Players:
Anthony Beaumont, Marlon Comenencia, Randy Lo-A-Tjong, Glennsig Polonius, Rien Smulders, Osandrick Statia (all DVH), Mike den Braven, Kenny Dame (both Storks), Merlijn Brink, Enrique Javier, René Koelink (all Spikes), Eldrick Dijkhoff (Aruba) and Tim Verbrugge (Sparks Haarlem).

All 15 players who were selected earlier last year participated in the successful European Championship in Amstelveen (Netherlands). There, the team reached the final, losing 9-2 to Denmark, but winning the silver medal. Wesley Blonk and Angelo Clementina, who were also part of the silver squad, will not be with the team during the World Championship.

An 8-member staff will accompany the team, including playing coach Kenny Dame:
Ben ten Pas (Head Coach), James Harris (Coach), Kenny Dame (Playing Coach), Mara Goedegebuure (Mental Coach), Joanne Christiano (Scorer), Peter Schuler (General Manager), Jerella Domacassee (Business Manager) and Jane Trampe (Media Officer).
Also traveling with the team is 4-year old Jaydion Polonius, who will be the team's bat-boy.

Recently, the pool alignments were announced for the World Championship, which will take place from March 1-10 in Auckland on the northern island of New Zealand with the games to be played at Roseboro Park. The Dutch Team has drawn a tough pool and will meet New Zealand, which won silver four years ago in Canada, as well as Argentina, Canada (bronze medal on the last championship), Colombia (which participates for the first time), Japan, Mexico and the Philippines. In this strong pool, Argentina, Canada, Japan and New Zealand all belong to the favorites to reach the final.
Playing in Group 2 are reigning world champion Australia, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Indonesia, Samoa, South Africa, USA and Venezuela.

The Dutch National Team last participated in a World Championship in 2004 when the event also was held in New Zealand. This will mark the fifth time that the Orange will participate in the global event after the Philippines (Manila and Pasig, 1992), the USA (Midland, 1996), South Africa (East London, 2000) and New Zealand (Christchurch, 2004). Eight years ago, Kenny Dame and Tim Verbrugge also participated in the Championship.

As men softball is not funded by the Dutch Association KNBSB, the National Team started a crowd-funding action in September to raise funds to participate in the event. In this action, the players and staff reach out to as much people as possible requesting (minor) donations to enable them to cover the costs of the tickets. At the moment, some 50 percent of the needed amount of money has been raised. For more information, you can visit www.nlhsb-team.nl.

(January 14)


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