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South Florida to Play Netherlands National Team in February

by Donald J. Boyles
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Courtesy: Timothy Boone

Courtesy: Timothy Boone

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

TAMPA, Fla. – Prior to the 2009 World Baseball Classic, the Netherlands National Team will come to Red McEwen Field to play the University of South Florida in exhibition action on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.

“It’s going to be a great experience for the players as well as the coaches and the community,” said USF pitching coach Lazer Collazo. “I think it is going to be an outstanding day. We’ll get great experience by facing Major League and Triple A pitching and hitting. We are one of the few universities who get the opportunity to play against a World team.”

The game, which is now the fourth game on the Bulls’ schedule, will be sandwiched between the Big East/Big Ten Challenge (Feb. 20-22) and the Florida Gulf Coast Classic (Feb. 26 – March 1).

About the Dutch
In the upcoming World Baseball Classic, the Dutch will be pooled with the Dominican Republic, Panama and Puerto Rico in the 2009 San Juan bracket. The Netherlands open the tournament with Dominican Republic on March 7.

Rod Delmonico, who set a school record for wins while serving as the head coach at the University of Tennessee, will manage the team.

The Netherlands’ roster could include Braves right-hander Jair Jurrjens, who finished third in this year’s balloting for National League Rookie of the Year, Rick VandenHurk, a top young pitcher who has made 21 career starts for the Marlins and Sidney Ponson, a current Yankee who has 999 career strikeouts over 10 seasons.

MLB rookie Shiron Martis, who made his Major League debut with the Nationals in September and was 1-3 with a 5.89 ERA in four starts, could also don the roster. In the 2006 WBC, the then-19-year-old tossed the first no-hitter in Classic history, a 10-0, seven-inning win over Panama.

Other possible roster players could be 13-year MLB outfielder Andruw Jones (Dodgers), Nationals prospect Roger Bernadina, Mariners prospects Gregory Hallman and Wladimir Balentien, Hainley Statia, a top defensive prospect in the Angels organization, and two top Minor League players in left-handed pitcher Alexander Smit (Reds) and infielder Yurdenell de Caster (Nationals).

The Netherlands have had international baseball success, including two European championships (2003 and 2005), a berth in both the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics and a fourth-place finish in the 2005 World Championships, which were held in Holland. In the 2006 WBC, the Dutch beat Panama (10-0), but lost to Puerto Rico (8-3) and Cuba (11-2).

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