Month: October 2020

Knowles-Tener, Strachan Make Season Debuts

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#IT was a breakout game for Mike Strachan and a new programme for Rondre Knowles-Tener as the former high school teammates made their season debuts in NCAA football last weekend.

#Strachan produced the best game of his career in his University of Charleston Cougars’ 35-31 win over West Virginia State University at UC Stadium in Charleston, West Virginia.

#The 6’5”, 205-pound redshirt sophomore wide receiver finished with four receptions for 159 yards and one touchdown.

#On their first possession Charleston quarterback Mason Olszewiski connected with Strachan on a 59-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage.

#Established as a deep threat early in the season for the Cougars, Strachan would also catch a 42-yard pass later in the quarter and a 51-yard catch in the second quarter.

#He was a redshirt in his true freshman season and saw the first playing time of his collegiate career last year. He recorded stats in just one game when he caught the first reception of his career for them in a 19-16 loss to the Fairmont State Fighting Falcons.

#The Cougars were slotted to finish fourth in the Mountain East Conference preseason poll with 63 points. They finished the 2017 season 4-6.

#Strachan entered college as a three-sport athlete following a standout career at Liberty Christian Academy. Strachan was a member of the 2013 VISAA 1 State Championship team and received All-Conference and Honourable Mention All-Region as a senior. He was also ranked fourth nationally in the 500m, setting a new LCA record at the Hokie Invitational.

#After struggling to earn playing time over the last two seasons with the James Madison Dukes, Rondre Knowles-Tener has decided to leave the programme and transfer to the Virginia-Wise Cavaliers.

#With the move to Virginia-Wise, he also joined Strachan in the Mountain East conference.

#He finished with one solo tackle in a 17-7 opening week loss to Glenville State.

#Coming out of high school, Knowles-Tener originally committed to the East Carolina Pirates but eventually chose to join the programme at James Madison. He sat out his true freshman season last year as a redshirt but was expected to be an important factor in the Dukes’ plans for its defensive front line moving forward.

#The 6’1”, 295-pound defensive lineman is a former standout performer at Tabernacle Baptist Academy and also anchored the defensive line at Liberty Christian Academy. Knowles-Tener drew interest from a number of elite Division I programmes, including Wake Forest and East Carolina.

Breakout Season For Strachan, Productive Year For Knowles-Tener

f Tuesday, November 13, 2018

photo

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE NCAA Division II football regular season concluded with a breakout season for Mike Strachan and a productive year in a new programme for Rondre Knowles-Tener.

#Strachan finished with five receptions for 55 yards and one touchdown in the Charleston Goulden Cougars 28-6 win over Glenville State.

#It was the sixth consecutive game where Strachan recorded a touchdown catch and the Golden Eagles finished the season at 6-5.

#After a scoreless first quarter, Charleston struck first with a field goal and Strachan’s six-yard connection with Mason Olszewski for a 10-0 lead.

#Glenville would score their only touchdown early in the third quarter but the Cougars ended the game with 18 unanswered points.

#Strachan finished as the only player in the Mountain East Conference to eclipse the 1,000 yard receiving mark. On the season, he totalled 48 receptions for 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns. He led the conference in receiving yards, was third in both average yards per catch at 21 and average yards per game at 91.5. His touchdown total finished fourth.

#Strachan had five games of over 100 yards receiving, including a season high 166 yards against Fairfield and season high eight receptions against Notre Dame College.

#He was a redshirt in his true freshman season and saw the first playing time of his collegiate career last year when he finished with just one reception.

#Strachan continues to be a two-sport star for UC and is the defending conference champion in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay.

#Knowles-Tener and U-Va ended the season with a 21-16 win over Shepherd in and brought an end to their six-year run in the MEC as they prepare to shift to the South Atlantic Conference next fall.

#He finished with his best game of the season, two sacks and three tackles. The sophomore defensive lineman finished his first full season of college football on the field with 21 tackles (including three for a loss), three sacks, two fumble recoveries, two quarterback hurries and one field goal block.

#After struggling to earn playing time over the last two seasons with the James Madison Dukes, Rondre Knowles-Tener has decided to leave the programme and transfer to the Virginia-Wise Cavaliers.

#With the move to Virginia-Wise, he also joined Strachan in the Mountain East.

#Both players played at the high school level for Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg, Virgina.

#Coming out of high school, Knowles-Tener originally committed to the East Carolina Pirates but eventually chose to join the programme at James Madison.

#He sat out his true freshman season last year as a redshirt but was expected to be an important factor in the Dukes’ plans for its defensive front line moving forward. The 6’1″, 295-pound defensive lineman is a former standout performer at Tabernacle Baptist Academy and also anchored the defensive line at Liberty Christian Academy. Knowles-Tener drew interest from a number of elite Division I programmes, including Wake Forest and East Carolina. He originally committed to East Carolina but said James Madison is a better fit.

#In his stint at LCA, he earned numerous accolades, including VISAA Division I Second Team All-State as a junior, VHSL Honourable Mention All-Region 4A West and First Team All-Conference 23 as a senior and was a member of LCA’s VISAA Division I state championship team as a sophomore.

#Strachan a three-sport star who at LCA, was a member of the 2013 VISAA 1 State Championship team and received All Conference and Honourable Mention All-Region as a senior. Strachan was also ranked fourth nationally in the 500m, and he set a new LCA record in the event at the Hokie Invitational.

Strachan Featured By Nfl Draft Blitz

Thursday, June 4, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#HEADING into his senior season with the University of Charleston Golden Eagles football programme, Mike Strachan looks to continue to rewrite the record books and boost his stock for the 2021 NFL Draft.

#Strachan was featured by NFL Draft Blitz and the standout wide receiver detailed his offseason struggles as he continues.

#“I have my brother here with me. We know some quarterbacks in the area. We work out together at a local field. We are working on the fundamentals. I am focusing on my hands and route running,” he said. “I am doing conditioning on my own.”

#In his junior season, he was named an NCAA Division II Second Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. Following his breakout season, Strachan shared the all-time Charleston touchdown record of 27 with Joey Augustin.

#The Grand Bahama native finished with 78 receptions for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns. He set new school records, led the Mountain East Conference in each category and was second in all of DII in both receiving yards and touchdowns.

#His breakout season achieved Division II Top-10 marks for the 2019 season in receiving touchdowns (second), receiving yards (sixth), receptions (ninth), and receiving yards per game (fifth).

#Strachan was also named All-Mountain East Conference First Team when the conference announced its annual awards and all-conference teams.

#At 6’5” 225 pounds, Strachan has reportedly run a best time of 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash but continues to work toward his development for the upcoming season and beyond. “At the next level, you have to have two things. Route running and creating separation. If you can run routes very smoothly, you can be successful at the next level. I have been working on it this offseason,” he said. Currently a two-sport star for the Golden Eagles, Strachan also competes in the 400m and 200m.

#The COVID-19 pandemic brought a premature end to the NCAA Indoor season. He had plans of representing the country one day on the track at the Olympics.

#“It is my other main sport besides football. I participated in the 200 and 400 metres,” he said. “When I lived in the Bahamas, I had aspirations to run track professionally. I had a goal to compete in outdoor track this spring before everything shut down. I placed first in indoor track this past year. I wanted to participate in the 2020 Olympics. That was the goal. I wanted to run for my country. I feel like I would have done it, but we didn’t have an outdoor track season.”

#Strachan caught touchdown passes in 10 of 11 games this season, including six multi touchdown games. He currently holds school records in receiving yards, breaking his own previous record of 1,007 set in 2018. His 19 receiving touchdowns broke the 70-year record of 13 held by Charlie Hubbard in 1950. His 78 receptions broke the record of 60 set by Terrance Spencer in 2006.

#“I bring energy. I am confident and I am a positive example for everybody. I am a team player. I am willing to do whatever for the team and the coaches. I am a playmaker. They can come to me in any situation. I have the ability to make plays,” Strachan said. “There is definitely a lot of pressure playing the game. I embrace the pressure. Football is the greatest sport. It is the ultimate team sport.”

#In addition to single-season records, Strachan broke the single-game records of: Receptions (13) – Set against Urbana on September 12 and also holds the second place spot of 12 receptions set a month later against Notre Dame College and receiving yards (207) also set on October 12 against Notre Dame College, breaking the previous record of 186 set in 2010 by Andre Higgins.

#“Different schools were looking at me for football and track… I went to a few camps for football. Eastern Kentucky and East Carolina were looking at me. I went to a Miami camp, and they were impressed by me. JMU stopped by at my high school. Delaware was interested,” Strachan said.

#“Coming from the Bahamas, the school system is different. I didn’t have the SAT or ACT. I took them pretty late in the process. I didn’t know much about it. There is a certain time period when you have to take those test scores between D-I and D-II. Charleston was patient with me. I took a visit and I liked it.”

#He was a redshirt in his true freshman season and saw the first playing time of his collegiate career as a redshirt freshman when he finished with just one reception.

#As a sophomore, he had a breakout season when he finished as the only player in the MEC to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark.

#On the season, he totalled 48 receptions for 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns. He led the conference in receiving yards, was third in both average yards per catch at 21 and average yards per game at 91.5. His touchdown total finished fourth.

#Strachan has begun to generate buzz from the Division II level.

#“My dad, Jerome Strachan, he played football at Bethune-Cookman under head coach Larry Little. He was part of the Dolphins team that went undefeated in the 70s. My dad learned a lot from him. He also played wide receiver in college,” Strachan said. “He taught me how to be tough. The major thing is having the mental toughness.”

Breaking Out

Prince Strachan

Prince Strachan

f Thursday, October 15, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Prince Strachan continues his breakout junior season on the gridiron for John Carroll High School Rams.

#Stracahan racked up 10 receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns for the Fort Pierce, Florida powerhouse in their 37-12 win over South Fork High last weekend in Florida.

#Through five games thus far, the 6’4” Grand Bahama native has emerged as a deep threat en route to the Rams’ 4-1 record on the season.

#He caught three receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-0 win for his Rams over the Port St Lucie Jaguars in the season opener.

#The Golden Rams also won 23-0 over the Okeechobee Brahmans and 47-14 over Avon Park before a 57-28 loss to Treasure Coast.

#They look to improve to 5-1 against Fort Pierce Central on October 16.

#Strachan relocated from Grand Bahama to John Carroll following Hurricane Dorian last year. He played sparingly as a sophomore and the Rams are were high on his prospective impact headed into this season.

#Prince is the younger brother of University of Charleston Golden Eagles All-American wide receiver, Mike Strachan.

#Thus far the younger Strachan has already received an offer from the Golden Eagles.

#Mike Strachan, was recently listed among Yahoo! Sports’ top “small school” prospects for the 2021 NFL draft and a preseason All-American.

#He was named an NCAA Division II Second Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association and to the 2019 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America team.

#Both young receivers look to continue the lineage established by their father at the position.

#“My dad, Jerome Strachan, He played football at Bethune-Cookman under head coach Larry Little. He was part of the Dolphins team that went undefeated in the 70’s. My dad learned a lot from him. He also played wide receiver in college,” Mike told NFL Draft Blitz in a recent interview.

#“He taught me how to be tough. The major thing is having the mental toughness.”

Team Named For 43rd World Chess Olympiad

Friday, May 11, 2018

#THE Bahamas Chess Federation is pleased to announce the members selected to represent the Bahamas at the 43rd World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia, September 23 to October 7.

#The players were chosen from a combination of qualifying tournament results, event participation and community involvement.

#FIDE master Carver Moncur, candidate master Kendrick Knowles, national master Byron Small, woman candidate master Polina Karelina and Chapell Whyms will share the enormous honour of wearing the country’s black, blue and gold.

#Equally significant is the fact that this is the first time a female player has been selected to represent the Bahamas at a Chess Olympiad.

#The Olympiad members have already received professional training online and have attended the May 4-6 training session with grandmaster Renier Gonzales.

#The BCF will continue to provide training opportunities to the national team members to prepare them for what is expected to be a tough battle against 170 competing countries.

#Before participating in the Olympiad, members of the national team will be required to support the federation’s community efforts and to assist in the development of the country’s junior players.

Three Named Candidate Masters By World Chess Federation

Thursday, September 11, 2014

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Sports Reporter

#rdorsettt@tribunemedia.net

#MIND sports, like chess, continue to increase their profile in the Bahamas and just on the heels of an historic performance in international competition, a trio of local chess veterans have received a prestigious award by the international governing body of the sport.

#Elton Joseph, Kendrick Knowles and Cecil Moncur were named candidate masters by the World Chess Federation based on their performance at the recent 2014 Chess Olympiad hosted in Tromso, Norway.

#It brings the total number of candidate masters in the Bahamas to four as they joined junior phenom Nathan Smith who received the honour based on his performance at the 2013 CAC Youth Festival.

#Joseph, Knowles and Moncur scored at least 50 per cent in a minimum of seven games at the event, the first time the Bahamas competed in the Chess Olympiad in over two decades.

#They led the Bahamas to its best performance ever, a finish at no.118 overall in a group 174 countries. They began the tournament ranked no.158.

#The BCF credits much of its success to contracted Serbian grandmaster Predrag Trajkovic who devoted two months of his time to training the players online prior to the tournament and to serve as team captain during the two-week event, developing strategies against opponents and providing post-analysis of the players’ games.

#Andre White, president of the Bahamas Chess Federation, applauded the performance.

#“The players really bought into the training,” he said. “It took a few rounds for them to settle in and believe in themselves, but once they realised that the stage was not too big for them, the results began to come,”White said.

#“We played against proven chess masters and were able to hold our own. The guys are incredibly motivated now to continue their training and to represent the country at upcoming international tournaments. They saw the results of preparation, and the efforts that we put into participating in this Olympiad were well worth it.”

#The 42nd Chess Olympiad is scheduled to be held in 2016 in Baku, Azerbaijan, and the Bahamas Chess Federation is reportedly making preparations for a team to attend.

#Scheduled training will continue, local playing opportunities will be expanded, and an international tournament hosted by the Bahamas is being discussed for 2015.

#Back in January, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson announced in the House of Assembly that the often overlooked genre of mind sports would be implemented in school sporting curriculums in 2014.

#“We can excel in these mind sports. It brings me to an idea of what we are trying to do this year of expanding sports,” he said.

#“I am very proud to say today that along with the Ministry of Education, that chess and other mind sports will be introduced to schools all across the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the full 164 schools, this year,” he said.

#“These are the young people that we are breeding in this country. There are thousands and thousands of them and I am going to overwhelm the public with these people so that ‘those’ people can get off the front page.”

Making History: Bahamas Newest Member Of Isf

By Renaldo Dorsett

Thursday, October 1, 2020

#THE Bahamas made history by becoming the newest member of the International School Sports Federation.

#The federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee and aims to promote the values and interests of Education through Sport.

#Chess will be the first sport contested for The Bahamas.

#Team Bahamas will compete at ISF World Schools Championship Online Chess 2020. The team includes Daijah Johnson (Aquinas College), Trinity Pinder (Doris Johnson), Olga Roussos (Home School), Nathan Smith (Home School), Aiden Mart (Home School), Noah Albury (St. Augustine’s College), Trevor Bridgewater (Queen’s College), Curtis Pride Jr (Home School), Makayla Horton (St. Augustine’s College), Avain Pride (Home School), Seth Roberts (Queen’s College), Daniel Ramtulla (Queen’s College), Faith Higgs (SC McPherson), Nathaniel Higgs Jr (RM Bailey) and Tadan Ferguson (Home School).

#Bahamas Chess Federation Elton Joseph said it is a great opportunity for the development of the local sport.

#“Chess is a sport that age is basically a number. If the kids get strong enough, they can compete at the highest level which is the World Chess Olympiad,” he said.

#“This year we had a lot of funding. We had some chess sets and books. We were supposed to do a big chess in the schools programme but COVID-19 hit. There are two clubs in Freeport, a club in Eleuthera and Andros that we sent chess sets to and then school closed down.”

#Young chess players from all over the world are invited to participate in the ISF’s second online event. The ISF World Schools Championship Online Chess 2020 will begin October 3 with qualification rounds and concludes on October 25 with finals. Throughout October, the ISF World Schools Championship Online Chess 2020 will include four qualification and four final tournaments.

#The virtual competition software used will be Premium Chess.

#Team Bahamas was on hand to express their excitement at the opportunity.

#Johnson said: “I feel as if each international tournament is always a good experience as I get to compete against people from different parts around the world. I also get to interact with people from different cultures and make long friendships with fellow chess players like myself,” Johnson said.

#Pinder said: “I heard from my mother that my grandfather also used to play so I thought why not give it a try. When I tried, I realised that it can take me a lot of places which it has over the years because I grew up in Bain and Grant’s Town and I never felt I would have gotten the chance to travel the world. Through chess I have already been to Jamaica, Curacao, the Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia. I went to a lot of places that I thought I would have never been as a child from Bain Town.”

#Roussos said: “I think it is going to be a great learning experience. Whenever I play, I always learn about new moves and tactics that I can use in future games. I am very excited to compete against other seasoned players.”

#Rupert Gardiner serves as the President of ISF Bahamas.

#“History has been made in the Bahamas once again. There is quite a list of events that will be taking place in 2021 and I would like to see us well represented in them. Everything from basketball to volleyball to track and field and now especially with chess,” he said.

#“History is being made once again in The Bahamas and I am a part of it. I would like to thank the press for turning out to support this event to make it a success so that other kids can be involved in the ISF. There are a lot of opportunities for you.”

#“I want to encourage all of the schools and athletes to get involved and find an opportunity to become exposed to persons around the world…

#“This is a fantastic opportunity and I hope you seize this chance to get involved in sports. Chess appears to be the first one out the gate.

#“It is a mind sport and some people don’t know chess is a sport – they consider it a board game but it requires a lot of mental stamina and patience. These are some of the attributes that sports will teach you,” Munnings stated.

#According to the ISF, its events, “the World Schools Championships and the Gymnasiade, aim to promote among young people: mutual understanding, volunteering empowerment, peace, non-discrimination, healthy lifestyle, social inclusion, and gender equality.

#“Thus it contributes to support the educative paths of the young people to empower them as citizens of the world.

#“ISF pursues its goals independently from political, religious or racial considerations.”

Johnson Qualifies For Chess Final

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#The Bahamas made its first appearance as the newest member of the International School Sports Federation at the World Schools Championships’ Online Chess Tournament and Daijah Johnson continues to make history.

#Johnson, Woman Candidate Chess Master, advanced to the tournament finals after emerging as one of the top 40 participants in a field that comprised some of the top players across the globe in the ISF Qualifiers.

#WCM Johnson, the first female in the Bahamas to ever receive an International Chess Federation (FIDE) title, got her opening in round four and proceeded to win five matches.

#Johnson finished at No 38 to qualify for the U18 finals, scheduled for October 24. The remainder of the U18 team included Olga Roussos and Trinity. Roussos and Pinder were very close to qualifying in the top 40 at No.41 and No.46 in the rankings respectively.

#Pinder was the first participant for team Bahamas and won in the first round against a higher rated player. She finished with four points. Roussos, who also participated in the Online Chess Olympiad in August, finished with 4.5 points.

#“It was a great effort by our junior players as they competed against stronger chess counties in Europe and Asia,” The Bahamas Chess Federation said in a statement, “Great result from all our players so far; we look forward to the Finals and extraordinary things from all three players in the future.”

#“I feel as if each international tournament is always a good experience as I get to compete against people from different parts around the world. I also get to interact with people from different cultures and make long friendships with fellow chess players like myself,” Johnson said prior to the tournament.

#Bahamas Chess Federation Elton Joseph said it is a great opportunity for the development of the local sport.

#“Chess is a sport that age is basically a number. If the kids get strong enough, they can compete at the highest level which is the World Chess Olympiad,” he said, “This year we had a lot of funding. We had some chess sets and books. We were supposed to do a big program to put chess in the schools but COVID-19 hit. There are two clubs in Freeport, a club in Eleuthera and Andros that we sent chess sets to, and then school closed down.”

#The ISF World Schools Championship Online Chess 2020 will begin October 3 with qualification rounds and concludes on October 25 with finals. Throughout October, the ISF World Schools Championship Online Chess 2020 will include four qualification and four final tournaments.

#The virtual competition software used will be Premium Chess.

#In addition to Johnson (Aquinas College), Pinder (Doris Johnson) and Roussos (Home School), the full roster for team Bahamas includes: U18 Open – Nathan Smith (Home School), Aiden Mart (Home School), Noah Albury (St. Augustine’s College), Trevor Bridgewater (Queen’s College), Curtis Pride Jr (Home School); U15 Girls – Makayla Horton (St. Augustine’s College), Faith Higgs (SC McPherson); U15 Open – Avain Pride (Home School), Seth Roberts (Queen’s College), Daniel Ramtulla (Queen’s College), Tadan Ferguson (Home School); U18 Open – Nathaniel Higgs Jr (RM Bailey).

Lewis Brinson ‘Home Run Derby King’

Lewis Brinson, of the USA, in action during the third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby in Paradise at Montagu Bay.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Lewis Brinson, of the USA, in action during the third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby in Paradise at Montagu Bay. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Monday, January 6, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#The third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby in Paradise produced a pair of new champions to conclude an exciting weekend of events.

#Lewis Brinson put on a spectacular hitting display and claimed the title of “Home Run King” as the individual champion while Team Fox was the overall team winner Saturday afternoon at the Montagu Bay foreshore.

#The revolutionary concept once again produced a series of highlights and showcased the Bahamas’ elite baseball talent along with visiting minor leaguers.

#The final round culminated in a matchup between Brinson and event co-founder Lucius Fox Jr.

#Brinson, the Miami Marlins outfielder, hit 13 home runs in 15 swings to clinch the title in his second year competing in the event. “I’m honoured to be invited to this and have the success that I have had this year. It’s also an honour and a blessing to be able to play the game of baseball for a living like I do.

#“I told myself I would outperform last year when I was a little nervous, I didn’t know what to expect. This year I was focused and I came here to win.” he said.

#“It’s great, this is my second year and it got better from last year and already, I can’t wait to be back next year, all the guys are telling me that this is something that needs to continue. It’s a well run event in a beautiful country and I’m honoured to be a part of it.”

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The third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby in Paradise produced a pair of new champions to conclude an exciting weekend of events. Lewis Brinson put on a spectacular hitting display and claimed the title of “Home Run King” as the individual champion while Team Fox was the overall team winner Saturday afternoon at the Montagu Bay foreshore. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

#Brinson spent last season between the Marlins in the major leagues and its Triple-A affiliate, the New Orleans Baby Cakes.

#“This offseason I took time to myself away from social media to reset and just basically to take time away from everybody, everybody but my mom really, going into next year. There was stuff I had to work on and I’ve been working my but off this offseason,” Brinson said, “This was like the test for me to see how my mental skills and the things I’ve been working on in the cage – just working on staying short, staying quiet and it was good to see how it played out. I came on a mission,” Brinson said, “This was good to recharge and to come down here, take a load off and get back to work. We’ve got spring training in a month.”

#Brinson and Fox led their team to the win over last year’s champion, Team Isaacs.

#Tom Fox included Brinson and fellow Miami Marlins player Isan Diaz. Others included Ronnie Dawson (Houston Astros organisation), Nick Gordon (Minnesota Twins organisation), Josh Palacios (Toronto Blue Jays organisation), Braxton Davidson (Atlanta Braves organisation) and Buddy Reed (Oakland Athletics organisation). Local products included Kristian Robinson – the No.2 overall prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organisation, Chavez Young (Toronto Blue Jays organisation), Keithron Moss (Texas Rangers organisation), D’Shawn Knowles (Los Angeles

#Angels of Anaheim), D’Vaughn Knowles (New York Yankees organisation), Warren Saunders (New York Mets organisation) and first year participant Ian Lewis (Miami Marlins organisation).

#Saunders was one of the highlights of the afternoon and posted 12 home runs in the opening round.

#Following the team format, the top four individual hitters from each team advanced to the playoff rounds.

#Team Isaacs was headlined by event co-founder Todd Isaacs Jr and the No.4 prospect in the Miami Marlins organisation – Jazz Chisholm, the top home run hitter of all Bahamian players this past season. Other local products included Trent Deveaux (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organisation), Anfernee Seymour (free agent) and several first year participants – Zion Bannister (Texas Rangers organisation), James Rolle (Baltimore Orioles organisation), Everette Cooper (Houston Astros organisation), Dax Stubbs (Baltimore Orioles organisation) and D’Vonn Mackey (Oakland Athletics organisation).Visiting hitters drafted to Team Isaacs include Will Benson (Cleveland Indians organisation), Jermiah Jackson (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheimorganisation), Christian Koss (Colorado Rockies organisation), Monte Harrison (Miami Marlins organisation) and Jet Johnson (Cleveland Indians organisation).

#Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group and the Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort.

#A unique venue presented a unique approach as players hit home runs into Montagu Bay. Home run barriers were set by buoys in the water that were measured with the proper major league approved dimensions.

#“I’m really humble and excited for what we can accomplish in the future. It was a lot of fun to feel this energy,” Isaacs said, “It’s all about the fans and creating an atmosphere for baseball to flourish in the country. The Bahamas is a breeding ground for talent on and off the baseball field and in all professions in the world, so for us to bring this amount of people out and create something for people to recognize the amount of talent we have here is incredible. I’m looking forward to the number of Bahamian professional players to continue to grow so we could have even more competitors next year.”

#Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group and the Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort.

Rosters Set For The ‘Don’t Blink’ Home Run Derby

Thursday, January 2, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE rosters are set for both teams as the country’s top pro baseball prospects prepare to host a showcase of local and international talent, vying for the title of the Bahamian Home Run Derby King.

#The third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby, powered by REV, takes place noon on January 4 at Montagu Bay foreshore, featuring approximately 30 participants in the unique showcase.

#Todd Isaacs Jr (Colorado Rockies organisation) and Lucius Fox Jr (Tampa Bay Rays organisation) selected their respective teams via their draft selection show to divide the teams that will compete for their respective charitable organisations.

#Following the team format, the top four individual hitters from each team will advance to see who will be the individual winner.

#Team Isaacs looks to repeat as defending champions headlined by major leaguer Shed Long of the Seattle Mariners.

#Local product Jazz Chisholm, the top home run hitter of all Bahamian players this past season, was also drafted to Team Issacs along with Trent Deveaux (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Anfernee Seymour (free agent) and several first year participants – Zion Bannister (Texas Rangers), James Rolle (Baltimore Orioles), Everette Cooper (Houston Astros), Dax Stubbs (Baltimore Orioles) and D’Vonn Mackey (Oakland Athletics).

#Other visiting hitters drafted to Team Isaacs include Will Benson (Cleveland Indians), Jermiah Jackson (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Christian Koss (Colorado Rockies), Monte Harrison (Miami Marlins) and Jet Johnson (Cleveland Indians).

#Tom Fox selected a Bahamian player with the first overall pick – Kristian Robinson – the No.2 overall prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organisation.

#Other local draft selections included Chavez Young (Toronto Blue Jays), Keithron Moss (Texas Rangers), D’Shawn Knowles (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), D’Vaughn Knowles (New York Yankees), Warren Saunders (New York Mets) and first year participant Ian Lewis (Miami Marlins).

#A pair of major leaguers from the Miami Marlins – Isan Diaz and Lewis Brinson – headline the visiting players for Team Fox. Others include Ronnie Dawson (Houston Astros), Nick Gordon (Minnesota Twins), Josh Palacios (Toronto Blue Jays), Braxton Davidson (Atlanta Braves) and Buddy Reed (Oakland Athletics).

#“Don’t Blink weekend is going to be something special. It’s something we are super excited for,” Isaacs said, “This year we are fortunate to be partnering with the Charles Johnson Foundation to help our reach get out to the world. The important thing we loved about his philosophy is that he wants to invest in the youth, invest in the future and that’s the biggest thing for us just giving the young men in society something positive to look up to and something that can change their lives. Baseball is an avenue that allows kids to change their families’ lives as young as 16. We play in front of thousands of people every day but there’s nothing like performing in front of the home crowd.”

#Johnson, had a major league career that spanned 11 years across six franchises, most notably the Miami Marlins. The former World Series champion, two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner now spearheads a foundation to increase opportunities for youth through the sport.

#Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group and the Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort.

#“In year’s past we have had a theme for the home run derby and this year the theme will be Bahamas Strong. In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, we felt it was important not just to help our brothers and sisters that suffer through cancer but also to help the Hurricane Dorian victims as best we can,”Isaacs said, This year the teams will support the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Sister Sister

#Breast Cancer Support Group and hurricane relief as the other team. The guys will compete as best as they can to win for their respective charity. All of us were in season with the hurricane hit, and some of these guys are from Freeport. So I couldn’t imagine sitting in the locker room, having to worry about what’s going on with your family. We just want to use our platform in whatever way we can to make a difference.”

#In addition to the Home Run Derby, the participating players will host a clinic at the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Harbour on January 3 for aspiring student athletes.

#“We kickoff the weekend with a kid’s camp and will be partnering with the MLB Play Ball initiative. That is the branch of MLB that hosts all their kids camp around the world and this will be their first time coming down to the Bahamas,” Isaacs said, “Through Charles Johnson we made contact with the Play Ball initiative. He’s played in the Major Leagues for a long time so a lot of the relationships with people throughout baseball. When they saw the derby, they saw the kids camp and they were blown away by what we were doing. They are bringing boxes and boxes of stuff to give away to the kids.”

#Community outreach efforts like the kid’s camp remain a mandate of the group for the further development of the next generation of baseball players.

#“I just want baseball to grow in the Bahamas,” Fox said, “Over the years they’ve been talking about the Dominican Republic and all these Latin American countries, but I know we have the talent. If I can do my part to help the young guys be better than us then I will do just that. It’s never selfish when it comes to us we just look forward to breaking down as many doors as possible.”