Kai Jones, Deandre Ayton and Buddy Hield.

As of Wednesday, October 19, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#The 2022-23 NBA season officially tipped off last night. However, Bahamian players are scheduled to get their respective campaigns underway tonight.

#Chavano “Buddy” Hield’s Indiana Pacers and Deandre Ayton’s Phoenix Suns will open the season at home while Kai Jones’ Charlotte Hornets begin the season on the road.

#The Pacers will host the Washington Wizards tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, at 7pm.

#The early veteran extension deadline passed on October 17 without Hield and Pacers reaching an agreement to extend his current contract.

#Hield has been the subject of trade rumours for much of the offseason and had the sides agreed to an extension, he would have been ineligible to be traded for at least six months if the deal included a more than five percent raise. Hield will now be ineligible for an extension until next offseason.

#Hield was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Pacers last February and in 26 games with the club, he averaged 18.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He shot 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range in just over 35 minutes per game.

#Prior to the trade, he averaged 14.4 points per game and made 182 three pointers, and was shooting a career-low 37 percent in 28 minutes per game with the Kings.

#Hield, one of just two players returning to the Pacers roster at least 29-years-old, said the young group is already showing signs of bonding and familiarity. He said he continues to ignore the rumours, but is focused on the task at hand with the Pacers.

#“It’s the business of basketball. No matter what happens I love playing basketball,” Hield said. “Once I have a job, and I’m able to play in this league for a long time it doesn’t matter where I go, I’m happy, I’m still here I’m just glad to play basketball at a high level with the best basketball players in the world.”

#Ayton and the Suns will begin the season with a rematch of the Western Conference semifinals upset that set the tone for a tumultuous offseason.

#The Suns will begin a new era without former owner Robert Sarver when they host the Dallas Mavericks tonight at 10pm at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

#For the second consecutive season, the Suns will be featured in a franchise record-tying 34 nationally televised games. A total of 22 games will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN or TNT, with an additional 12 on NBATV.

#In his fourth season, Ayton averaged 17.2 points on a career high 63 percent from the field and 10.2 rebounds per game in 58 appearances. He appeared in only 17 minutes of the Suns’ 123-90 elimination loss to the Mavericks in game seven of the conference semifinals last season.

#Following a lengthy restricted free agency process, Ayton officially inked a four-year $133 million contract in July to return to the Suns.

#“Yea I’m alright,” Ayton responded when asked if he’s happy to be back with the Suns.

#“When I’m in between those lines, man, I just work. I know I’m not playing for myself. I have an organisation across my chest and a name on my back I have to represent, I’m just here to work.”

#Jones and the Hornets open the season tonight on the road against the San Antonio Spurs at 8pm at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

#The Hornets have a stacked depth chart in the frontcourt headed into the 2022-23 campaign but Kai Jones looks to use his versatility to take advantage of every opportunity in year two.

#Jones called his rookie season “a beautiful experience” at Hornets media day but looks forward to making a bigger impact this season. “With my athleticism, I can have a two-way impact,” he said.

#“Lob threat, blocking shots, just being versatile.”

#As a rookie, he appeared in just 21 games at three minutes per game before spending the bulk of the season in the G-League with the Greensboro Swarm.

#Jones participated in the NBA2K23 Las Vegas Summer League and in five games, the second year forward averaged 8.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and two blocked shots in 20 minutes per game.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/19/kai-jones-ayton-and-hield-action-tonight/?news

TAVARIO Miller at the free throw line in the Japanese B3 League. Photo: Shizuoka Veltex

As of Wednesday, October 19, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#TAVARIO Miller began a new chapter in his pro basketball career in Japan and has emerged as a leader for his title contending club.

#Miller has averaged 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest and recorded four double doubles through six games en route to a 5-1 record for the Shizuoka Veltex in the Japanese B3 League.

#Miller finished with a double double – 16 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench to cap back-to-back wins over the Gifu Swoops in their latest series. Miller also had 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks in a 98-75 game one win.

#“I am very happy that we were able to win these two games on the weekend.

#Gifu is a very good team. Over the last few days, we struggled against their excellent defence at times throughout the games,” he said.

#“[My goal] was to play tenacious defence and to get involved in rebounding, that’s my role and job in this team. It’s the reason why I’m here. On the court, I think I can contribute to the team’s victory by doing exactly what is required of me, such as running well, defending well, and fighting on the boards.

#Shizuoka moves on to host Veertien Mile in the upcoming series. “This will be the first home game in three weeks, but I am looking forward to seeing the fans,” Miller said.

#In his debut with the club, he scored 10 points on 5-7 shooting in just 16 minutes off the bench in an 87-75 win over Yokohama Ex. He followed with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the rematch with Yokohama, his team’s lone loss of the season, 103-81.

#Miller was moved into the starting lineup for the next series against Kanazawa and finished with 15 points (7-11 field goals) and 11 rebounds in an 81-58 game one win.

#In game two, he had a perfect shooting night from the field (7-7 field) and scored 19 points to go along with a team high 11 rebounds in a 75-61 win.

#Miller spent last season in Brazil’s Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) with Minas Belo Horizonte.

#The team reached as far as the league semifinals before their playoff run came to an end. Minas finished the regular ranked third in the league at 25-7. The team also finished third in the FIBA Basketball Champions League of the Americas with a win over Quisima in the bronze medal game last month. In his first season with the club, Miller averaged 11.5 points and seven rebounds per game on 65 percent shooting from the field.

#Prior to Brazil, the former Texas A and M Aggie played professionally in Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Norway and Mexico.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/19/professional-basketball-player-tavario-miller-star/?news

As of Wednesday, October 19, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@gmail.com

#MAJOR League Baseball’s trainer partnership programme returned to The Dominican Republic to host its first major international prospect showcase in just over two years.

#International Elite Academy products Bohan Adderley, JT Bain and Rashawn Pinder are among 200 prospects from several countries in the region, including The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Brazil and Jamaica.

#The prospect list includes players selected by MLB scouts who are eligible to sign for the class of 2023 and others for the classes of 2024 and 2025.

#Official MLB scouting events across countries prior to this week’s showcase were postponed because of COVID-19.

#I-Elite co-founder Geron Sands is currently with the prospects at the showcase and said The Bahamas is capable of hosting the region to similar events and provide more opportunities for aspiring players.

#“Events like these are things that I think we should be getting into. Obviously it comes with preparation and development and I think that’s something we can do as a whole. I think that we have so many gifted and talented athletes in The Bahamas and this is definitely more of what we should be doing,” he said.

#“Obviously we have to get on par with what other kids in the world are doing. Baseball is such a great sport that we can all benefit from individually and as a country. It is possible for every young kid to dream to be a part of something like this and to make it to the major leagues.”

#The showcase, which includes drills and gameplay, is hosted at the Philadelphia Phillies’ complex in Boca Chica and concludes today.

#“We are very excited for this international showcase, which will feature players from different countries,” Morgan Sword, Major League Baseball’s executive vice president of baseball operations, said to MLB.com. “These events are an important part of the scouting process, but [they] also provide invaluable experience to players, who get to compete in front of crowds at professional facilities.”

#In addition to the on-field tutelage, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez said the event also features “educational components that include an interactive panel with former Major League players and a separate panel with team scouting executives.”

#Former players, including Luis Sojo (Venezuela), Bruce Chen (Panama), Carlos Baerga (Puerto Rico) and Anderson Hernandez (Dominican Republic), are also serving as coaches and mentors for the participants.

#MLB’s Player Programmes group will offer additional educational programmes on topics such as performance-enhancing substances, health and safety.

#“It’s so important to give these players not just opportunities on the field, but opportunities off the field,” said Omar Minaya, MLB’s consultant on amateur scouting. “Of course we hope that every player goes on to a healthy and successful Major League career, but we also want to make sure everyone is prepared for the challenges that baseball and life will throw at them. And it’s especially meaningful to these players to hear some of these lessons directly from guys who have been successful at the Major League level and understand the pathway to getting there.”

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/19/i-elite-academy-products-among-200-prospects-showc/?news

St Thomas More School v/s St Cecilia’s School.

As of Wednesday, October 19, 2022

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St Cecilia’s School v/s St Thomas More School.

#THE 2022 Bahamas Catholic Board of Education (CBE) Primary Schools Basketball Season kicked off on Friday, October 14 at Loyola Hall, Gladstone Road.

#Participating schools include the St Cecilia’s School Strikers, Sts. Francis & Joseph School Shockers, Xavier’s Lower School Giants and St Thomas More School Sparks.

#In the boys’ division, the St Cecilia’s Strikers defeated the St Thomas More Sparks 10-5.

#The Sts. Francis & Joseph Shockers bested the Xavier’s College Giants by a score of 15-5.

#In the girls’ division, Sts. Francis & Joseph defeated St Thomas More 7-1.

#St. Cecilia’s School beat Xavier’s Lower School 15-2.

#For almost two years, as a result of the pandemic, all CBE sports tournaments and relative events were cancelled.

#Sports are an important part of Catholic school education and aligns with The Bahamas Catholic Board of Education’s mission of development of the whole person. Sports not only promotes health and well-being, but also fosters school spirit and the development of skills and talents.

#“You will notice scores are low, but you have to remember that as a result of the pandemic these children have never had the opportunity to play basketball competitively, this is their first time participating in a tournament and playing in front of a crowd,” said N’Komo Ferguson, coach at St Cecilia’s.

#“We are happy to be able to revive the athletic programmes in our schools as sports is not just about competition but essential in fostering a love of sports and all the other benefits sports offers to young persons. We are certain that with more exposure the students will become more confident playing in the tournament.”

#“Sports unites a nation,” said Ricardo Freemantle, a coach at Sts. Francis & Joseph School.

#He added: “Being able to participate in team sports yet again is welcomed. The physical, emotional and social are areas that the kids were lacking throughout the pandemic, therefore it is remarkable and welcoming to be back on the court.

#In terms of our boys and girls win on Friday, it feels good to get back in that winning mentality.”

#The next set of games on the basketball schedule will take place on October 20.

#Sts. Francis & Joseph will take on St Cecilia’s and the Xavier’s College Giants will face the St Thomas More Sparks.

#All games will take place at Loyola Hall, Gladstone Rd.

#Boys

#St Cecilia’s School (Strikers) over St Thomas More School (Sparks) – Score: 10-5

#Sts. Francis & Joseph School (Shockers) over Xavier’s Lower School (The Giants):

#Score: 15 – 5

#Girls

#Sts. Francis & Joseph School (Shockers) over St Thomas More School (Sparks): Score: 7-1

#St Cecilia’s School (Strikers) over Xavier’s Lower School (Giants):

#Score: 15-2

Joseph

SHOWN, from left to right, are Bahamian players on Team Great Britain – Ural Forbes, Anfernee Seymour, Albert Cartwright, D’Shawn Knowles, Tahnaj Thomas and Chavez Fernander.

As of Tuesday, October 18, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE World Baseball Classic Pools have been finalised and the Bahamians on Great Britain’s roster now know their path toward further history making milestones at the event.

#The World Baseball Softball Confederation made the official announcement yesterday and Great Britain will play in Pool C, hosted March 11-15, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona, alongside the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Canada.

#The tournament will be hosted from March 8-21 across several venues.

#Pool A (Chinese Taipei, Netherlands, Cuba, Italy, Panama) will compete at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan.

#Pool B (Japan, Korea, Australia, China, Czech Republic) and tournament quarterfinals will take place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.

#And finally Pool D (Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Israel, Nicaragua), quarterfinals, semifinals and championship will take place at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida.

#Great Britain is one of three teams in the field that advanced to the WBC for the first time while another will be playing in it since the first time since 2009.

#Led by the Bahamian contingent, the programme recently advanced to the WBC for the first time in programme history, with its undefeated performance at last month’s qualifier in Regensburg, Germany.

#The Great Britain roster included outfielders Anfernee Seymour, D’Shawn Knowles, pitchers Tahnaj Thomas and Chavez Fernander, catcher Ural Forbes and Albert Cartwright as a member of the coaching staff.

#Seymour led the tournament in several offensive categories while Knowles had one of the team’s best offensive performances in the finale in Regensburg, Germany.

#Seymour recorded the most hits (seven) runs (six), stolen bases (five), and was only one of two players in the tournament to record a triple.

#He also finished tied for fifth in the tournament with five RBI and hit .583, with a .643 slugging percentage and 1.393 OPS.

#Knowles finished the qualifiers tied for third with six hits, four runs scored, one home run, and four RBI. He hit .500, with an .833 slugging percentage, .800 OBP, and 1.000 OPS.

#After a three-year gap between the first two installments of the tournament, plans were made for the World Baseball Classic to be repeated every four years following the 2009 event.

#The third installment of the Classic was held in 2013, and the fourth was held in 2017.

#The fifth, originally scheduled for 2021, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#The tournament is being expanded from 16 to 20 national teams, with all teams that participated in the 2017 edition automatically qualifying, plus four additional spots.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/18/world-baseball-classic-pools-finalised/?news

As of Tuesday, October 18, 2022

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#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#A PAIR of University of the Bahamas Mingoes track and field team-mates took their share of the spotlight, while there were a couple of new faces that emerged to the forefront during the inaugural Government High Cross Country Championships.

#The early morning riser on Saturday saw almost 1,000 athletes from the primary to high school and elite level of competition compete on the flat course at Government High.

#When the final tally was done, just like they did in track and field competition on the track, the CH Reeves Raptors clinched the junior division and the CR Walker Knights out-shined their rivals in the senior schools.

#Lhevinne Joseph, the Mingoes’ top middle distance runner, said he came out to have some fun and to be competitive as he pulled off the victory in the open men’s race in seconds to remain undefeated at home.

#“We usually don’t cross country as much here and we don’t have that many distance runners in my opinion, but to see so many people come out and compete in this meet is actually a good thing,” he said.

#Joseph was the winner of the UB Cross Country a week ago after he participated as a member of the Mingoes Track Team at two international meets in St Thomas and in Dayton Beach, Florida.

#“I feel alright now. I am a 400 and 800 metre runner, so I would consider this as conditioning for the rest of the season, so I’m in a good place,” said the 21-year-old.

#Quinton Ellis, a 19-year-old graduate of Doris Johnson, gave Joseph a run for his money in their combined race. He said he felt very good about his performance, winning the under-20 division in 12:09.

#Raywind Winder of Hurry Murray was second in 13:02 and Johnathan Turner got third in 13:05. Nathan Jones of Hurry Murray got fourth (13:45) and Jyonn Joseph of Doris Johnson got fifth (13:50).

#“It was good. I just have to continue fighting and train every day so I can do my best,” Ellis said. “I’m not worried about the competition. I let my performance speak for itself.”

#In preparation for heading off to college hopefully in January, Ellis said he would also like to be able to represent the Bahamas on the various national teams next year.

#Lakeica Lewis, an 18-year-old graduate from CV Bethel now in her freshman year at the University of the Bahamas, said she enjoyed winning her second consecutive cross country this year.

#She held off Melvinique Gibson of RM Bailey in the sprint to the finish line. CR Walker’s trio of Destiny McPhee, Garanas Moss and Ivanieca Charlton followed ahead of Chelsea Sweeting of CV Bethel.

#“This one felt good. I tried to keep the pace as much as I could because the crowd was much larger than the last one at UB,” said Lewis, who won that as well. I had to run my race and now run anyone’s race.”

#Lewis, who stands at 6-feet, one-inch, said her goal next year is to represent the Bahamas in the 400 and 800m in as many international events as she can.

#Yulianis Akompi, a ninth grader at St Augustine’s College and a member of Quick Step Athletics, said after placing second at the UB cross country, she went out to do her best in the GHS event, winning the girls under-15 division in 6:46.

#She out sprinted the rest of the field that saw the Hurry Murray duo of Ramonique McLennon (6:56) and Breynice Kemp (7:05), while Alexis Roberts of Team Roberts Athletics was a close fourth in 7:06. Breyyeisha Kemp of Hurry Murray was fifrth (7:15).

#“I had a different plan and it turned out pretty good,” she said. “I am doing a lot of training, running a lot of long distance races so it can help me when I get on the track to compete.”

#Her aim is to qualify for the CARIFTA Games in the 400/800 and 400m hurdles.

#Zion Miller, a 15-year-old 10th grader at Queen’s College, took advantage of his first cross country event this year.

#“I was doubting myself at first, but I came here, stayed focused and I executed my plan and I came out on top,” he said. “There was a lot of competition, but as a 200/400m runner, I had to suck it in and run for it.”

#As a former student at Sadie Curtis Primary School, Miller said he was accustomed to running distance races, so that background enabled him to compete in the cross country.

#However, he said he wants to compete at CARIFTA, NACAC, Pan Am and any other international event as he focuses on the 400m where he intends to lower his personal best time from 49 seconds to at least 47.

#Melvinique Gibson of RM Bailey took the under- 20 girls’ title in 13:38, well ahead of CR Walker’s trio of Destiny McPhee second (16:33), Garanae Moss third (16:34) and Ivaniece Charlton fourth (16:39). Chelsea Sweeting of CV Bethel rounded out the top five in 16:58.

#Jasmine Mackey got a victory for 3P Stallions in the girls’ under-17 division in 11:48. A’Karee Roberts of CR Walker was second in 12:08 and Taylor Adderley of Quick Step Athletics was third in 12.23. Dahjia Mesidor of CR Walker was fourth (8:14) and Tellica Seymour of the Road Runners was fifth (10:10).

#Lashley Naissance of CR Walker captured the under- 17 boys’ title in 9:44.

#Jayden Walkine of CV Bethel was second in 9:48 and third went to Brandon Brave of Government High in 9:57. Kaelano Kelly of Hurry Murray was fourth (9:57) and Dylan Simon of Quick Step Athletics was fifth (9:58).

#Gabriel Johnson of Hurry Murray won the under-15 boys’ division with his team-mate Tieano Ferguson trailing in second. Joshua Cireus of DW Davis was third and CH Reeves’ Stanley Pratt and Jaime Perez were fourth and fifth, all timed in 6:06.

#Aiden Musgrove of Bahamas Speed Dynamics was the winner of the boys’ under-13 category in 6:23. Arjaty Roberts of Team Roberts Athletics was second in 6:30 and Tavares Rolle of HO Nash Junior High was third in 6:46. Ayden Russell of Unique Athletics was fourth (6:54) and Jamal Ferguson of CH Reeves got fifth (7:01).

#Shakinah Lewis of AF Adderley took the girls’ under-13 title in 8:00. She was followed by A’Niyah Burrows of Hurry Murray in 8:13 and Gabrielle McLean of the Road Runners Track Club was third in 8:37. Azaria Dean of HO Nash was fourth (8:49) and Heziah Roberts of LW Young fifth (8:53).

#In the boys’ under-11 category, Paterci Sherman of Claridge Primary was the winner in 3:16. Ronald Simon of the Road Runners got second in 3:18 and Ramonick McLennon of Hurry Murray was third in 3:19. Jwyden Jones of Unique Athletics got fourth (3:49) and Kelson Grant of Hurry Murray was fifth (3:53).

#Daniel Murray of Hurry Murray was the winner of the boys under-9 division in 3:46. Ricardo Belle of the Road Runners got second in 3:51 and Lia Bethel of Unique Athletics came in third in 3.54. Hurry Murray’s Caiden Bain and Ksasyden Dean were fourth and fifth respectively in 4:21.

#Mikhala Strachan, also of Hurry Hurray, won the under-9 girls’ race in 3:55. Christoria Moss of the Road Runners was second in 4:12 and Tanaz Davis of Unique Athletics was third in 4:28. 3P Stallions’ Queen Severe was fourth in 4:55 and Rainiesha Joseph was fifth in 5:11.

#Tavia Rolle, the principal at Government High, said while this was the first cross country they hosted, they could not have done it without the support of the primary and high school coaches.

#“We had a lot of children here today, nearly 1,000, who participated in the meet,” she said.

#“Everybody wins because they got to participate, they are learning how to run cross country and they say they are in a better position to compete in events like this in the future.”

#Rolle also commended her team st GHS, including Bernice Penn, the head of Physical Education.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/18/athletes-flock-inaugural-government-high-cross-cou/?news

As of Tuesday, October 18, 2022

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Jacobi Bain

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#JACOBI Bain’s season has been highlighted thus far by two wins in three days at the ITA Cup Tennis Championships in Rome, Georgia.

#The Xavier University of Louisiana sophomore scored a 6-2, 7-5 win in the consolation finals against Soufiane El Mesbahi of Keiser University.

#Bain entered the draw unranked based on the ITA NAIA regular season singles rankings while El Mesbahi was ranked no.27.

#He opened play with a 6-2, 6-1 over Daniel Vishnick of Cardinal Stritch in the opening round to advance to the main-draw quarterfinals. He was then eliminated with a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Georgia Gwinnett’s second-seeded Alex Gurmendi.

#Bain and the Gold Rush will continue their season October 21-22 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Dillard Invitational.

#Formerly known as the Small College Nationals, the ITA Cup dates back to 1986. It is the only singles and doubles national championship event for the Division II and NAIA levels. In 2021, more than 8,000 players participated in 60 regional tournaments to gain entry into the ITA Cup field.

#Earlier this month, Bain partnered with Nereo Suarez to advance to the final of the NAIA Gulf ITA Regional where they finished as runners-up to Texas A&M-Texarkana’s second-seeded team of Alejandro Oviedo and Mauricio Trevino Velasco 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7) in the men’s doubles final.

#Bain and Suarez won 8-3 in the quarterfinals against Remus Hebhang-Balan and Hippolyte Barbier de Preville of city rival Loyola. They advanced to the final with an 8-1 win over Blue Mountain’s fourth seeded team of Justin Van Amerongen and Rick Sakamoto.

#In Singles-A play, Bain advanced to the final against fellow Gold Rush teammate Mathieu Strauss.

#Bain’s stellar freshman season for the Gold Rush included a conference wide honour as the ITA NAIA South Region Rookie of the Year.

#He finished the year 20-7 in signals play and 26-9 in doubles play.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/18/jacobi-bain-ita-cup-spotlight/?news

As of Tuesday, October 18, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#CHICAGO Cubs prospect BJ Murray has limited opportunities in the Arizona Fall League thus far, but continued his power hitting from the regular season in his last plate appearance.

#In his third game for the Mesa Solat Sox, Murray hit a two-run home run to help lead his team to a 9-7 win over the Glendale Desert Dogs.

#In seven appearances Murray has an .821 OPS and scored two runs.

#The Solar Sox are now 6-5 in the standings, second to Tahnaj Thomas and the Surprise Saguaros.

#The 22-year-old infielder has made a successful transition to High-A baseball and his progression within the Cubs organisation. Murray and his South Bend Cubs claimed the Midwest League Championship series in High A baseball. He hit .545 for the series.

#In 56 games with South Bend, Murray hit .273, slugging .406, with a .794 OPS, with 51 hits, 22 runs scored, eight doubles, five home runs, 28 RBI and eight stolen bases.

#The struggles have continued on the mound for Thomas in his AFL season thus far.

#In his latest appearance, Thomas allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits, a walk and two strikeouts in 2/3 of an inning. Thomas owns a 17.18 ERA in 3.2 innings pitched in the AFL. He spent his regular season with the Altoona Curve at the AA level.

#In 37 games this year, he finished with a 5-4 record and three saves. He pitched 50.2 innings, with a 3.02 ERA and 52 strikeouts.

#The league attracts many of the top prospects in the minor leagues.

#Late in the minor league seasons, MLB clubs hold a position draft to determine the players who will participate in the AFL. Most are Double-A and Triple-A players.

#The league is designed for these prospects to refine their skills and perform in game settings in front of major and minor league baseball scouts and team executives who are in attendance at almost every game.

http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/oct/18/bj-murray-hits-2-run-homer-afl/?news

SHOWN, from left to right, are Hadassah Knowles, women’s national team player, Daria Adderley, women’s national team head coach, James Gomez, chief Aliv officer, Fred Lunn, BFA secretary general, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture Mario Bowleg, Gavin Christie, men’s national team head coach, Kelsie Johnson, director of sports, Lesly St Fleur, men’s national team head coach and Anya James, BFA executive vice president.

As of Tuesday, October 18, 2022

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Beach soccer returns to the shores of The Bahamas as the country’s men’s and women’s teams will compete against their counterparts throughout the region this weekend.

#The Bahamas Football Association and Beach Soccer Worldwide will host The Bahamas Beach Soccer Cup, October 21-23 in the National Beach Soccer Stadium at the foot of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge.

#The men’s division includes The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia and Costa Rica while in the women’s division The Bahamas will compete against Trinidad and Turks and Caicos.

#Gates open at 4pm each day and the first match begins at 6pm. Admission to the general public is free of charge.

#Both head coaches of Team Bahamas called it an exciting moment for local beach soccer as the players anticipate an eager return to the pitch.

#Head coach of the women’s team, Daria Adderley, said the event is an opportunity to showcase the budding programme, ranked no.18 by BSWW.

#“This is our first international tournament here in The Bahamas so for the women here that will be playing, they are very excited to have the country see them perform,” she said.

#“We played in a tournament in El Salvador a few months ago and we had a very good showing. We want the country to know that the women are just as good as the men, even better in some respects.”

#Forward Hadassah Knowles added: “We’ve been training very hard, team chemistry is at its peak so we have nothing but high hopes for this tournament. “I’m very happy to be playing for my country in front of country and it’s an amazing opportunity so I’m very excited.”

#The team will face Turks and Caicos on October 22 and Trinidad and Tobago on October 23.

#The men’s national team programme is currently ranked no.38 by BSWW. Colombia is ranked the highest in the tournament at number 26 while Costa Rica is no. 52. Trinidad and Tobago is at no. 54.

#They will open competition on October 21 against Trinidad and Tobago, followed by a matchup against Costa Rica the following day and concludes on the final day against Colombia.

#Gavin Christie has moved from the sand to the sidelines and will serve as head coach for the first time.

#“Beach soccer is finally back to The Bahamas. Unfortunately with all that happened with COVID, the sport had to sit back for a while, we’ve been off for nearly two years, so now finally coming back to our shores we are excited,” he said.

#“This is my first moving away from being a player, headed into a coaching role and I’m excited as a new venture. This team is excited, they’ve been begging for an opportunity to play. Last time we played was abroad and was prior to COVID, so we haven’t played at home at this level since the World Cup. The team is ready, we’re at the fine-tuning stage just a few days left working on tactical stuff to ensure that we are ready to go.”

#Veteran striker Lesly St Fleur said: “We’ve been preparing. We’ve trained but haven’t played enough games. Happy to have the games here and we get to showcase in front of the country.”

#ALIV will serve as the Conch Shell Title Sponsor for the event.

#“As the home of entertainment in the Bahamas, we consider it our business to support local entities such as the BFA. We are proud to offer premium content to our subscribers via Our TV and also our Direct TV platform. We are providing in kind sponsorship by way of WiFi so persons attending the event can be able to share their experiences live with friends and family members who are not here with them,” said chief Aliv Officer John Gomez. “We are proud to always support organisations such as this, and we will continue to invest in the community so we want to encourage the public to come out because it is so meaningful to encourage, give back and support our athletes.”

#Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture Mario Bowleg said he hopes for this event to be a catalyst for the growth of the sport throughout the country.

#“It is expected that the event will be exciting for all and we should all support our national teams in their return to international competition. The Bahamas has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. This sport, that showcases both our stunning nature and athletic expertise – we hope that this event can be a catalyst for this sport to grow throughout the family islands and that beach soccer can be enjoyed by Bahamians on every island,” he said.

#“The country also has the only world-class beach soccer stadium in the region, and as Bahamians, we should hope that our country can continue to put on world-class events in paradise.”

#The Bahamas has hosted the 2017 World Cup event as well as the 2018 Bahamas Beach Soccer Cup.

#BFA secretary general Fred Lunn said the continued legacy of hosting these marquee events provides unparalleled exposure.

#“This event will be broadcast to 130 countries around the world so we are going to get tremendous exposure. Other countries will be watching what is happening here, particularly those in the CONCACAF region. We are looking to be one of the countries submitting a bid to host the World Cup Qualifiers here in 2023. We did it several years ago and it was a tremendous success. It was the biggest viewership of any event CONCACAF has ever put on, so we are hoping to repeat that. When we hosted the World Cup here in 2017, we had some 54,000 local people attend that event,” he said. “We are so thankful for the consistent support of the government of The Bahamas, corporate Bahamas, the sporting community – made up of our coaches, our players, our fans, the BFA team has worked around the clock, to ensure the success of this upcoming event.”

 Home|Sports|Chess players participate in 2022 Heroes Day BlitzSports

The Nassau GuardianSend an emailOctober 18, 2022 145 1 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email

After a two-year hiatus, the Bahamas Chess Federation’s (BCF) Annual Heroes Day Blitz Chess Tournament resumed on Saturday, October 8.

Chapell Whyms emerged as the champion.

There were 26 chess players who competed in the fast-paced tournament which was held at the Student Union Building Lounge on the University of The Bahamas campus. The annual tournament is held to celebrate local great heroes of the past and our modern-day heroes, including our chess heroes who have dedicated many years to help develop the cognitive skills of our people.

Avian Pride secured second place and Kendrick Knowles placed third. In the junior division, Chika Pride came out on top. Joshua Rolle placed second and Taivan Thompson secured third place.

“The response for the 2022 Heroes Day Blitz was encouraging. I was particularly excited to see the number of young chess players participating and to learn of the emergence of so many chess clubs in schools throughout The Bahamas,” said Knowles, president, BCF.

“I would like to express my gratitude once again to the University of The Bahamas for hosting the tournament. The blitz is a great learning experience for new players and those attempting to improve their chess skills. I encourage all players, particularly less experienced players, to participate in more tournaments. I also encourage chess clubs to partner with the BCF as we all work together to grow the sport of chess in The Bahamas.”

The blitz-style format of the tournament requires that players think quickly and keep a cool head. The term blitz describes chess games with a time control of 10 minutes or less.

https://thenassauguardian.com/chess-players-participate-in-2022-heroes-day-blitz/