PERFECTING the basics of baseball is the key focus for the Fiji men’s baseball team as they prepare for the 2025 Pacific Mini Games next month in Palau Nippon Stadium from June 29 to July 9.
The team has been training for the past 20 months, and head coach Ken Tamaki said the players were working hard and showed great commitment.
“We are planning to take 16 players to the Mini Games. There is no domestic baseball qualifier in Fiji, so we had our own selection process.”
The team is made up of working adults and USP students, aged between 17 and 48.
They train three times a week and that is every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday as they prepare for the regional competition.
Tamaki said the team has been focusing on improving their fitness and mastering the basic skills of the game.
“Baseball is not a very well-known sport in Fiji, but the physical side of it suits Fijian athletes well. Our players are naturally talented,” he said.
He said the biggest challenge has been the lack of proper equipment.
“We don’t have a pitching machine or other modern training tools to practice at a high level. So, we must be creative and work hard in our own way.”
Tamaki said their goal as a team is clear.
“Our target is to win gold at the Pacific Mini Games.”
The team include experience player and former national captain, Tavo Sorovakatini who will be playing alongside his two sons Murphy and Marnoah Sorovakatini.
“They’ve been playing together for years.”
The final player trials ended last month, and the team is now waiting for approval from FASANOC before they announce the official squad.
