Key A will begin at the Pan American Stadium in Guadalajara at 1:00 p.m., local time, when The Netherlands plays Panama.
Both the Europeans’ coach, Evert Jan’t Hoen, and the Latin Americans’ José Mayorga, declared to the World Baseball and Softball Confederation that their respective teams’ main strength lies on the pitching staff and the defense, although they also trusted the offensive.
«We believe that a solid pitching staff combined with a reliable defense can keep us competitive in each game. Resorting to these strengths consistently will bring us closer to our goal,» said the Dutchman.
«I think we are going to be a very complete team. We know that we have very experienced players who will come out with the decisive hits at the critical moments», said the Panamanian coach.
Saturday night (20:00), Venezuela will clash against the local Aztecas, in one of the classic games of this type of tournament.
The helmsman of the hosts, Benjamin Gil, said that being at home adds extra pressure, but thanks to that there is the opportunity to achieve something special that their rivals cannot experience, and highlighted his team’s adequate balance.
On the opposite side, Venezuelan Omar Flores also emphasized the good balance of the team he manages, especially in the speed and power of its hitters, advantages that they will try to put to full play on a field where the ball runs fast.
Finally, in the city of Tepic, the two remaining members of the group will compete: the United States and Puerto Rico, in a duel scheduled for 4:00 p.m. local time, in the new stadium known as “The Pacific Colossus” in Santa Teresita.
Mike Scioscia, the Americans’ manager, said that on paper his selection looked good, but could not wait to see them perform on the grass in the real game.
Juan Gonzalez, leading the Puerto Ricans, lamented not having very powerful hitters, but with their speed on the field and the power they occasionally display, adding to their good pitching and defense, all make him confident that he will achieve his goals.
Section B in Taiwan, where the teams of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Australia, South Korea, Japan and the hosts of Chinese Taipei were placed, will begin four days later (Wednesday 19).
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