The journey for Santa Cruz, Aruba to the Little League World Series was nothing short of a gauntlet. To secure their spot in South Williamsport, the Caribbean champions had to navigate a brutal regional tournament against baseball powerhouses like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Curacao.
Despite the daunting schedule, Aruba emerged with a 4-1 record. They opened the tournament with a 3-0 victory over the Dominican Republic and followed it with a 5-3 win against Cuba. After suffering their only loss to Pariba, 8-3, the team rebounded decisively. They edged out Pabao, Willemstad, Curacao 2-1 in the semifinals before defeating the Dominican Republic once again, 9-7, in the championship game.
“Aruba compared to other regions, you can’t make this stuff up,” said manager Arendsz. “We come from a boundary that has 1,400 people, not kids. We have six Little League teams and make the tournament… and go compete against Cuba, who I think gets a free pass because they have so many kids playing baseball. I like it, I like the competition. It’s good for them; they get better prepared for future competitions.”
This marks the third-ever World Series appearance for the small island nation. After reaching the tournament in 2011, Aruba returned last year and is back again with Arendsz at the helm.
“People in Aruba, including myself, can’t believe it. The Caribbean is a tough region,” Arendsz said. “This year we had Dominican Republic, Cuba and Curacao, and we still came on top. The journey has been long, but I think we were very well structured now than we were. You should see more of us here in the future.”
The team benefits from returning experience. Infielder Diliano Raven is back for his second straight year. “Last year I was more nervous, obviously, but I feel very comfortable this year because I feel like I have more experience,” Raven said. “I’m one of the bigger guys this year and I’m definitely more calm.”
Arendsz, who was a coach on last year’s team, also feels the advantage of familiarity. “It was surreal. This is the Little League World Series; you just hear about it,” he recalled of his first trip. “This year, we knew what to get prepared for, so I think that helped us a lot.”
That preparation will be crucial as Aruba faces its next test: Chinese Taipei. The matchup between the Asia-Pacific and Caribbean champions is scheduled for Monday evening at Volunteer Stadium.
“We watched their game against Mexico. It was a really good game,” Arendsz said of Chinese Taipei. “Taiwan brings pitching, they bring power, the small game, the bunting game. We did scout them, and I think we have what it takes to put up a really good fight against them.”
Aruba will have multiple pitching options available, including Jayderick Wederfoor, Anthony Santos, and Rylan Quandt. They also won’t have to face Chinese Taipei’s dominant 80-mph ace, Lin Chin-Tse.
“We just have to see how Taiwan will react against fastballs,” Arendsz said. “If they do react well, we got guys who can throw nasty breaking pitches.”
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