KITCHENER PANTHERS
13-TIME IBL CHAMPIONS
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menuPanthers Players In Cuban Playoffs
Story from Kitchener Panthers Newsletter
After a 90 game Regular Season, the Cuban National Series Playoffs began Friday, January 3rd. The top 4 teams in the 16 team league qualify for the playoffs, and only 1 game separated the top 4 teams in a very exciting Pennant Race. |
Camaguey Bulls finished first with Cuban Panthers All Star Yorbis Borroto at shortstop, and Cuban Panthers Yuen Socarras, as part of their pitching staff. Borroto hit .341 in the 2nd half of the season. Camaguey will meet the Industriales in the Semi Finals, who finished the regular season 1 game behind Camaguey and won 9 of their last 10 games
It is no coincidence that the Industriales got hot, when Cuban Panthers catcher Frank Camilo Morejon returned to the lineup after an injury. Crowds of 50,000 are expected at Havana's Estadio Latinoamericano for games 1 and 2 this weekend.
The other semi final series features last year's Cuban champions, the Las Tunas Woodcutters against the Matanzas Crocodiles.
Cuban Panthers Noelvis Entenza, Miguel Lahera, and Jonder Martinez are on the Matanzas pitching staff. Lahera has had an outstanding second half of the season.
Panthers All Star, and Cuban National Team pitcher Yoennis Yera is also on the team, and will open Game 1 for Matanzas.
Kitchener Panthers GM Mike Boehmer is in Cuba to attend the playoff games.
The Cuban Playoff Champion will represent Cuba in the Caribbean World Series which is being held in San Juan Puerto Rico the first week of February. In addition to Cuba; Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Columbia, Mexico, and host country Puerto Rico are the Serie del Caribe participants.
You can see the Panthers live at Jack Couch Park in May when the IBL returns to action. Single game, flex pack, and season tickets are on sale now at SeatGIANT