SPORTS SECTION E
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
First-ever National High School Baseball Championships set By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net
A press conference held yesterday at the Andre Rodgers Stadium officially launched the first-ever National High School Baseball Championships, a landmark event for the growth of the sport at the secondary school level in The Bahamas. The three-day tournament is slated for January 2-4 and will bring together government and private high schools from across New Providence, with the potential addition of a Family Islands representative still pending. “It is truly a pleasure for us to be a part of this groundbreaking high school competition as we try to create more opportunities and avenues for these young men who are
participating in this tournament that is about to rock the nation,” said BAISS secretary Ezra Beckford. “Young men, you have something that's at your fingertips, that you're gonna embrace, and I'm sure that you're gonna really, really enjoy the camaraderie that is gonna be put on this weekend. We are truly ecstatic and we're glad to be part of this,” said GSSSA baseball commissioner Denykco Bowles. Organisers confirmed that the tournament will feature teams from Queen’s College, Anatol Rogers High School, St. Andrew’s School, C.V. Bethel Senior High, St. Augustine’s College, C.R. Walker Senior High, Kingsway Academy, C.W. Saunders High School, St. John’s College, and C.I. Gibson Senior High. A team from Abaco is also expected to participate once funding arrangements
are finalised, adding a wider national element to the inaugural edition. “I sit here reflecting on what it was like for us to have played or wanted to play so badly in something like this. We were very outstanding in high school softball, we played junior league baseball outside of school, so imagine what it was like for us, hoping that we could play against each other on a field, so you guys should feel good to know that you guys can be the first ones to do this,” said tournament chairman Tommy Stubbs. The tournament will run over three days with games scheduled from 8am straight through to 8pm daily. Matchups will rotate between the Andre Rodgers Stadium and the Baillou Hill Road Sporting Complex baseball field. The championship game will be played at the Andre Rodgers Stadium.
Representatives and coaches from each confirmed school were in attendance at the press conference. Organisers outlined that the goal of the championships is to create a consistent national platform for high school baseball, similar to established frameworks abroad thus boosting the opportunities for more exposure to the sport. By bringing both public and private institutions together in one competition, the tournament aims to raise the overall standard of play and foster healthy rivalries that can sustain interest year after year. “Finally, for us to make sure that we give our young men this opportunity like our neighbours to the north (The United States),” said Theodore Sweeting, secretary general of the Bahamas Baseball Association.
“That's the breeding ground for their professional players, for their top players. They come to their high school system where they are recruited, drafted, or they then move on to high-level college baseball. That's the goal for us here in the country to continue to do in this sport.” Teams are also allowed to feature junior players on the team if available. Several coaches expressed optimism about what the championships could mean for player development, noting that many student-athletes have previously lacked regular high-level competition, especially in the BAISS format as it was only introduced a few years ago. “It's about mentoring and training these young minds to develop and to be strong young men in our society. Sure, everybody wants to win, but we can only have
one winner. Everybody who's participating has already won, in some form or another. “So, and that's what we try to do with our young boys and teach them to be responsible, to be committed, and to be dedicated to something that perhaps would take them further in life,” said St. Augustine’s College head coach Geno Nairn. As preparations continue ahead of the January 2 opening pitch, anticipation is steadily building within the high school baseball community. If successful, the National High School Baseball Championships is expected to become an annual fixture on the local sporting calendar, providing young athletes with a stage to showcase their talent while also strengthening the foundation of baseball in The Bahamas.
CW Saunders Cougars get the win in Providence Storm Christmas Holiday Classic
GAMETIME: The CW Saunders Cougars last night stormed past the Teleos Cherubims in a hard-fought matchup during the Providence Storm Christmas Holiday Basketball Classic, continuing their strong showing in the holiday tournament. The tourney is underway at the CI Gibson Gymnasium. See more coverage in Wednesday sports. Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr/Tribune Staff