The president of the Cuban Baseball Federation, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, bid farewell to the Leñadores at José Martí airport.

Competing well and securing a ticket to the final is the goal of the Leñadores (Las Tunas Lumberjacks), representatives of the Cuban National Series in the Baseball Champions League Americas 2025 (BCL).

Las Tunas, Cuba.- The team left for Mexico on Sunday morning after the flag raising ceremony and two training sessions at the Latinoamericano Stadium, during which they worked on physical aspects related to power, some defensive characteristics, and the different role each pitcher will play.

26 spoke with coach Abeisy Pantoja during the first of these sessions as he supervised his players' batting practice, giving precise instructions on batting power and which side of the field to aim their hits. "We want to do well and reach the finals; we have a competitive team and believe we can achieve that result."

Pantoja was emphatic when referring to the challenge that representing the island on the international stage represents for the Green and Red Squad. “We carry the name of Cuba in our hearts and minds. And when we talk about Cuba, we talk about a great deal of baseball tradition, and we have the responsibility to maintain that tradition. We want to give the people hope that baseball is still alive, that it is our passion, and to show that we have genuine values to face the competition.”

Likewise, the coaching staff and players believe that in the Champions, they can improve their performance in the 1st Series of the Americas, in Nicaragua, where they lost in the semifinals to the hosts and finished fourth in the tournament.

The Baseball Champions League Americas 2025 will begin tomorrow at the Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium in the Mexican capital. Group B will feature the Kane County Cougars of the American Baseball Association (AAPB) and the Santa Maria Pirates of the Double-A Curaçao League (AA League), as Group A will feature the host Mexico City Diablos Rojos of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) and the Florida Titanes of the Puerto Rico Superior Double-A League (LBSDA).

The last edition of the BCL Americas, which crowned the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in October 2023, has been deemed a "test event" by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). The Alazanes de Granma (Granma Sorrels) represented Cuba in that promotional version of the tournament.