By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

WHILE many players are looking to become the next professional baseball player, Michael Foster is providing an avenue for those who wish to go through the collegiate ranks.

For the fourth consecutive year as the Bahamas Baseball Association hosts its Andre Rodgers National Championships, Foster has staged a College Showcase for those players who have not had the opportunity to go to the professional ranks.

This year’s showcase was held on Saturday at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium and was dubbed a huge success by visiting coaches Wilberto ‘Coach Willie’ Ramos and DJ Price with more than 20 youngsters participating.

Foster, an architect who developed the plans for the ARBS, said after his son got involved in baseball, he decided to provide an avenue for those who didn’t get to go to the Dominican Republic on signed pro baseball contracts.

“I was one who was brought up and told that education comes first, so I invited a couple of coaches to come here to survey the players here and look at the possibility of getting them into college,” Foster said.

The former outstanding quarterback for the perennial kingpins Citibank Pros in the defunct Commonwealth American Football League said he’s been able to bring in at least 2-3 coaches every year and he’s been pleased with what they have been able to impart to the local players.

Ramos, the head baseball coach at Florida Memorial University where Pheron Charlton is a graduating infielder for the Lions’ team, is making his inaugural visit to The Bahamas. 

He has been impressed with everything he’s seen so far.

“Pheron played for me this year. He’s a very good kid. He played every game. Very good athlete. Good representation from the Bahamas,” said Ramos, who just completed his first year at FMJ. “The year before I was there, he made it to the All-Star game and this year, his senior year, he was one of the leaders for our team. We have been very impressed with his leadership.”

Ramos, a former member of the MLB Elite Development Program as an MLB consultant since 2022, said one of the reasons he came to the showcase was to see if he could find the next player to replace Charlton in his Lions’ line-up in the future.

“I got to see the young talent that the island has. We also got to see some of the older talent,” Ramos said. “But we were impressed with the talent here.”

Rmos said he definitely saw an abundance of talent from the young players whom he hoped he would be able to recruit to FMU in the next year or so. 

“They are well coached and they are very alert and baseball sound,” Ramos pointed out. “I was very impressed with the 16U and 14U and how good they are and the baseball mind that they have,

“With the right coaching here, I think I can see some of them getting the opportunity to play college baseball. I know I have my eyes set on a few.”

With the support of the BBA, Foster and the parents, Ramos saisd he’s now looking into the possibility of FMU bringing their Lions’ team to the Bahamas to play a few games, giving more exposure to the local players as they host nother showcase.

“Pheron is coming back to play another year and we hope to get another kid on our roster, so we’re looking at how we can get a game in here,” Ramos said. 

“The facilities are here. So anything I can do to show the other universities what you have here, I will definitely try to see what can be done.”

Ramos said he’s been to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and other South American countries where they’re playing high level baseball, but none could compare to what he has experienced so far in The Bahamas.

Price, here on his fourth trip to the showcase, said Foster has done the right thing in exposing the players to what they need to do to get to college and he’s willing to support him in that regard.

“We want to see more of the players go to college, get a degree and then go to college,” Price said. “I think that plan and that idea is amazing. A lot of kids could develop from that.”

One of those who have benefitted from the showcase is Malik Foster, the son of Foster, who now attends Barry University and plays for Price on their Buccaneer’s baseball team.

“The four years that I’ve been here, the one thing that I’ve noticed is that the kids’ athleticism has always been very strong,” Price said. “The baseball talent has gotten better every year.

“I think this is definitely the place to come and try some baseball talent.”

As a pitcher, Price said Foster is still growing and learning the game as he adapts to his environment, but they are eager to help him as well as they do with any other player that they get to recruit.

“The young players in the 16U are very strong. I think the game has progressed here. The first time I came here, we went to Freedom Farm, But the growth and the talent of the game has increased.”

Price said he too is impressed with the Andre Rodgers stadium and would like to consider it being used in the future for a collegiate baseball tournament, 

“A stadium like this is a gem. It’s a diamond,” he said “So with a couple of college teams coming here for a tournament, this is a diamond in the rough. I think more people need to see it.”

Foster said he was impressed with the knowledge that both coaches left with the players and hopefully there will be some more players who will opt to go to college and get a degree before they venture into the pro ranks.

He noted that plans are also in the making for the possibility of bringing a collegiate tournament to The Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium in the future.

Stay tuned.