February 1, 2021 at 1:00 PM
Fall/Winter League Roundup: Caribbean Series begins; Willis raking down under
Caribbean Series
The 63rd edition of the Caribbean Series began on Sunday in Mazatlan, Mexico and will feature five Red Sox farmhands. Jonathan Arauz will represent Panama, while Joey Meneses (pictured) will play for host Mexico. Puerto Rico will have three Red Sox, headlined by Jarren Duran along with Jack Lopez and Jeremy Rivera. The tournament will feature a round-robin opening round with the top four teams advancing to single-game, single-elimination semifinals and finals.
Panama and Venezuela opened up the tournament, with Arauz slotted in the leadoff spot for the Panamanian team. He was 2 for 5 with a pair of RBI. Duran and Rivera occupied the No. 1 and No. 9 spots in the Puerto Rico lineup, respectively, against the Dominican Republic. Duran scored his squad's only run, reaching on a single to lead off the contest before promptly stealing second. Rivera also added a single in a 1-for-2 showing.
Meanwhile, Mexico broke out for 10 runs in the nightcap, aided by a 2-for-4 performance from Meneses. He had a pair of doubles, each of which brought in a run.
Mexican Pacific League
Culican and Meneses trailed their best-of-seven final 3-1, but won three straight contests to advance to the Caribbean Series. Hitting fourth and playing mostly left field with a little third base mixed in, Meneses was 8 for 21 through the final five games of the series with an RBI. He opened the scoring with a single in the first inning of Game 6, which Culican won, 6-2. He finished the Pacific League playoffs with a .276 average, albeit with a .645 OPS.
Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League continued in its penultimate week and Colin Willis' club, Melbourne, continued to lead the standings. He played right field and was the Aces' table-setter, hitting 7 for 18 on the week. He recorded a base knock in each of his team's five games, extending his hitting streak to seven consecutive contests. The standout performance came January 27, when he was 3 for 5 with a home run to lead off the contest. He would add another RBI and score three total runs on the day. He also walked eight times, including four times January 29 and three more free passes the day prior. Willis is now hitting .342 on the season.
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
Lara, which included outfielder Caesar Puello, fell in Game 4 of the league final on Monday, getting swept by Caribes de Anzoategui. Puello did not play in Game 4.
Photo Credit: Joey Meneses by Kelly O'Connor