Wildcat Pitcher Set to Debut in 2007
Stan Musial World Series
Joseph Gautier will be representing
Puerto Rico in the annual amateur event
Bryan Harvey
Aug. 14, 2007
(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – )
Bethune-Cookman pitcher
Joseph
Gautier will be toeing the
rubber on Thursday afternoon, but this
time donning a different jersey
representing the national team of Puerto
Rico in the annual Stan Musial World
Series in Huntsville, Tex. The event is
being sponsored by the American Amateur
Baseball Congress.
For the first time in history, Puerto
Rico is sending a team comprised of the
best players in the nation to the Stan
Musial World Series. The former
arrangements were the team that won the
national championship represented the
country in the World Series.
Joseph Gautier will be taking the mound
for Team Puerto Rico in a second-round
game on Thursday evening against an
opponent to be determined later on
Wednesday. Better known as
Gio,
Gautier has been playing locally for
Guayama, located on the southern-most
tip of Puerto Rico in the southeast.
However, he is a native of Dorado,
located in the center of the island
nation along the northern shore.
He becomes the first player to represent
his home country in a World Series
amateur event since Nabil Sagbini played
for Colombia back in 2004. Gautier is
slated to be a vital part of the
pitching staff once again for the
Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman in 2008, and
was named twice to the College Baseball
Foundation weekly awards team for wins
against Savannah State and Florida A&M
in 2007.
Though not having won the event since
1997, Puerto Rico was last in the
championship game back in 2000. They
fell to Sacramento (Calif.) in a
thriller, 16-15. Puerto Rico has won
the event twice since its inception back
in 1935.
The Stan Musial World Series will be
taking place at Don Sanders Stadium at
Sam Houston State University. The
five-day tournament is a
double-elimination affair. It will
begin on Wednesday, Aug. 15 and run
through the championship series slated
for Sunday, Aug. 19.
--BCU--