Baseball player Balentien returns to Orange in Haarlem after five years | NOW

Wladimir Balentien returns to the Dutch baseball team after five years. The nearly 38-year-old West Indian is part of the squad for the thirtieth edition of Haarlem Baseball Week, July 8-15 at the Pim Mulier stadium.

Balentien last played for the so-called Kingdom team in 2017 at the World Baseball Classic (WBC). Then-national coach Hensley Meulens’ team reached the semi-finals of the prestigious WBC, the unofficial World Cup.

Balentien was then the star of the Orange team. The Willemstad outfielder will play on Dutch soil for the first time next month.

“Wladimir is one of the most successful hitters to ever play for the Kingdom team. It is a huge honor to add him to this list,” said Rick van den Hurk, the new technical director of the Dutch federation.

National coach Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen’s selection includes four debutants: Dennis Burgersdijk, Ryan Huntington, Chris Stuart and Kevin Josephina. The national coach has set himself the goal of reaching the final.

Haarlem Baseball Week will be held again for the first time since 2018. In the previous edition, won by Japan, the Dutch finished third. The van ‘t Hoen team opens the tournament against Italy and then plays against Cuba, Curaçao, the United States and Japan.