Huskies in Cuba:  Part I  |  Part II  |  Part III  |  Part IV
Photo Galleries:  Baseball (Part I)  |  Volleyball (Part I)  |  Baseball (Part II)  |  Baseball (Part III)  |  Volleyball (Part III)
Sights & Sounds:  Part I  |  Part II  |  Part III  |  Part IV

HAVANA, Cuba – Departing the morning of Dec. 20, 2016 from its residence at the Hotel Bello Caribe in suburban Havana, the Northeastern baseball team set out on its return trip to Santiago de Las Vegas, a rural ward situated a half hour inland, where NU would be competing against the town's amateur team based out of a local seminary.
 
The streets pulling off the main artery of the Avenida Rancho Boyeros were barely wide enough to accommodate the two coach buses that were transporting the Huskies back to the same field where they had practiced the day before. Occasionally, the lead bus would slow to yield to a horse-and-carriage tandem crossing the road, while an oncoming Chevrolet Bel Air, acting as a taxi, would pass in the opposite direction.
 
Arriving at the field around 9 a.m., the local groundskeeper was already well on his way to chalking both foul lines and dropping thin sacks around the diamond to serve as bases (below).
 
 
Northeastern occupied the first-base dugout as the Cuban squad began collecting along the third-base line in front of the concrete bleachers. As the two sides neared first pitch, more and more local supporters began to flock towards the field, eager to catch a glimpse of the morning's exhibition. One fan in particular had brought with him a caged bird, symbolizing power.
 
 
With the Cuban team in need of extra equipment to outfit its nine-man roster, the Huskies lent a helping hand by sharing their gloves and helmets to make the game as competitive as possible. NU left a universal pitching glove on the mound for both teams to utilize, while the Huskies also brought a mask and chest protector out for the Cuban catcher to use throughout the morning. The two teams also agreed to split umpiring duties: Northeastern assistant coach Kevin Casey suited up behind the dish, while a member of the Cuban side took to calling the infield.
 
 
Mason Koppens let the first pitch of the game sail by him for a ball at 9:27 a.m. in front of an estimated crowd of about 100 fans, including a handful of residents perched along their second-floor terraces just behind the outfield wall. Koppens would later take a full-count pitch to the body, providing the Huskies with their first base runner of the day. After a single by Nick Fanneron, Cam Hanley brought Koppens home on an RBI single up the middle, putting the American team up, 1-0, during the top of the first.
 
Among the fascinating layers to the exhibition game, besides the pony that visited right field midway through the contest, was the ability of both teams' pitchers to find great success on the mound. Northeastern's hurlers tended to be more consistent in their delivery, timing, and velocity, as expected with the spring baseball season just two months away. The Cuban hitters often had difficulty making contact, resulting in a large quantity of strikeouts and groundball outs. Ty Brown (below) and Mike Driscoll combined to throw four strikeouts during the first four innings, while Rick Burroni fanned three across the fifth and sixth frames.
 
 
On the opposite side of the scorecard, the Cuban team's starting pitcher (a side-armer) had a knack for fooling NU with a wider display of speed and creativity that often threw off the Huskies' hitters timing. However, Northeastern's patience in the batter's box paid off more times than not as the Huskies totaled 13 hits during nine innings. Among them, Charlie McConnell followed Nolan Lang's leadoff double in the fourth inning and David Hopkins' single with a two-RBI triple down the left-field line that gave the Huskies a comfortable lead.
 
 
Regardless of the score, both teams' passion coupled with their competitive drive radiated immensely to those in attendance. Each side could be seen cheering for outstanding plays made by the other, gesturing to overcome a language barrier lessened by baseball.
 
When the ninth inning had concluded, Northeastern headed towards the middle of the diamond to participate in a jersey and equipment exchange with the Cuban team, resulting in smiles, handshakes, fist bumps, and more. A few members of the Cuban team rolled up their baseball pants to make way for new cleats, swapping out former pairs that were falling apart.
 
 
As both teams began saying their parting words, one town member let his dog run freely among the crowd. The breed, coincidentally, was a husky.