Herts Falcons centerfielder and first baseman, Cris Hiche, has received a call-up from the Chile National Baseball Team for the upcoming South American Baseball Championships. The event takes place in Ecuador and will include the national teams of Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and the defending champions, Argentina.
The Chilean team flew out to Ecuador on Wednesday ahead of the Opening game today.
Of course this means that Cris Hiche, who is the player-manager of the Black Widows, will miss this Sunday’s final games of the Hunlock Series.
Hiche arrived in the United Kingdom from Arizona in January joining the Herts Falcons having previously played at the high school, college and semi-professional league level in the USA as well as at international level representing Chile at Under-12, Under-16 and now at senior level with the National Team. In 2002 he joined the International Baseball Academy in Brazil where he played alongside the legendary Cuban player, Lazaro Vargas, who won the Olympic gold medal with the Cuba National Team twice, in 1992 and 1996. Hiche then went on to play for Glendale Community College in Arizona, followed by two seasons (2005-2007) with the Athletics in Liga Valle del Sol. Between 2008 and 2010 he played for the Sahuaripas in the Mesa Semi-Pro League alongside former or injured Minor League players trying to work their way back into the pros, as well as former MLB players such as pitcher Omar Daal, who played for the LA Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks and ended his career with the Baltimore Olioles in 2003.
This year Cris Hiche has been one of the key players for the Herts Falcons who recorded the best ever seaosn for the team in its history finishing as national runners-up. He was one of the first big acquisitions for Herts back in the Spring which started the snowball effect of exciting player signings. Apart from his role as a player for the Falcons, Hiche has been heavily involved in other roles at the club, most notably as a manager of the Herts Under-17 team, which has made tremendous strides over the last 12 months.
Everyone at Herts Baseball Club wishes Cris success at the South American Baseball Championships.