By JOHN CORYER
PLATTSBURGH — Some of the best players in the Champlain Valley Baseball League will be put to the test today when they go up against the Russian National Team at Plattsburgh State’s Chip Cummings Field.
The nine-inning contest, which features wooden bats, begins at 4 p.m.
The Russian National Team is coming off Sunday’s 8-5 victory over the Bennington Bombers and will look to continue its winning ways against the Meron’s Expos, an all-star team put together by CVBL co-commissioner Mike Bergman.
“The opportunity came about and this game is good for the area,” Bergman said. “This is their Olympic team and they will be playing the United States National Team after they play us.
“They practiced at our field today for three hours and I went to Lake Placid yesterday to practice with them. They are a good bunch of guys.
“I would compare them to a Division I college program. Their second baseman played in the Angels minor league system for two years. From the looks of it, they are pretty deep in pitching.”
The starting line-up in order for Meron’s will include: 1, catcher Jerry Kowalowski (Lyon Mountain Miners); 2, shortstop Matt Kelley (Plattsburgh State, Hockey Plus); 3, first baseman Eric Meacham (Lyon Mountain Miners); 4, third baseman Jon Dumas (Lyon Mountain Miners); 5, second baseman Kyle Rock (Hockey Plus); 6, center fielder Jimmy Knight, Jr. (Adirondack Timberjaxx); 7, left fielder Billy Davis (C.R. Tunes Mudhens); 8, right fielder Craig Bujold (Hockey Plus); and 9, pitcher Mike Bergman (Hockey Plus).
Joey Painter (Lyon Mountain Miners) and Kris Doorey (Plattsburgh State men’s baseball coach) are reserves for Meron’s.
“Our guys are definitely excited about playing them,” Bergman said. “It’s tough enough for their players to adjust to being in another country, but baseball is the same in any language.”
Today’s nine-inning game will be broadcast live by WIRY-1340 radio.
Following today’s game with Meron’s, the Russian National Team has contests scheduled against the Chinese National Team and the United States National Team.
Russian National Team
Roster
2- Artemiy Artamonov
3- Alexander Vasiliev
5- Pavel Akishev
6- Artur Donetskiy
6- Andrey Kuznetsov
8- Dmitry Galkin
10- Vladimir Petrov
11- Dmitri Seredenko
12- Alexander Nizov
13- Alexander Fedorov
15- Oleg Semenov
16- Nikoloz Kapanadze
18- Alexander Sisyuk
19- Alexander Toropov
20- Pavel Fursin
21- Alexander Vashakidze
22- Yury Perepelitsa
23- Maxim Monakhov
24- Victor Cole
25- Maxim Yudaev
26- Sergey Soloviev
27- Sergey Zharov
29- Andrey Bolotin
30- Alexander Maxyakov
38- Vaicheslav Vasiliev
48- Andrey Kripochin
55- Anton Shirokiy
