A Bermudian baseball team will head to Bonaire in the Netherlands Antilles to take part in their first ever Little League Baseball Caribbean Championships.

The Youth Athletic Organisation (YAO) will send a team of 11-12 year olds to the Championships, which runs from July 19 - 27.

The team's manager, two coaches and the 14 young players will be selected at the end of the spring baseball season in mid-June.

Stefan Stecko, president of the YAO, David Bedard, district administrator for Bermuda, and Charles Trott, chief umpire, will accompany the team to the Championships.

"The decision to enter a team from Bermuda into a regional championship is a sign that the YAO is confident enough in the quality of its support structure and the ability of its players to compete on an international level," said David Bedard.

"Along with being able to play against world-class teams, this will be a great life experience for the players. Seeing how we fare in this environment will also provide us with an indication of where Bermuda needs to improve to be successful at this level.

"Finally, with the Little League Regional Championships and World Series getting such media attention it is a wonderful way for us to expose our program to a wider audience in Bermuda."

The winning team from the Championships will earn the right to represent the Caribbean in the Little League World Series to be held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, from August 15 to 24.

Last year's competition, held in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, saw teams arrive from Curacao, Bonaire, Aruba, Saint Maarten, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and Jamaica. Curacao beat Puerto Rico in the final to advance to the Little League World Series.