Clemente Cup
College Baseball Tournament

The Clemente Cup is a college baseball tournament that usually takes place during spring break. The tournament allows Puerto Rican teams to compete against mainland US teams. The Foundation selects the cities and stadiums that host the games and was honored to work with Rawlings as the Official Ball sponsor for The Clemente Cup.

SUNY Canton’s Assistant Coach Victor Rivera, himself a native of Puerto Rico, was also exceptionally influential in making arrangements for everyone involved in the tournament. Not only did Coach Rivera help teams find accommodations, such as lodging, food and transportation, he traveled across Puerto Rico for months prior to the tournament in preparation for the arrival of all ten teams.

Story by: Francesco Palumbo
The Clemente Family holding the Clemente Cup.

Carbone & Rivera's
effort pays off

SUNY Canton’s Head Coach and Roberto Clemente Foundation Board member Joe Carbone was instrumental in contacting the teams and in setting up the scheduling that allowed the tournament to run smoothly in all aspects from start to finish.

Throughout eighteen months, Coach Carbone and Coach Rivera made countless phone calls, sent thousands of e-mails, and worked incredibly long, hard hours to make everything come together. More than three hundred Division III baseball schools across the nation received information regarding the latest Clemente Cup.

We lined the first and third base-paths for the Opening Ceremony in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.  (Photos by Fred Saburro)

Help us produce
the next clemente cup

The Foundation and Clemente Cup team would like to sincerely thank the teams that participated. To all the coaches, ballplayers, assistants and family members who made the trip from Misericordia, Susquehanna, Penn State Abington, Arcadia, Messiah, Pittsburgh-Greensburg, Oneonta, Kean and New Jersey City:

You can all proudly say you were a part of the First Annual Clemente Cup! Without your support and great sportsmanship, this event would not have been nearly as positive an experience as it proved to be for all of us.

Luis Clemente presents a donation check.
Photo: Clemente Family