Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.
Two Nanaimo NightOwls are following the John F. Kennedy credo this fall, answering the call for international duty.
Righthanded pitcher Moosa Nonomiya, a 2024 Owl from Skagit Valley College, is a Japanese resident but his grandmother was from Pakistan, so he is going to be playing for Pakistan in Dubai in November at the Baseball United Arab Classic.
The tournament features nine teams, including India, Palestine, UAE and Pakistan, and is the top competitive event in the history of the Middle East and South Asia.
Nonomiya is also an outfielder for Skagit. Last summer, he started three games and made seven appearances in his 13.2 innings of work — and he has added velocity this fall after strong developmental work with NightOwls pitching coach Gorm Heimueller.
Outfielder Alessandro Volpe, who hails from Toronto, has Italian lineage and is currently with Team Italy Club Italia L28 for a tour against the University of Tampa. The Italian team is coached by hall of famer Mike Piazza.
Volpe, from Lindenwood University, got into 11 games down the stretch for the 2024 NightOwls.