Former Polk State Baseball pitcher returns to World Baseball Classic
A former Suncoast Conference champion for Polk State Baseball, pitcher Chavez Fernander will have the chance to perform on a global stage.
For the second straight World Baseball Classic (WBC), Fernander will represent Great Britain. Great Britain will open the WBC on Friday against Mexico at Daikin Park in Houston.
“I’m so thankful to Great Britain for allowing me to play against the best in the world,” Fernander said. “To get to do this for a second time is amazing.”
The WBC allows players, including many Major League Baseball players, to represent their countries in head-to-head competition. Fernander was born in the Bahamas, but because it was once a British territory, he is eligible to play for Great Britain.
“When I was growing up in the Bahamas, baseball wasn’t huge,” he explained. “We had a few guys from the country playing professionally, but it’s grown a lot since then.”
The Great Britain roster features a handful of current and former big-leaguers, including New York Yankees infielder, All-Star and fellow Bahamian, Jazz Chisholm Jr.
“The goal is always to win,” Fernander exclaimed. “We want to represent Great Britain as best we can and bring back a championship.”
In the 2023 WBC, Fernander pitched a scoreless inning in Great Britain’s 7-5 win over Colombia. With the victory, Great Britain clinched a return trip to this year’s World Baseball Classic.
“Being on the same fields with some of your idols you grew up watching was surreal at first,” Fernander recalled. “As soon as the umpire says, ‘play ball,’ you get back in the zone.”
Fernander played for Polk State during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In 2017, Fernander helped Polk State win its sixth Suncoast Conference title under Head Coach Al Corbeil. In 18 games, Fernander went 1-1 with one save and struck out 39 batters in 25 innings. He posted a splendid 1.80 ERA and led the team with a strikeouts per nine innings average of over 14.
“Al Corbeil and Polk State set my foundation,” Fernandez reflected. “I learned what it meant to work hard, show up every day and be a good man. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. I love this game the way I do because of my time at Polk State.”
As a sophomore in 2018 at Polk State, Fernander led the team in wins, finishing 8-4 with a 3.09 ERA and 63 strikeouts in more than 58 innings of work. He capped his career by earning second-team All-Suncoast Conference honors. Fernander was selected in the 35th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft by the Detroit Tigers.
“When he arrived at our program, he was fairly raw as a pitcher,” Corbeil recalled. “He had a really loose arm and even though his lower mechanics needed work, he was still throwing 90 miles per hour. He spent a lot of time with the coaching staff working on his legs and when it clicked for him at the end of his first fall, his fastball was jumping between 93 and 95 (mph).”
Fernander spent six seasons in the Tigers organization, reaching as high as Triple-A. Across all levels of professional baseball, he is 21-17 with a 3.61 ERA, 307 strikeouts and 20 saves in 255 games and more than 346 innings. After spending this past year in the Puerto Rican Winter League, Fernander hopes the WBC provides an opportunity with another MLB organization.
“I hope to be able to show what I can do on a big stage,” Fernandez added. “This could be a chance for me to get my foot back in the door.”
The WBC will last from March 5 through 17. In addition to Friday’s contest with Mexico, Great Britain will match up with the U.S., Italy and Brazil in pool play. The quarterfinals start March 13.
“Chavez always had a calm and confident presence on the mound,” Corbeil added. “This is a well-deserved honor for him to play in the WBC. I and his former teammates will be cheering him on.”