Ten NCAA Division III baseball teams from seven different conferences are set to take part in the inaugural Clemente Cup in March 2016 with games being held in the Puerto Rico cities of Aguadilla, Añasco, Cabo Rojo, Lajas, Hormigueros and Rincón.

The tournament will honor the late Roberto Clemente and has been put together with the help of the State University of New York at Canton and the Clemente Family, who have organized the first of the annual events.

The teams involved will play up to as many as a dozen games throughout the week, including the opportunity for JV contests. The cities of Puerto Rico feature numerous world class baseball fields, magnificent tourist attractions, cultural opportunities and the best baseball weather in the world. With all of the university teams that will be on the island for the Clemente Cup, local players from the island of Puerto Rico will have exclusive opportunities to be recruited by universities from the United States.

The historic tournament marks the first time that the culturally rich island of Puerto Rico will host a tournament showcasing an abundance of collegiate baseball teams from the United States. The teams, their coaches and the people of Puerto Rico are set to enjoy the opportunities that the Clemente Cup has to offer.

"The Roberto Clemente family is looking forward to welcoming coaches, players and fans to the island of Puerto Rico," said Luis R. Clemente, Roberto's son. "We are committed in providing a rich and enlightening cultural and baseball experience and looking forward to seeing everyone in March 2016!"

SUNY Canton Assistant Baseball Coach Victor Rivera-Collazo has been working hard with the Roberto Clemente Foundation, government officials and business leaders of Puerto Rico to organize the event.

"Coach Rivera has a close relationship with the Clemente family," SUNY Canton Head Baseball Coach Joe Carbone said. "They are very enthusiastic about the success of this endeavor, and they very much would like to see it grow into a yearly destination for teams throughout the United States."

The partnership between the Clemente Family and SUNY Canton has provided a perfect opportunity for the teams involved and the people of Puerto Rico to exchange culturally and enjoy a week of competitive baseball.

"The wonderful people of Puerto Rico are incredibly welcoming and we expect the games to be well attended, well organized and highly competitive," Carbone said. "Through Coach Rivera's hard work in his native country, we've been able to arrange for a fantastic week."