Baseball isn’t supposed to be a Cameroonian kid’s future. Not in a country without baseball stadiums and where equipment isn’t readily available in stores. It’s not about renting soccer fields to get reps; sometimes, you have to get creative to train or play because space is limited. The pipeline that produces pros in the U.S.- Fields, leagues, coaches, cages, and showcases aren’t readily available in the same way in Cameroon.
And yet, Ernest Ohandze exists.
9inningnomad: What’s the first image that comes to mind when you hear “Cameroon’s first pro baseball player”?
Ernest: The first image that comes to mind is that of a budding hope for Cameroonian baseball and for the next generation… and the fact that this hope is channeled through me makes me honored and proud.
When you’re called Cameroon’s first professional baseball player, it isn’t just a label. It’s an expectation and a responsibility. It’s the reality that every rep you take might become proof for someone else that the path is real.
How a Dream Is Built Without a Blueprint
Ernest’s story starts the way many stories do, with family. But the relationship wasn’t casual. His uncle didn’t introduce him to baseball as if it were entertainment. He introduced it as if it were a calling.
9inningnomad: Your uncle showed you the game of baseball, but what was the real moment that made you want to play?
Ernest: In 2013, I missed out on being selected for the team to represent Cameroon at the World Children’s Baseball Fair in Japan. I was devastated… but my uncle said: “The Lord blessed me with six daughters, but He truly blessed me with only one son, you, and you are the only one in my house who is passionate about this sport. I am convinced that the glory days of Cameroonian baseball will come through you… So don’t even think about giving up because I won’t allow it…
That missed selection was a game-changer. Some players have big positive anchor moments; for Ernest, it wasn’t a highlight, it was disappointment. The rejection hit deep and could have ended the story right there. Instead, his uncle gave him the aforementioned speech that became fuel. Then Ernest adds the part that makes it human. “That speech, along with a little spanking, was the turning point for me”. His uncle wasn’t just encouraging him. He refused to let him quit.
9inningnomad: What’s a favorite detail about those early days with your uncle, something you still carry with you today?
Ernest: The times we spent together watching baseball. Often, because of the jet lag, we’d stay up late to watch baseball games, just the two of us. He’d often give me baseball books to read during the week, and then on weekends during practice, he’d quiz me on what I’d learned… Sometimes he’d get called to school because I’d been caught with those books in class, and that evening at home, I’d get a little spanking as punishment, because for him, studies came first. Then he’d quietly boast that he was still happy everything I did revolved around baseball.
What Africa Builds
In the places where baseball is everywhere, players inherit structure. Some players grow up outside it… and still find a way in. In Cameroon, Ernest had to invent structure, equipment, and his own game.
9: Describe the baseball environment in Cameroon. Where do you train? What does a good day of work look like?
Ernest: In Cameroon, we don’t have a baseball stadium, so to play, we rent spaces dedicated to soccer, and that’s quite expensive. On top of that, there’s a lack of proper equipment, since baseball equipment isn’t sold in Cameroon, and when you do find some, it’s very expensive. So we receive donations from outside organizations, and even then, the customs fees are very high. That’s why, for me, I’m often forced to train in the limited spaces on the sidelines of the fields, as you often see in my videos...
He isn’t describing adversity for sympathy. He’s describing why his development demanded creativity, passion, and commitment. The story isn’t about how hard it is; it’s about the hard work produced.
9: Is there a training technique you learned in Cameroon, born out of necessity, that you still use today?
Ernest: What some people don’t know is that I’ve never been to a gym because it’s beyond my means. So the only teaching techniques I’ve ever used are purely Cameroonian, with locally made equipment that I crafted myself.
9: What part of African baseball produces advantages: toughness, creativity, athleticism?
Ernest: I believe it’s the difficult conditions under which we learn to play baseball, with limited resources and equipment, that forge the strength of character of players in Africa. The desire and will to realize our dreams of reaching the major leagues pushes us to redouble our efforts and creativity in order to surpass ourselves. That’s why our common motto is “No excuses,” because we know that the highest level is ruthless and unforgiving.
You need humor in this game because the grind will eat you alive if you take every failure personally. Baseball gives you a new reason to doubt yourself every day, so you have to learn to laugh, reset, and keep moving. And once you understand that, even the funniest moments make sense. I ask Ernest to give me the most ‘only in Cameroon’ baseball moment he’s lived. His reply should only be expressed in the visual form.
Ernest: During a game, the ball was hit in right field, but it was stolen by a goat that wandered onto the field. The game had to be stopped, and the team had to chase after the goat to retrieve the ball.
The Player He’s Becoming
Ernest grew up adapting and adjusting to the environment and on the field because he had to. He now plays multiple positions, but the position that lights him up is clear.
9: You play outfield, infield, and pitch- what position fires you up?
Ernest: I play all these positions because I grew up learning to be versatile on the field, for my team and teammates. But the position I’m most passionate about is pitcher, although I won’t lie, I also love hitting.
When he talks about pressure, he doesn’t hide from it; he leans into it. His confidence system is just as deliberate:
9: When confidence takes a hit, how do you rebuild it?
Ernest: First, think about what motivated you initially, then take stock of your short- and long-term goals, always drawing inspiration from the experience of a role model, clear your mind, and reshape the situation to your advantage (I call this exercise “The Mental Movie”). And then routine, motivation, confidence, and consistency return, and the results follow.
His bad days? You guessed it, handled like a professional.
9: How do you manage a tough day at the plate?
Ernest: I sometimes have bad days at the plate. The important thing is to focus on what I check first, rather than trying to fix everything at once. The first thing I examine is my approach, not my entire technique. Discipline at the plate is very important because most off days aren’t due to a bad swing, but rather to an imbalance in decision-making and timing.
9: What’s a failure that still makes you smile now because it shaped you?
Ernest: The selection I failed to make in 2013 for the World Children’s Baseball Fair in Japan. That’s what forged my resilience and my passion to redouble my efforts.
The Breakthrough
Every long grind eventually asks one question: Does anybody notice? For Ernest, the answer came from a phone call.
9: What’s the moment you point to as the real beginning of your career? Not a highlight, but the turning point?
Ernest: For me, the pivotal moment in the beginning of my career was when I received the call from Baseball United informing me that I had been declared eligible to participate in their Draft, officially joining their player pool. At that moment, I realized that my efforts and sacrifices over the years were being noticed and could be rewarded… being drafted alongside so many big names… showed me beyond a doubt that others can achieve the same.
Later, in the UAE Series, the responsibility sharpened into something else. Ernest said, “…during Game two of the UAE Series, when pitching coach Hector Berrios sent me to the bullpen, I knew that the potential opportunities others might have depended on my performance on the mound in that game, and that I had to keep that door open at all costs.”
Pro Ball Teaches You What Matters
It was humility.
9: What’s the biggest lesson you learned playing in that environment?
Ernest noted- it wasn’t strategy or mechanics.
Ernest: Unanimously, it’s HUMILITY. They often say it precedes glory, and that’s true. It’s the best lesson I’ve learned from this environment. When you have a Robinson Canó walking into the locker room and the first person he goes to for a pep talk is me; Jair Jurrjens choosing me as his playing catch partner to teach me some throwing tricks; Didi Gregorius and Alex Katz helping you take the pressure off by making jokes and giving advice... considering their skill level and experience in the professional world, you can’t help but admire this humility.
In the same breath, he addresses barriers the way real ballplayers do:
9: What was the hardest part of a language barrier, baseball terminology, daily life, or being misunderstood?
Ernest: As for the language barrier, we understood each other on the field because we all spoke the same language: baseball. Coaches Hector Berrios and José Cano even teased me about it. But generally it was cool, because we all made the effort to understand each other without discrimination.
9: What did you learn from players from countries with deep baseball culture (Dominican, Venezuela, Japan, Korea, U.S.) that you immediately applied to your own game?
Ernest: What players from all these backgrounds have taught me is that communication and respect are essential for progress. Passion, preparation, creativity, discipline, strategy, competitiveness, and teamwork are what now guide me on the baseball field.
9: Now that you’ve adjusted, what do you think is your edge in an international group? What do you bring that guys from “baseball countries” don’t always have?
Ernest: In my humble opinion, and given that I come from a country less privileged in baseball, my greatest strength would be my adaptability and my sense of perspective.
What He Wants You to Know
9: What does respect look like in your eyes—what do you have to do to earn it?
Ernest: For me, respect isn’t demanded, it’s earned. Respect is when people trust you even when you’re not there; your word carries weight because you practice what you preach. People can disagree with you without disrespecting you. True respect is silent. It doesn’t seek approval, it inspires it. Earning respect on a team depends neither on talent alone nor on status, but on your daily behavior. Respect on a team doesn’t come from who you say you are, but from what others can rely on you to do.
If you put him in front of scouts, he won’t promise perfection. He’ll promise something better: to grind every day and provide dependability.
9: If you were sitting in front of scouts, what are three things you’d want them to know about you?
Ernest: I am a reliable, coachable, and disciplined player. I adapt quickly, I work hard, and I deeply respect the game. I don’t promise to be perfect, but I promise to be consistent.
And if you put him in front of Cameroonian kids, he wants belief to become action.
9: When a kid in Cameroon reads this feature, what do you hope they feel?
Ernest: I hope that every Cameroonian child, and indeed every African child in general, who reads this article will feel inspired and galvanized to achieve their goals and dreams.
He leaves us with a phrase in French that feels like it was made for his story:
“Au baseball, rien n’est fini tant que ce n’est pas finit…” translating to: “In baseball, nothing is over until it’s over.”
As of this writing, Ernest told me he’s been called up to the Cameroon National Baseball Team. Congratulations, Ernest!
I am truly honored and blessed. Thanks!🙏🏽❤️🤝🏽