University of Tampa team brings baseball diplomacy to Cuba, home to millions of 'pelota' fans
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Balls and strikes, not politics, are ruling the day at a baseball diamond in Havana.
Last year's U.S. college championship team from the University of Tampa has played an exhibition game against a Cuban youth squad in Havana.
It's the latest example of baseball diplomacy seeking to bridge the gulf between two baseball-mad nations that disagree on just about everything except for their shared love of the sport.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Floridians are also meeting with student groups, artists and children, and touring galleries, museums and historic Old Havana.
The visitors scraped out a hard-fought 2-1 win Wednesday.
But Tampa Spartans head coach Joe Urso says winning or losing isn't what matters: "Sports brings people together."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cultural exchanges between Cuba and the U.S. have become notably more common in recent years.