Team Italy U15 baseball manager Roberto De Franceschi and his capable staff were pleased with the two squads they coached at the Alpe Adria tournament in Staranzano. With the “White” team winning the tourney and the “Blue” team placing third, the Azzurri squads dominated a field comprised of teams from Austria, Germany and Friuli Venezia-Giulia.
Team
Italy U15 baseball manager Roberto De Franceschi said, "I think it went well, beyond our
expectations, considering the many interruptions due to the pandemic. This was
the first opportunity to see the condition of the players, and overall we are
satisfied because we have found a good group. It was certainly a different
experience since we arrived here with masks and underwent all the health
procedures. From the moment we entered the bubble, the boys immediately adapted
and probably from being cooped up so long they went wild on the field and really
enjoyed themselves."
The "White" team scored 47 points while giving
up 8 runs during the tournament. The top Azzurri
squad demonstrated their dominance with a convincing 5-2 victory over Germany.
The "Blue" team was not so lucky against Germany losing 5-2 but had
success with wins over Austria and Team Friuli Venezia-Giulia. The “White” team
led in batting average (.381), and Germany stole the most bases (23). The “Blue”
team had a respectable .279 batting average and stole 19 bases.
Italian skipper Roberto
De Franceschi commented, "The 40 players we selected were from the
various Regional Academies and recommended by the coaches of their respective
territories. They arrived prepared and some performed extremely well. We will
now narrow down our roster to a list of 25 players for another friendly
tournament in Torino before meeting again in mid-July prior to the European
Baseball Championship.” The Euros will take place in Trnava (Slovakia) and Brno
(Czech Republic) from July 21-25, 2021. Forza #Italia!
ALPE ADRIA TOURNAMENT RESULTS
by Roberto Angotti
Photo from Team Italy and Friuli Venezia-Giulia game (FIBS Comitato Regionale Friuli Venezia-Giulia)
