With the Baseball5 Elite European Championship scheduled from November 7-11, 2023 in Lithuania, Team Italy skipper Maurizio Balla has summoned sixteen prospective players to participate in the international "Heart of the Alps" tournament at Piazzale Tzambarlet-Corso Lancieri in Aosta on on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1, 2023. The competition features the Team Italy U17 and U18 squads, Slovenia, Lithuania, Valle d'Aosta and Lyon.
Team Italy Baseball5 manager Maurizio Balla said, “This is a tournament of the highest level which will allow us to test the condition of the players before the Elite European Championship in Lithuania. Among other things, three senior national players are on the French team, so it will be interesting to see how our very young athletes compete against them."
The Italians arrive in Lithuania with its U17 and U18 teams looking to the future. Balla continued, “We will go to the European Championship with a very young group, thinking about the next youth competition. That's why I selected players born in 2007 and 2008. This tournament will allow me to narrow down the European roster. Of the sixteen who will compete in the Heart of the Alps, I will have to choose the best twelve or thirteen to take to the Elite European Championship.”
The following players are expected to participate in the “Heart of the Alps” tournament in Aosta: Cristian Agresta (Rho Baseball), Matteo Ariaudo (Skatch), Irene Bellusci (Acli Rivello/Cali Roma Girls), Cristiano Bisicchia (Dolphins Anzio Baseball), Giada Cardani (Porta Mortara B.S. Novara/Milano Baseball 1946), Iacopo Cavedon (Rimini 86/Junior Rimini B.S.), Beatrice Deregibus (Aosta Bugs), Filippo Favaro (Baseball Ponzano Veneto), Alessandro Micheli (Pesaro B.C.), Giulia Moretto (White Tigers/Nuove Pantere Lucca), Giada Pavone (Atoms Softball Club Chieti), Chiara Pecorelli (Acli Rivello/Cali Roma Girls), Beatrice Rossi (Treviso Baseball Soft & Furious/Thunders Dragons S.B. Castellana), Filippo Sabatini (Lions Baseball Nettuno), Riccardo Sana (Aosta Bugs), Leonardo Turo (Aosta Bugs) and Filippo Vietina (ABC Massa Carrara/Livorno 1948 Baseball).
Team Italy Baseball5 manager Maurizio Balla will be supported by coaches Simone Perazzini and Paolo Vannini.
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
