Prior to representing Team Italy in the U18 European Baseball Championship in Ostrava and Brno, Czech Republic from August 13-20, 2022, the 30 eligible players selected by manager Francesco Aluffi will have to impress the Azzurri coaching staff in a series of exhibition games leading up to the Euros.
Beginning with a friendly game in Modena on July 27, 2022, the roster will be trimmed down prior to departing on August 5, 2022 from Verona to Regensburg, Germany for more exhibition games before the Euro tourney.
The following players are expected to report in Modena on July 27, 2022:
Tommaso Adorni (Crocetta Bc), Andres Antonio Annunziata (Academy Of Nettuno) Nicola Anzanel (Staranzano Ducks/Cervignano), Alessandro Barbona (Academy Of Nettuno), Lorenzo Barbona (Academy Of Nettuno), Attilio Bellucci (Lion's Nettuno), Nicholas Bertoldi (New Black Panthers), Vincenzo Bruno (Staranzano Ducks), Simone Carnevale (Bergamo Bs), Sebastiano Catellani (Oltretorrente), Edoardo Cornelli (Old Rags Lodi/Oltretorrente), Niccolò Funzione (Bsc Grosseto 1952), Alessandro Ercolani (Titano Bears/San Marino), Diego Gergolet (Staranzano Ducks /New Black Panthers), Michel Gonzato (Crazy Sambonifacese), Cristian Laghi (Softball Club Forlì/Cral Enrico Mattei), Alessandro Laise (Senago Milano United B.C.), Diego Luciani (Bsc Grosseto 1952), Davide Malusà (Staranzano Ducks), Matteo Marelli (Senago Milano United B.C.), Davide Montanari (Crocetta/Junior Parma), Riccardo Nepoti (Bologna Athletics), Marco Ragionieri (Oltretorrente), Giacomo Taschin (Bsc Rovigo), Filippo Venditti (Academy Of Nettuno/Nettuno 1945), Pietro Verzin (Crazy Sambonifacese), Alessandro Volpe (De La Salle College Ontario), Williams Wong (Baseball Club Settimo/Avigliana), Manuel Zazza (Lion's Baseball Nettuno), and Edoardo Zingarelli (Redclay Castellamonte/Grizzlies Torino).
Team Italy U18 manager Francesco Aluffi will be assisted by John Cortese (bench coach), Stefano Cappuccini (hitting coach), Davide Sartini (infield coach) and Massimiliano Masin (pitching coach). In addition, national elite baseball coordinator and pitching coach Bobby Cramer, national elite coaching coordinator Gianmarco Faraone, athletic trainer Fabrizio Goracci, physiotherapist Sergio Arigano, team physician Dr. Davide Ortolina and delegation manager Aldo Peronaci will be on hand in Modena. Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
