After a fourth place finish in the 2022 U18 European Baseball Championship, Team Italy departs on August 29, 2022 for a training camp and three exhibition games in Toronto, Canada prior to the start of the 30th edition of the WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup in Bradenton and Sarasota, Florida on September 9, 2022. The Azzurri play in Group B against Japan on September 9, 2022 at 3 pm (local time), defending champion Chinese Taipei on September 10, 2022 at 11 am (local time), Mexico on September 11, 2022 at 3 pm (local time), Panama on September 12, 2022 at 3 pm (local time), and Australia on September 13, 2022 at 3 pm (local time). Group A includes host USA, Korea, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canada, Brazil and South Africa.
Team Italy U18 manager Francesco Aluffi will be accompanied by bench coach John Cortese, pitching coach Massimiliano Masin, pitching specialist Bobby Cramer, and coaches Stefano Cappuccini, Davide Sartini and Gianmarco Faraone. In addition, trainer Simone Bonaccorso, physiotherapist Sergio Arigano, team physician Dr. Davide Ortolina, and delegation manager Aldo Peronaci will be on hand to assist.
The following players will represent Team Italy in the U18 Baseball World Cup:
Last Name | First Name | Year of Birth | Club Affiliation | |
1 | Adorni | Tommaso | 2004 | CROCETTA BASEBALL CLUB A.S.D. |
2 | Annunziata Nino | Andres Antonio | 2005 | A.S.D. ACADEMY OF NETTUNO B.C. |
3 | Ragionieri | Marco | 2004 | OLTRETORRENTE BASEBALL CLUB A.S.D. |
4 | Carnevale | Simone | 2004 | A.S.D. BERGAMO BASEBALL E SOFTBALL/PIACENZA BASEBALL A.S.D. |
5 | Catellani | Sebastiano | 2004 | OLTRETORRENTE BASEBALL CLUB A.S.D. |
6 | Cornelli | Edoardo | 2006 | A.S.D. BASEBALL OLD RAGS LODI/OLTRETORRENTE BASEBALL CLUB A.S.D. |
7 | Funzione | Niccolò | 2004 | BASEBALL SOFTBALL CLUB GROSSETO 1952 S.S.D. A R.L. |
8 | Ercolani | Alessandro | 2004 | A.S.D. TITANO BEARS/A.S.D. SAN MARINO BASEBALL CLUB |
9 | Gergolet | Diego | 2006 | A.S.D. STARANZANO DUCKS B.S.C./NEW BLACK PANTHERS A.S.D. |
10 | Laghi | Cristian | 2005 | SOFTBALL CLUB FORLI' A.S.D./CRAL ENRICO MATTEI A.S.D. |
11 | Laise | Alessandro | 2005 | A.S.D. SENAGO MILANO UNITED B.C. |
12 | Luciani | Diego | 2004 | BASEBALL SOFTBALL CLUB GROSSETO 1952 S.S.D. A R.L. |
13 | Montanari | Davide | 2004 | CROCETTA BASEBALL CLUB A.S.D./JUNIOR PARMA BASEBALL CLUB A.S.D. |
14 | Nepoti | Riccardo | 2004 | BOLOGNA ATHLETICS A.S.D. |
15 | Taschin | Giacomo | 2006 | A.S.D. BASEBALL SOFTBALL CLUB ROVIGO |
16 | Venditti | Filippo | 2004 | A.S.D. ACADEMY OF NETTUNO B.C./A.S.D. NETTUNO B.C. 1945 |
17 | Verzin | Pietro | 2005 | A.S.D. CRAZY SAMBONIFACESE BASEBALL SOFTBALL |
18 | Volpe | Alessandro | 2005 | DE LA SALLE COLLEGE (HS) - ONTARIO |
19 | Wong | Williams | 2005 | BASEBALL CLUB SETTIMO A.S.D./A.S.D. AVIGLIANA BEES |
20 | Zazza | Manuel | 2005 | LION'S BASEBALL NETTUNO A.S.D. |
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
WBSC U18 BASEBALL WORLD CUP OFFICIAL WEBSITE
(Photo of Team Italy against Czech Republic in the 2022 U18 European Baseball Championship by Petra Voet Photography)