FIBS President Andrea Marcon, the Federal Council and the representatives from the thirty registered Serie A Baseball teams met via Zoom to discuss the upcoming season, which begins on April 15, 2023. Despite the defections of Dragons Castelfranco and Academy of Nettuno, there are just a few adjustments necessary to compensate for the two missing teams. There will now be five groups of six teams in the Serie A Baseball championship from April 15-May 13, 2023 in their respective two weekly head-to-head group competition games, one of which requires an Italian-born and developed starting pitcher.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the championship playoffs, while the remaining three teams from each group will compete in the relegation round. The second round begins on May 20, 2023 to allow for a one week break. The top ten teams will be broken up into two groups and play a weekly total of three games, one of which requires an Italian-born and developed starting pitcher.
The top four teams in in each group will qualify for the quarterfinal playoffs, which will take place in mid-August in a best-of-five game series (with possible game fives on August 21, 2023). The winners will play in the semifinals from August 24-September 3, 2023 in a best-of-seven game series. The Italian Baseball Series is scheduled from September 6-15, 2023. As with the semifinals, two of the seven games require an Italian-born and developed starting pitcher.
As regards the relegation round, the twenty remaining teams
will be divided into four groups of five squads, which will play two head-to-head
group matches per week and an inter-group round. The last place team from each
group will be relegated.
The five groups were announced at the meeting and feature the 2022 semifinalists in the first four groups. The groups for the first round are listed below:
Group A: San Marino, Macerata, Poviglio, Athletics Bologna, Longbridge Bologna, Padule Sesto Fiorentino.
Group B: Parma, Rovigo, Collecchio, NBP Ronchi dei Legionari, Cervignano, Reggio Emilia.
Group C: Fortitudo Bologna, Godo, Verona, Padova, Oltretorrente, Codogno.
Group D: Bbc Grosseto, Nettuno 1945, Bsc Grosseto, Crocetta, Sala Baganza, Nettuno 2.
Group E: Cagliari, Modena, Torino, Senago, Brescia, Settimo.
Opening Day (April 15-16, 2023) Schedule:
Group. A: Athletics-San Marino, Longbridge-Poviglio, Padule-Macerata.
Group B: Parma-Cervignano, Reggio Emilia-Ronchi, Rovigo-Collecchio.
Group C: Codogno-Padova, Verona-Oltretorrente, Fortitudo-Godo.
Group D: Nettuno 1945-Bsc Grosseto, Sala Baganza-Nettuno 2, Bbc Grosseto-Crocetta.
Group E: Settimo-Torino, Senago-Modena, Brescia-Cagliari.
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
(Photo of San Marino celebrating after winning the 2022 Serie A Baseball championship by PhotoBass)
