06/09/2023 2 Minute Read

2023 European Baseball Championship adventure begins for Team Italy

27 Azzurri players have been selected to participate in the Italian Baseball Challenge tournament in Friuli Venezia Giulia prior to the start of the European Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic

As Team Italy approaches the XXXVII European Baseball Championship, which will take place in the Czech Republic from September 24-October 1, 2023, 27 players will report to Ronchi dei Legionari on September 14, 2023 to prepare for the Italian Baseball Challenge tournament against Switzerland and Croatia in Friuli Venezia Giulia on September 16 and 17. Azzurri manager and National Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Piazza hopes to improve on his squad’s bronze-medal finish in the Euros in Torino two years ago.

Training begins on September 14 in Ronchi dei Legionari and continues in Cervignano and Trieste before the start of the Italian Baseball Challenge tournament on the diamonds of Prosecco and Ronchi with the support of the New Black Panthers and the Junior Alpina.

The tournament schedule is as follows::

September 16, 2023 at Prosecco-Trieste

3 pm (local time) Switzerland-Italy

September 17, 2023 at Ronchi dei Legionari

1:30 pm (local time) Croatia-Switzerland

6 pm (local time) Italy-Croatia

Italian skipper Mike Piazza will be assisted by bench coach Gianguido Poma, coaches Gian Mario Costa, Michele Gerali, Alessandro Fanfoni and Daniele Santolupo, pitching coach Rolando Cretis, bullpen coach Roberto Corradini, physiotherapist Marco Mennella, team physician Dr. Davide Ortolina and delegation manager Massimo Baldi.

The 27 players below will compete for the 24 roster spots available for the European Baseball Championship:

Last Name	First Name	Position	B	T	Club Affiliation	Current Club
Aldegheri	Mattia	P	R	R	1949 PARMA BASEBALL CLUB
Andretta	Maurizio	P	R	R	VITERBO BASEBALL CLUB	FORTITUDO BASEBALL BOLOGNA
Annunziata	Andres	C	R	R	ACADEMY OF NETTUNO B.C.	NETTUNO B.C. 1945
Artitzu	Marco	P	R	R	PORTA MORTARA BAS. SOFT. NOVARA	BASEBALL SOFTBALL CLUB GROSSETO 1952
Astorri	Cesare	1B,DH	R	R	1949 PARMA BASEBALL CLUB
Bassani	Alex	P	R	R	FORTITUDO BASEBALL BOLOGNA
Batista	Nathanael	OF	R	R	REGGIO RAYS BASEBALL	SAN MARINO BASEBALL CLUB
Bocchi	Matteo	P	R	R	1949 PARMA BASEBALL CLUB
Celli	Federico	OF	R	R	SAN MARINO BASEBALL CLUB
Davis	Nick	P	R	R	NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, BOSTON - USA
D'Orazio	JJ	C	R	R	REGGIO RAYS BASEBALL	AMARILLO SOD POODLES (AZ) DOUBLE A
Epifano	Erick	3B,SS	R	R	SAN MARINO BASEBALL CLUB
Friscia Jr	Vito	C,1B,OF	R	R	LEHIGH VALLEY IRON PIGS (PHI) TRIPLE A
Garcia	Robel	UTL	R	R	FORTITUDO BASEBALL BOLOGNA
Mercuri	Mattia	2B,SS	R	R	NETTUNO B.C. 1945
Mineo	Alberto	C	L	R	NEW BLACK PANTHERS RONCHI	1949 PARMA BASEBALL CLUB
Monello	Giulio	C	R	R	1949 PARMA BASEBALL CLUB
Paolini	Ricardo	2B	R	R	REGGIO RAYS BASEBALL	FORTITUDO BASEBALL CLUB 1953
Pinazzi	Nicolò	P	L	L	MILANO BASEBALL 1946	DAYTONA TORTUGAS (CIN) SINGLE A
Poma	Sebastiano	OF	L	L	COLLECCHIO B.C.	1949 PARMA BASEBALL CLUB
Pomponi	Francesco	P	R	R	OLTRETORRENTE BASEBALL CLUB	1949 PARMA BASEBALL CLUB
Quattrini	Gabriele	P	R	R	BASEBALL CLUB LE PANTERE POTENZA PICENA	MACERATA ANGELS
Robles	Federico	P	R	R	FORTITUDO BASEBALL BOLOGNA
Scotti	Claudio	P	R	R	FORTITUDO BASEBALL BOLOGNA
Sellaroli	Andrea	2B,OF	R	R	NETTUNO B.C. 1945
Sireus	Mattia	P	R	R	BASEBALL SOFTBALL CLUB GROSSETO 1952
Vassalotti	Michele	P	R	R	REGGIO RAYS BASEBALL	WISCONSIN TIMBER RATTLERS (MIL) HIGH A