Marco Mazzieri speaks about his clubs trip to Spring Training: “We were able to get in quality work and a lot of it”

The Italian National Baseball team has just recently concluded their spring training in Vero Beach, Florida, where Mazzieri’s club was able to get in a couple good weeks of quality work at the old Dodgers spring training complex.

Marco Mazzieri returned to Italy satisfied with his clubs trip to Florida, and with the amount of quality practice that each one of his players was able to get in during their time spent under the hot Florida sun. “We were able to get in quality work, and a lot of it,” stated Mazzieri. “Our day began with a morning session that went from 9:30 to 11:00 with conditioning and weights, while from 11:00 to 12:00 the hitters participated in hitting sessions in the cage, whereas the pitchers got their work in with P.F.P’s and side sessions. After lunch the team would hit the field as a complete unit from 13:30 to 16:30 to participate in team practices or scrimmage games. I’m really happy with the work that we got in, especially seeing as it’s really going to be the only time that I’m gonna get to work with these guys in depth before we get together again for the European Championship at the end of August, other then the All Star Game of course.”

This year’s national team will most certainly be made up of players out of the Italian Baseball League, as well as others currently playing in league across the globe. “It’s still early to know who’s going to be available to join us for the tournament, the only thing certain is that we wont be able to count on names like Colabello or Grilli who are currently on MLB 40 man rosters, or maybe even names like Liddi who could make the jump up to the ‘Bigs’ with the White Sox,” said Mazzieri. “Defending our title will not be an easy thing to do. We’re going to have to contend with not only the likes of Holland, but Spain and Germany are also expected to make a splash in this year’s tourney. In the first round of this year European Championship we’ll be heading to Regensburg, Germany, while the second phase of the championship will take place in the Czech Republic. Having won the last two EU Championships we’re the team to beat. We have a target on our backs, and we’ve got our work cut out for us this year if we want to bring home a third consecutive title,” concluded Mazzieri.