Prior to departing for the U18 European Baseball5 Championship in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Team Italy will hold a final practice in Aosta on Saturday, October 26, 2024 in preparation for the squad’s first three games on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. Four boys and four girls have been named to the Italian roster.
Team Italy Baseball5 manager Maurizio Balla said, “We did a great job when putting together the group to take to France. I tried to choose a mix of assorted boys and girls, some know the game and others hit hard. Unfortunately, I only have one male and one female replacement in case of injury.”
WBSC Europe has revised the schedule due to some countries choosing not to participate in the international competition. The young and promising Italians will be put to the test when playing powerhouses Romania, Lithuania and Germany on the first day of the Euros. Italian skipper Maurizio Balla commented, “Unfortunately, we were placed in a group with Lithuania, Turkey, Finland, Romania, Germany and Poland. We will try not to push them and we are working on other aspects. We aim to play against everyone, we will see what comes out little by little. In any case, we will need to give continuity to the work.”
U18 EUROPEAN BASEBALL5 CHAMPIONSHIIP SCHEDULE
The following players will represent Team Italy in the U18 European Baseball5 Championship: Cristian Agresta (Rho Baseball), Irene Bellusci (Acli Rivello), Pierfrancesco Bernardi (Old Bugs), Cloe Bonomo (Aosta Bugs/Canavese), Alessandro Micheli (Bc Pesaro), Chiara Pecorelli (Acli Rivello), Federico Sana (Aosta Bugs), and Leila Sanna (Firenze Softball).
Team Italy Baseball5 manager Maurizio Balla will be assisted by coach Paolo Vannini and delegation manager Isabella Dalbesio.
Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
