Italy to open Baseball National Team camp with 32 players
Italy Baseball Manager Francisco Cervelli selected 32 players he is considering for the National Team and the U-23 National Team for a training camp in Grosseto from March 10 to 14.
All players are active in the Italian Baseball Leagues. The roster includes former Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players Alberto Mineo, Mattia Mercuri, Federico Celli, Matteo Bocchi, Ettore Giulianelli, Venezuelan Baseball League infielder Ricardo Paolini, and WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup alums Edoardo Cornelli, Alessandro Laise, Matteo Marelli, Giacomo Taschin and Manuel Zazza.
Cervelli's staff will include pitching coaches Alessandro Maestri and Roberto Corradini and assistant coaches Claudio Biagini, Michele Gerali, Alberto D'Auria, Christian Gnudi and Tomas Bison. The strength and conditioning coaches will be Gianni Natale, Sebastiano Poma, and Daniele Santolupo. Trainers Massimo Baldi and Marco Mennella will complete the staff with General Manager Gilberto Gerali and Team Executive Riccardo Soglia.
The U-23 National Team will compete in the European Championship in Czechia from August 5 to 8. The tournament is a Qualifier for the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2026.
The Azzurri participated in the WBSC U-21 Baseball World Cup 2014. Manager Guglielmo Trinci, currently the skipper of the U-18 National Team, led them to seventh place. However, they never qualified for the U-23 Baseball World Cup.
Italy will co-host the Baseball European Championship with the Netherlands and Belgium from September 20 to 27.
The full Roster
PITCHERS (13) Maurizio Andretta (Fortitudo Bologna), Marco Artitzu (Grosseto 1952), Matteo Bocchi (Parma 1949), Diego Gergolet (White Sox Buttrio), Ettore Giulianelli (Torre Pedrera Falcons), Matteo Marelli (Rovigo), Francesco Pomponi (Crocetta Parma), Gabriele Quattrini (Macerata Angels), Claudio Scotti (Parma 1949), Mattia Sireus (Grosseto 1952), Giacomo Taschin (Rovigo), Federico Virgadaula (Codogno), Enrico Zanchi (Reggio Rays).
CATCHERS (4) Niccolò Cinelli (Grosseto), Alessandro Deotto (Grosseto), Alberto Mineo, Giulio Monello (Parma 1949).
INFIELDERS (9) Gabriele Angioi (Parma 1949), Nicholas Bertoldi (New Black Panthers Ronchi), Edoardo Cornelli (Oltretorrente Parma), Samuele Gamberini (Fortitudo Bologna), Alessandro Laise (Fortitudo Bologna), Mattia Mercuri (Nettuno 1945), Ricardo Paolini (Macerata Angels), Francesco Segreto (Crocetta Parma), Manuel Zazza (Nettuno 1945).
OUTFIELDERS (4) Tommaso Battioni (Parma 1949), Federico Celli (San Marino), Andrea Pasotto (Milano 1946), Andrea Sellaroli (Grosseto 1952)
UTILITES (2) Filippo Agretti (Fortitudo Bologna), Francesco Cialli (Fiorentina)