The under 18 baseball team led by manager Francesco Aluffi begins the journey in the long summer of international appointments, engaged for over a month between the European Championship in the Czech Republic (13 – 20 August) and the World Cup scheduled in Florida (9 – 18 September ), in preparation for the continental tournament there will be the Gateway Tournament in Regensburg, where our national team yesterday faced Germany losing 5 to 1, and then will play against Holland and an All Star Selection of young European prospects.
At the end of the European championship, a new moment of preparation will be held in Canada in Toronto, there will be another meeting with a view to the World Cup in Florida, where Italy is part of Group B together with Japan, Taiwan outgoing champion, Mexico, Panama and Australia.
Three Neptunian athletes will be called up for the national team, and they are the catcher / first base Annunziata Andres (Academy of Nettuno), who after the work done in the USA with the MVP Baseball Academy, was engaged in the SerieA team of the Academy, which has won safety on the last day of the championship, his average batting season was positive .319 AVG and 4 RBI, and the satisfaction of having been MVP in the Tournament of Regions, won by the Lazio Selection, unfortunately his commitments with the national team prevented him from participate in the Little League World Series, held these days.
Another Neptunian prospect is Venditti Filippo (Academy of Nettuno / NettunoBC1945), also a veteran of a period of study and baseball in the USA, with Groesbeck High School in the state of Texas, he returned to Italy and was included in the roster of NettunoBC1945 engaged in the title poule , often used by manager Leonardo Mazzanti in the starting line up, mainly at first base, for him 6 out of 34 in the batting box. ù
The trio closes, only in alphabetical order, the interior Zazza Manuel, Lions school, who made his debut in SerieA with HotSand Macerata at the age of 15, a player in force this season for the Lions Nettuno, protagonist both in the U18 team, which is qualified for the national category playoffs, and above all he was among the best hitters of the Lions team, engaged in the SerieB championship, with remarkable statistical averages .AVG 359, 17 points beaten at home, 7 doubles and a triple, making it one of the best.
In the staff of the national team there will be the former Nettuno pitcher Massimiliano Masin, in the role of pitching coach.
In addition, other players from the Academy of Nettuno are part of the reserve at home, and protagonists this season in the formation coached by Cristian Mandolini and are Alessandro Barbona (external), Lorenzo Barbona (internal) and Attilio Bellucci (pitcher).
In conclusion, this is the composition of the technical staff of the national team led by manager Francesco Aluffi, composed of John Cortese (bench coach), Bobby Cramer (pitching specialist), coaches Stefano Cappuccini, Davide Sartini and Gianmarco Faraone, trainer Fabrizio Goracci, the physiotherapist Sergio Arigano and doctor Davide Ortolina, coordinated by the head of delegation Aldo Peronaci.
The website of the European Championship https://www.wbsceurope.org/en/events/2022-u-18-european-baseball-championship/home
The calendar of our national team https://www.wbsceurope.org/en/events/2022-u-18-european-baseball-championship/calendars?round=Round&team=21960&date=
Cover photo FIbs
