FIBS Academy graduate Lorenzo Moressi receives scholarship from New Mexico Junior College
After being invited to participate in the fourth annual MLB College Showcase in Arizona last month, FIBS Academy graduate and Team Italy U18 catcher Lorenzo Moressi has received a scholarship from New Mexico Junior College to begin his journey abroad as a student and baseball player for the Thunderbirds in Division I of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) next August.
Lorenzo Moressi stood out among the more than 30 high school-aged amateur players from Australia, Brazil, China, Curaçao, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Uganda competing in the10-day 2019 MLB College Showcase. The 18-year-old catcher from Macerata was accompanied by Team Italy U15 pitcher Alessandro Ercolani. As a result of his outstanding performance in Arizona, Lorenzo Moressi will now join the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbirds, whose decorated alumni include past and present MLB luminaries such as Ken Giles, Nick Pivetta, David Carpenter, Brendan Donnelly, and Armando Almanza.
Lorenzo Morresi comes off a career-best season in Serie A2 playing the Macerata Angels, who are being promoted to Serie A1 in 2020. Leading the team to the 2019 Serie A2 playoffs, Lorenzo Morresi put together an impressive .404 batting average during the regular season and went 9-for-39 with a home run in 10 playoff games. He made his debut for Team Italy in 2013 at the U12 World Cup in Taipei, Taiwan and later represented the Azzurri in 2017 at the U18 World Cup in Thunder Bay, Canada. His two years at the FIBS Academy from 2016-2018 culminated with a final appearance on the Team Italy U18 squad at the European Championship in Grosseto.
There have been several American college success stories for Italian baseball players. Following in the footsteps of Stefano Berini, Matteo Pizzolini, and Maurizio Andretta, fellow Macerata Angel Oscar Tucci is playing for the Clarendon College Bulldogs in Texas. Elsewhere in the Panhandle state, Giulio Monello and Daniel Monti are making their impressions felt at Odessa College. Edoardo Acerbi is at Iowa State University. Meanwhile down in the Sunshine state, Nicola Marziali (Florida Memorial University) and Tommaso Giarola (Frontier Community College) are competing for playing time. Matteo Bocchi is by far the best success story to date. Starting out at Odessa College and then transferring to the University of Texas in Austin, Matteo Bocchi signed with the Chicago Cubs as a free agent in June.
Lorenzo Moressi enters an excellent baseball program at New Mexico Junior College. Under head coach Jimmy Durham, the Thunderbirds went 42-15 during the 2019 regular season. Ranked #14 nationally, New Mexico Junior College proudly represented the Southwest district at the 2019 NJCAA Division I World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. Forza #Italia!
by Roberto Angotti
