San Diego Padres honor Team Italy softball two-time All-American Erika Piancastelli and Azzurri baseball Garbella brothers
The San Diego Padres paid tribute to Team Italy softball slugger Erika Piancastelli and Azzurri baseball brothers, Nico and Giovanni Garbella, by inviting the trio on the Petco Park infield during Italian Heritage Night to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Thursday, May 31, 2018.
Over a decade ago Erika Piancastelli tipped her hand of being extraordinary when she was named Most Valuable Player in the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) U12 World Series while playing for the Oceanside Ozone with dreams of going pro. Little did she know that her wish would one day be granted and the two-time NCAA Division I All-American would stand on a Major League Baseball diamond to receive a big round of applause from hometown San Diego fans including her proud parents, former Team Italy softball Olympian Loredana Auletta and former Italian Baseball League player Pier Piancastelli.
Last week 21-year-old Erika Piancastelli signed a one-year professional contract with the Scrap Yard Dawgs, an independent women’s softball team based in Texas. Having represented Team Italy in the 2014 U19 European Championship, the 2015 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Junior Women’s Softball World Championship, the 2016 WBSC Women's Softball World Championship, and the 2017 European Championship, the Italian-born Carlsbad, California native Erika Piancastelli will once again play for the Azzurre in the 2018 WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship in Chiba, Japan from August 2-12, 2018. On the heels of her best and final season at McNeese State University, Erika Piancastelli was selected as the four-time Southland Conference Player and Hitter of the Year—a true testament of being heralded as the most prolific McNeese softball superstar ever to play in the Southland Conference. Breaking a combined 20 records for both the school and the conference, Erika Piancastelli is the all-time McNeese and Southland Conference career leader in home runs (75), doubles (62), hits (253), RBI (212), runs scored (228), walks (229), and total bases (548).
The Garbella brothers, who grew up in La Jolla, California, are the pride and joy of Italian parents, Orlando and Mary Garbella. Nico Garbella, oldest of the duo at 25 years of age, played baseball at Palomar College and California State University Northridge before joining the Italian Baseball League in 2015. After spending two years playing ball in Parma, he signed with Rimini in 2017.
Currently playing for Rimini in the Serie A1 League, Nico Garbella will be competing with his Italian squad at the European Champions Cup in Rotterdam, the Netherlands from June 6-10, 2018. Last year he enjoyed success in international competition playing for Team Italy as the three-hole hitter in the lineup against the Netherlands in the 2017 European Series and was awarded Most Valuable Player honors for his outstanding performance (.333 batting average, one home run, two runs scored, three RBI, one walk and one stolen base).
Giovanni Garbella has been playing for Team Italy since 2011, when his inside-the-park grand slam catapulted the squad to a 9-8 win over the Czech Republic in the U15 European Championship. He went on to represent the Azzurri in the 2012 WBSC U18 World Championship in Seoul, South Korea. The following year his heroics were once again on display as he was named Most Valuable Player in the 2013 European Championship. With a flair for the dramatic on the field overseas, Giovanni Garbella played internationally for Team Italy in the 2013 WBSC U18 World Championship and the 2014 WBSC U21 World Championship in Taichung, Taiwan. The 22-year-old outfielder launched his four-year collegiate baseball career at Valparaiso University in 2015, when he was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team. He continued to impress during his sophomore and junior seasons. In April 2018, senior Giovanni Garbella was selected as a Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week after collecting seven hits (one double and one home run) in 15 at-bats with six RBI in four games and helping his team upset number 25-ranked Illinois with a career-high four hits. The finance major set the bar high in the classroom as he graduated with a 3.39 GPA. On the baseball field, Giovanni Garbella was a beast as he ranked in the top four in each of the following Valparaiso offensive categories: .304 batting average (third), 32 runs (fourth), 51 hits (fourth), 11 doubles (fourth), 8 home runs (second), 41 RBI (second), 86 total bases (fourth), .512 slugging percentage (second), and .415 on-base percentage (second).
With San Diego locals Erika Piancastelli and the Garbella brothers, Italian softball and baseball will reach new heights on the international circuit. The California Italian trio deserve every ounce of recognition they receive, whether at Petco Park or in the larger baseball and softball world. Forza #Italia! #LetsMakeItHappen
by Roberto Angotti
