Azzurri chosen for Club Italia LA28 Olympic Baseball Camp in Arizona and Florida
The high-level work continues in Surprise, Arizona and Tampa, Florida for promising baseball players determined to qualify Team Italy for the Los Angeles Olympics. Old friends and new partners of Italian baseball rally round the Azzurri in their quest for greatness.
The Azzurri roster for the 2024 Olympic Camp has been announced and has been split up in two between an exclusive mini-camp for pitchers and catchers in Surprise, Arizona at the Kansas City Royals Spring Training facility and the University of Tampa, where the position players will join the others for core of the program. Intersquad games as well as the Club Italia College Series featuring Team Italy and the reigning NCAA Division II Champion University of Tampa Spartans will be held at the UTampa Baseball Field.
The following pitchers and catchers will be in Surprise, Arizona from October 7-14, 2024:
First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth
Position
B
T
Club
Mattia
Aldegheri
19/02/1998
P
R
R
Baseball Team Verona
Gabriele
Angioi
07/03/2001
SS/2B
R
R
1949 Parma Baseball Club
Andres Antonio
Annunziata Nino
05/12/2005
C
R
R
Academy of Nettuno B.C - Nettuno B.C.
1945
Marco
Artitzu
14/08/2002
P
R
R
BSC Grosseto 1952
Mattia
Bernardis
11/07/2006
P/OF
R
R
Academy of Nettuno B.C - Nettuno B.C.
1945
Nicholas
Bertoldi
12/03/2004
IF
R
R
New Black Panthers Ronchi
Matteo
Bocchi
19/07/1996
P
R
R
1949 Parma Baseball Club
Niccolò
Cinelli
16/10/2002
C/OF
R
R
BSC Grosseto 1952
Diego
Gergolet
22/06/2006
P
R
R
New Black Panthers Ronchi
Ettore
Giulianelli
30/03/2003
P
R
R
Torre Pedrera Falcons
Matteo
Marelli
27/02/2006
P
R
R
Baseball Softball Club Rovigo
Lorenzo
Morresi
16/07/2001
C/3B
R
R
Macerata Angels
Riccardo
Nepoti
08/06/2004
P
R
R
Bologna Athletics
Francesco
Pomponi
08/05/2002
P
R
R
San Marino Baseball Club
Corrado
Resca
14/11/2008
C
R
R
Grizzlies Torino 48 - Torino Cubs
Grizzlies
Mattia
Sireus
03/09/2002
P
R
R
BSC Grosseto 1952
Giacomo
Taschin
03/09/2006
P
L
L
Baseball Softball Club Rovigo
Federico
Virgadaula
14/07/2000
P
R
R
Codogno Bas. '67
Enrico
Zanchi
21/12/1999
P
R
R
Reggio Rays Baseball
They will be joined by some special guests including: Nicky Lopez (second baseman for the Chicago White Sox) and Brett Sullivan (catcher for the San Diego Padres), both starters for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC); Jac Caglianone, a talented pitcher and much talked about first baseman coming off his first pro season in Single-A Advanced with the Kansas City Royals, who selected him sixth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft; Ryan Castellani, who pitched in the Mexican League last season; and Luke Giusto, an eighteen-year-old prospect on the mound and in the infield from Napa Valley, California.
Others joining the Olympic Camp in Tampa are Samuele Bruno, an outfielder from BBC Grosseto, Edoardo Cornelli, a shortstop/second baseman playing for the Regensburg Academy, Samuele Gamberini, a twenty-one-year-old first baseman/catcher from Fortitudo Bologna, Alessandro Laise, an infielder from Crocetta Parma, Williams Wong, an infielder who completed his second year of Rookie League ball with the Texas Rangers, and Manuel Zazza, a nineteen-year-old infielder from the Academy of Nettuno who played for Nettuno 1945.
In addition, an open Team Italy tryout and showcase for Florida scouts will take place in Tampa. Among the participants are former Team Italy 2023 WBC pitchers Joey Marciano and Matt Festa, guest of honor, who recently signed with the Texas Rangers, and Christian Scafidi, formerly of Fortitudo Bologna, who is coming off a good Independent League ball season with Lake Erie.
Some new faces will help the Team Italy coaching staff to begin the path that leads to Los Angeles via the 2025 and 2027 European Baseball Championships and the 2026 World Baseball Classic. National Baseball Hall of Famer and Team Italy manager Mike Piazza along with coaching coordinator Gianguido Poma and Tampa Bay Rays Player Development Director Blake Butera will lead the charge.
After his presence at CON-X 2024, Philadelphia Phillies Double-A Reading Fighting Phils pitching coach Phil Cundari resumes his leadership role with Club Italia as a former Team Italy player in 1983 for the qualification for the Los Angeles Games and strong proponent of the pitching development program in view of Los Angeles 2028. In Arizona, he will work closely with Michele Gerali and pitching coaches Rolando Cretis, Roberto Corradini, Fabio Betto, Matthew Boccardi and Gianluca Poli.
The entire group will then meet in Surprise and join Kansas City Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney along with KC Royals manager Matt Quatraro and.Arizona Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo. Team Italy WBC coach/Los Angeles Angels Triple-A infield coach Jack Santora will also assist with hitting coach Caitlyn Callahan.
Former Black Panthers Ronchi and current Washington Nationals hitting coach Jim Hickey, Houston Astros hitting coach Andrew Cresci, and Toronto Blue Jays analyst Anthony Lucchese, will join the staff in Tampa.
Cincinnati Reds Director of Major League Strength and Conditioning Rob Fumagalli, who served as trainer for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and is scheduled to return to Italy in November to teach his second Physical Preparatory Course for Italian trainers, will once again be in charge of athletic preparation with Simone Bonaccorso. They will be supported by physiotherapists Marco Mennella and Massimo Baldi, who will also serve as equipment manager.
There has been a great deal of interest by MLB insiders and lovers of Italian baseball to participate in the Club Italia LA28 Olympic Baseball Camp so don't be surprised if a slew of other special guests join the festivities.
