Team Italy Spring Training in Sicily is a big hit in Messina

FIBS president Andrea Marcon and vice president Fabrizio De Robbio hit the ball out of the park when they entered into an agreement with the University of Messina and the Centro Universitario Sportivo to host Team Italy Spring Training at Stadio Primo Nebiolo from March 3-18, 2018. Since the day Azzurri manager Gilberto Gerali and 29 of the best Italian players arrived in the third-largest city on the island of Sicily, the local media have been chasing Team Italy like paparazzi.

During the first week of Spring Training, Team Italy hosted three exhibition games against Germany. On Thursday, March 8, 2018, Azzurri skipper Gilberto Gerali called on dependable veteran Alessandro Maestri to pitch the first two innings of game one. Relievers Yomel Rivera and Ludovico Coveri also pitched two innings each before closer Valeria Simone struck out two of three battters he faced. Despite strong pitching performances overall, Team Italy failed to get on the board, and the Germans prevailed in a 3-0 shutout. The Italians returned the favor on the following day in game two by blanking Germany 3-0. Team Italy pitchers Andrea Pizziconi, Milvio Andreozzi, Michele Pomponi, Filippo Crepaldi, and Nicolo’ Clemente combined solid efforts to hold Germany scoreless. In the third and final game of the exhbition series on Saturday, March 10, 2018, Team Italy manager Gilberto Gerali handed the ball to pitchers Alex Bassani, Claudio Scotti, Diego Fabiani, Luca Panerati, and Yuri Morellini. Despite limiting the Germans to just one run, the Team Italy offense once again came up empty as in game one, and Germany went on to win the rubber match 1-0.

Week two in Messina for Team Italy begins with extensive strength, conditioning and training exercises up until the time of their next set of exhibition games, which will be against the Czech Republic from March 15-17, 2018. Forza #Italia! #LetsMakeItHappen

by Roberto Angotti