Team Italy travels to Arizona for Minor League Baseball Camp and Instructional League Exhibition Series after Super 6
With Team Italy in the midst of the in the Netherlands, manager Gilberto "Gibo" Gerali has already big plans for the Azzurri's next great adventure when the squad gathers in Milan to depart for Phoenix International Airport on September 29, 2018. 
The Oakland Athletics have extended an invitation for Team Italy to use their Arizona Spring Training facility in Mesa as a home base for morning workouts beginning September 30. The Azzurri will then play eight Minor League Baseball Instructional League contests at nearby Phoenix area MLB training facilities.
The exhibition series kick off with a pair of games at the Oakland Athletics camp in Mesa on October 2-3 before heading west to Cincinnati Reds headquarters in Goodyear on October 4. Team Italy travels 25 miles northwest of Phoenix to Surprise for a game at Texas Rangers camp on October 5 before allowing for a day of rest on October 6. Team Italy gets back to work on October 8 with a trip to Glendale for a battle at the Los Angeles Dodgers complex followed by a rematch against the Oakland A’s in Mesa on October 10. The Italians return to Glendale for an exhibition contest against the Chicago White Sox on October 11 and end their Arizona road trip in a finale with the Kansas City Royals in Surprise on October 12.
Azzurri manager Gibo Gerali will be joined by coaches Augusto Medina, Dennis Cook, Alberto D'Auria, Rolando Cretis, William Horn and Rafael Colon as well as athletic trainer Gianni Natale, physiotherapist Massimo Baldi, and delegation manager Gigi Mignola.
The following players have been invited to participate: Alex Bassani, P (Rimini Baseball), Mattia Aldegheri, P (Baseball Team Verona), Samuel Aldegheri, P (Baseball Team Verona), Federico Celli, OF (Rimini BasebalL), Chris Colabello, INF (San Marino B.C.), Ludovico Coveri, P (San Marino B.C.), Filippo Crepaldi, P (Fortitudo B.C. 1953), Alessandro Deotto, C (1949 Parma BC), Diego Fabiani, P (Padova B.C.), Nico Garbella, OF (Rimini BasebalL), Giovanni Garbella, OF (Rimini Baseball), Aldo Koutsoyanopulos, INF (1949 Parma BC), Alessandro Maestri, P (Sydney Blue Sox / San Marino B.C.), Mattia Mercuri, INF (Nuova Città di Nettuno), Alberto Mineo, C (Toronto Blue Jays - Triple A Buffalo Bisons), Yuri Morellini, P (Rimini BasebalL), Angelo Palumbo, P (Bolzano BC), Ricardo Paolini, INF (1949 Parma BC), Andrea Pizziconi, P (Fortitudo B.C. 1953), Sebastiano Poma, OF (1949 Parma BC), Michele Pompani, P (1949 Parma BC), Claudio Scotti, P (Nuova Città di Nettuno), Leonardo Seminati, INF (Cincinnati Reds - Single A Billings Mustangs), Valerio Simone, P (Nuova Città di Nettuno), Mario Trinci, C (Nuova Città di Nettuno), and Alessandro Vaglio, INF (Fortitudo B.C. 1953).
Italian skipper Gibo Gerali looks for the older players on the squad to mentor the young prospects. In particular, he hopes Leonardo Seminati will shadow Chris Colabello while team captain Alessandro Vaglio shows the ropes to Ricardo Paolini. Manager Gibo Gerali has also invited a few players of Italian descent based in North America eligible to represent Team Italy in its bid to qualify for the 2020 Olympics to participate in the Arizona program. Forza #Italia! #ItaliaBaseball #LetsMakeItHappen
by Roberto Angotti
