Italian Pro Series: the Selections of Marina Centrone

The first of many, an historic event for softball in Italy is ready to take place at the start of May. For the first time ever an American professional softball team will visit Italy, the presitgous USSSA Florida Pride which will play a series of friendlies against the defending European Champion Italian National of Marina Centrone.

A very important event for the growth and development of Italian softball. Not to be missed for all fans, but also certainly useful to the azzurri manager as the first step in the path towards the World Championships in Surrey, Canada. Overall the Italian voyage of the Pride will have three legs and four games: Montegranaro Monday May 2nd, Parma Tuesday May 3rd and Wednesday May 4, and Bussolengo Thursday May 5.

Marina Centrone, whose staff is composed of coaches  Monica Corvino and Paola Marfoglia and trainer Fabrizio Goracci, has named 23 athletes to the team: “This is the group which we will work with to arrive at the final selection of the 17 who will participate in the World Championships. A group to which we will add, obviously, Erika Piancastelli, who is breaing every college record in the United States. It is also obvious that”, continues Centrone “if the league regular season gives us other directions, there is still opportunity for any player. For now, however, we decided to begin with a precise number of athletes, even if, for various reasons, they won't all be able to accept this initial selection and participate.”

Pitchers: Ronchetti Alice (La Loggia), Greta Cecchetti (Bollate), Mara Papucci (Nuoro), Serena Boniardi (Bussolengo), Ilaria Cacciamani (Forlì).

Catchers: Sara Avanzi (La Loggia), Elisa Cecchetti (Bollate), Valeria Bortolomai (Bussolengo).

Infielders: Lara Cecchetti (Bollate), Laura Costa (Bollate), Melany Sheldon (Caronno), Giulia Longhi (Bussolengo), Elisa Grifagno (Forlì), Martina Laghi (Forlì), Eva Trevisan (Bologna), Priscilla Brandi (Bologna), Francesca Concina (Staranzano),

Outfielders: Beatrice Ricchi (La Loggia), Alice Parisi (Bollate), Lara Buila (Bollate), Elisa Oddonini (Caronno), Andrea Montanari (Forlì).

Utility: Marta Gasparotto (Staranzano)

Other than Piancastelli, Elisa Cecchetti is also still in the United States continuing her studies. Also unable to participate are: Costa, Oddonini e Montanari. Boniardi will be available only for a few of the games.
“For the rest, everybody is ready to go and be invovled, and I would especially like to point out the arrival as regulars the two very young players Laghi and Sheldon”, said Marina Centrone. “This will be a great opportunity, for us to take on such a talented team; for our coaches to study their professional and specialized training and practice routines (ndr  in the course of the day, as the 7pm game time draws closer, there will be clinics dedicated to the development of coaches and players); for the fans to have fun, and why not, for our movement to grow, become well known, and gain a few more fans.”.

The hopes of Marina Centrone are the hopes of the world of Italian softball. Surely merely on the playing field the opportunity for our athletes to take on such talented players is extremely useful, independent of the final scores. “In reality”, continued the azzurri manager “our objective will be to take the field and try to win: putting on the diamond always the best lineup possible, the most determined and ready to pull off an upset. Then, obviously, there are limits we can't go post: to not overwork our pitchers, for example, and also for other positions continuing to rotate our players and give all the athletes at bats and innings in teh field. That doesn't take away that we are taking the field to win, and if we can play to win against this amazing team, we will give it a try.”

This, however, is only the first step on the path towards the World Championships: there will be opportunity for all players, right?  “Yes, obviously. Along with my coaching staff I will bet watching all the ballparks all season to see who is having a good season, in a regular season that has started with great balance and a high level of play. It is however evident that we have to start to plan the selections, because from now until the World Championships in mid July which seems so far, but in reality is sneaking up on us. We will have, in fact, only the Torneo della Repubblica (ndr classic event at the start of June in Caronno Pertusella) and then our pre-World Championship training. We will also leave for Canada a few days before the start of the tournament, so by the end of June we will have to announce or list of selected players. So you can see the time available isn't as much as it might seem.”

Certainly this represents a great proving grouns. What do you expect from your players on the field? “This will realy help us: to get to measure oru level, to lend continuity to our work, and to raise our expectations. Paradoxically, the matchup with the USSSA Pride will be easier than that against Team USA. I will try to explain what I mean to not be misunderstood. It is obvious that the USA National Team is the highest expression of softball, even if then the passage to professional softball represents a jump in quality; it is also obvious that in the official competitions there is a hightened tension in the game, and everything becomes more difficult, but exactly for these reasons, in the coming days we will have the chance to practice and play with greater tranquility. Even the Pride, in fact, will be here to teach softball, with their clinics and the collaboration organized by Alessandro Bortolomai, who we would like to thank. Everything will be focused on a growth for our sport, and I think will provide greater serenity to our playing environment.”

On that note, what do you expect from the fans? “I don't know if these games will spark a passion for softball in someone that doesn't already have it, but I am sure that it will be a success and that whoever comes to the parks in Montegranaro, Parma oo Bussolengo, will be amazed at the quality of play. I wish to see many young players, from the softball schools, from the youth teams. I want to see large groups of girls at the park, and for them it would be a great learning opportunity.”

Like you would like to see the World Champions, one would imagine: “I don't deny that we are tired of getting close to the prize only to miss it by a hair, to arrive in extra-innings in qualification and then end up with nothing. THis should be the year to change that, and I believe that we can do it. The knock out round could help us in this tournament, and this group is mature and ready for a great outcome.”

by Michele Gallerani