The first phase of the 2015 Italian Baseball League’s round will come to a conclusion this weekend with two three game sets featuring UnipolSai Bologna (5-1) vs. the Rimini Pirates (4-2) and T&A San Marino (3-3) vs. Tommasin Padova (0-6). Next weekend all clubs will have a week off, except for UnipolSai Bologna… who will be locked up in the best of 3 European Champions Series with the Neptunus Rotterdam of Holland. All the week’s action will be getting underway this evening in Bologna (Thursday’s RaiSport2 TV Game) and San Marino. On Friday evening the series between Bologna and Rimini will shift to Rimini, while that between San Marino and Padova will be played out in Padova. Finally on Saturday all the action will be back in Bologna and San Marino (all games will be getting underway at 9:00 pm local time). On Saturday the 1st of August the Italian Baseball Federation will be recognizing the 100 year anniversary of the birth of Bruno Beck (1915 - 2003), a figure who was fundamental in not only Italian Baseball (President of FIBS 1969 - 1984), but also on an international level (President of the CEB and Vice President of IBAF).
This weekend UnipolSai Bologna will be welcoming back on their young outfielder Russo after he suffered a fracture in his hand just over a month ago. On the downside for Bologna, it is still unclear if they will be able to count on their foreign catcher Rodriguez, who is still recuperating from a muscle pull that he suffered during the first week of the postseason against Tommasin Padova. Going for Bologna’s manager, Nanni, tonight will be his American righty, Fleming, while games two and three starters will be Riccardo De Santis and Raul Rivero… the only thing unclear at this point is the order in which they will take the ball.
Bologna’s opponent this weekend, the Rimini Pirates, will look to counter against Fleming with their top foreign arm, Candelario on Thursday evening in Bologna. Rimini’s manager, Orlando Munoz, has also declared that it will be Richetti and Parise in games two and three with the order of the two yet to be determined. Munoz may also be juggling his lineup around over the next three games, toying around with last Saturday’s starting 9 that saw Bertagnon behind the dish, Zileri at 1st, Di Fabio 2nd, and Mazzanti at 3rd with Macaluso in left… a formula that posted 10 runs to Padova’s 0.
Next up is T&A San Marino, a team that finds themselves just one game off the pace of the second place Rimini Pirates and two games behind UnipolSai Bologna. At the moment San Marino looks to be a little bit banged up as they wont be able to count on their Italian starter, Andrea Pizziconi, who took a line drive off his chin in his start against Bologna a week ago. San Marino also looks to be without their regular shortstop, Santora, who will be available in limited action off the bench in a pinch hitting or pinch running role. Going on bump for San Marino tonight will be their foreign southpaw Rodney Rodriguez, with the other two names on the list for Friday and Saturday being Berg and Oberto. With Santora out look for Pulzetti to fill in at short, with Ermini at first and Vasquez in the outfield, while when the Italian takes the bump, it should be Vasqeuz at short, Morale at first and Ermini in left.
San Marino’s counterpart this weekend will be the winless Tommasin Padova… a club new to the IBL’s postseason atmosphere, but a squad that did take all four games against San Marino during the regular season. Going for Padova tonight in San Marino will be Quevedo, with Enrico Crepaldi most likely getting the ball on Friday in Padova, while their new foreign righty, Yorfrank Lopez, should get the nod in game three on Saturday evening when the series shifts back to San Marino.
