Olympics, baseball’s Italy plays ahead and launches its own challenge

Baseball Italy throws down the gauntlet at Five Circles

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The 2028 Olympic Games are four years away, but baseball's Italy, taking advantage of the discipline&#39s return to Los Angeles in the next edition, immediately launches its challenge and prepares a first Olympic camp in the United States, in Surprise, Arizona, at the facility that usually, during Spring Training, hosts the Kansas City Royals.

Twenty-six people have been summoned by the Blue manager, Mike Piazza:

Mattia    Aldegheri     19/02/1998           R      Baseball Team Verona
Gabriele    Angioi                       1949 Parma Baseball Club
Andres Antonio    Annunziata Nino     05/12/2005           R       Academy of Nettuno B.C – Nettuno B.C. 1945

Matteo    Bocchi                        1949 Parma Baseball Club

Ettore    Giulianelli                 R        Torre Pedrera Falcons

Lorenzo    Morresi                     Macerata Angels
Riccardo    Nepoti                R        Bologna Athletics
Francesco    Pomponi                R         San Marino Baseball Club
Corrado    Resca                R        Torino 48 – Torino Cubs Grizzlies

Giacomo    Taschin                          Baseball Softball Club Rovigo
Federico    Virgadaula                R         Codogno Bas. '67

Joining them directly in the U.S. will be Nicky Lopez and Brett Sullivan, second baseman and catcher committed to the Blue in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, Jac Caglianone, Ryan Castellani and Luke Giusto. Also arriving in a second phase of the camp, which will see the Azzurri move to Tampa, Florida, will be Samuele Bruno, Edoardo Cornelli, Samuele Gamberini, Alessandro Laise, Williams Wong and Manuel Zazza. Other names, such as Joey Marciano, Matt Festa and Christian Scafidi, will be added later.

Some "intersquad" matches will be played in Tampa, as well as the Club Italia College Series between the Azzurri and the University of Tampa Spartans, national champions of NCAA Division II in 2024.