Team Italy manager Francisco Cervelli is no stranger to Italian baseball as he represented the Azzurri during the 2009 and 2017 World Baseball Classics. “It is a great honor for me to be appointed the manager of the Italian National Baseball Team. Since 2017, when I played my last World Baseball Classic, I have carried a mission in my heart: to help elevate Italy as a reference point for elite baseball in Europe. With humility and gratitude, I want to thank Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball for giving me this incredible opportunity. Representing Italy is not just a responsibility but a dream come true. Wearing this iconic uniform again fills me with pride, and I am ready to work tirelessly to lead this team and inspire future generations of Italian players.”

Before introducing the Italian players that are likely to compete for the Azzurri, let’s review How Team Italy can reach the 2025 European Baseball Championship finals. Although the Italians are considered outsiders, Team Italy would like nothing more than to win the Euro Baseball throne in Rotterdam, where the squad last won the championship title in 2012.

Older brother to Los Angeles Angels pitcher Samuel Aldegheri. Mattia Aldegheri has been a consistent starter for Team Italy internationally. During Haarlem Baseball Week on July 16, 2024 against Japan, the right-handed hurler pitched five innings and held the eventual champion of the tourney to three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks. He threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts against the Team Italy U23 squad on July 16, 2025 and started against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 12th (4 IP, H, 2 ER, 5 K, 4 BB).

Maurizio Andretta appeared in two contests at Haarlem Baseball Week 2022. After pitching a hitless inning with one strikeout against host Kingdom of the Netherlands on July 8th, he took the loss against undefeated Japan on July 12th (1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, K, BB). He was the stopper out the Azzurri bullpen at Haarlem Baseball Week 2024 when he kept opponents off the board in his two appearances. Against silver medal winner USA on July 14th, the right-handed pitcher threw 1.1 innings of relief and surrendered one hit. He also provided long relief in his four scoreless innings against Chinese Taipei on July 17th when giving up just four hits with one strikeout and two walks. At the 2023 European Baseball Championship, Maurizio Andretta kept Sweden off the board on September 25th (2.1 IP, 6 K, BB) and did it again when picking up the win against Switzerland on September 29th (2.2 IP, 5 K, BB). He pitched two innings of relief against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 12th and gave up just one hit with three strikeouts.

Up-and-coming pitcher Marco Artitzu blanked the Kingdom of the Netherlands at Haarlem Baseball Week 2024 on July 13th (2 IP, 1 H, 1 K), but was ambushed by Japan three days later (2.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB). He most recently made three appearances against Germany and the Kingdom of the Netherlands at the 2025 U23 European Baseball Championship (0-1, 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 5 K, 2 BB). Against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 12th, the promising reliever threw one hitless inning with one strikeout and one walk. He returned two days later against the Czech Republic to pitch two innings of relief and allowed one run with one strikeout and two walks.

Alex Bassani is a Team Italy pitching veteran who never gives up. He made his Azzurri pitching debut in 2017 and has been called upon in every international competition ever since. He earned the save in the 2021 European Baseball Championship bronze medal game against Spain and was the winning pitcher against Curacao at Haarlem Baseball Week 2022. The Bologna native was worth his weight in gold during Haarlem Baseball Week 2024 when allowing no hits against both the Kingdom of the Netherlands on July 13th (2 IP, 2 K) and Spain on July 15th (IP, K). However, the scouting report got out to his opponents a few days later when Chinese Taipei tagged him for three runs on four hits on July 17th. Most recently, Alex Bassani pitched two flawless innings of relief with two strikeouts against the Czech Republic during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 14th.

The 29-year-old Parma native competed in the 2008 Little League World Series while on the first-ever Italian squad (Emilia Little League) to play in the international youth competition and a decade later on March 20, 2018 became the first Italian-born student-athlete to play for the College World Series-bound University of Texas Longhorns. Right-handed pitcher Matteo Bocchi signed with the Chicago Cubs on June 13, 2019 and reached as high as AAA playing for the Iowa Cubs. During his two seasons in the minors, he compiled a 4-3 record with one save in 37 appearances (3.90 ERA. 94.2 IP, 109 K). He has since been the most consistent Team Italy starter. During Haarlem Baseball Week 2024, he took the loss against the Kingdom of the Netherlands on July 13th (4 IP, ER, 4 H, 6 K, 2 BB) and held his own against Chinese Taipei on July 17th (3 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 K, BB).

After signing with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016, Anzio-born Alessandro Ciarla returned to Italy to continue his pitching career. In his eight seasons to date, he has thrown 186.2 innings and amassed 244 strikeouts with an overall 3.33 ERA. The veteran pitcher held the Baseball Globetrotters scoreless (2 IP, H, 4 K, BB) during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 12th.

At Haarlem Baseball Week 2024, Luca Di Raffaele made three appearances. On July 13th against the Kingdom of the Netherlands, he pitched one inning and allowed one run on two hits. He faced Spain twice and fared better on the first encounter on July 15th when throwing 1.1 scoreless innings and later on July 18th gave up three runs on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks. During Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 14th against the Czech Republic, Luca Di Raffaele also made a brief relief appearance (0.1 IP, H, 2 R, BB).

Up-and-coming hurler and son of Azzurri legend Juan Carlos Infante, pitcher Juan Carlos Infante Jr. made two appearances in the recent 2025 U23 European Baseball Championship. He earned the win against Austria (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 7 K, BB) on August 7th before facing the Kingdom of the Netherlands in relief two days later (.1 IP, 2 H, R). During his four-year career playing for Modena, he has pitched 172.1 innings and produced 177 strikeouts with an overall 3.08 ERA. Against the Czech Republic during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 13th, the promising pitcher threw one hitless inning.

Signed by the Baltimore Orioles in December 2012, Angelo Palumbo pitched for four seasons in the Dominican Summer League (5-19, 3.55 ERA) before enjoying a successful career in Venezuela and Italy. He made his Azzurri pitching debut in the 2018 Super 6 Baseball Tournament when he picking up his first victory over Belgium on September 19, 2018 (5 .1 IP, 3 H, R, 4 K) and returned the following year to beat the Belgians again on September 11, 2019 (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 6 K) in the European Baseball Championship. The six-foot-three right-handed pitcher returned for this third Team Italy win against the Czech Republic on September 19, 2019 (6 IP, 7 H, R, 2 K). He later appeared out of the bullpen against the Kingdom of the Netherlands on September 21, 2019 and got both Dutch hitters he faced out easily. During Haarlem Baseball Week 2022, Angelo Palumbo made appearances against Curacao (4 IP, H, 0 ER, 4 K, 3 BB) and Cuba (IP, 1 H). Most recently, he pitched one scoreless inning against the Team Italy U23 squad on July 16, 2025 before taking the loss against the Czech Republic during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 14th (0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R).

Impressive at Haarlem Baseball Week 2024, pitcher Gabriele Quattrini earned the win over Spain on July 15th (6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 3 BB). Two years prior at Haarlem Baseball Week in 2022, he picked up another win against Cuba on July 13th (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 K, 2 BB). The Team Italy workhorse seeks redemption after two lackluster 2023 European Baseball Championship appearances against Sweden (3.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 K, BB) and Switzerland (3.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 7 K). Gabriele Quattrini limited the Czech Republic to one run on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk in his five-inning start during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 13th.

Working out of the Parma Clima bullpen during the past two seasons, pitcher Luis Santana has gained his share of Italian baseball fans because of his talent (2-0, 5.01 ERA, 23.1 IP, 29 K in 2024 and 4-1, 4.79 ERA, 47 IP, 56 K in 2025). He has spent nine seasons to date in Italy (27-20, 4.50 ERA 434 IP, 411 K). During Italian Baseball Week against the Czech Republic on September 14th, reliever Luis Santana made a less-than-desirable appearance (0.0 IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB).

A product of the FIBS Academy, Claudio Scotti signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 1, 2016. After two years in the Pirates organization, he returned to pitch for Team Italy during Haarlem Baseball Week and the Super 6 in 2018. The hard-throwing pitcher enjoyed success when signing with UnipolSai Bologna and leading the team to two consecutive Italian championship titles in 2019 and 2020 as well as winning the European Champions Cup in 2019. After pitching seven scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts for the Azzurri in the 2021 U23 European Baseball Championship in Verona and after two starts at the 2021 Senior Elite European Baseball Championship in Turin, he signed with the New York Mets on October 2, 2021. Claudio Scotti spent two seasons in the minor leagues before returning to Italy. He made two appearances at the 2023 European Baseball Championship (IP, H, R, 2 K, 2 BB). The right-handed hurler has since pitched two solid regular seasons for Parma Clima (2-1, 4.11 ERA, 30.2 IP, 42 K in 2024 and 5-1, 2.14 ERA, 46.1 IP 55 K in 2025).

Mattia Sireus made two relief appearances at the 2023 European Baseball Championship against Great Britain on September 26th (1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 K, 2 BB) and Croatia on September 30th (3 IP, 2 H, R, 3 K, 2 BB). He took the loss in his start against USA at Haarlem Baseball Week 2024 on July 14th (4.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 5 K, 2 BB). The young right-handed pitcher made his two relief appearances at the recent 2025 U23 European Baseball Championship. In 2.2. innings against the Kingdom of the Netherlands on August 8th, he surrendered four runs on five hits with one strikeout and one walk; however, the promising hurler came back strong two days later against the Czech Republic and threw 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Making a start during Italian Baseball Week 2025 against the Czechs on September 14th, Mattia Sireus threw 3.2 innings and allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

Signed by the Chicago Cubs in 2017, Miguel Fabrizio played in 181 games and spent five seasons in the minors (546 AB, 148 H, 74 R, 9 HR, 94 RBI, 10 SB .271 BA) before launching his career in Italy. His two seasons at Hotsand Macerata have been successful (195 AB, 60 H, 38 R, 5 HR, 41 RBI, .308 BA). The Team Italy cleanup hitter singled against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 12th. The reliable catcher returned two days later against the Czech Republic and hit an RBI double and later scored.

A bright spot during Haarlem Baseball Week 2024, slugger Samuele Gamberini raked at the plate (7-for-23, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .304 BA, .913 OPS) and was named Best Hitter of the tournament. At the recent 2025 U23 European Baseball Championship, the Azzurri cleanup hitter appeared in all five games (5-for-13, 2B, RBI, 6 BB, .385 BA).

Giaconino Lasaracina split time behind the plate and in right field during the 2025 U23 European Baseball Championship. The three-hole hitter went 4-for-16 with two doubles, two walks and two RBI. During his past four seasons playing in Italy for Collecchio and Settimo, he has produced massive numbers (.366 BA, .592 SLG, .440 OBP, 1.032 OPS). Against the Czech Republic during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 13th, the Team Italy DH went 3-for-4 with one double, three RBI and one run scored. He returned the following day against the Czechs and went 2-for-5 with one double, one RBI and one runs scored.

Under the guidance of the late and great FIBS Hall of Famer Bill Holmberg, catcher Alberto Mineo signed with the Chicago Cubs at age 16 on November 20, 2010. He remained in the Cubs organization for seven years before being claimed on the waiver wire by the Toronto Blue Jays on December 14, 2017. He reached as high as Triple-A ball in 2018. Mineo spent 2019 in Double-A before being signing again with the Chicago Cubs on February 12, 2020 and later returning to Italy, where he won two straight European Cups in Parma (2021-22). Having made his national senior team debut at the 2015 Premier 12 and subsequently represented Team Italy in all other major international competitions, he is one of the finest Italian-born and developed players in recent history. During the 2023 European Baseball Championship, he went 6-for-17 (.353 BA) with three doubles, four walks and three RBI. Alberto Mineo led Parma Clima to the 2024 Italian Baseball Series Championship title and Leones de León to the 2025 Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League Championship crown. During Italian Baseball Week 2025 against the Czech Republic on September 14th, he went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

FIBS Academy graduate Lorenzo Morresi was a solid contributor for Team Italy at the 2023 U23 European Baseball Championship (4-for 11, .364 BA, 2B, HR, 5 BB, 6 RBI) Later serving as designated hitter, catcher and third baseman during Haarlem Baseball Week 2024, Lorenzo Morresi had a big game against USA on July 24th when the utilityman went two-for-three with two runs scored and one walk. the run producer also crossed the plate in subsequent games against Spain, Japan and Chinese Taipei. Back home in Italy playing for Hotsand Macerata in 2025, he hit .368 with six doubles, one triple, three homers, nine walks and 13 runs scored. The versatile player served as DH and shortstop against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week 2024 on September 12th, when he went 3-for-4 (HR, 2 RBI). On the following day against the Czech Republic, the second baseman continued his hot-hitting ways going 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored.

At Haarlem Week 2024, Jesus Carerra put the ball in play with just three strikeouts in 25 at-bats. He collected seven hits (.280 BA) with two walks and five RBI. During his six seasons in Italy playing for the likes of Hotsand Macerata, he put together strong offensive numbers (699 AB, 263 hits, 61 doubles, six triples, 13 homers, 109 walks, 151 RBI, .376 BA). The Team Italy first baseman hit an RBI single against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 12th.

During the 2023 European Baseball Championship, Ricardo Paolini played well defensively at second base and jump-started the Azzurri offense at the top of the lineup (6-for-23, one double, six walks, three RBI. 261 BA). Between his two appearances at Haarlem Baseball Week (2022 and 2024), he has a combined .273 BA (12-for-44) with one double, three walks and two RBI. The Team Italy second baseman collected two hits against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week on September 12th. He returned two days later against the Czech Republic and went 1-for-2 with one walk, one RBI, one run scored and one stolen base.

Versatile infielder Gabriele Angioi singled against Japan during Haarlem Baseball Week 2024 on July 16th and walked, singled and scored one run two days later against Spain. He played for Italian powerhouse Parma Clima in 2024 (.328 BA) and in 2025 (.307 BA). The Team Italy leadoff hitter went 2-for-3 against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week on September 12th. A day later In game one against the Czech Republic, he went a perfect 4-for-4 with one walk, one RBI and one run scored. Gabriele Angioi returned to the top of the Azzurri lineup in game two against the Czechs, picked up another hit and later scored.

Signed by the New York Yankees in 2011, Renzo Martini spent five years in the minor leagues before playing in his native Venezuela. During his six-season career playing in Italy’s Serie A, corner infielder Renzo Martini has compiled an impressive .368 batting average with 63 doubles, 19 home runs, 167 RBI and 85 walks. He singled, doubled and scored against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 12th. Then the Italian slugger went 3-for-4 (home run, five RBI and two runs scored) on the following day against the Czech Republic. He once again raked at the plate in game two against the Czechs on September 14th, when going 2-for-3 with one triple, one RBI and one run scored.

In the 2023 European Baseball Championship, Nathanael Batista went 8-for-22 (.364 BA) with seven walks, six RBI and four runs scored. At Haarlem Baseball Week 2024, the agile outfielder hit ..357 with one double, one homer, two walks and three RBI. He recently led San Marino to the 2025 Italian Baseball Series Championship title after putting together good regular season stats (.283 BA, nine doubles, one triple, five home runs, 26 walks and 23 RBI). During Italian Baseball Week 2025 against the Czech Republic on September 13th, the left fielder went 2-for-5 with one double, two RBI and two runs scored. He came back the following day against the Czechs and collected another hit, RBI and walk.

SIgned by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019, Jhorjan Guevara played two seasons in the minor leagues (.221 BA, nine doubles, HR, 23 BB, 14 SB) before launching an eye-popping career in Italy for Modena (2024: .365 BA, nine doubles, two triples, three home runs, 10 walks, 25 RBI, 12 SB; 2025: .476 BA, 10 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 14 walks, 29 RBI, nine SB). He singled and walked against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 12th. On the following day against the Czech Republic, the center fielder went 4-for-4 with two runs scored. The Team Italy power hitter had another monster day against the Czechs on September 14th, when going 2-for-3 with one home run, one walk, two runs scored and one stolen base.

Representing Team Italy in the 2021 European Baseball Championship, leadoff hitter Noel González was an integral part of the Azzurri bronze-medal squad. During his five-year career playing for Parma Clima, he has put together incredible numbers (.370 BA, 56 doubles, seven triples, seven home runs, 99 BB, 128 RBI, 12 SB). Against the Czech Republic during Italian Baseball Week 2025 on September 13th, the Cuban native went 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. He returned the following day against the Czechs and registered one hit, one walk, one RBI, one run scored and one stolen base.

Playing primarily third base with one start in right field for Team Italy at Haarlem Baseball Week 2024, Filippo Agretti was a bright spot in the Azzurri lineup (8-for-24, .348 BA, double, walk, four RBI). He had a monster 2025 season for Bologna (.354 BA, 11 doubles, three triples, 37 walks, 15 RBI, 6 SB). Against the Baseball Globetrotters during Italian Baseball Week on September 12th, the dependable utility man played left field, singled and later scored. He came back two days later against the Czechs and picked up an RBI.

Returning to Rotterdam, where Team Italy last won the 2012 European Baseball Championship title, is a dream come true for the Azzurri as the Italians seek redemption to recapture the gold magic again thirteen years later.

Assuming victories in the games listed below, Team Italy will once again be at the throne of Euro baseball.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 1:30 pm (ET) Team Italy vs. Group B fourth-place finisher (Kingdom of the Netherlands, Great Britain, France and Israel)

Thursday, September 25, 2025 1:30 pm (ET) Team Italy vs. Group A leader (Spain, Germany, Czech Republic and Sweden)

Friday, September 26, 2025 1:30 pm (ET) Team Italy vs. Semifinalist or Group A runner-up (Spain, Germany, Czech Republic and Sweden)

Saturday, September 27, 2025 1:30 pm (ET) Team Italy vs. Finalist or Group B leader or runner-up (Kingdom of the Netherlands, Great Britain, France and Israel).

Watch all the action live by clicking HERE or get the latest scores by clicking HERE. Forza #Italia!