Italy Faces Venezuela in WBC Semi-Final: A Blend of Heritage and Baseball Excellence

Tonight, Italy makes history in baseball, at least within Europe, as they compete for a spot in the final of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) against Venezuela. This invitational tournament, established in 2011, has effectively succeeded the traditional World Cup in prominence.

The Italian team reaches the semi-final undefeated, boasting four wins in the group stage and one in the knockout round. Their opponents, Venezuela, advanced with a knockout victory against the Dominican Republic and four successes of their own. The anticipated starting pitchers are Aaron Nola for Italy and Michael Lorenzen for Venezuela – both having demonstrated strong performances with no earned runs allowed in their previous innings pitched.

Italy’s manager, Francisco Cervelli, has made two changes to the lineup compared to their quarterfinal win against Puerto Rico. Joe Jacques will take over from Dylan DeLucia, who is ineligible due to pitch count rules after throwing 58 pitches in the previous game. Brayan Rocchio replaces the injured Miles Mastrobuoni in the infield.

The Italian Roster at the WBC

Here’s a breakdown of the Italian team set to take the field tonight:

Pitchers

• Sam Aldegheri (24 years old) – Fresh York Yankees – Verona, Italy
• And Altavilla (33 years old) – Minnesota Twins – Greenock, Pennsylvania, United States
• Matt Party (33 years old) – Cleveland Guardians – Brooklyn, New York, United States
• Gordon Graceffo (25 years old) – St. Louis Cardinals – Wayne, New Jersey, United States
• Alek Jacob (27 years old) – San Diego Padres – Spokane, Washington, United States
• Joe Jacques (31 years old) – New York Mets – Shrewsbury, New Jersey, United States
• Joe At Sorsa (27 years old) – Pittsburgh Pirates – Mount Kisco, New York, United States
• Michael Lorenzen (34 years old) – Colorado Rockies – Anaheim, California, United States
• Ron Marinaccio (30 years old) – San Diego Padres – Toms River, New Jersey, United States
• Kyle Nicolas (27 years old) – Cincinnati Reds – Massillon, Ohio, United States
• Aaron Nola (32 years old) – Philadelphia Phillies – Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States
• Adam Piccolo (40 years old) – New York Yankees – Manhattan, New York, United States
• Gabriele Money (29 years old) – Hotsand Macerata Angels – Potenza Picena (Macerata) Italy
• Claudio Scotti (28 years old) – Parma Clima – Rome, Italy
• Greg Weissert (31 years old) – Boston Red Sox – Bay Shore, New York, United States

Receivers (Catchers)

• J.J. (Javier Jesus) D’Orazio (25 years old) – Los Angeles Angels – Maracay, Venezuela

Interior (Infielders)

• Sam Antonacci (23 years old) – Chicago White Sox – Springfield, Illinois
• Jon Berti (36 years old) – free agent – Troy, Michigan, United States
• Zach Ditzo (25 years old) – Houston Astros – Canton, Ohio, United States
• Andrew Fischer (21 years old) – Milwaukee Brewers – Brick, New Jersey, United States
• Mickey Gasper (30 years old) – Boston Red Sox – Merrimack, New Hampshire, United States
• Renzo Martini (33 years old) – San Marino – Valera, Venezuela
• Vinnie Pasquantino (28 years old) – Kansas City Royals – Richmond, Virginia, United States
• Thomas Wisdom (23 years old) – St. Louis Cardinals – Carlsbad, California, United States

Esterni (Outfielders)

• Jac Caglianone (23 years old) – Kansas City Royals – Tampa, Florida, United States
• Dominic Song (28 years old) – Seattle Mariners – Cleveland, Ohio, United States
• Jakob Marsee (24 years old) – Miami Marlins – Dearborn, Michigan, United States
• Nick Morabito (22 years old) – Syracuse Mets – McLean, Virginia, United States
• Dante Nori (21 years old) – Philadelphia Phillies – Toronto, Canada

Technical Staff

• Francisco Cervelli – Manager – Caracas, Venezuela
• Ron Wotus – Assistant Coach – Hartford, Connecticut, United States
• Frank Menechino – Batters Coach – Staten Island, New York, United States
• Jorge Posada – Assistant Hitting Coach – Santurce, Puerto Rico
• Alessandro Masters – Pitchers’ Trainer – Cesena, Italy
• Dave Righetti – Pitching Coach – San José, California, United States
• Allard Baird – First Base Coach – Rochester, New Hampshire, United States
• Lipso Nava – Third Base Coach – Maracaibo, Venezuela
• Sal Fasano – Bullpen Coach – Joliet, Illinois, United States
• Andres Antonio Nino Annunziata – Bullpen Catcher – Rome, Italy
• Drew Rossi – Bullpen Catcher – Scranton, Pennsylvania
• Jack Santora – Pitcher in Batting Sessions – Monterey, California, United States

March 16, 2026

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