One of the strongest Softball league in Europe kicks off their new season today. The Italian Serie A1 starts with matchups between DES CASERTA against MACERATA, EUROPROMO TITANO HORNETS against SANOTINT BOLLATE, AMGA LEGNANO against MUESO D’ARTE NUORO and CASSA PADANA against FIORINI FORLI.
During last years campaign LEGNANO surprised regular season SANOTINT with three victories in three games in the Final Series to win the championship. However it is going difficult to repeat the success. MACERATA and FORLI, which had lost in the semi-finals, were the most active clubs this winter. BOLLATE and AMGA rely mostly on last season’s roster.
The playoff participants of 2007 in addition to CASERTA and the promoted club HORNETS from San Marino should be considered as favorites for the top four spots. NUORO and PARMA are in danger of relegation.
To take a look at all players on the roster of the clubs check out the great media guide (pdf-file), which was published last week.
The past five champions:
2007 Amga Legnano
2006 Fiorini Forli
2005 Sanotint Bollate
2004 Mosca Macerata
2003 Sanotint Bollate
An overview over some transactions:
Legnano
New: Simmone Morrow (AUS)
Gone: Zhang Yan Qing (CHN)
Bollate
New: Valentina Marazzi
Gone: Sandra Bosdachin
Macerata
New: Luana Luconi, Lindsey Cameron (USA), Megan MacKenzie (CAN), Serena Settlemier (USA), Debora Esposito
Gone: Stacey Porter (AUS), Tatiana Holodnow (AUS), Daisy DePeinder (NED), Giovanna Palmeri, Pam Mazzarella (USA*), Serena Filiput
Forli
New: Sara Avanzi, Serena Filiput, Stephanie Ray (USA*), Miranda Ervin (USA), Kasi Carroll (USA), Julie Saporito (USA*)
Gone: Becky Iaacino (USA*), Sara Ghezzi, Jessica Sallinger (USA), Carlotta Zauli
Nuoro
New: Tiffany Haas (USA), Jocelyn McCallum (AUS)
Gone: Shelley Gwynne (AUS), Mel Roche (AUS), Theresa Hornick (USA), Valentina Marazzi, Shanel Garofalo (USA*), Ambra Collina
Caserta
New: Mel Sanchez (USA), Grace Leutele (USA), Becky Iaacino (USA*), Catherine Bishop (AUS), Valentina Tarricone
Gone: Belinda Summerville (AUS), Danica Howlett (AUS), Lacee LePrey (USA), Candice Molinari (USA*), Francesca Francolini, Natalia Cimin
Parma
New: Jenny Scrymgeour (USA), Whitney Holum (USA)
Gone: Eliizabeth Buck (USA), Valentina Tarricone, Claudia Bernardi
San Marino
New: Sandra Bosdachin, Karen Paviotti, Lacy Wood (USA), Lauren Roussell (USA), Ashley Hamby (USA), Candice Molinari (USA*), Ambra Collina
Gone: Luana Luconi, Kristina Schmallen (USA)
* does have Italian passport
Schedule for this weekend:
Saturday April 5th (doubleheader)
18:00 Des Caserta – Mosca Macerata
18:00 Europromo Titano Hornets – Sanotint Bollate
18:00 Amga Legnano – Museo d’arte Nuoro
18:00 Cassa Padana Parma – Fiorini Forlì