For the first time a European selection is going to participate in the Asia Winter League, which also includes teams from Nippon Professional Baseball, Korea Baseball Organisation and the Chinese Professional Baseball League. The AWL will be played from November 25 to December 20 in Taiwan. Players between 17 and 26 years were selected from the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Croatia, Spain and the Czech Republic. The coaching staff is led by Gilberto Gerali, Eugene Kingsale, Ivan Rodriguez and Renny Duarte. The invitation of a European team builds on the success of this March’s Global Baseball Match between Japan and Europe at the Tokyo Dome.
Team Europe Roster at AWL:
Pitchers: Milvio Andreozzi (Nettuno 2), Leonel Cespedes (Templiers de Sénart), Filippo Crepaldi (Fortitudo Bologna), Lucas Dickman (Buchbinder Legionaere), Diego Fabiani (Tommasin Padua), Gianny Fracchiolla (Buchbinder Legionaere), Kruno Gojkovic (Olimpija Karlovac), Lars Huijer (Vaessen Pioniers), Owen Ozanich (Rouen Huskies), Maikel Rietel (Vaessen Pioniers), Javier Sanchez (Atlanta Braves), Robin Schel (L&D Amsterdam), Matz Schütte (Minnesota Twins), Bryan Sheldon (Tommasin Padua), Daniel Thieben (Untouchables Paderborn)
Catchers: Alessandro Deotto (Parma), Chris Howard (Buchbinder Legionaere), Alberto Mineo (Chicago Cubs)
Infielders: Premek Chroust (Draci Brno), Freddy Noguera (Parma), Rashid Gerard (L&D Amsterdam), Luca Martone (Padova), Mattia Mercuri (Nettuno 2), Kevin Weijgertse (HCAW)
Outfielders: Sam Buelens (Toronto Blue Jays), Maik Ehmcke (Arizona Diamondbacks), Daniel Fernandes (Curaçao Neptunus), Federico Giordani (Los Angeles Dodgers), Urving Kemp (Curaçao Neptunus), Sebastiano Poma (T&A San Marino)