After a couple of tries with a Team Europe in the Asia Winter Baseball League in Taiwan, now the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) is conquering selections from the Chinese Professional Baseball League, the Japan Amateur Baseball Association, Korea Baseball Organisation as well as Nippon Professional Baseball East and West with a worldwide WBSC team.
However there is still some European flavor on the team, as Steve Janssen is managing the coaching staff together with Manu Olivera, Renny Duarte, Kevin Randel and Andrea D’Auria. On the roster itself there are only a couple of players from European baseball with Rudy van Heydoorn from Verona, who has played for the Netherlands, T&A San Marino’s Erick Epifano, Leonardo Ferrini and Josh Kimborowicz, as well as Leo Rodriguez from Nettuno and Vicente Lupo from Redipuglia.
Among the other players probably Dante Bichette is best known on the team, while Nick Benedetto is also using the AWBL to score a new contract somewhere around the world.
Each of the six teams in the league will play 17 games from November 25 to December 17.
Roster:
