NETHERLANDS – The Royal Dutch Baseball and Softball Federation (KNBSB), and the Federation of Italian Baseball and Softball (FIBS), have agreed to a series of warm-up games between Europe’s top two national teams in preparation for the 2009 Baseball World Cup. Both Italy and the Netherlands will host second round action at the IBAF tournament.

Coach Marco Mazzieri’s Italian squad will travel to the Netherlands for a pair of tune-up games on September 8-9. The Dutch national team, led by former Tennessee Volunteers skipper Rod Delmonico, will travel to Italy on September 10-11 for two exhibition contests at Godo and Ravenna.

The two squads also battled in 2006 in a matchup billed as the European Baseball Series. The Dutch blanked the Italians 3-0 in the rubber match of a five-game series behind the heroics of teen pitching sensation Tom Stuifbergen.

The Netherlands are the five-time defending European Champions and have finished in fourth place at the last two World Cup tournaments. Italy, which has not won the European Championship in 12 years, won three out of seven games at the 2007 World Cup including a 1-0 upset against Team USA.

Photo courtesy of Marco Vasini/International Baseball Federation (IBAF)

Tags: Italy, Netherlands