IABF was proud to sponsor a unique baseball experience for a group of U15 players from the United States recently in Grosseto, Italy.

Thanks to a relationship between Marco Mazzeri and Doug Williams, players from the Francisco Cervelli Academy Team in Italy, the Peninsula Mets from the States, and the Czech National Team participated in the exhibition tournament.

Mazzeri, who played for 20 years in the Italian Baseball League, is the former longtime Team Italy manager who led the Azzurri in three World Baseball Classics. Williams is the associate head coach at the College of San Mateo in California.

Both coaches celebrated the memory of Lambert Ford, a longtime mentor, friend, and coach who had been a link between Mazzeri and Williams for 40 years.

IABF will continue its journey of baseball development, youth experiences, and cultural exchange next week as a contingent of IABF leaders makes its way to several regions in Italy for clinics and meetings, including Grosseto.