With the 2026 World Baseball Classic less than a month away, the Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball (FIBS) has announced an elite preparation camp at Port Charlotte Sports Park in Southwest Florida from February 20 through early March, setting the foundation not only for this year’s WBC, but also the 2027 WBSC Premier12 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The official announcement was made February 5, 2026.
Italy will be led by manager and former Major League catcher Francisco Cervelli, joined by pitching coach Alessandro Maestri, bench coach Allard Baird, hitting coach Tomas Bison, and coaches Michele Gerali and Alberto d’Auria. Cervelli’s first managerial event came at the 2025 European Championships in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy, where Italy fell 6–5 to the Netherlands in the gold medal game.
