by Riccardo Schiroli

The 6th weekend of the Italian Baseball League will answer a few questions. The best 4 teams play against one another and the number 5 and 6 teams (San Marino and Parma) may have an advantage.

There's a lot of anticipation about the series in Bologna between the unbeatable (14 wins in a row after losing the season opener against San Marino) Fortitudo and the favorites Danesi Nettuno, a team that has been able to overcome injuries (Menechino, Carrara and Cruz, all of their former Big Leaguers, had to stop because of this and 'rookie' Renato Imperiali is out for another week at least) and can be right now the best test possible for Bologna. Nettuno is the only team that has better figures than Bologna in a team accomplishment: in home runs. For the rest Fortitudo is the best hitting team (over .300 average), has the best pitching staff (less than 2 ERA) and the best defense (only 10 errors in 15 games).

A lot of tension is expected in Grosseto, where the defending champions Montepaschi will try a comeback from the sweep they experienced against Bologna last week. Grosseto is struggling with the pitching staff. Two of the projected starters (Team Italy's Junior Oberto and Riccardo De Santis) are sidelined and their top reliever (former Big Leaguer Anthony Ferrari) is playing under pain. Telemarket Rimini didn't come out fully satisfied from last week end. They played solid baseball, but gave up the only win De Angelis Godo has enjoyed so far.

Godo will open the weekend in Parma against Cariparma Thursday night at 9 CEST (the game is broadcasted live on Rai Sport Più satellite, that can be seen in all of Europe, starting 10 p.m. CEST). The parmesans will have Hector Mercado, their new left hander, make his debut and can definitely start over their season. In full emergency they have put together a 7-8 record that is not too bad, considering the circumstances and have overcome a lot of trouble, including an incredible mistake by their coaching staff in a substitution (while the team was leading 13-8 in the 9th, during game 2 against San Marino) that left the team with less players of* the Italian School of Baseball (ASI) than required by FIBS rules. San Marino filed the protest but committed a formal error that allowed Parma to maintain the win despite their error. Parma won't count on third baseman Garcia Belizzi during the week end but hopes on a comeback from shoulder trouble by right hander Roberto Corradini.

T&A San Marino will also have a potentially good week end against the winless Rangers Redipuglia. Redipuglia will have Canadian born 'rookie' Steve Baldinelli (a dual citizen who has just graduated from Niagara University, while playing DH in the NCAA first division) make his debut in the IBL during the week end.