by Riccardo Schiroli

If week number six of the 2008 Italian Baseball League was kind of exciting, the 7th may be memorable. All of the series played during next weekend will be match ups with a lot of value for the postseason race and also to avoid the last position, that means falling to the Serie A2 for 2009.

In Nettuno Danesi will host T&A San Marino, while Cariparma will play at home against the defending champions Montepaschi Grosseto and De Angelis Godo will travel to the eastern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia to play the Rangers.

The weekend gets started on Thursday in Bologna, where the first place Fortitudo will host Telemarket Rimini. The match has been picked by the satellite and cable channel Rai Sport Più as their game of the week and will be available in all of Europe live (starting 9 pm CET).

Fortitudo has confirmed during the series against Nettuno they are way the best team in the league right now. They gave up one game and Nettuno had to battle through 17 innings to win it. Danesi didn't quite match Fortitudo defensively and this looks like the greatest advantage Bologna has, if compared to the other teams: they do not commit errors and do the little things right.

"The team is playing my game" confirms manager Marco Nanni, a former catcher in the IBL "I am very much focused on playing a good defense. We have been brilliant and I just hope we can continue".

Fortitudo will have FIBS Academy alumnus Matteo D'Angelo available starting this week end. The righthander, a Freshman at Winthrop University, South Carolina, may serve as the team's ace reliever in game two and three and as the team fourth starter during the postseason.

Rimini won't count on second baseman Jack Santora for game one. Team Italy's middle infielder has been suspended for one game after being ejected for slamming his helmet after a called third strike. After giving up a lead in three consecutive games in Grosseto in the 9th inning Rimini needs a couple of wins pretty badly.

It is very difficult to preview what will happen in Nettuno and Parma, but only sweeps will have a lot of weight on the races. The week after, for instance, San Marino will host Fortitudo and Parma will play two at home and one on the road against Rimini. Every team will have their chances intact after this weekend. But for sure, we will also be able to read clearer standings Sunday night. This applies to the top of the standings and to the last two positions. Godo has won one game so far while Redipuglia has yet to celebrate their first triumph in the top league. If De Angelis wins this series, there won't be much more to doubt about Redipuglia falling back to where they came from.