University of Tampa Coaches Joe Urso, Sam Militello, and Russ Bruno Serve as Featured Clinicians During Italian American Baseball Foundation Development Trip in Italy
CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA, Italy — University of Tampa head baseball coach Joe Urso, assistant coach Sam Militello, and alum Russ Bruno recently served as featured clinicians on a highly successful international baseball development trip hosted by the Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) in Italy. Tampa alum Fred Pollock also joined them on the journey.
The four-day initiative, held this summer across multiple Italian cities, was part of IABF's mission to grow the game globally and strengthen ties with Italy. The trio from UT joined a distinguished group of baseball professionals—including Team Italy manager and former MLB catcher Francisco Cervelli, Steel Sports' Keith Osik (MLB), and Jeff Caglianone—to deliver clinics and coaching sessions to more than 100 players and coaches from across the country.
"It was an honor to represent the University of Tampa and work alongside such an incredible group of professionals to help grow the game internationally," said Urso, who has led UT to multiple NCAA Division II national championships. "This was about sharing knowledge, building relationships, and inspiring the next generation of players and coaches in Italy."
The development trip included a series of clinics at the Francisco Cervelli-IABF Academy, as well as in Parma and Bologna. It also featured the first-ever IABF Coaches Clinic in Castiglione della Pescaia.
"The passion for baseball in Italy is remarkable," said Militello, a former MLB pitcher with the New York Yankees and Tampa Spartans standout. "To be able to give back to the game on this level and connect with players and coaches from another country is something I'll always cherish."
IABF officials on the trip included President and co-founder Joe Quagliano, Vice President and co-founder Carmine Gangone, and Executive Trustee and Head of Communications Chris R. Vaccaro.
ABOUT IABF
Founded to honor Italian American heritage and grow baseball in Italy, IABF supports scholarship programs for Italian and Italian American student-athletes, spearheads Italian heritage games across Major and Minor League Baseball, and leads international player development initiatives. As Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has noted, no one in the world is doing what IABF is when it comes to heritage- and culture-based global baseball development through nonprofit work. Learn more IABF.Foundation.