No team enters the tournament hotter than the Italian national squad. The winners of the European Championship that took place in the Czech Republic in early July, the Italians thrived on the home run ball and dominated opponents en route to being crowned the continent’s champions and taking the top seed into the Europe/Africa Olympic qualifier.
Former Iowa all-American Lisa Birocci Banse is a member of the Italian national team’s roster. Then known simply by her maiden name, Birocci Banse earned a pair of all-American honors during her career as a Hawkeye and was named the Big Ten’s Pitcher of the Year in 2003. A longtime member of the Italian national team, Birocci Banse returned to the pitching circle to help the team qualify for the Olympics, after serving as a coach in previous years.
“Growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, I always took great pride in being an Italian-American,” Birocci Banse, who enjoys dual citizenship between Italy and the United States, said. “Now, I have such a deeper understanding of my own heritage. The pride I felt growing up has only grown!”
After several years on the collegiate coaching scene in the United States, Birocci Banse spent a pair of seasons as the pitching & performance coach for the Italian national team before resuming her natural spot in the pitching circle to help the squad qualify for the Olympic Games.
Birocci Banse said, “As I have gained competitive coaching and playing experience along the way, my game has only gotten better and expanded into being more of a utility player.” Now serving in more of a closer-style role in the pitching circle, Birocci Banse also plays in the outfield and at first base and notes that “I also can swing a bat much better than I ever did in college.”
“The happiest surprise of my career has been that my leadership role in relation to my position on the field has shifted and evolved,” Birocci Banse added. “Right out of college, I was only a pitcher. I had one role, and wasn’t expected to do much more… since then, I have coached in the USA at the Division I, Division III, and youth levels, I have also coached internationally for Team Italy, and now that I am back to playing, I think of myself as ‘glue’. I bind roles together that are needed for the team and have experience doing many things on the field, but I also add perspective to the team off the field.”
Speaking of Piancastelli, the former McNeese State star has continued her hard-hitting ways in an Italian uniform. Born in Italy before immigrating to the United States at age five, Piancastelli spent four years in a McNeese State uniform, with a pair of all-American awards to her own credit.
“[Playing for team Italy] means everything to me,” Piancastelli said. “Wearing Italy across my chest and representing my country is the most rewarding feeling. We represent our families and we represent one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Nothing can compare to this feeling.”
During the European Championship this summer, Italy lost just once, compiling an 11-1 record during that tournament. The Italians allowed a run in just three of their twelve games, reaching double-digits in their own scoring five times. Piancastelli finished second on the roster in the tournament with a .559 batting average and ten home runs, while Birocci Banse batted .441 with seven longballs in her own right.
“Playing in the European Championships this year was amazing!” Piancastelli said. “The way that this team played was record-breaking and so rewarding. We’ve put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get ready for this moment… we proved a lot of people wrong.” Birocci Banse noted, “I truly believe this team is up for the challenge and our conversations all surround our common goal.”
After clinching the European Championship title, members of the Italian team remained together as a unit, residing and training together. The squad had one notable roster change in advance of the Qualifier, adding former Auburn all-American Emily Carosone to the team. Carosone will enter international competition for the first time in her career.
With an Olympic berth just a few wins away, both Birocci Banse and Piancastelli noted that their team has a single, shared aim.
“This team has one mission: Tokyo 2020,” Birocci Banse said. “We have taken one hard-earned step at a time. European Championships were one of those hard-earned steps. Each step [that]we have taken, the excitement grows. The amount of heart it takes to train to the max when your teammates aren’t around you in the gym or on the field is incredibly difficult. It takes an extra gear, an extra ounce of commitment, an extra level of guts. I am so proud to call this group of women my teammates after having been their coach and watching them grow their own for the sake of Team Italy.”
Speaking on her team’s performance and fight en route to the European Championship title, Piancastelli said, “I saw a lot of fight in this team. Every time we stepped on that field, we had one objective and we accomplished that every single game. Even the game [that]we lost against the Netherlands, we never stopped fighting until the last out. There’s no doubt in this team; we know the work we have put in, and we know exactly what we need to do to reach our goals.”
Piancastelli owns the distinction of being the national team’s Captain, though it’s a role she says doesn’t come with a lot of added pressure. “Being the Captain of the national team is a huge honor for me. The amazing thing about this team is we are very united and even though I am team captain, I don’t feel this huge pressure from my teammates. We all have the same goal and we all work together to reach it… there’s so much respect for one another because of what we’ve had to go through to be where we are today.”
“I’m also so happy to have Erika Piancastelli as our captain,” Birocci Banse noted. “She’s the boss on and off the field and I’m happy to play my role behind her leadership.”
The Italian national team is seeking their third all-time berth in the Olympic softball tournament, having appeared in the 2000 and 2004 Games. During the European Championship, the Italian team went 6-1 against opponents who also reached the Olympic qualifier, with the sole loss coming to the Netherlands, a defeat the Italian squad later remedied in the tournament championship game.
