At the Seibu Lions' autumn camp, two pitchers from Italy, 17-year-old Mattia Muscio and 17-year-old Takuma Lupo, are participating as trainees. On the 2nd, the third day of the first session, they both took part in live batting practice against developmental players Okemu and Sawada at the club's facilities in Tokorozawa City, Saitama.

The left-handed pitcher Mattia is a huge fan of Japan. 'The Japanese players are wonderful, and the facilities are great. I also love Japanese culture and manners, so it is the best,' he said passionately, dreaming of spreading baseball in the soccer-dominated nation, adding, 'I hope more people in Italy will come to love baseball like I do.'

On the other hand, the right-handed Lupo has a Japanese mother. He became interested in Japanese baseball while visiting Japan during his vacations and started playing the sport. He revealed his experience watching games at Belluna Dome, saying, 'When I was about six years old, I stayed in Japan for about a month and would come to this stadium by bicycle to watch The Lions' games.' His eyes sparkled as he added, 'I was able to study by watching the professionals practice, and I learned a lot from watching them.'

Both players are also scheduled to participate in the same camp held at Shida Stadium in Izu City, Shizuoka, from the 4th to the 6th.