Mathieu Silva could barely contain his excitement. His father, Christian, had gathered the family together in their hometown of Bollate just outside of Milan to share an announcement. One which detailed an opportunity unlike any young Italian baseball player had ever experienced.

Mathieu -- a 13-year-old outfielder who represented Italy in the 2022 U-12 Baseball European Championship -- was invited to become the first to participate in a special project spearheaded by the Italian Baseball and Softball Federation (FIBS). He was heading to America, due to spend the next nine months training at a school that has produced nine future MLB Draft selections since 1995.