Rottino Named One of Two Catchers to Team Italy Roster

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

La Crosse, Wis. – Former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse baseball standout Vinny Rottino has been named one of 28 players to the Team Italy Roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Rottino is one of two catchers on the final roster joining Francisco Cervelli of the New York Yankees organization.

Rottino was outrighted from the Milwaukee Brewers' 40-man roster earlier this month after the acquisition of veteran reliever Braden Looper, but as soon as he had cleared waivers the Brewers immediately added Rottino to their non-roster invitee list.

He has played in 18 major league games with the Brewers with two doubles, one run scored and four RBI. Rottino has played in 675 minor league games with a .295 batting average. He spent most of the 2008 season at Triple-A Nashville, where he was named a Pacific Coast League All-Star. Rottino was also a Pacific Coast League All-Star in 2006 and 2007 and was selected a Southern League All-Star in 2005. The Class-A Beloit Snappers team MVP in 2004, Rottino set a team record with 124 RBI in 140 games while being named to the Midwest League's midseason and postseason All-Star teams.

The first round of the World Baseball Classic opens in Tokyo, with defending champion Japan facing China. Mexico City, Toronto and San Juan, Puerto Rico, host the other three first-round brackets. Italy will face Venezuela in its first round game Saturday, March 7 in Toronto. The United States of America and Canada are also in the Toronto bracket.

The tournament will be run in a double-elimination format in the first two rounds, with the winners from Toronto meeting the winners from Puerto Rico in the second round at Miami's Dolphin Stadium. The winners from Tokyo will meet the winners from Mexico City in San Diego's PETCO Park.

The semifinals and final will be played March 21 and 23 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Rottino was named the 2002 Midwest Region Player of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America. A shortstop for the Eagles, Rottino was selected the 2002 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Position Player of the Year after setting single-season school records in at-bats (195), hits (80), runs (57), home runs (15) and doubles (19).

He was an All-Midwest Region First Team selection and All-America First Team pick in 2002. Rottino finished his career first in UW-L history in at-bats (587), hits (199), runs (129), doubles (50) and home runs (23). He also established WIAC career records in at-bats and doubles.