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World Baseball Classic team celebrates home runs with dugout espresso shots

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Every team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) has its own unique celebrations for home runs, whether it’s a special jacket from the Dominican Republic or coordinated handshakes with Team USA. 

But Team Italy might have the best one of all – the players take an espresso shot, which is made from a machine that sits right in the dugout. 

It’s about as Italian as it gets. 

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Dante Nori celebrates home run

Dante Nori of the Italy celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the seventh inning against Brazil during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Brazil and Italy at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

The machine sits toward the end of the dugout, but players and coaches can get their quick caffeine fix. And it isn’t anything new from this group. 

During the 2023 WBC, there was a Nespresso machine in the dugout, and it worked out for the team. They made it out of their group stage for just the second time ever in the tournament. 

So, why not bring it back? 

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First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who stars for the Kansas City Royals, seems to be the ring leader with the machine when a player goes yard, too. After making the player who hit the home run an espresso shot, he gives them a kiss on both cheeks – a traditional sign of affection by Italians. 

“In Italy, we drink coffee about 20 times a day,” manager Francisco Cervelli, who used to catch in the big leagues, said, via MLB.com. “It’s a tradition. You’re walking down the road. You see a coffee spot, get some coffee. Then you chitchat, and then keep walking and do the same thing all over and over again. That’s how Italy is.”

Vinnie Pasquantino salutes espresso

Vinnie Pasquantino of Team Italy holds up an espresso shot during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team Brazil and Team Italy at Daikin Park on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB)

Cervelli, who became Italy’s manager in January 2025, said that the espresso machine “goes everywhere with us,” and he learned that with the European Baseball Championship last year as well. 

“It’s something normal. We got it on the bus. We’ve had it in the dugout, everywhere.”

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Whether superstition or not, Italy has seen early success in Houston’s Pool B, which also features Team USA. They are 2-0 in the tournament thus far, defeating Brazil, 8-0, and taking down Great Britain, 7-4, on Sunday. 

Team Italy player celebrates home run

Dante Nori of Team Italy drinks an espresso shot in the dugout after hitting a home run in the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team Brazil and Team Italy at Daikin Park on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB )

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Italy’s next contest will be against Team USA on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Celebrate International Women’s Month by watching ONE Championship’s CRAZIEST women’s KO’s in history

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To celebrate International Women’s Month this year, ONE Championship paid tribute to its top-notch female fighters by sharing on social media some of the craziest knockout finishes they have fashioned.

ONE uploaded a 13-minute video on its official YouTube channel featuring impressive KO performances and the unparalleled heart of women warriors in the promotion’s history.

Leading the video package is double world champion Stella Hemetsberger’s opening-round KO of Polish opponent Vanessa Romanowski in their Muay Thai battle at ONE Friday Fights 104 in April last year. Midway into the first stanza, the Austrian sensation set up a crisp combination, which she capped with a clean head kick that instantly dropped her opponent unconscious.

The win continued her impressive run in ONE Championship‘s Friday Fights series before ascending to the promotion’s main roster.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Thai superstar Stamp Fairtex’s second-round KO of Alyse Anderson of the United States at ONE Fight Night 10 in May 2023 also makes the video package. The former three-sport world champion introduced herself to a wider American audience in the Denver, Colorado event, when she stopped Anderson with a crushing body kick that rendered the latter unable to continue.

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Atomweight kickboxing world champion Phetjeeja’s successful return to Muay Thai at ONE Fight Night 38 in December is spotlighted as well. ‘The Queen’ pummeled Polish striker Martyna Dominczak with powerful punches for an opening-round TKO finish.

Jackie Buntan, too, is also part of the video feature with her first-round demolition of Australian Diandra Martin at ONE Fight Night 10. The Filipino-American striker showcased her punching power with a solid combination to the body and head from which her opponent could not recover from.

Other female fighters whose KO finishes are included in the feature are ONE atomweight world champions Allycia Hellen Rodrigues (Muay Thai) and Denice Zamboanga (MMA), Burmese star Vero and retired former ONE world champion Janet Todd.

Check out ONE Championship’s video post below:

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Stella Hemetsberger adds her name to ONE Championship’s stellar female champions

Austrian striker Stella Hemetsberger has been with ONE Championship for one-and-a-half years and has been unstoppable. She punctuated it by becoming world champion in her last two matches.

The 27-year-old Phuket Fight Club affiliate became the ONE strawweight Muay Thai queen in her fourth fight in the promotion. She vied for the vacant belt and dominated Jackie Buntan in their five-round championship fight at ONE Fight Night 35 last September to win by unanimous decision.

She then followed it up with another world title win last month at ONE Fight Night 40, taking Buntan’s strawweight kickboxing gold. While Buntan put up a tougher stand than in their first encounter, Hemetsberger stayed the course and held on for the split decision victory.

Hemetsberger is thrilled with how things have panned out for her in ONE Championship, but said she is not yet done going for greater heights.

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