Dutchie Oliver van der Wijst Severino will play in Italy in the upcoming season. The former minor leaguer was signed by the oldest baseball club in Italy, BC Nettuno 1945.
The 22-year old has played for a handful of clubs in the Dutch hoofdklasse. Van der Wijst debuted in 2014 at the age of sixteen with L&D Amsterdam Pirates. As he would have only one at-bat with Pirates, he moved to Kinheim in the following season. He would play the entire season with the rookie league team of Kinheim. Eventually in 2016 he played the whole season in the Dutch hoofdklasse with Kinheim. After that season he decided to move to Hoofddorp Pioniers together with a couple of his teammates. This would signal the end of Kinheim in the Hoofdklasse as the club stepped down to the Overgangsklasse (second-tier league).
Early 2017, Van der Wijst signed a seven-year minor league contract with the Houston Astros who placed him in the DSL (Dominican Summer League). Unfortunately, he did not last long with the Astros, who released him after two seasons in the DSL as he batted a modest .231 at the point of release.
After his return from the Dominican Republic, he returned to Hoofddorp Pioniers for whom he batted .351 in thirty-seven at-bats. Once again he moved to another club after the 2018 season as he joined HCAW from Bussum. He batted .284 in hundred and sixty-two at-bats. Van der Wijst is a utility player that can play most of the infield positions. Speed on the bases is one of his weapons.
It is remarkable that Olivier is choosing the Italian Serie A2 over the Dutch hoofdklasse.
Even though BC Nettuno 1945 applied for a spot in the Serie A1 at the end of 2019, the FIBS did not sustain the appeal. Nettuno 1945 has made some more deals including Ariel Soriano, who played with Rouen last season.
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