The Harvard baseball team has accepted an invitation from the Italian Baseball Federation (IBF) to play a three-week series of exhibition games in Italy this summer.

Official notification was given to the team yesterday after the trip was approved by the Standing Committee on Athletics and the athletic directors of the Ivy League schools.

Plans call for the team to fly to Rome on June 17 and spend a total of three weeks playing baseball. The Crimson is scheduled to play six games a week throughout the tour. Harvard's opponent for the opening series of games will be the Italian national team, which will be completing its preparations for the European championships which begin July 4. Afterwards, the team will travel through the countryside playing local amateur clubs.

"We've got more than just baseball planned," coach Loyal Park said yesterday. "John Volpe, the American ambassador to Italy, is giving us a reception at the embassy and we are trying to get an audience with the Pope. Also, each of the guys is getting an open-ended ticket, so that they can fly back after the tour or spend the rest of the summer in Europe.

The IBF has taken care of the arrangements and expenses for the stay in Italy. Airfare for the flights over and back is being raised from various sources including Harvard Friends of Baseball.

Pacific Precedent

A precedent for the Harvard baseball team travelling abroad was set in 1934 as the Crimson took a ten-week playing tour through the Pacific. The trip included games in Hawaii, several Pacific islands and Japan.

Ric LaCivita, second baseman for the Crimson said yesterday, "Oh gosh, this trip has been the only thing on our minds for a month now. We were afraid for a time that it might fall through after the trip we had planned last summer did."