Matt Tenaglia looked relaxed and comfortable as he took a seat at the conference table for Monday morning’s official signing ceremony to accept a baseball scholarship to James Madison University.
“It’s what he worked for his whole life,” his father Mike said to Central Bucks East coach Kyle Dennis.
Tenaglia, a senior at East, has worked hard at a sport that is his passion. He also possesses plenty of natural talent, and the all-star third baseman has found himself in a starring role since he stepped onto the diamond as a sophomore.
“He possesses all the skills,” Dennis said. “He can run, he can hit, and he can throw.
“He can do everything you’d want out of a baseball player. He can hit for power, he can hit for average, and he can come in and pitch for you. He can dominate a game.”
Tenaglia chose JMU over a final list that included Delaware, Elon and Florida Southern.
“I looked at James Madison, and I just knew right away,” he said. “When I was walking around the school, talking to the coaches and meeting some of the players, I thought, ‘This is the place I’ve got to be.’
“It just hit me.”
Baseball has been part of Tenaglia’s life for as long as he can remember.
And exactly when did he decide he wanted to play at the collegiate level?
“When I knew what college was pretty much,” Tenaglia said with a laugh. “I’ve been playing baseball since I was three years old. I’ve always wanted to play baseball at the highest level.”
College is the next step in a progression that could end even higher.
Tenaglia – who made the varsity as a freshman but opted to play with his ninth grade team – hit at a .480 clip as a sophomore.
It didn’t take long to figure out he belonged at the varsity level even though he found himself in an unfamiliar position.
“When I just started playing varsity, they put me at third base, and I had always played shortstop all my life,” Tenaglia said. “I remember being pretty nervous playing third base because it wasn’t comfortable to me.
“I remember one of the first plays I got at third base was a backhand play, and I made it. That’s when I started to feel comfortable at third.”
As impressive as Tenaglia’s numbers were when he was a sophomore, they were even better when he was a junior.
Tenaglia hit .500 for the season last spring and led the Patriots in just about every offensive category, including hits (30), home runs (four), total extra base hits (12), slugging percentage (.867), total bases (52) and on-base percentage (.583).
“Just looking at some of his numbers – they’re incredible,” Dennis said. “He’s been very clutch for us all season. Having him on the team makes coaching a lot easier - he’s a leader. He can almost put a team on his back sometimes and really carry a team. “
On the mound, Tenaglia compiled a 3-1 mark with a 2.23 earned run average.
“When he came in and pitched for us late in the season, it really turned our entire season around,” Dennis said. “We had a decent start, but when he came in and pitched, it completely changed everything around.”
Tenaglia’s selection of JMU brought to an end an intense recruiting process that began in earnest when the phone calls started coming on July 1.
“I remember talking to my dad when the colleges started calling – ‘Wow, this is really overwhelming. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to start,’” Tenaglia said. “We just took it a step at a time and got through it.
“It was a good experience, but it was really hard. It was so relieving (when it was over). It was a burden off my shoulders. I could focus on my grades and (my last year) of baseball.”
Last spring, JMU won its first ever Colonial Athletic Conference last spring and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and Tenaglia – who is considering pursuing a career in sports management - is projected to play third base for the highly regarded program.
But for now, he is cautiously optimistic about his final high school season.
“We’re a little low on pitching, but I think we can survive,” Tenaglia said. “We’ll have a good hitting team right down the lineup. We’re looking for some younger kids to step up too.
“I expect us to be a pretty good team.”
Tenaglia’s presence in the lineup all but ensures that the Patriots will be a very good team.
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