Cheltenham senior Anthony Caringi signed a letter of intent to accept a baseball scholarship to Niagara University on Thursday, Nov. 19, at a special signing ceremony in the school library. He is the first Cheltenham baseball player in seven years to receive a scholarship to a Division One school.
Anthony Caringi – Niagara University (Baseball)
Major: Undecided but leaning toward a history/education major
Final list of colleges: Niagara, St. Bonaventure, Lafayette
Reasons for choosing Niagara: “Just the fact that they really talked about playing time as a freshman. That was huge to me. I knew I would have a chance to compete right away. If you go to college to play a sport, you want to compete right away – at least in my mind. I really couldn’t stand watching for too long.
“I visited twice, and I really connected with the coaching staff. It seemed like we were on the same page. The players – just the group of guys they brought in year after year – character-wise were perfect for me, and it just seemed like a really good fit.”
When did the idea of playing baseball at the collegiate level become a reality? “My goal was always to play after high school. I knew my freshman year I definitely couldn’t stop playing this game after my senior year, so it just turned out that this was the school that best allowed me to do that. It didn’t matter what division it was as long as I got on the field.
“This is a big load off my mind. It’s exciting to look on the schedule and see the schools that they play that I have heard of and watched on the news, and to think you’re going to be part of that the next four years is extremely exciting.”
Coach Frank Decembrino says: “This is like winning a championship for the coaches. The philosophy we have here is to have a good experience and to teach them about life through baseball and hopefully, they’ll leave as better men. Winning is usually a by-product of that.
“To have three consecutive players in a row sign a scholarship – and now a Division One signee, I’m so proud, and it doesn’t do anything but bring a lot of good recognition to the program. I always say that a lot of people can sign up to play baseball and are pretty good at it, but not everybody can go to school all day, earn high grades, make practice on time, never have any violations or discipline issues in school and come participate in a sport at the highest level – there’s a reason why so few get these scholarships.
“Anthony has been predominantly a pitcher, but he also has been playing in the field for us since his ninth grade year. He plays the outfield and he also plays middle infield. He’s one of those special players - you can pretty much put him anywhere. Each year he’s taken on a new role for us to make the team better. We have asked him to do a lot, and he’s performed well at every spot and always hits in the middle of the order.
“His arm strength is phenomenal. As a defensive player in the outfield, he has the ability to field, gather and throw all in one motion, which is really tough, but it’s almost an innate thing, and it makes him pretty good out there because he can stop runners from advancing. He has good natural hand speed both hitting and fielding. He can play the infield. He has a keen sense of the game. He’s always a step ahead of what the average high school player is capable of doing in the thinking part.
“He’s sharp as a tack. He comes from a good family and is loved and cared for. He gets it. He’s one of those kids, especially since he’s older, he’s led by example. He does what we ask to the best of his ability, and because he does that and has had some success, the other kids follow him. He doesn’t have to say much. He also enjoys teaching kids. I have a camp and we do winter kiddy clinics for fund raisers, and he has a knack for working with the kids. I think it’s made him a better hitter and pitcher because when you have to think of it from a different perspective, it helps you perform a little better.”
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