Sometimes, things just fall on your lap. Such was the case for St. Joseph by-the-Sea right-hander Anthony Catalano when his mom showed him a camp flyer for the New Jersey Institute for Technology (NJIT) last November.
“I contacted (Tom Kain) and asked him if he thought it was worth it,’’ said Catalano in reference to the president and founder of the TKR Reds, his travel program. “(The camp) had a spot and I wound up going to it and I thought I threw well during it.’’
The rest, as they say, is history.
Catalano accepted an offer for a roster spot by NJIT’s coaching staff and will join the Division 1 Highlanders next fall, the Advance/SILive.com has learned. NJIT plays in the American East Conference.
The Annadale resident attended the Newark’s school’s camp on Dec. 9 and left believing he made an impression.
“I looked around and I thought I was one of the best ones out there,’’ said Catalano, who missed the majority of his junior season at Sea because of a nerve issue in his throwing elbow, but did return for the post-season and closed out a 5-0 victory over Fordham Prep. “I was very confident on how I did, but didn’t hear back from them in a while.
“But I received a call from (NJIT pitching-catcher coach Anthony Deleo) on Jan. 2 informing me they had a roster spot for me,’’ he added. “It’s a dream come true. I’ve wanted to play at the Division 1 level since I was young and I’m really excited about the challenge ahead.’’
The 5-foot-11 Catalano’s four pitch repertoire includes two and four-seam fastballs; a slider and change-up. He said his two-seamer and slider caught the eye of head coach Robbie McClellan and Deleo.
“My two-seamer was moving 20-inches horizontally. It was nasty. And my slider was sharp and very effective. They liked what they saw,’’ said the 17-year-old. “They also like that I’m young for my class, I only turned 17 in September. Because of that, they believe I have a lot of room to grow (under their watch).
Read the full article here