Versatile Fitzingo named MVP
When Hunter Fitzingo took the call from Moniteau baseball coach Ross Martin, he wasn't expecting what he heard.
Martin told Fitzingto that the senior pitcher/shortstop was named Keystone Athletic Conference MVP.
“I was super surprised,” Fitzingo said. “When coach called me to let me know, I couldn't even talk. I was just so ecstatic. There's no words I can use to describe the feeling I had.”
Fitzingo, though, felt the need to share the award.
Moniteau, the District 9 Class AA champion, had several MVP candidates on its roster other than Fitzingo.
So it was no wonder that Fitzingo treated the honor as a quasi team award.
“My team is one heck of a team,” Fitzingo said. “I've had the best team for all four of my years. They supported me with the MVP. We've had a lot of KSAC all-conference selections.”
Fitzingo put together a stellar season at two positions.
As a pitcher, Fitzingo is 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA. He's struck out 77 and walked just 14 in 47 innings pitched. Opponent are hitting just .182 against him.
As a shortstop, Fitzingo is just as dangerous.
Hitting at the top of the order, Fitzingo is batting a team-leading .438 with one homer and 14 RBI. He's walked 18 times, fanned just nine times and has an on base percentage of .565.
As a pitcher, Fitzingo's approach is a simple one.
“I have a really good defense,” Fitzingo said. “They have my back. I throw strikes and they play defense.”Fitzingo has a similar approach at the plate, where he is the guy that sets the table of the bigger bashers in the Moniteau lineup, like Jared Lominski, who leads the team with four homers and 32 RBI.“When I'm up there batting, I know if I get on I have support behind me to get me across the plate,” Fitzingo said.Being such an important cog in the Warrior machine is a big ask on Fitzingo, but he handles it with grace.“Ice my arm and get ready for being either in the field or on the mound,” Fitzingo said of his preparation. “I have the same mindset for whichever. You have to play to the best of your ability no matter what.”Fitzingo has found a way to do that from a young age.Teammate Chance Nagy saw both sides of that as one of his opponents and then as one of his teammates.“He's a heck of a player,” Nagy said. “When we were growing up, we weren't on the same team. But when Pony ball came round, we were on the same team. He's always been a great all-around player. He's a great guy. A good friend of mine.”Fitzingo hopes to keep his final season at Moniteau going.The Warriors will open the PIAA 2A playoffs against WPIAL runner-up Serra Catholic Monday.“It's senior year,” Fitzingo said. “You want to go all out and give it your best effort. You don't see these things all the time. These things don't happen a lot so you have to cherish it when you can.”
