CODY PITZO

CODY PITZO

baseball, springfield

There aren’t many varsity careers that match the milestones Springfield senior shortstop Cody Pitzo has enjoyed the past four springs.

As a freshman, Pitzo started for the Tigers who had finished Division IV state runners-up the year before. During Pitzo’s sophomore year, the Tigers finished state runner-up again.

In his senior season, Pitzo’s Tigers again won the regional tournament, earning another trip to Huntington Park, the home of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.

In the state championship game, Springfield lost, 2-1, to perennial power Newark Catholic.

“The feeling was great, getting to go twice,” Pitzo said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t win, but the experience is probably every athlete’s dream.”

One of the strangest moments for the Tigers came when their regional title game against Cuyahoga Heights in Copley was delayed by a storm and had to be finished a day later. The Tigers led 6-3 in the sixth inning when the game was called.

“We were just really mad,” Pitzo said of the postponement. ”We just wanted to play, to get it over. We played for like 20 minutes the next day.

“But it was definitely worth going back,” said Pitzo, who was one of five Tigers to receive their diplomas at home plate before the state title game. Rain had pushed back the state championship game one day.

Pitzo has a scholarship to play for Mercyhurst in Erie, Pa., where he will study occupational therapy. Pitzo said he loves the size of his future home.

“Coming from a small school, I’m used to that,” Pitzo said.