Poland’s Calcagni returned to state

It’s Anthony Calcagni’s job to get things started.

In his sophomore year, Poland coach Rich Murray asked the reserve player to pinch-hit against Cardinal Mooney in the 2014 Division II district final. The bases were loaded and the Bulldogs were down by a run in the sixth inning.

“When I was in the on-deck circle, [Murray] touched my shoulder and said, ‘Be a hero today.’” Calcagni said. “I went to the plate, he hangs a curve ball and I hit a line drive to left field, scored a run. We had a six-run fifth inning and we won the game.”

The timely hit won the Bulldogs their first district title since 2009 and started a run of three district titles, two regional titles and back-to-back state tournament appearances.

In his final season with Poland (28-4), Calcagni hit a team-high .470 in the leadoff spot. Calcagni went through the season unaware of his team-high numbers, which his team tracked.

“I never looked at it. I just hoped the team was doing well and I didn’t worry about myself,” Calcagni said.

The shortstop took a lot of pride in playing with his hometown friends through the program’s golden years. That was the secret to the Bulldogs’ success.

“We’re not like the other schools in the state tournament. They were open enrollment and Catholic schools and we’re a public school,” Calcagni said. “We played with each other since Little League. We played together since we were 6, 7 and 8 years old. We’ve always been with each other.

“I feel like we’re more as a family than the other teams.”

Calcagni is off to Youngstown State to study business. He’s also pursuing a spot on the baseball team, which has been in flux due to the school’s coaching vacancy.

Although Poland did not win a state title in Calcagni’s tenure (this year’s campaign ended in an 8-3 loss to Hamilton Badin), being part of the area’s best baseball team in recent years was enough.

“You’re playing with your best friends and you’re never going to get that again,” Calcagni said. “You have to cherish it because it goes really fast.”

— Brian Dzenis, The Vindicator