Hittel will sign with Saint Leo

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Josh Neitz made such a good impression as a Saint Leo pitcher/shortstop that he is now playing Class A baseball for the Yankees.

Saint Leo coach Ed Stabile said Richie Hittel reminds him of Neitz.

Hittel, who as a senior pitcher/shortstop helped lead Ridgewood to the Class 4A state final, said he will sign an academic/athletic scholarship to attend Saint Leo on Monday.

"That was a shocker," Hittel said of the comparison to Neitz. "I guess coming in as a freshman (Neitz) was kind of like me."

Ridgewood coach Larry Beets transformed Hittel from a reliever to a starter and from a second baseman/outfielder to a shortstop.

"I said, "We've got some work to do. Can you handle it?"' Beets said. "He said, "Yes sir.'

"He progressed a great deal. You knew it was there; just the way he worked hard and came through the system was a plus."

Hittel is the second Ram senior planning to play college ball. Ronnie Lowe, drafted in June by Arizona, accepted an offer from Pasco-Hernando Community College.

"You just hoped something worked out for (Hittel) because he deserves to play at the next level," Beets said.

As a senior, Hittel hit .378 with 14 RBIs and stole 24 bases. A three-year varsity player, Hittel hit .357 as a sophomore but dropped to .230 his junior year.

Hittel went 14-6 on the mound this season, including 8-3 with a 1.27 ERA, seven complete games, 73 strikeouts and 18 walks.

Hittel pitched in Ridgewood's region final win over Ocala Forest and played shortstop in the Rams' state semifinal win over top-ranked Dunedin.

Stabile likes Hittel's versatility and said the 6-foot, 185-pounder would get a look at third base, shortstop, outfield and pitcher.

"I'm going to give him an opportunity to do everything," Stabile said.

Hittel graduated with a 3.56 grade point average and plans to pursue a career in sports medicine or sports management. For now, he is happy for the chance to continue playing baseball.

Beets, for one, feels Hittel has the work ethic and talent to succeed at the next level.

"He's not flashy," Beets said. "He's just solid and dependable. He just does the job."

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