Pingeton brings his heat to Division 1
Right-hander transfers to North Alabama from Anna Maria
Early in Anthony Pingeton’s high school career at Holy Name, he never really entertained thoughts of playing Division 1 college baseball.
“I didn’t really feel like it was possible,” Pingeton, an Oxford resident, said this week. “I didn’t see myself as that good. My work ethic was definitely not there. I didn’t work as hard as I could have.”
That changed his junior year, when Pingeton began training at The Strength House, which, at the time, was located in Worcester, and set his sights on playing collegiately.
“That’s when I really started to work hard,” Pingeton said.
The pandemic wiped out Pingeton’s senior season at Holy Name. Anna Maria, Pingeton said, was the only school to recruit him.
Over the last three years at AMC, Pingeton, a right-handed pitcher, helped lead a program resurgence under coach Dan Briand. This spring, the AmCats advanced to the GNAC championship game.
The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Pingeton won a team-high eight games, had a 3.14 ERA, and set a single-season program
record with 88 strikeouts.
“I loved playing at Anna Maria,” Pingeton said. “I loved all my teammates. Everybody lifted each other up. Everybody wanted what was best for everybody else. Being at Anna Maria allowed me to gain perspective on college life and how much work it really takes to be good.”
At the conclusion of the season, Pingeton decided he was ready for new challenges, both athletically and academically, perhaps at a bigger school farther from home.
Six weeks ago, he entered the transfer portal, and got interest from schools in all three divisions.
The University of North Alabama was particularly intriguing, and earlier this month, Pingeton, his mom, Kristin, and his aunt, Amy Conroy, toured the campus in Florence, Alabama.
“The day I visited,” Pingeton said, “I committed.”
This fall, Pingeton will make the jump from D3 to D1. North Alabama, which elevated from Division 2 to Division 1 in 2019, plays in the ASUN Conference.
“I kept all my options open,” Pingeton said, “and I’m very happy I did because it’s a great opportunity for me. North Alabama is in a similar situation to Anna Maria when I got there, as they are a rebuilding program. Their facilities are amazing. The campus is really nice, and all of my credits will transfer over. It’s a great situation.”
Pingeton, a criminal justice major, will have two years of eligibility.
Pingeton said he and North Alabama coach Jad Prachniak bonded over their New England roots. Prachniak, who is from Lincoln, Rhode Island, and graduated from the University of Rhode Island, guided West Chester to two Division 2 national titles.
Prachniak joked with Pingeton that his mom and aunt should go on every player’s visit because of the amount of questions they asked.
At Anna Maria, Pingeton went 15-6 with 169 strikeouts, 40 walks and a 4.31 ERA. He was a two-time All-GNAC third-team selection, and this year earned Division 3 All-Region secondteam honors.
Pingeton furthered his development at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson.
“I’m happy that my hard work at Anna Maria for the past three years, and being able to go to Cressey helped me getting a lot getting stronger, getting more velocity and becoming a better pitcher overall,” Pingeton said.
Pingeton spent part of this summer with the Nashua Silver Knights of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
“It was an amazing experience,” Pingeton said. “I never pitched in front of crowds like that before. It was fun to be part of the team that had that professional feel to it.”
Also this summer, Pingeton gave pitching lessons to area youths.
He heads to North Alabama Aug. 7 to gear up for the Lions’ fall season.
“Honestly,” Pingeton said, “at first, it was kind of hard to believe I had as much interest as I did (when I entered the transfer portal). I believe in myself, and I know what I have to offer. Having long conversations with these coaches on the phone and showing them my true character and what baseball really means to me, helped me get to that next step in the recruiting process and actually commit to a team.
“I lived at home the last three years,” Pingeton said, “so it’s a little scary to be that far away, but in the end, it will be worth it to get the experience and a different style of life.”