Scarantine signs to play baseball for Pitt-Bradford
PUNXSUTAWNEY — For many athletes, the dream of continuing to play sports beyond the high school level is a motivating factor, and for Punxsutawney Area High School senior Branson Scarantine, the hard work that he’s put in over the years honing his craft of pitching has paid off.
Scarantine made official on Thursday morning his decision to continue his baseball career at the collegiate level when he held a ceremony marking his signing with the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
“At a young age, I realized this was my sport and this is what I wanted to do and pursue it,” Scarantine said. “I never knew if I’d fulfill that dream, but I was lucky enough to get seen, and now I’m going to play college baseball.”
Asked why he chose PittBradford, Scarantine said that
on his visit there, he really liked the campus and that he felt a sense of connection there.
“I know it gets cold up there, but I’m from Punxsy, so I’m used to the cold,” he said. “When I was up there, I liked the coach and things seemed to really click. I just really enjoyed the atmosphere the campus brought.”
Pitt-Bradford is a Division III school and a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. Scarantine will join the team’s pitching staff.
Scarantine was joined at the event Thursday by his parents, Tanya and Mike Scarantine, in addition to Punxsutawney baseball coach Mike Dickey, athletic director Randy Reitz and assistant high school principal Paul Hetrick.
“Like a lot of the guys who have come before him in this program, he’s put in some work on his own to earn this moment for himself, so we’re proud of him for that,” Dickey said. “We’re hoping he has a big year; there’s a lot of uncertainty going into this year after not having a season last year, so we’re hoping some guys will step up, and Branson is certainly one who we’ll look to for that.”