Anthony Rendine clearly had a season to remember with the Weehawken High School baseball team. He won seven games and lost only two as a pitcher, posting an earned run average of 1.80 while batting .400, dividing his time on the mound and in the outfield.
However, when the high school baseball season was over, there weren’t a lot of colleges lining up to secure Rendine’s services.
“I was more than likely headed to Bergen County Community College,” Rendine said. “I received some offers from New Jersey Institute of Technology and New Jersey City University, but nothing official.”
Maybe it was the fact that at 5-foot-8, Rendine doesn’t have the prototypical baseball frame. Colleges tend to shy away from shorter players.
However, it didn’t deter Chris Carmanucci from taking a chance on Rendine. Carmanucci, a long-time Bergen County resident and owner of a batting cage in Lyndhurst, was recently named the head coach of a new baseball program at a new school, Globe Institute of Technology, located in lower Manhattan.
Carmanucci knew Rendine from visiting the cages, as well as from his playing against some of the local Bergen County teams in the Bergen County Scholastic League.
Globe Institute is a two-year school that has direct affiliation with Pace University. The school offers a variety of course studies, including computer programming, which is what Rendine aspired to study.
“When Chris Carmanucci told me that he was interested in me, it was the best of all worlds,” Rendine said. “I had no clue about the school. I was very surprised to hear about it.”
Better yet, Carmanucci has given Rendine a scholarship to attend the school and to play baseball for the fledgling program.
“I think it will be pretty good for me to be playing for a brand new program,” said Rendine, who signed his national letter of intent to attend Globe Institute at the high school last week. “Because they’re just starting the program, I’ll be able to play right away and won’t have to sit out. I can show them what I can do, either on the mound or in the outfield. Of course, pitching is my strong point, but I will do whatever it takes.”
Rendine said that he knows of some other solid players that have committed to the program, like former opponents Rob Domke of North Arlington and Mike DeFranco of Hasbrouck Heights.
What makes the commitment even more exciting is that Globe Institute is slated to play its home games at Weehawken Stadium next year, which means that local fans can continue to get the chance to see Rendine play. Globe will also play some games at Riverfront Stadium in Newark, the home of the Newark Bears.
“The school’s basketball teams are already competitive, so we’re hoping that we can make the baseball team just as competitive,” Rendine said. “Of course, there is a little pressure, because it’s a brand new program, so I want to live up to expectations and show what I can do. I’m really excited about it. I can’t wait.”
For now, Rendine will sharpen his skills, playing with the Union City team in the Connie Mack baseball league, as well as the Weehawken Senior Babe Ruth league.
“It really has been a great year for me,” said Rendine, who earned All-Bergen County Scholastic League honors, helping to lead the Indians to their first-ever BSCL National title. “This is a fitting end.”