He might have a future in baseball but he’s focused on now

Anthony Solometo is just like any normal high school kid. He enjoys video games and hanging out with his friends, and also considers himself a cheeseburger connoisseur.

But when it comes to baseball, Solometo is anything but ordinary.

The Bishop Eustace Preparatory School senior committed to a top-level college before even throwing a high school pitch. And come this summer, he figures to hear his name called pretty early during Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft.

Right now, Solometo is happy just being a kid, eating burgers when it fits in his diet.

“I could always go for a good burger,” Solometo said with a smile. “All over the globe, I’m trying different burger places. It’s funny, when I was in California, I went to this place called Habit Burger and loved it. I didn’t even realize there was one right up the street here. I’m actually getting hungry talking about it.”

Solometo’s enthusiasm for burgers is only surpassed by his passion for high school baseball. And his early commitment to the University of North Carolina just a month into his freshman year is a big reason Solometo has been able to focus on his high school career without too many outside distractions. He was able to avoid having to travel to big showcases to get noticed.

“My freshman year, I committed (to college) before I even played high school baseball,” said Solometo. “So instead of having to travel all across the country to random tournaments to get noticed, that part was already secured. All I had to do was focus on honing my craft and become the best pitcher I can be.”

But it was far from a done deal. Solometo had to keep up his end of the bargain.

“For me, it was the best thing that ever happened,” Solometo said. “The thing they said when they sat down with me was like ‘Hey man, if we come back and look at you and you didn’t make any progress or went backwards, we’re going to pull that scholarship away from you.’ So as a young kid, it was a way of keeping disciplined. It benefited me in a lot of ways.”

Solometo spent his freshman and sophomore years at Gloucester Catholic and won a Non-Public B State Championship with the Rams in 2018, throwing five shutout innings (11 strikeouts) in the state championship game.

After another trip with Gloucester Catholic to the state final in 2019, Solometo transferred to Bishop Eustace prior to his junior season, which never got off the ground due to COVID-19.

“Not getting to play was torture for me,” Solometo said. “On top of that, I had my Gloucester Catholic friends busting my chops because we didn’t get to play them. It just really stunk. It was the one thing I was looking forward to the most and we couldn’t get it to happen.”

The Last Dance Baseball Tournament at least offered Solometo and his new Eustace teammates a chance to compete in some fashion. The team went 7-1 and Solometo got to face his old buddies at Gloucester Catholic.

How did it go?

“We won. I went six innings, 12 strikeouts, one hit,” Solometo recalled with a big smile. “I’m pretty sure they are still pretty mad at me. But I love those guys. I miss them a lot. Everyone was a family there and I made bonds for life.”

Although high school ball is top priority, Solometo does notice the scouts and attention that surrounds him each time he throws a pitch. He’s 6-foot-5 and throws upwards of 95 miles-per-hour.

“My parents are always helping me and making it as easy for me as they can so my only job is to focus on baseball.”

Bishop Eustace begins its season on April 19 against Cherry Hill East. It will be the 34th season coached by Sam Tropiano, who has guided the Crusaders to five of the school’s nine state championships, with the last coming in 2006.

Tropiano will rely on Solometo heavily as both a hurler and a hitter as the Crusaders look to finish back on top with a talented team.

“He’s on a quest to win a state championship,” Tropiano said. “That’s a big part of what he does every day. Now he’s going to help us as a hitter and an outfielder. He is really a great athlete.”

Bishop Eustace has been a recent hot spot for potential players. Solometo could potentially join recent Eustace grads Zac Gallen, Tyler Phillips, Devin Smeltzer, Greg Brodzinski and Justin Hagenman, who were all drafted since 2015. Solometo doesn’t seem fazed.

“It’s kind of crazy because freshman year, all I worried about was high school baseball,” Solometo said. “And now it’s my senior year and the only thing I’m worried about is high school baseball.”

He added, “There’s nothing like playing alongside the guys you work so close with. You go through these grueling practices together and be hungry and go to school together and want the same thing for so long and achieve it together. I just want to win a state championship and I’m eager to get out there and do it.”