APPLETON – In 2005 Appleton East senior Jake Wittman was a 15-year-old bat boy for Wartburg College during the NCAA Division III College World Series at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.

Something about the experience stuck with Wittman while he was on his way to Cornell College with East assistant coach Rick Fantini, decided he want to make a trip to Waverly, Iowa to visit Wartburg with fellow Patriots would-be seniors Mark Fantini and Josh Smith.

On the ride home after visiting with the coaching staff and touring the facilities the three who had not planned on attending the same school – they had others they all liked – all turned to each other and said “I’m going to Wartburg.”

“I’m really excited with both the baseball program and the academic side of things there,” Wittman said. “Mark and I fell in love with it. There is no doubt in my mind I made the right choice.

“It blew all the other schools away. There is no question it was the right choice for all of us.”

The Knights have won 12 straight Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles that will welcome the pitching of Smith and Wittman and outfield play of Fantini.

“They are the first kids from Appleton and the Fox Valley Association to play at Wartburg,” Rick Fantini said. “It makes it a great story that the only reason they were on the kids’ mind was that Jake was a bat boy for them. It’s great to see it could work out so well for all of them and the school.”

Wittman will take his 3.7 GPA with him and pursue a career in optometry which he will use to either be an eye doctor or a Lasik surgeon.

On the field, Wartburg has some stellar athletes. Wittman is hitting .308 this season with 14 RBI and 12 runs scored. He is tied for the team lead with two home runs with Mark Fantini who is hitting .417 with a team high 15 RBI and four doubles. Both were second-team all-conference picks a year ago.

Smith makes his mark on the mound where he has 17 Ks and 15 walks in 16 innings pitched this season.

They are not the only players from East to play college ball. Actually, they are just three of even as Brett Young will lead the way as the only NCAA Division 2 prospect to attend Winona State.

“He was our captain last year as a junior which is not typical and should speak for the type of kid he is,” Rick Fantini said.

Other Patriots, outfielder Ryan Winter, will attend St. Norbert, speedster second baseman David Salzwedel will go to St. Olaf and Ty Kamps will attend either the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater or walk on to the University of Hawaii.

“We’ve never had anything like this,” Rick Fantini said. “It’s something you typically don’t see. The good thing about it too is they are all great students.”

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