With just one out waiting to be closed on Saturday, Sitka senior Bryce Compagno-Calhoun looked down from the pitcher’s mound toward senior catcher Tanner Steinson.
“It was, I don’t know, incredible, electric,” Compagno-Calhoun said. “I was getting really hyped when we had three outs left, now we were one away, and we had been working towards this all year and getting that final strike call, I mean, it was a great feeling and we were all ready to celebrate.”
The Sitka Wolves had just proved their 22-0 Alaska season (26-2-1 overall) was for real as they toppled the Service High School Cougars 7-0 to claim the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Division I Baseball State Championship country wise email marketing list at Anchorage’s Mulchay Stadium.
“I think Brett (Ross) at second got to me first, “Compagno-Calhoun said.
“I tossed my glove in the air, turned around, and Brett came from behind and hugged me, and yeah, then everyone just started jumping around.”
Compagno-Calhoun faced 25 batters, throwing 105 pitches — 66 for strikes — and allowed just one hit. He walked three and struck out eight, and his fielders took care of the 13 other outs needed.
“I’ve been envisioning this all through my high school career,” Compagno
-Calhoun said. “You know, after getting second freshman year and then not having a good outing sophomore year, and then getting third last year, I was like, ‘This is our time,’ and I knew this team was really special, you know, going how to find the right influencers for your brand undefeated all through our season and then coming away with the championship to end my high school career. It’s just an amazing feeling.”
In the 2022 state tournament, Sitka lost to South in the global seo work championship game. Compagno-Calhoun had been a player of the game that tournament, then freshman Chance Coleman and graduate Dylan Marx were all-state selections. In 2023, they lost to Service by a run to open state play and placed sixth with then-sophomore Steinson an all-tournament selection. Last season Sitka lost 15-1 to Service in the state semifinal and settled for an 11-3 third-place win over South. Compagno-Calhoun, senior Mason McLeod and graduate Grady Smith earned state honors.