Anthony Capra received the call July 10 that every college recruit dreads.
The Arvada West High School graduate, who turned down the Detroit Tigers to stay with his baseball scholarship offer with Wichita State University’s baseball team, got a call from Wichita State’s assistant baseball coach Brent Kemnitz that the Shockers’ entire coaching staff was leaving to take over the baseball program at the University of Oklahoma.
Luckily for Capra, he got a call the following day that head coach Gene Stephenson, who has been at the helm of the Shockers for 28 seasons, changed his mind and was going to stay at Wichita State. Stephenson cited unresolved baseball scholarship issues at Oklahoma for the reason he declined the job with the Sooners.
“I’m just happy they (coaching staff) are staying,” Capra said. “This is one of the best coaching staffs in college baseball. It has been a heck of a journey so far, and I haven’t even been on the campus yet.”
Capra committed his time this summer to play for A-West’s Connie Mack club run by Jim Capra, no relation to Anthony.
“He was at every game,” Jim Capra said of his lefty pitcher. “He has been a great kid for us for four years and really loyal.”
The hard-throwing lefty actually started his career at A-West very early getting quality time on the mound for the Wildcats’ Legion A squad when he was a freshman.
“He (Anthony Capra) has been the heart of our team the last couple of years,” A-West senior Trevor Zott said. “He didn’t have to be with us this summer, but he dedicated his time.”