Long Island high school baseball player returns to field months after crash left him in a coma

A Long Island high school baseball player will take the mound this weekend just over seven months after being involved in a car crash that killed two of his friends and left him and several others seriously injured.

Last September, a crash in West Babylon shattered lives. Police say a 33-year-old man failed to stop at a red light and crashed into a car carrying five teenagers.

The 33-year-old was killed, along with two people in the other vehicle – Riley Goot, 18, and Bella Trezza, 17.

Two other 18-year-olds were also injured, along with 16-year-old Anthony Pagliuca.

For weeks, no one knew if Anthony would survive.

"When I heard about, you know, the accident – 'cause I didn't really know about it because I was in a coma for a little bit, so I didn't really know about it – and then when I heard about that, I was just, I was in utter shock," he said.

"It's an absolute miracle"

One motivation to come back was baseball – a return not just to the game, but to his team at St. Anthony's High School.

"When we knew he was gonna come back, we thought it was gonna be a gift thing, you know. He's coming from after a tragic accident like that ... we didn't know if he was going to be able to even stand upright, wear the uniform and be with his teammates," St. Anthony's baseball coach Paul Parsolano said.

Months of rehab has led to Anthony's return. He does all the same drills and earns every pitch.

"At the end of the day, for him to wear this uniform and actually be a part of the team, a usable player on this team, it's just, it's a miracle. It's an absolute miracle," Parsolano said.

Sunday, he'll make his first start since the crash. It will be at West Babylon High School – the school and the town that lost so much.

"Just seeing everyone is gonna be maybe a little emotional, but they'll see that I'm there for... that I am still there," Anthony said.

Anthony doesn't pitch for trophies; he pitches because he still can.

"It just means a lot to me, just getting out there and playing for a bigger thing than winning or losing," he said.

He's playing in memory of the friends he lost.

"Bella was a very sweet girl," Anthony said. "Riley, he was an incredible kid, always did good things."

The game won't be about who wins; it's about those remembered and the quiet miracle of still being here.