TOWN OF TONAWANDA — Drew Fittry doesn’t like the way his high school career ended, and its motivating him to avoid that unpleasant feeling in college.

A bitter taste that has lingered in Fittry’s mouth since the St. Joe’s baseball team was bounced from Georgetown Cup contention with a loss to rival Canisius.

Next month, Fittry will join the pitching staff at Niagara University with stated goal to help coach Rob McCoy and the Purple Eagles win their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship.

“After meeting the team and going on my official visit, I could tell that the guys there are really ready to finally get over the hump and win Niagara its first MAAC championship,” said Fittry, a right-hander who went 6-1 last season with a 0.76 earned run average in his senior season at St. Joe’s.

McCoy said that it became clear very early on in the recruiting process that Fittry was a good fit for the program. The third-year coach said Fittry’s athletic ability will be a welcomed addition to the pitching staff.

“That’s one thing I like about Drew is that a lot of guys have different goals — maybe it’s to play professional baseball — but Drew, ever since we started recruiting him, was that he wanted to help win a MAAC Championship,” McCoy said. “The more guys like that we add, the better chance we have to achieving that.”

This summer, Fittry has pitched for the Ken-Hy AAABA squad, where he has been able to face other top prospects throughout the area. He’s also spent plenty of time in the weight room.

“We have to throw him in the mix to see where he stands,” McCoy said. “His work ethic is going to be the key to success.”

Fittry said that’s his best attribute.

“I really feel like my work ethic will put me over the top,” he said. “I feel like I can work my way into a strong starting position there.”

Fittry will be joined this fall by another local standout, Grand Island’s Joel Klock, two-time Niagara Gazette player of the year.

The two pitchers plan to room together, and hope to push each other to get better.

“We’re definitely going to bounce off each other for sure,” Fittry said. “I strongly believe that with him being my roommate, we’re really going to help each other grow as baseball players.”

The two have trained together over the past two winters, Fittry said.

“We’ve talked briefly about it already, and we both agreed that we both have to go in there and be the hardest working players that we could be,” Klock said. “I’m in the same boat as Drew because I’m trying to do my best out there to try and get (Niagara) to not only the final four, but to win the MAAC tournament.”

McCoy added that Fittry and Klock are two integral pieces of the 2010 class and a big step to improving on the team’s 13-11 MAAC record last season.

“I strongly believe this team is heading in the right direction,” McCoy said. “It’s definitely a possibility in the next four years that those guys help us achieve that.”

Contact Brandon Koch at 693-1000 ext. 117.