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All American Game  | Story  | 8/23/2022

Calvary Christian Repped Well at PGAAC

Blake Dowson     
Photo: Landen Maroudis (left), Liam Peterson (middle), Hunter Dietz (right), Perfect Game
Calvary Christian Academy in Clearwater, Florida has something of a three-headed monster in Hunter Dietz, Landen Maroudis, and Liam Peterson.

Dietz is the No. 3 left-handed pitcher in the 2023 class, who is up to 94 mph on the mound and is committed to pitch for South Florida upon his graduation from Calvary Christian. Maroudis is the No. 13 right-handed pitcher in the 2023 class, up to 94 mph himself and is committed to NC State. Peterson checks in as the No. 12 righty in the class, has been up to 95 mph at PG events, and is committed to Florida.



All three are Perfect Game All-Americans.

“That’s awesome,” Maroudis said. “That’s something you don’t see often. I know both of them have been working super hard as well to be PG All-Americans. It’s super cool that I’ve been able to grow with them and see them get better as time went on. All three of us being named All-Americans and going to the same school, it’s a rare occurrence, and it’s super awesome.”

The three knew heading into Perfect Game’s National Showcase that if all of them threw well, there was a chance they could all make the trip out to Phoenix for the All-American Classic.

Peterson threw first, on Wednesday. He tossed two innings, didn’t allow a single hit, struck out three, and won matchups against three top-100 prospects in the process.



“I came in knowing I had to do a lot [to be selected],” Peterson said. “Seeing my name on the list and getting that call meant a lot. It’s something I’ve seen a lot of people play in before, and I’ve watched the game the past couple years. I was like, ‘Man, I really want to play in that.’ So when I got the call, it was great.”

Dietz was next up to pitch on Friday. The big lefty struck out four hitters in two innings, including a fellow PG All-American.



Coming into PG National, Dietz was on the outside of the top-200 prospects in the Perfect Game rankings. After his impressive showing at Tropicana Field, he jumped all the way up to No. 31 overall and will find himself on another MLB mound in less than a week, this time Arizona’s Chase Field.

It took him a minute to wrap his head around that when he first got the call.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I was kind of in awe when I first got the call. I told myself a year ago that I would be a Perfect Game All-American.”

Maroudis was the third of the three to toe the rubber at PG National. In his first inning of work, he sat down three top-100 prospects in order. In the second inning, it was more of the same.



The Classic has been on Maroudis’ radar for a long time. He’s been a top-100 prospect for over a year now, and an All-American nod felt within reach, as long as he put the necessary work in. The results at PG National convinced him he was on the right path.

“It’s something that I’ve been working for, for a really long time,” Maroudis said. “And it just feels super rewarding to know that I’m able to go do this. It’s something that I’ve been working for, and it’s just awesome.”

Each guy felt good about their performance at PG National. And one by one, they each got that rewarding call. But who reaches out to who first to see if they made it?

That was tricky, Dietz explained. He didn’t want to text his Calvary Christian teammates and ask if they made it along with him just in case the answer was no, although he knew there was a great chance the answer would be yes.

Instead, a group chat was created with all the East squad members, and Peterson’s and Maroudis’ phone numbers were in the chat.

“I kind of assumed they already made it, because they’re both really good,” Dietz said. “So I didn’t have any doubt. But I found out that they both 100 percent made it through that group chat.”

Next up is the Classic, which will be an unforgettable experience. Peterson is looking forward to it. He’s never seen a cactus before, so he said that’s high up on his list.

Higher on his list? Making a run at a state title back in Florida next spring with Calvary Christian. With three Perfect Game All-Americans in the rotation, they will be viewed as a serious threat to hoist a trophy when all is said and done.

“It’s going to be really cool to go into the season and just see how much we can do,” Peterson said. “Hopefully we can make a run for states.”
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