April of senior year is when most seniors begin to succumb to “senioritis”. Work will get lazy, and seniors tend to not invest as much or even stop caring about school at all.
However, for one senior at Bellwood-Antis, April means it is time to go harder than ever before.
For this reason, this week’s BluePrint Athlete of the Week is, Zach Gonzalez.
Zach is hitting .300 this season, part of a group of six B-A players with more than 20 plate appearances to reach the .300 level. Zach has belted a double and a triple and driven in 7 runs.
This is a steep increase from last season, when Zach only bat .108 from the plate. This season in only 7 games, Gonzalez already has more total hits than he did last season.
However, Zach’s undoubtedly largest impact this season has been his performance on the mound for the Blue Devil baseball team. Zach has pitched 10.2 innings and has only given up 5 hits. He also leads the team in earned run average (ERA) with a 2.62 ERA and strikeouts with 21.
“He has been sharp on the mound this year and has generated more velocity on his fastball compared to a year ago,” said Coach Adam Plummer.
Gonzalez has been playing baseball since he was 7 years old, and has 11 years of experience and memories on the diamond.
“Baseball has been a huge part of my life ever since I can remember,” he said. “With this being my last season playing baseball for a Bellwood team, it means more than ever.”
Seven games into his senior season, Zach knows that his time at B-A is dwindling to an end and there are only 13 regular season games left for him at the school where he has spent the last 12 years of his life. However, Zach wants to go out with a bang and doesn’t plan on letting up on the gas until it is all said and done.
“I strive to help the team win as much as possible, and I have confidence that we’ll find success,” added Zach when asked what his goal was for the rest of the season.
Along with the success Zach has generated in terms of sheer numbers, Coach Plummer recognizes his value as a leader.
“With a young roster this year, we really depend on his leadership and experience to keep us grounded in high-stress situations,” he said.
In all of Gonzalez’s career, the baseball team has been extremely close, but have not made the playoffs. Zach is hungry for his first playoff game and is more motivated than ever to finally get over the hump and making the playoffs.
The Blue Devils are currently 4-3 and riding a 3-game winning streak, though consistency has been difficult to maintain with rainy weather forcing multiple postponements this week.
After this season, Zach will continue his baseball career collegiately with the Mount Aloysius Mounties, while getting a degree in business administration.
