Prep Baseball Report

Q&A With Ball State Commit Zachary Kwasny


By: Peter Hamot
Area Scout, Staff Writer

RHP Zachary Kwasny (Lincoln-Way East, 2023) has made some impressive strides as of late. The right-hander has risen nearly 20 spots in our rankings since the spring and shows no indications of slowing down his progress. Kwasny was a key arm for East in 2022; going 7-2 with 57 innings pitched, 95 strikeouts, a 1.47 ERA and WHIP of 1.07. Not to mention he was also a threat at the plate, hitting to a .341 clip in 82 at-bats with four home runs, five doubles, 24 RBIs and 27 runs scored.

We recently had the opportunity to discuss the recruiting process with Kwasny, what he was looking for out of his college experience and some other fun topics along the way.

Our Q&A

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Kwasny: My expectations were met during the recruiting process, I was expecting to get a little buzz. After my junior year high school season I started to kind of blow up and have a good summer and gain interest from other schools. I was looking for a school with great pitching success and development, family like coaches, good academics and lastly an opportunity to play early. But the final thing for me was to have the school feel like home.

P: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

K: No, I was just looking for the right fit, the location didn’t matter for me.

P: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

K: I had the same 3 school since sophomore year, but it started to heat up after my junior year high school season. Ball state saw me at the NPI in Georgia.

P: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

K: They have had great pitching success, four first round arms out of there. They have a great coaching staff that made me feel like family and they have high hopes and expectations for me early on.

P: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

K: Michigan State, UCF, Xavier, Western Kentucky, Saint Louis, UIC, and Wofford.

P: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?

K: Alex Stanwich, he’s the best player I’ve seen and played with from Illinois. He’s a hard out; he reads spin and reacts to velocity well.

P: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

K: Fall Ball going into my sophomore year, I had gotten posted by PBR and top tier had told me I was going to be a big part for them.

P: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

K: I would tell them to work hard, hit the weight room, keep a positive mindset, be a leader, and have fun.

P: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

K: I would say committing; it was a surreal moment for me, knowing my hard work had paid off and knowing I found a school that had what I wanted.

P: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

K: We will be the best team in the state, we are returning a lot of key players and have the best 1-2 in the state in my opinion. We did lose some guys but we have a lot of experience.

P: If you could steal any tool or quality from another player in the state, what would it be and who would it be from?

K: I would say Dillion Head, he’s got two high-level tools. His speed is game chancing and I wish I had that, but his bat to ball skills are also insanely advanced.

P: Who is the next talented young player to keep an eye on out of your high school or travel program?

K: For my high school we have Tyler Bell and Jack Bauer, they are highly talented.

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