Commitments
Not long after Zach Luzzo plays his final game at Carlmont High sometime next month and walks across the stage at graduation, he'll board a jet and head east to Northfield Minnesota, where his collegiate career will officially begin.
St. Olaf College, an NCAA Division IIII school, is one of the better baseball programs in the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes. And academically, it's a place he believes he can excel as an economics and business management major.
Now, whether he can endure the weather is another topic. Keep in mind that when Carlmont was breaking the seal on this high school baseball season, the temperatures in Northfield were a frigid 4 degrees. Fortunately, the late April temperatures are forecast to be in the more tolerable mid-60s.
Still, batting in freezing conditions in the early season is not for the faint of heart, but Luzzo is excited to get to the next level.
He's proven that hard work in the classroom and on the diamond can create opportunity. The fact that less than 6% of high school baseball players go on to play in college makes Luzzo a success story.
He's ready to put behind him the last two injury-plagued seasons, but not until the Scots make their run at a CCS tournament berth and what they hope will be a deep run.
Last year, Luzzo spent most of the season recovering from a UCL tear. He entered this season stronger with weight training and intense rehabilitation. However, he has lost 10 games to a left shoulder (his non-throwing arm) strain this season but returned back to the lineup this month and is batting third in the Carlmont batting order.
“Zach’s a stud," said Carlmont coach Ryan Hamilton. "He’s a strong kid."
Luzzo, normally a shortstop, has moved to left field while Pano Koutoulas mans the middle of the infield. His presence in the lineup makes Carlmont one of the best offensive teams in the PAL Bay Division.
And while baseball matters to him, St. Olaf's academic reputation was one of its selling points. The school offers a study-abroad program and internship opportunities that Luzzo plans to explore.
Its baseball program, under the helm of Matt McDonald for the last 31 seasons, is looking to get back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007, but the Oles are always in contention for a league title.
“The baseball program is very healthy thanks to coach McDonald and his staff," Luzzo said. "They always recruit talent consistently and that’s why they remain a contender."
-- Mike Sangimino
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