Zane Hedaya '16 Recruiting Profile

I have not always been a baseball player.  Unlike most above average high school baseball players in the country, I did not pick up a baseball until the age of ten.  I clearly remember the reason why I started.

I went to my first baseball game when I was nine.  I was not much of a sports guy back then.  In fact, I found most sports hard to understand except for baseball. I watched as pro players threw and hit the ball smoothly and effortlessly.  I loved the flow of the game and caught up quickly.  I pictured myself on the field and knew in that moment that is where I belonged.  

I immediately signed up to play in our local little league. I was practically the worst player on the field when I started, but I never gave up.  From the moment I saw my first baseball game, I held that picture in my mind of playing in the big leagues and I knew I would stop at nothing to achieve this goal.

Every day after school I would come home and throw a ball against the wall at my house for hours on end.  This is how I developed arm strength so quickly.  It was not until I turned 11 that I actually began pitching.  I have always felt like pitching is like a sport within the sport and treated it differently than hitting.  I became a completely different person on the mound.  It felt so comfortable almost as if I had been there my whole life.  

In my first full year of pitching, I became the fastest thrower in my league, which was a huge accomplishment for me.  As I matured and my arm grew stronger, I learned new pitches and was able to place the ball more effectively.  When I entered my freshman year, my coach made me a “pitcher only” and surprisingly enough, I wasn’t sad to leave hitting forever.  I was glad that I could finally focus on pitching. 

I immersed myself in the game of baseball.  I am the creator of Baseball_Today, one of the largest baseball pages on social media with over 31,000 followers on Instagram.  Here, I report the latest news, inspire and entertain.   Later, I will monetize the page by selling T-shirts and other products.  

I always worked very hard to get to the next level. I threw the ball against the wall to get to travel ball.   I hired a pitching coach to work on mechanics to make my JV team.  I developed more pitches and threw more often to make my varsity team and the work didn't stop there.   My next goal is to play at a competitive college.  

I believe that above-average players don’t have average work ethics, and that is why I work so hard.  I don’t want to be an average baseball player or student.  I want to be the guy who excels both on the field and in the classroom.  My education is one of the most important things in my life, even more important than baseball.   

I believe good grades can get me anywhere, whether it’s owning a successful business or playing in the MLB.  That’s what makes me so proud of my 3.9 unweighted GPA.  You can’t get that from falling asleep in class or avoiding homework.  That two digit number represents me as a person and as an athlete, so I want to keep it as high as possible.   

As a 16 year old, I have been through a lot.  I am a cancer survivor.   That experience taught me that nothing that can knock me down.  If I have a bad outing I get back up and try again.  If things don’t go my way in life, I keep going with a good attitude.  Giving up is not an option.  If I really want something, I will go out and get it. 

As a Junior, I am developing, learning and sharpening my skills to prepare for my college baseball career.   Nothing excites me more than to find the right program and be a part of a great team.  I know it may not be easy, but I am ready to work hard to get to the next level.