Zach Fernandez, Senior, Baseball
Zach is a four year starter for the Union High School Baseball Program. During his tenure at Union High School, Zach has been a model student-athlete and is extremely committed and determined to improve on the baseball field and in the classroom. During his senior season, Zach has been proven to be a continuous leader on and off the field. The Union baseball program is proud of what Zach has accomplished in his time here and we are excited about the rest of our season going forward led by Zach. Zach will be missed next season as he chooses to attend the University of Rhode Island on a baseball scholarship. — Angel Navarrete, Union baseball coach
You’ve had an incredible start to the season, any reason in particular you think you’ve gotten off to such a good start?
Nothing really in particular, just trying to get ahead of guys and being comfortable throwing my offspeed pitches for strikes.
What do you feel you’ve improved most upon from last season?
I feel that I have most improved on being able to locate a lot better with my fastball, which helps a lot with lowering my pitch count. But also avoiding getting to three-ball count.
Last year you said you were most comfortable throwing your curveball on any pitch. Have you broadened that with anything else? Another pitch? Or has your curveball improved that much?
Yes I am still comfortable throwing my curve and still very confident with it. But during the offseason, getting my changeup down pat was huge for me and it turned out to be very useful.
As a senior coming off a notable junior year, how heavy do you feel the expectations of teammates, coaches, fans, etc.?
Coming off from my junior year was huge because shortly after I committed to the University of Rhode Island and I’ve noticed that a lot of kids, students, and even teachers were noticing me. But even for myself my expectations are high and never really changed. Coach Nav always preaches on winning a county final or even a state final and those are our goals as a team for this year.
What do you do for fun when not in school or playing baseball?
I like to hangout with friends, play basketball, and play video games.
As you approach graduation, what are your fondest memories of high school?
I had a lot of good outings in my high school career, but something that I am very passionate about has to be my signing day. That day meant a lot to me and my family. It was truly something special and unforgettable.
What are your plans for the summer and next year?
My plans for this summer is to of course play baseball and next year hopefully pitching for URI.