Dream Job: Lake Orion’s Zott headed to Michigan
SWINGING FOR ANN ARBOR: Zach Zott had a change of heart and now will be a preferred walk-on for baseball at the University of Michigan instead of playing football at Butler. File Photo | Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.com
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
LAKE ORION — Zach Zott has always been a University of Michigan fan and wondered what it would like to play sports in the Big Ten Conference.
But that destination would never be in Zott’s future if he didn’t have a change of heart.
“I originally signed with Butler for football,” offered Zott.
Zott took part in a ceremony in early February at Lake Orion High School, one of 11 athletes to sign with colleges in various sports. The original plan was to play football with the bulldogs and consider playing baseball as well.
Zott was a two-sport standout at Lake Orion, staring in football and baseball. He earned All-Area First Team honors in 2010-11 in both football and baseball, among several postseason accolades.
During the season, his plans changed.
Former Lake Orion star Nate Recknagel, who also played baseball at U-M and is an assistant baseball coach at Lake Orion, spoke to some of Michigan’s coaches on Zott’s behalf.
Zott changed his mind when U-M offered a preferred walk-on spot. He backed out of his commitment from Butler.
“It just worked out that way,” offered Zott, who graduated from Lake Orion with around a 3.7 GPA. “It’s a chance to play for a Big Ten university. They like my size and athleticism and the fact that I can play outfield and first base. They probably won’t use me as a pitcher.”
In football, the 6-foot-4 Zott was a key wide receiver on a team that finished 13-1 and captured the Division 1 state championship. He finished with 29 catches for 622 yards, a 21.4 average, 10 touchdowns and a long of 72 yards in his senior football season. He also averaged 44.4 yards per game, which, along with his size and athleticism, led to interest from several football teams at the collegiate level.
Baseball, however, is his first love.
This past high school season he hit .350 with 34 RBI, five home runs, 36 hits and 30 runs scored and earned all-league status for a team that won 25 games. Zott played outfield, first base and was a left-handed pitcher who spent three years in the Dragons’ starting rotation.
This past summer playing for the Oakland Bulldogs 18U squad, he earned all-tournament honors at the Continental American Baseball Association World Series, where his team finished 9-1 and captured the title. The Bulldogs were 35-7 this season with Zott a key bat in the order.
Andy Schramek, Lake Orion’s baseball coach since 1999, said that U-M is getting quite a steal in Zott, who he considers one of the better male athletes to come out of Lake Orion in recent years.
“We’ve had a lot of great male athletes at the school in the past 10-12 years and Zach is right up there with the best of them,” said Schramek. “He’s just a gifted athlete. I know he didn’t pitch that well this season, but he still had a good year hitting-wise and a great career at Lake Orion. I know he is capable of having a good career in college.”
Zott, who leaves for Michigan at the end of August, can’t wait for the next step in his athletics career.
“I’ll go down there in a few weeks and get settled in and then it’s fall ball,” he said. “It’s a dream come true.”
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