BRISTOL, Tenn. – Tennessee High’s Zach Hall culminated his high school baseball run by guiding the Vikings to a landmark victory in the District 1-AAA tournament on May 9.
Just one year before, Hall endured painful rehabilitation treatments and exercises after suffering a season-ending arm injury in the opening week of the season.
Those examples of pain and joy are just two chapters of the story behind the Bristol Herald Courier’s 2017 high school baseball player of the year.
The Sacrifice
After falling in love with baseball at Avoca Little League, Hall took the next step by entering the expansive and evolving world of travel ball.
Before the start of his eighth-grade year, Hall spent his entire summer playing with 6-4-3 DP Baseball Academy located 35 miles from Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia. The 6-4-3 program offers an ambitious schedule and teams for various age groups.
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“I stayed in an apartment in Georgia with my mom the first time at 6-4-3, and then I played in the program again from age 14 until this past summer,” Hall said. “We would normally leave about two weeks after my high school season ended, and then come back a week or two before school started.”
Most of the tournaments for the 6-4-3 squads were held at the famed LakePoint complex. Spread over 1,300 acres, LakePoint has emerged as one of the world’s largest facilities for travel sports. The baseball complex features eight Major League-size fields equipped with synthetic turf.
LakePoint is affiliated with Perfect Game, which is widely regarded as the elite baseball scouting organization in the country.
Hall said there was one big reason for his demanding off-season routine.
“Competition,” he said. “I played with quite a few guys who earned Division I scholarships along with a couple players that got drafted.”
The competition came from star-studded travel squads such as the Evoshield Canes, Tri-State Arsenal from Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey, and squads from Florida.
“All the teams were good, so that experience really helped,” Hall said.
Since his first trip to the mound in youth league, Hall has worked to refine his technique with pitching guru Jimmy Nave. A former baseball assistant and star pitcher at Virginia High who later played at Radford University, Nave helped tutor VHS graduate and current Chicago Cubs pitcher, Justin Grimm.
Hall credits Nave for helping him to become more of a control pitcher by suggesting a different throwing motion.
“Going into middle school, I had to switch things around because I just couldn’t throw strikes,” Hall said. “Jimmy showed me this funky motion. It’s like a three-quarters delivery, yet not exactly sidearm.”
The three-quarters experiment was conducted at the baseball field located behind Stonewall Jackson Elementary School in Bristol, Virginia.
“I started throwing strikes and the ball had a lot of movement, so I just stuck with it,” Hall said.
The Setback
Relying on a fastball, curveball and change-up, the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Hall used his youth league experience to become a four-year starter at Tennessee High.
The path to success for Hall was not without adversity. For example, there was a serious arm injury in his junior year.
“I strained my arm in my first start,” Hall said. “I went to the doctor, and they thought it could have been a torn labrum.”
When the pain persisted, Hall went for a follow-up visit. The news was jolting.
“I was told that I wasn’t going be able to pitch the rest of the regular season. That was definitely not a good day,” Hall said.
Instead of succumbing, Hall went on the attack with the staff at Function Better Physical Therapy Services in Bristol, Virginia. Needless to say, the recovery process was not exactly a warm and fuzzy time.
“I went to one-hour rehab sessions three to four days per week,” Hall said. “Sometimes the rehab would almost bring tears, but thank goodness we got a jump on it early.”
Hall was still able to serve as the THS designated hitter while following a light throwing program with Vikings pitching coach Brad Morelock.
“I probably got a little lackadaisical with my arm care before the injury. That whole experience definitely opened my eyes and I haven’t had any problems since,” Hall said.
The Payoff
Hall and his Tennessee High teammates knew exactly what was at stake when they faced they faced No. 2 seed Science Hill in the District 1-AAA tournament at Daniel Boone. A win would secure the program’s first trip to the regional tournament since 1991 and a loss would summon more playoff frustration and pressure.
“We heard about that streak every year and our head coach [Preston Roberts] mentioned a couple times about having a monkey on our back,” Hall said.
As usual, Hall delivered in the clutch. The powerful right-hander record seven strikeouts en route to a seven-hitter as the No. 3 Vikings posted a 6-3 win.
“It was good to get that win for Coach Roberts and everybody in our program,” Hall said. “A team always has goals and we wanted to make it happen as seniors.”
The first player to greet Hall on the mound after the emotional victory was his best friend, Nick Wishon. The second baseman collected three hits against the Hilltoppers, including a sixth-inning double.
“I will remember the end of that game as long as I live,” Wishon said. “Zach and I made eye contact seconds after the final out and then we just made a sumo charge at each other.”
The 6-foot, 200-pound Wishon said he has been friends with Hall since kindergarten and has long admired the work ethic of the right-hander.
“I was always 100 percent confident when Zach was on the mound,” said Wishon, a three-year starter who has signed to play baseball at King University. “Zach is like a brother to me and he’s a great competitor who wants to win at everything, so it was rough knowing that he couldn’t pitch last year.
“I always knew he was going to make it back as a pitcher, and I helped him push through rehab.”
Wishon said he hopes future Vikings will follow the example of the 2017 team.
“Our senior class wanted to set a mark that everybody can shoot for. We reached our goal,” Wishon said.
In an interview minutes after the tournament breakthrough against Science Hill, Roberts offered a salute to the tenacity of Hall.
“I remember that kid coming in as a freshman and I knew he was going to be special,” Roberts said. “He was our best pitcher probably since his freshman year. … This game was meant for him. It was meant for him to pitch.”
Moving On
As a senior, Hall posted a 6-3 record and 1.40 ERA while striking out 66 and walking just six. He also compiled a .330 batting average with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 37 RBIs.
The college baseball options included Maryville, Limestone, King University and a couple of walk-on opportunities.
Hall was swayed by the passionate approach of former Virginia High School baseball standout and current University of South Carolina Beaufort head coach Jeremy Christian.
“Coach Christian brings a lot of fire to the table,” Hall said. “He’s won everywhere he’s been and knows how to relate to his players.”
After meeting with Christian, Hall became a devoted believer of the USC Beaufort Sand Sharks. The school is located in the heart of South Carolina’s scenic Lowcountry and competes in the NAIA Sun Conference.
“It was hard to say no to Coach Christian,” Hall said. “I made my decision around Christmas so I could focus on the season. Now, I can’t wait to get started with college.”
Mental Scrapbook
Hall has a low-key personality, but he admitted that his senior season was special. There were the countless hours of travel ball, the comeback from the arm injury, the elimination of the playoff hex and the chemistry with a versatile senior class.
“I reached this point with the help of my friends, family, coaches and teammates,” Hall said. “We bonded together as seniors and took everybody under our wing.
“With this being my last year, I wanted to help create some history and get that [regional tournament] monkey off our backs, and we did that. I will always have the story of this past season to remember and share as I get older.”