Whether he’s hitting the ball or pitching it, Zach Kennedy knows baseball. He plays both first base and pitcher for the Northside All-Stars. This is a big accomplishment for Kennedy, who originally got started in the sport by playing T-ball in Texas.
“It’s exciting and fun,” he said of why he chooses to play. “I practice about three days a week out of five.”
All that practice is what got Kennedy in the center of the game. Most recently, he pitched at the District 65 Championship where he went two for two—one of the highlights of his time spent throwing and hitting.
“My favorite pitch is the curveball. I like to throw a lot. Also, the knuckle is really fun,” he said. However, when asked about his baseball strengths, Kennedy responded with an enthusiastic, “Hitting!”
It’s clear that his talents reside on both sides of home plate. There isn’t a facet of this game that doesn’t intrigue him.
“Before a game, I try to stay calm and not to hurt myself while I’m warming up,” he said.
Despite his intensity, having a good time on the field is what’s most important to him as a player. The strategy has worked well for him so far.
Now, Kennedy is looking forward to entering the eighth grade. Although schoolwork will be more of a challenge, he’s working on finding a good balance between school and sports. This is important to him because he’s definitely planning on continuing to play baseball, hopefully at the high school level. Kennedy has proven that he’s one to watch out for.
This article appears in Jul 17-24, 2008.