Since he was old enough to play organized sports, Zach Schwartzenberger has bounced back and forth between baseball and football as his top athletic priority.
The Saline senior is preparing to make that transition one last time this fall after announcing his commitment to play college baseball in 2017 at the University of Toledo.
“I thought about waiting to see how my senior football season goes to see if I would get interest, but I didn’t want to wait that long,” he said. “I love football but as I’ve gotten older I’ve fallen in love with baseball a little more. This past winter I decided it was baseball.”
Schwartzenberger, a 6-foot, 185-pound outfielder, is expected to stay at his natural position in center field when he joins the Rockets program.
Toledo’s coaching staff first showed interest in him this spring after scouting a series between Saline and Ann Arbor Pioneer. They kept in touch throughout the season, offering him a scholarship following the Hornets’ runner-up finish in the Division 1 state championship.
“I went on a visit about a week after the state tournament and I loved it,” Schwartzenberger said. “I met all the coaches – they’re all great guys – and I really liked the campus and their plan for me as a player there. And it’s only 45 minutes away so I can still come home.”
Very excited and grateful to say that I have committed to play baseball at The University of Toledo! ⚾️ #GoRockets pic.twitter.com/8mQikrj6NO
— ZachSchwartzenberger (@zschwartzy) July 13, 2016
Other schools showing interest in the outfielder were Eastern Michigan, Northwestern and Eastern Illinois.
Playing for the Eagles would have meant following in the footsteps of his father and youth baseball coach, Mike Schwartzenberger, who was a four-year letter winner at Eastern Michigan in 1990-93.
“That would have been a cool connection,” Zach Schwartzenberger said. “I wouldn’t be the player I am today without him. He’s taught me everything … but at Toledo, it felt like the right fit for me.”
This fall, as the senior transitions back to football, he’ll undergo another adjustment.
Since joining the Saline varsity team as a sophomore, Schwartzenberger has played a utility role as a backup quarterback, running back, wide receiver and long snapper. He’s also taken reps on defense and at special teams.
With the graduation of Josh Jackson, he is expected to be the front-runner to start under center.
“Last year I was running all over at practice, so it will be nice to just focus on quarterback and not worry about three different positions,” Schwartzenberger said. “I’ve always played quarterback so it was a little different not having the ball every play but that’s what the team needed.”
Saline opens the season Aug. 26 when it travels to Rockford. The team has reached at least the regional final in three of the last four years, finishing runner-up in 2014.
Justin P. Hicks is a sports reporter and storyteller for MLive / The Ann Arbor News. If you have a unique story you’d like to share, you can reach me at jhicks3@mlive.com. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and MLive.
