|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Palo Alto junior Zander Darby recently gave UC Santa Barbara his verbal commitment to play baseball.
Darby is the latest in a series of Palo Alto ballplayers who have committed to a Division I program, most recently Josh Kasevich to Oregon and Max-Jung Goldberg to San Diego.
Darby, who received offers from schools in the Pac-12, Big West and WCC, visited Santa Barbara in early September. “After that I knew I wanted it to be one of my top schools,” he said. “It felt relaxing.”
He hit .347 for the Vikings last spring, helping them win their third straight Santa Clara Valley Athletic League Bay Division title. Palo Alto lost to Valley Christian in the first round of the Central Coast Section Open Division. Darby tripled in his first at bat.
Darby said he started thinking about playing in college midway through his sophomore year, after working with hitting instructor Jamal Harrison, now an assistant baseball coach at Palo Alto, from where he graduated in 1995.
“Every time I’m at practice, I always had in mind that I wanted to make it to the next level,” Darby said. “I’d work out and then stay late because I want the extra reps.”
Darby also plays water polo and basketball.
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
By Palo Alto Online Sports
Congrats to Zander! Best of luck to you the next two seasons at Paly! Remember to have fun.
Why did the story end with Jamal Harrison’s stats in the minors from TWENTY years ago? His stats have nothing to do with Zander committing to UCSB! Zander has worked with many coaches over the years, not just this one batting coach. Should’ve kept the story focused on Zander.