Kevin Maher
Contributing Writer
BC’s own “Broward Guy” is Zachary Urso. A freshman at BC, he is striving on and off the baseball field, even though it’s a different experience than he’s had before.
Urso, who pitches for BC, began playing baseball when he turned 8 and his passion for baseball only grew as he matured. After making his high school team at Western High School, Urso played well enough to be offered a scholarship from BC.
The transition from high school to college can be tough for many athletes, as they face opponents who are the best of the crop.
Transitioning to the level of college baseball was a challenge for Urso, as he had to acclimate to some of the differences.
“The speed of the pitching was definitely something I had to get used to,” Urso said.
Urso plays either midfield position, which means playing a key part of BC’s defense. Even while in the transitioning phase, Urso has performed well according to his teammates.
“You see Zach come out and he’s been competitive since day one of the fall,” Jeremiah Adams said.
Not only has Adams recognized Urso as a legitimate talent on the baseball field, but Pitching Coach Derrick Conatser marveled about Urso as well.
“Zach is basically the definition of a Broward Guy, meaning he exemplifies exactly what we’re looking for in the players of our program. He comes to work every day. He’s really committed to improving his game on a daily basis and that’s what we strive to get all of our players to do.”
With a ton of support from both teammates and coaches, Urso continues to use it as fuel to get better, but quietly. Conatser details his quiet demeanor as a plus to the team saying, “He’s a quiet kid, but is very about business. He brings a quiet leadership, meaning he doesn’t have to be loud and local, but guys can follow what he does because it’s the right way.”
Looking to the future, Urso hopes to compete at a high level and help his team win. When asked how he wants to impact his team, the leadership skills that Conatser detailed do come out, as he answered “Anyway the coach can put me in and I can contribute to helping us win.”
Not only can the sport side of the transition to college be difficult, but so can the educational aspect. Urso says he’s acclimated to it fine though, using his time wisely and listening to his peers’ advice.
“I work around the schedule the coach gives us every month and once I’m done with that I go home and do my work.”
As Urso continues at BC, his future goals include moving onto a 4-year school pursuing baseball, and if that doesn’t pan out he’s interested in applying for the police academy.