Zackery Spurrier, 16, already has a 93 mile-per-hour fastball. (Heather Spurrier Photo)
He grew up a Louisville fan with parents who are also Louisville fans but very soon Zackery Spurrier’s parents are going to have to buy some University of Kentucky gear.
Spurrier, a standout pitcher at Central Hardin High School, verbally committed to play for coach Nick Mingione at Kentucky earlier this week even though he still has two years of high school left.
“We just talked as a family and felt the time was right for me to do this,” Spurrier said. “It’s something that has kind of been building.”
The right-hander was 5-2 last season with a 0.95 earned run average when Central Hardin won the 5th Region Tournament. He had 71 strikeouts in 59 innings and allowed just eight earned runs in his 14 appearances. He threw a complete game three-hitter in a 2-1 win over Corbin at the state tournament.
He went 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA in 2021 as a freshman when he finished with 45 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings.
His fastball has been timed at 93 miles per hour but mixes a very effective change-up and curve with the fastball.
“I just throw hard for my age,” Spurrier, 16, said.
So was it hard for a Louisville family to commit to Kentucky?
“All of us are Louisville fans but it (committing to UK) didn’t bother me. Now my parents, I don’t know,” Spurrier said. “They have not bought any Kentucky gear yet, but my friend has bought some for me.”
He had other options but thought UK had everything he wanted and his parents liked the coaching staff he would be with.
“They wanted someone who would treat me right and be a good role model for those four years and is also close to home,” Spurrier said. “For me, I appreciated the coaches taking time out of their lives and away from their families for me.”
Any worries that Mingione might not be the coach when he gets there if UK does not get Kentucky into the NCAA Tournament in 2023?
“I am not worried about him,” Spurrier said. “He talked to me about the situation and was pretty honest about everything. I have a lot of faith in him.”
Spurrier is also a talented quarterback. He completed 52 of 118 passes for 874 yards and eight scores last season and ran 141 times for 776 yards and eight more scores. He had an 85-yard scoring run against Meade County.
“I definitely thought maybe I could play football in college but baseball just came quicker to me and I have always stuck with baseball,” Spurrier said.
During the summer he works out during the week with the football team and then goes to weekend baseball tournaments.
“The only real problem I had with both sports was last year. I had a 7-on-7 (football) tournament and the next day had to pitch and kind of messed up my arm a bit,” he said. “Other than that I have been fine.”
