WESLEY CHAPEL – As his Spring Hill National team celebrated their title Thursday night, Zach Hotop still wore his shin guards. Throughout five games in the Dixie Baseball AA Rookies (ages 7-8) All-Stars District 6 Tournament at Wesley Chapel District Park, the young catcher rarely had the opportunity to take them off.
“It took all of them to win this tournament,” SH National head coach John McMurdo said. “But I really do have to focus on Zach. He came out and caught four games for us, four complete games. He really cut down on baserunning in close games. Just his hustle, he was a leader back there and he got the other kids charged up.” In an age group where wild pitches and stolen bases are commonplace, having a reliable player behind the plate can make a huge difference. Hotop is an unconventional backstop simply because he’s left-handed. “I guess you can get away with that when they’re 8 years old,” McMurdo said. “It’s his hustle, his speed, his ability to get to the ball. Brandon Higgins is another great catcher, but it just worked out. We wanted Brandon to be fresh for pitching.”
McMurdo added that Hotop can pitch, but was never needed in that capacity as SH National went 5-0 in the double-elimination event, earning a trip to the state tournament starting July 11 in Sebring. His contributions were hardly limited to behind the plate, though. Hotop served as the team’s leadoff hitter, going 8-for-13 with two walks, scoring seven times.
In Monday’s second round, Hotop had his finest performance, 3-for-3 with two triples and three runs, as SH National defeated Spring Hill American, 13-3. “He’s lefty, he can lay down a lot of bunts, and out of the box as a lefty you’ve got the advantage right there,” McMurdo said. “If he’s not the fastest one on the team, he’s a close second.”
As a catcher, Hotop noted that, “You’re in a lot of plays. You get the ball a lot.” As a leadoff hitter, “I get to hit first. I get to see where he’s pitching and all that.” In explaining how the team won the district following a 9-6 victory over Bushnell in the final, he had a very simple answer. “We believe,” Hotop said.