Whitney Looking to Build Off NE-10 Rookie of Year Campaign with Hometown Bats

KEENE, N.H. – When Zak Whitney arrives to Alumni Field on Arch Street, everything will be familiar to him.  The mound, the scenery, the mountain, the dimensions, and all that makes  SwampBats summers at Alumni Field special.  He will also have a whole lot of momentum at his back after putting together a campaign that earned him Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year with Southern New Hampshire University.

The former Keene High School standout, who helped put the Blackbirds in title contention, did the same in his first year in the college ranks with the Penmen, who won over 40 games and again qualified for the NCAA tournament.  Logging 81 innings, he struck out 95 and compiled a 3.89 ERA, pitching to a 7-2 record that represented the second-most wins on the pitching staff.  Four times he struck out double-digits in an outing, including 14 in his third-ever collegiate appearance on March 7 and 10 a week later in his next appearance against Southern Connecticut State University. 

That began a string of consecutive Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week awards, which he would go on to earn four times, taking home both Rookie and Pitcher of the Week honors simultaneously on May 4 before being honored with the conference's Rookie of the Year, an All-Conference First Team selection, and an All-Rookie Team nod on May 6.

Whitney had a clear answer for what led to his success at the collegiate level, which came after a post-grad year at Elev8 Academy in Florida and his career at KHS.

"Confidence," he said.  "If you are nasty with the ball in your hands but weak in between the ears, it doesn't mean anything.  You have to be mentally tough and that part of my game has grown incredibly during my tenure in Florida and as well as up here.  Overall, if you believe you are going to dominate and trust in yourself and the guys behind you, then the rest will turn out how it's supposed to."

One of the biggest – and quickest – adjustments Whitney made came in the form of control, as he walked just 23 in his final 74 innings of work this spring.

"For me, honestly, it's just filling up the zone," he said when asked about his biggest adjustment to the college game.  "I worked really hard in the fall and in the winter to be a well-rounded pitcher.  Being consistent with three or four pitches in the zone is going to get the job done most days, but honestly just believing in my training and my ability to perform has helped me a lot as well."

Not only will Whitney bring momentum into his first summer ball season, so too will the SwampBats franchise, which is coming off an unprecedented 38-12 NECBL championship campaign that landed them their sixth Fay Vincent Sr. Cup last August.  And it culminated with remarkable win in the championship series over the Martha's Vineyard Sharks, as the Bats came from 10 runs down in the eighth inning to win Game 1 at Alumni before erasing a 7-0 second-inning deficit on the road the following night.  Not only did they etch their name in Bats history en route to their 6-0 postseason run as their title joined 2000, 2003, 2011, 2013, and 2019 – they also made league history, finishing with the best winning percentage ever.  Whatever they had to do to win, whatever the circumstances – they would.

And it all began with an 11-game winning streak and team camaraderie early, which Whitney – being a local – will not take for granted this summer.

"Just being able to be with my family and friends while still competing at a high level with a bunch of unbelievable talents," he said when asked what he is most looking forward to.  "Building new relationships with coaches and teammates."

"Individually, I just want to prove to myself that I can compete with the best of the best. I know I can. I want to show myself that I'm not on this team just because I'm a local kid, but because I have the stuff to get SEC and ACC guys out."

There is one thing the Bats have never done despite being one of two franchises in league history to have won over 700 games – win back-to-back championships, which they will set out to accomplish this year when they begin their 44-game slate on Thursday (June 4).

For Whitney, it will be a full-circle moment when he toes the rubber for the first time in purple and black – and he was asked to compare his first time on the Alumni mound to now.

"I throw harder, I throw better pitches, but personally I think the growth as a person not only on the field but off the field is the biggest difference," he said.  I have worked hard to mature and hold myself to the highest standard and that is not just performance based. It is attitude and professionalism – appreciating the game instead of feeling like the game owes me something. That to me is what is the biggest factor. My mental approach I bring to every day."

Whitney also will not lose sight of the aforementioned team goals.

"As a team I think everyone has the same goals," he said.  "We want to win the championship…back-to-back sounds great.  I have great trust in Kevin (Watterson), he knows what he's doing and his ability to gain talent on his roster is unmatched. But ultimately, we want that championship."

The SwampBats have always strived to have a local connection on the team, including a season ago when Monadnock High School alum and current Duke University product Ben Dean displayed impressive stuff while authoring an All-Star summer.

When asked to forecast what being the "local" on the team will mean, Whitney is looking forward to it.

"You can't ask for much more," he said.  "This town has helped shape me to who I am.  I've played many, many games in this town and a lot of people have followed my story.  To be able to perform in front of them and give any inspiration to the local kids that they can do it too…that's what matters the most. I remember as a kid I always wanted to be a SwampBat and I looked up to those guys."

Now the roles have reversed.

"As far as being the local, it's going to be great to have all the guys around, meeting them, and showing them new spots and everything like that."

Tickets are $8 for general admission; seniors and students $6; and kids 10 and under, military, and first responders get in free.

The Bats will take on the Danbury Westerners on Opening Night (Thursday, June 4) at 6:35 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.  For the full schedule of where you can stream the games, please visit swampbats.com or our social media channels.