By Warren Rappleyea
Old Bridge High School’s Zach Attianese is preparing to head to the University of North Carolina to begin his collegiate baseball career this fall.
The 6-foot-2 left-hander attended a team camp for several weeks in late June and has been working out diligently since returning home and throwing on a flat surface.
“I feel as strong as I’ve ever been,” Attianese said. “They gave us a workout program and I’ve been doing everything I can to get ready. The coaches made it clear that you can’t expect anything — you have to earn your spot.”
The Knights’ standout burst onto the high school scene as a sophomore in 2014. He went 5-2 on the mound with 67 strikeouts in 45 innings. His ERA was 0.61, as he helped Old Bridge reach the semifinals of the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Tournament. Also a first baseman, Attianese batted .328 with 18 runs scored and 18 RBIs. After the season he was named Gatorade Player of the Year.
As a junior, Attaniese went 4-2 and struck out 49 hitters in just under 40 innings of work with a 1.59 ERA, as Old Bridge reached the finals of the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV tournament. A sore elbow, however, cut short his summer season, and he spent much of the offseason resting and exercising.
He began the 2016 season with a bang, earning victories over both South Plainfield High School and Perth Amboy High School. In 14 innings, he recorded 21 strikeouts. In his next start against J.P. Stevens High School, Attianese had to leave after two innings when his arm tightened up.
That essentially ended his season on the mound. Fortunately, a series of tests found that all was in order.
“Everyone was just being cautious,” Attianese said. “They checked my arm, then they did an MRI on my shoulder. But it turned out everything was all right.”
Nevertheless, Attianese still contributed to the team as a designated hitter. He ended the year at .338 with five doubles and 17 RBIs despite often being pitched around to the tune of 13 free passes.
“Zach is the kind of player any coach would want,” Old Bridge mentor Jimmy Freel said. “We would have liked to have had him pitching, but you have to do the right thing, and we were all so glad it turned out well. Still, Zach did everything he could. He was always encouraging his teammates and doing his part with the bat.”
That’s not at all surprising. Attianese is committed to doing volunteer work throughout the community as well as at his church. He also excels in the classroom with a GPA above 4.0.
The youngest of three children, Attianese credits his dad, Jude, for teaching him the fundamentals of the game, while his mom, Natalie, always provided plenty of support.
At North Carolina, Attianese will put his bats away to become a full-time pitcher. While he knows it’s the right decision, he admits he will miss his trips to the batter’s box.
“As a pitcher, you don’t play every day, so I have to get used to that,” Attianese said. “I’m also looking forward to concentrating on pitching. I’ll find other ways to contribute.”
Freel, who has coached Attianese since youth baseball, is confident his former charge will do well at North Carolina.
“Zach throws hard, but he’s smart, too,” the Old Bridge coach said. “He knows baseball. He knows how to react to different situations. Essentially, he knows how to pitch.”
