SUMMER 2023

• Pitched in five games for the Tom Sox with four starts, totaling 18 innings
• Struck out 22 hitters while walking only six
• Held opponents scoreless in three of five outings
• Made debut against Harrisonburg, striking out six in four innings and allowing one run (June 15)
• Five innings against Front Royal on June 30, punching out five while allowing no earned runs or walks
• Seven strikeouts in final outing against Culpeper (July 12)

*** BIO INFORMATION COURTESY OF EAST CAROLINA ATHLETICS ***

SPRING 2023

• Appeared in 20 games with 13 starts
• Compiled a 3-3 record with a 5.33 earned run average and 54 strikeouts against 27 walks in 53.2 innings of work
• Limited opposing hitters to a .254 batting average
• Notched multiple strikeouts in 12 contests
• Recorded victories over George Washington (Feb. 18), Elon (March 8) and Old Dominion (April 11)
• Turned in a superb start in the NCAA Charlottesville Regional finals against No. 7 national seed at host Virginia, allowing just one earned run and five hits in 4.2 innings of work
• Combined with former Tom Sox Trey Yesavage and Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman to post a 3-0 shutout of Missouri State (March 17)
• Registered a career-high six strikeouts twice against Tulane (April 29 and May 28)
• Collected his first collegiate save in East Carolina’s 6-5 home win over North Carolina (Feb. 24) in front of a Clark-LeClair Stadium record crowd of 6,003
• Produced a key three-inning relief effort in helping the Pirates to a 13-9 win over NC State (April 4) in Greenville

FORT MYERS HIGH SCHOOL

• Four-year varsity letterman for head coach Kyle Burchfield
• Compiled a 13-3 overall record and 2.16 earned run average while striking out 176 batters in 123.1 innings during his prep career
• Also hit .308 (68-for-221) with 46 runs scored and 39 RBI
• Put together a dominant senior season on the mound, finishing with a 6-2 record, 1.50 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 51.1 innings
• Attended the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft Combine
• Rated the 178th overall prospect nationally and 26th-best left-handed pitcher as well as the 31st-ranked recruit in Florida by Perfect Game
• Assigned a Perfect Game grade of 9.5 (potential top-10 round pick and/or highest level college prospect)
• Tabbed the 2022 Southwest Florida Baseball Player of the Year
• Participated in the 2021 National Showcase
• Earned Preseason Underclass All-American status by Perfect Game in 2019, 2020 and 2021 as well as Florida All-Region accolades
• Selected a 2022 Perfect Game Preseason High Honorable Mention All-American and Florida All-Region First-Team pick
• Collected upwards of 30 All-Tournament Team honors at various showcase events

PERSONAL

• Full name is Zachary Bishop Root
• Son of Vance and Dawn Root
• Two-time ECU Director of Athletics Honor Roll Selection (Fall 2022-Present)

Last updated: September 2023