Zack Shannon, Moeller, OF/RHP, Class of 2014

The recruiting scene is changing in Ohio.

Saturday evening, Cincinnati Moeller prospect Zack Shannon issued a verbal commitment to Coach Beals and The Ohio State University.

Shannon becomes the second Class of 2014 prospect to make a commitment after his Midland summer teammate Jacob Niggemeyer (Worthington Kilbourne/RHP) issued his pledge to the Buckeyes in the fall.

“The overall atmosphere at OSU was the main factor in everything,” Shannon says. “You feel at home when you go there and the coaching staff is great.”

With a year under their belt, the Ohio State coaching staff has been aggressive targeting the top prospects in the state, including underclassmen such as Shannon and Niggemeyer.

With schools such as North Carolina, Louisville, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech often plucking away some of the best talent from Ohio, it is clear that the new staff is going to act early on the top players.

“Coach Stafford and Coach Holick were both great to me the whole time.” He goes on to state, “They made me feel very welcome.”

As one of the top players in the state and nation for the Class of 2014, Shannon was not short on options. Although the recruiting process was just starting, he already took visits to Louisville and Georgia Tech. In addition, he was also hearing from Arkansas, UNC, South Carolina, and Miami (FL).

At the end of the day, Shannon stressed the importance of staying close to home so that his family could attend his home games.

Zack’s father Lee says, “Distance has been a major discussion … the 9 to 14 hour drive would be too much. So, it played a very big role in the decision.”

Lee goes on to say, “The coaching staff is easy going, seem to care about Zack and made me feel as if they were going to show him the right path and take care of him.”

Now, with his commitment behind him, the younger Shannon said that he and Niggemeyer are turning their focus on getting the other top players in the state to join them.

He explains, “We are trying to get Nick Vespi (Eastwood/LHP) to join our group and maybe start talking to Jordan McDonough (St. Xavier/C) as well.”

In December, Shannon attended PBR Ohio’s Winter Top Prospect Camp and showed as one of the top players at the event. Schedule permitting, he will also be attending the PBR Top Prospect Games and Underclass Games this coming summer. Read his analysis below:

“Shannon is a big, physical prospect. He shows the potential to be a two-way player at the next level. In the field, he shows athleticism, but likely projects as a first baseman or corner outfielder. His velocity from the outfield was 88 mph, and his velocity across the infield was 83 mph. At the plate, the right-handed hitter starts with an open, athletic stance. He uses an explosive lower half, quick bat speed, and slight uphill bat path to generate gap-to-gap power. He registered a 7.45 60-yard dash on a slow track. On the mound, the right-hander uses a max effort delivery. At times, his mechanics are disrupted by balance issues. He shows a heavy and sometimes erratic 84-86 mph fastball from a high 3/4 arm slot. His curveball sits at 70-72 mph and shows a sharp 11/5 break. His changeup shows some run, but he cannot locate it consistently in the zone. It sits at 71-72 mph.”

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