Zack Shannon is doing incredible things at Delta State.
He set a new single season school home run record last weekend to help the Statesmen win the Gulf South Conference regular season championship.
Shannon hit home run No. 26 to break up a no-hitter in the eighth inning against North Alabama on Friday and then hit his 27th home run in the fifth inning of the third and final game on Saturday — breaking the previous school record of 26 set by Dee Haynes in 1999.
“He’s having a tremendous year,” Delta State head baseball coach Mike Kinnison said about Shannon. “It’s one that may not be repeated again. I guess we felt like Dee Haynes’ record of 26 in a season might not ever be broken. Particularly in this era of bbcor bats, I think what (Zack) has done this year has been tremendous, and it’s a great compliment to him that he’s now the single-season home run leader.”
And what’s crazy is Shannon wasn’t recruited much out of Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Illinois, after two seasons here.
“My junior college coach knew the recruiting coordinator here at (DSU) at the time. I really didn’t have too many other looks. There were a couple other NAIA schools and D-II schools. Delta State was the best of it,” said Shannon, who is from Cincinnati, Ohio. “It was kind of a letdown, but I didn’t have the greatest sophomore season. I was fighting some injuries. I took the best of what I got and had a great opportunity down here. I’m thankful for it because it turned me into the player I am today.”
And the player he is today is one of the best in the country. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound first baseman leads the nation in home runs and RBIs (80) and is ranked in the top 10 in batting average (.442).
Asked about his favorite pitch to hit and his least favorite pitch to hit, Shannon said it was all the same — the high fastball.
“I get three results out of it. It goes right into the catcher’s mitt. It goes 400 feet straight up to the second baseman, or it goes over the fence.”
Shannon made quite the impact on the DSU program since the first day he arrived in Cleveland.
Last year, he took home the Gulf South Player of the Year award, was the consensus D-II Player of the Year and was awarded the Tino Martinez trophy. He was also the key cog in the Statesmen’s 45-13 season that ended short of a title in the College World Series in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Shannon hit .434 with 18 home runs and 88 RBI last season, but that was just an appetizer for this unreal 2018 season. He leads all three levels of NCAA baseball in home runs and RBIs. He can now add being on the Golden Spikes midseason watch list to his seemingly endless list of accolades.
The award is bestowed annually to the best amateur baseball player in the United States.
Shannon said he was shocked to see himself on the watch list for the most prestigious award in college baseball that includes former winners like Buster Posey, Bryce Harper and David Price.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet to be honest. It’s something I never thought possible, especially being at the D-II level. I’ve had friends who have made the list. It’s just really cool,” he said.
Shannon and the Statesmen beat Ouachita Baptist 20-13 Tuesday to improve to 36-7 and will close out the regular season this weekend at home with a three-game series vs. Mississippi College.
Shannon said the Statesmen are determined to get back to the World Series after going 1-2 in Grand Prairie a season ago.
“Ending the season with a loss isn’t what you want to do. The whole starting nine in the field is back from that team, and a good majority of us are seniors. That makes us hungry.”
