8 Days until First Pitch - #21 Zach Franklin

It's only 8 days until the Western Carolina Baseball team takes the field at Hennon Stadium for the first pitch against the Chicago State Cougars to open the 2020 baseball season. Let's take this time to meet this season's Cats with Bats.

We will highlight them by class, starting with the seniors and ending with the brand new freshmen Catamounts.

#21 Zach Franklin 

POSITION  Right-Handed Pitcher
HEIGHT  6-2
WEIGHT  180
CLASS  Redshirt Sophomore
HOMETOWN  Marion, N.C.
HIGH SCHOOL  McDowell HS





2019 (Sophomore): Made seven appearances, six in relief with one start all before being sidelined with a throwing arm injury … Is expected to apply for a medical redshirt … Posted a 2-1 record with a 4.00 ERA prior to injury, striking out 32 against 15 walks with four hit batters … Struck out a season-high six three times including against Oakland (Feb. 16), Elon (March 15), and at ETSU (March 22) … Recorded 36 ground ball outs and 30 fly ball outs … Limited Oakland to one hit over 5.1 innings with six strikeouts in recording his first win of the year … Matched a career-long with seven relief innings in scoring a home win over Elon (March 15) ... Named to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

2018 (Freshman): Made 23 appearances including 20 out of the bullpen with three starts … Finished with a 1-4 overall record with a 3.23 ERA and three saves … Pitched a combined 47.1 innings … Recorded 50 strikeouts against 24 walks, surrendering 49 hits with just 12 going for extra bases – eight doubles and four home runs … Limited the opposition to a .254 batting average against … Made his collegiate debut in a weekend start at East Carolina (Feb. 18) … Struck out a career-high seven in his second career start against Canisius (Feb. 24) … Earned his first career save in striking out two in an inning of relief out of the bullpen in the victory over The Citadel (March 24) … Collected his second career save in tossing 2.1 innings in game one of a doubleheader against Samford (May 12) … Saved WCU’s first win in the 2018 Southern Conference tournament, tossing a perfect ninth against The Citadel (May 22) that started WCU’s postseason run … Tossed a career-long 7.0 innings in just his third career start in the SoCon Tournament with the Catamounts facing elimination against ETSU (May 25), matching his career-high with seven strikeouts in securing his first collegiate victory … Named to the 2017-18 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: A Western North Carolina product that was the Mountain Athletic Conference (MAC) 4A/3A Pitcher of the Year as a junior ... Posted a 4-4 record with two saves, tossing a no-hitter in a tough-luck loss to A.C. Reynolds ... Finished his junior year with a 1.53 ERA with 93 strikeouts in 59.1 innings while limiting opponents to a .170 batting average ... Earned a spot on the District 8 PowerAde State Games team.

Personal: Full name is Zach Aaron Franklin ... Is the son of Holly and Jody Franklin ... Has an older sister.


Courtesy WCU Athletics Media Relations