Clarke brothers swing into senior year
For twins Zach and Chris Clarke, seniors, it was clear at a very young age they had found their niche on the baseball diamond.
“We played football and then basketball for a year or two, and then after that it was basically just baseball,” Zach said.
After roughly twelve years playing baseball, the twin’s hard work has been rewarded with the opportunity to play baseball in college and follow their older brother Zander’s footsteps, who currently plays baseball at UCLA.
“Our older brother kinda paved the way for us because he had a lot of talent when he was coming up through high school … and through the recruiting process we followed him along,” Zach said.
In the fall, Zach will play baseball at Claremont McKenna College. However, when it initially came to deciding where to attend college, Zach focused his search on academics.
“Everyone that I ever talked with was like ‘if athletics get you into school that you couldn’t get into previously, or if it opens up doors that wouldn’t have previously been open to you, then that’s something that you should explore,’” Zach said. “I had D1 offers on the East coast, and I could’ve played in Georgia or New York, but I decided to stay at home and go to the best academic school I ever possibly could.”
Chris committed to USC as a sophomore, shortly after his older brother committed to UCLA. However, for Chris the future is now undecided, as he has gained the attention of several Major League Baseball teams.
The opportunity for Chris to play baseball in the future is especially meaningful for him, as during his sophomore year he experienced one of the biggest setbacks to a pitcher: Tommy John surgery, in which the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow had to be replaced.
After a grueling 18 month recovery period filled with intense rehab and physical therapy, Chris was able to pitch again.
The time spent on the sidelines made Chris appreciate his love for the game even more. “The (recovery) process just really became a lifestyle of what I have to do, and then as soon as I got on the field, as soon as I had people around me I could work with, once again, it just felt like I was back home,” Chris said.
With the return of Chris to the mound his senior year, he and his brother have high hopes for the team this season and are confident their team will perform well.
“Our only firm goal is Marmonte and everything after that is kinda up in the air,” Zach said. “But there is no reason why we shouldn’t win Marmonte this year. We’re the best team in the league.”
Although the Clarkes will be moving on to college next year, Chris is so grateful to have been a part of such a wonderful team. “We have great team chemistry … all in all we’re a solid team, and there’s no other team I’d rather play for,” Chris said.
Teammates Carpenter Pagett and Tanner Castle have been playing with the Clarkes for eight and four years respectively, and admire the qualities their teammates bring to the field. “Chris brings a lot of energy to our team and he gets us all motivated to win,” Pagett said.
Castle agrees with Pagett and not only commends their spirit, but also their smarts regarding the game. “They both have an extremely high baseball IQ,” Castle said.
Chris thinks that he and his brother are good leaders on the team, each with unique qualities that complement each other. “(Zach) serves as the go to captain, kinda like a mom … more sensible … and then I serve as the captain in the background with discipline, kinda like a dad,” Chris said.
