Without a doubt, St. Charles East’s Jake Zitella had a dominant junior season.
Well, maybe not without a doubt. The Illinois recruit didn’t walk off the field for the last time this spring anything close to being satisfied — which should scare the opposition.
“I feel like I still have more to improve,” said Zitella, a third baseman. “I felt like I didn’t even do the most that I could this year. I was pushing for the highest star this year.
“I feel like I didn’t get to that.”
The numbers, however, tell a different story.
Zitella, the 2022 Beacon-News/Courier-News Baseball Player of the Year, hit .395 with 24 runs, 12 walks, 10 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 30 RBIs.
He struck out fewer times — only 11 — than he walked.
“He has very high expectations of himself,” St. Charles East coach Len Asquini said of Zitella. “The sky is the limit for him, and he wants that. He’s working toward that.
“When you have that, you’re never doing well enough. That’s his mentality and where he’s pushing himself. That’s a good thing.”
Zitella also lived up to the hype after committing to Illinois before the season even began. There are things he took out of the experience he wants to focus on this summer.
“I feel like I could have been more consistent as a hitter,” Zitella said. “That’s part of the game. You get outs. But I felt like I could have been more consistent. You have to reset.”
Asquini said Zitella’s ability to move on from tough times is a big attribute.
“One of the beauties behind him is short-term memory and he has it,” Asquini said. “He holds onto the failure part, how do I not fail next time, and uses that to his advantage.
“He did a really nice job of slowing things down and making sure he didn’t get frustrated when they didn’t pitch to him or they pitched around him. He wasn’t chasing stuff.”
That took a conscious effort from Zitella. Once he realized he had a reputation and teams were creating game plans against him, he made the necessary adjustments.
“It was a little tough at first,” Zitella said. “I built a name around myself where people know who I am and they want to get me out.
“I worked on curveballs, hitting them the other way. There’s no way I will get an inside pitch unless it’s a mistake. Most of my home runs were to right field.”
Zitella already has his college future in place, but he’s using this summer with his travel team to parlay success from the spring into national recognition.
He recently tried out for the Area Code Games. He’s hoping to receive an invitation.
Zitella also is heading from July 20-24 to St. Petersburg, Florida to play in the Perfect Game national showcase.
“I’m trying to take this game to the highest level I can,” Zitella said. “I’m trying to see the best competition, so I know what to work on.”
Asquini remains supportive of Zitella’s lofty goals.
“He’s already got his college, which is great,” Asquini said. “That’s not his goal. The goal is to make the Area Code Games, getting drafted and making a decision.
“He knows what he did this year isn’t enough to get there. He’s got work to do and he’s willing to put in the time to try to reach that. It’s helpful he has the talent and the skill level to get there.”
Zitella hasn’t wavered in his hopes to one day play in the major leagues. Every step of development gets him closer to that goal.
“That’s where I want to be,” Zitella said of the majors. “I’m going to keep working and see where I land. I’m blessed to be able to be where I’m at. It’s a big summer for me.
“I just have to get to it.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
