Kane County Chronicle Athlete of the Week: Zach Bostrand, Marmion, baseball, senior

Name: Zach Bostrand

School: Marmion

Sport: Baseball, senior

Why he was selected: Bostrand combined for a no-hitter with Ethan Flores in a 2-0 victory over St. Charles North on March 21. Bostrand allowed no hits and struck out four over four innings. Bostrand was voted Athlete of the Week by fans in an online vote. Here is his Q/A with Jake Bartelson.

Bartelson: With the combined no-no, what did that accomplishment mean to you personally?

Bostrand: Personally, the combined no-hitter meant a lot to me. For that to be my first outing of my senior year was really special. Also, I really respect SCN baseball and their program, so for it to be against them was really cool.

Bartelson: Was that the first time you’ve been a part of a no-no?

Bostrand: That is not the first time I have been a part of a no-no. I threw one back in my days playing summer ball, but it was my first one in high school so that was pretty sweet.

Bartelson: What motivates you playing baseball?

Bostrand: What motivates me playing baseball is my dad, the guys around me, and the mental aspect behind the game. It’s a game full of struggle and failure, and being able to push through that for my brothers next to me, it pushes me to play the game.

Bartelson: What’s your most special memory baseball-wise that either you’ve been a part of or watched?

Bostrand: The most special baseball memory to me was the experience I had in Cooperstown, New York, when I was 12. Our team went on a miraculous run and I’ve never felt tighter to a group of guys than I did that week.

Bartelson: Imagine you get to play fantasy GM for a baseball team. Money being irrelevant, what starting rotation of current MLB guys would you sign?

Bostrand: My starting rotation would be 1. Jacob DeGrom, 2. Corbin Burns, 3. Justin Verlander, 4. Max Scherzer, 5. Shohei Ohtani.