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Zentko making most of his chances in Rex starting rotation
After spending the 2022 summer playing for the Terre Haute Rex of the Prospect League, former Northview standout Dylan Zentko spent the last two college seasons pitching for Olney Central College.
In the middle of this past spring, Terre Haute Rex general manager Bruce Rosselli reached out to Zentko to ask if he’d be interested in returning to Bob Warn Field again. Upon hearing the first few words through the phone call with Rosselli, Zentko committed to putting on the Rex uniform for the second time in three years. And in doing so, the left-handed hurler was back in a familiar place, which he said has made life much easier thus far.
“It’s been great to be back,” said Zentko. “I’ve had a really fun time with the guys so far this summer. Already being a part of the team in the past made it a lot easier to be comfortable and adjust this summer, knowing how things roll.”
The results have painted the same picture.
Zentko has made eight appearances, five of which were games started by the southpaw. The former Knight has a 1-2 record to go along with a 2.63 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP while striking out 39 batters in 27.1 innings.
The success he’s had comes on the heels of a strong redshirt sophomore season at Olney Central that saw Zentko make 13 appearances, all of which came out of the bullpen. He had a 2-0 record to go along with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP while striking out 77 batters in 58 innings.
Getting consistent chances to pitch this spring helped Zentko gain confidence, which has translated in a big way during the first two months of Prospect League play.
“Pitching at Olney this past spring definitely helped me get into a rhythm,” said Zentko. “I was able to get a bunch of innings and it’s been nice to continue getting better and working on my stuff this summer with the Rex.”
Having spent his redshirt sophomore season as one of Olney's go-to relief arms, Zentko anticipated filling a similar spot with Terre Haute this summer. And while that was how things began for him – three of Zentko's first four outings for the Rex came in a relief with the lefty throwing no more than two innings in any of them – things changed in the middle of June.
Needing someone to give the team multiple innings in a starting role, Terre Haute Rex manager Tony Rosselli moved Zentko into the rotation. Having done it for most of his life, Zentko embraced the challenge.
“I originally came into the summer just looking for a couple of innings per week, but [I] found myself in a starter role recently,” Zentko said. “I’ve always been a starter, so it’s been good to get experience of being ready out of the bullpen and finding a routine that works if I need to go back to doing that again.”
In his first true start – Zentko got the Opening Day nod against the Dubois County Bombers on May 28 but was only asked to throw two innings in a bullpen game for the Rex – of the season, Zentko surrendered four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven in a 10-0 loss to the Full Count Rhythm on June 15.
Since then, it’s been pure dominance from Zentko.
In his last three starts, the left-hander has given up two runs in a combined 15.2 innings, which equates to a 1.14 ERA, while striking out 23 batters.
What’s been the difference for him over the last three weeks? The work he’s put in away from the field in between starts as well as making sure all of his pitches are crisp during his bullpen work.
“The keys to my recent outings have been the mental preparation days before going into a start as well as throwing my pitches often and putting myself into game-like situations with my bullpens,” said Zentko. “It’s helped me stay relaxed and do less thinking when I’m out on the mound.”
Although there’s only three weeks left to go in the regular season, Zentko said there’s still plenty of time to continue to sharpen his game. That’s what he’s focused on accomplishing while also doing his part to help the Eastern Conference’s Central Division leaders capture a Prospect League championship.
“I’m just looking to continue working on my stuff and getting better each day before the fall,” said Zentko. “We’ve got a good team with a bunch of guys you would want to surround yourself with to get better. Team-wise, we’re looking to win a Prospect League championship, and I think we have the guys to do it.”
And once the summer comes to a close, Zentko will be packing up his belongings and making the drive to Murray, Kentucky where he’ll spend his final two years of college eligibility playing for the Murray State University Racers.
He’ll be making the leap from Junior College to Division-I baseball, a level he’s always wanted to play on and is excited to test himself against some of the country’s top competition.
“I’m excited. It’s going to be good baseball and an awesome experience. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of, so I’m very thankful for the opportunity,” said Zentko.