sports » Baseball In His Blood Zach Oshinsky Steve Stein | Contributing Writer Z 2068940 Overwhelmed by caring for an aging family member? Pam Feinberg-Rivkin RN, BSN, CCM, CRRN, ABDA Interventionist Founder & CEO We Can Help More than just home care... Our professionals will coordinate and support all of your needs Call: 248.702.6510 Care Managers: b Holistic Assessments b Detailed Plans b Management of Care b Oversight and Monitoring Caregivers: b Companionship b Help Around the Home b Meal Prep for Special Diets b Attending Appointments For additional services visit: www.BridgewayCare.net 58 March 10 • 2016 2000430 ach Oshinsky is taking his pitching talents to Olivet. The former West Bloomfield High School star, now in his second and final season with the Lake Michigan College baseball team, has signed with NCAA Division III Olivet College. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound southpaw will be a junior at Olivet in the fall. “I chose Olivet because it felt like a good fit,” Oshinsky said. “I was originally planning on going to the University of Mount Union [in Alliance, Ohio], but I wanted to be closer to home.” Lake Michigan is a two-year junior col- lege that has its main campus in Benton Harbor. Olivet is located northeast of Battle Creek. Oshinsky said he’s happy he waited to go to a four-year school. “I’m glad I chose to play baseball at a junior college right out of high school,” he said. “It’s given me time to grow and mature on and off the field, and I feel I gained more ‘curb appeal’ to coaches from four-year schools who were recruit- ing me. “They know a junior college player, especially a pitcher, has been compet- ing at the collegiate level and should be ready to play when he gets to a four-year school.” Oshinsky’s coach at Olivet will be Ted Mahan. He said he’s comfortable with Oshinsky starting his collegiate career at a junior college. “Junior college often helps a player develop. Sometimes he’s able to play ear- lier when he gets to a four-year school. So hopefully, the experience has helped Zach,” he said. “I’m a believer in four-year schools, but I have had many junior college guys who were outstanding players and young men.” Mahan said there will be an adjust- ment period on the mound for Oshinsky going from junior college to pitching for the Comets. “There are lots of good junior college hitters but hitters at four-year schools are usually stronger, so pitchers need to locate pitches better than before,” he said. “Zach will need to locate his fastball away from right-handed hitters. If lefties can do that, they can have success.” Oshinsky describes himself as a finesse pitcher. “I throw a fastball, change-up, slider and curveball,” he said. “I don’t rely heavily on overpowering hitters because I don’t throw fast. I need to locate my pitches well and change speeds to keep hitters off-balance.” There will be a job for Oshinsky on the Olivet mound staff if he earns it. “Zach will be used as a starting pitcher in the fall [in preparation for the 2017 spring season], and we’ll watch his progress,” Mahan said. “We’ll be losing a left-handed starter to graduation, and we sure hope Zach can replace him.” Oshinsky isn’t sure about his academic major at Olivet. “But I have a few ideas like psycholo- gy, business or athletic training,” he said. First things first, he’s hoping for a good sophomore season this spring at Lake Michigan. He made news at this time last year. He won his first start for Lake Michigan, helping the Red Hawks defeat South Georgia 4-0 on March 8, 2015. It was Lake Michigan’s first win on its spring trip in three seasons. Oshinsky also plays in the Bloomfield Sting travel baseball program. He’ll pitch for the Sting in the Michigan Collegiate Summer League this summer. Baseball is in Oshinsky’s blood. “I’ve been playing since I was 4 years old,” he said. He’s now 19. He has an unusual middle name, and it’s baseball related. His middle name is Maddux, as in Greg Maddux, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Oshinsky’s father, Steve, met Maddux at spring training several years ago and became friends with him. Zach Oshinsky pitches like Maddux, who was known for his pinpoint control, ability to make the right pitch at the right time and paint the corners of the plate in his 22 seasons in the big leagues. “But I don’t compare myself to him,” Oshinsky said. “That’s kind of a cliche.” Oshinsky played other sports com- petitively but he decided in 2013 to focus entirely on baseball. * Please send sports news to: stevestein502004@yahoo.com.