Arkansas commit Nazzan Zanetello ready for final season at CBC and potential MLB Draft ahead

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - His talent and skill have always been there, but CBC senior Nazzan Zanetello knew that it was going to take more to elevate his game to the next level and become one of the top prospects in the country for the 2023 class.

“A kid who’s fallen in love with his work. He’s probably the best athlete you will ever find on a baseball field and he’s also the hardest working,” said Nathan Yamnitz, the owner of Performance Zone.

Naz credits his growth on the field to Yamnitz and Craig Ringe, a former baseball player.

With more development, Naz started to garner more attention.

“There’s a bigger target on my back, a bigger chip on my shoulder and a lot more people coming for my spot so I have got to work ten times harder than the next man,” said Zanetello.

Last summer is when the national recognition heated up. He was named MVP of the Breakthrough Series, which led to more events like being a part of the Team USA 18 and under World Cup Qualifying tournament.

“I wasn’t only just playing for my country, I was playing for myself my hometown, myself, my parents, and even my school. Just being able to put my name out there and get a gold medal and bring it back home, it’s a lot,” Zanetello said.

All of the work off the field paid off on one of the biggest stages, against Mexico, in the bottom of the 7th inning, with bases loaded, Naz drilled a walk-off single to lift Team USA to an 8-7 victory.. on their path to winning the gold medal.

“My heart was beating out of my chest. my stomach was in my butt. Honestly, though you can’t let the moment be bigger than you in that at-bat. I got behind in the count real early, I had to step out and call time a few times. My Mom always tells me to call on Jesus so I stepped out, ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,’ next pitch hit the walk-off though,” he said.

It’s moments like that that have made Zantello one of the top prospects for the 2023 class and a likely early-round pick in this year’s MLB draft, but for now, he’s just focusing on his final season with CBC and his future with the Razorbacks.

“Arkansas is the next big step for me and my journey, that’s the goal right now. So whatever happens, this summer happens this summer, the biggest goal going into spring is winning the state ring,” he said.

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