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Here’s our TLI for Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: ZOE PRYSTAJKO
P/1B Zoe Prystajko, #4 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Firecrackers 18U-Rico, calm and competitive, focusing on pitches lower in the zone, Alliance Nationals, challenges, sports psychology, Rachel Garcia, rap and pop songs, “The Office” and cooking.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Zoe Prystajko
Hometown: Huntington Beach, CA
High School: Huntington Beach High
Club Team: Firecrackers 18U-Rico
Graduation Year: 2024
Height: 5-foot-10
Position: P/1B
Nickname: n/a
Twitter: @zoe_prystajko44
Honors: Surf Division Most Valuable Pitcher (2022) and Surf Division 1st Team All-League (2022).
Travel Ball Highlights/Summer Stats: 173.1 IP, 2.10 ERA, 271 Ks and .135 batting average against.
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? When I was 9 years old, my 10U rec team partnered with former Huntington Beach High assistant coach Johnny Martinez to begin a travel team. Johnny was a Firecrackers coach, so that’s when I began catching and hitting lessons in the Firecracker Warehouse. I’ve been able to hear Tony (Rico) teach for about seven years, and when the opportunity came for me to join his 18U team last year, I jumped at it.
What do you bring to the team? I bring a calming, competitive presence when I am on the mound, and try to keep composed under pressure. I will always try to give my team the best opportunity to win and keep the momentum going.
What areas are you focusing on/trying to improve this fall? I am focusing on pitches lower in the zone to combat my riseball, and continue to make minor tweaks to my mechanics.
Can you tell us about your experience at Alliance Nationals this summer? I’m very pleased with the amount of exposure that I got during Alliance Nationals, facing some of the best teams and players, some right before they go off to college to play at elite programs all around the country. It has opened my eyes to how much I can grow and continue to learn about pitching, hitting, and strategy, and each year, hopefully, I will develop even further.
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? All of the top travel programs are a challenge, each team being taught different coaching tactics and styles that have led to extremely successful teams. From 14u to 18u, the level of competition has gone up, while the level of forgiveness for mistakes has gone down. Throughout the year, playing the top teams in Southern California posed a different challenge as well, considering how I was going to pitch the same lineup after they had faced me so many times.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I have no concrete ideas for my future occupation, depending on where softball takes me as the industry after college continues to develop. As of right now, I am interested in psychology. Whether that takes me into clinical or sports psychology, I don’t exactly know.
Who is your sports hero and why? I don’t have one particular sports hero, although I like to watch Rachel Garcia. Her riseball and curveball are fun to watch. I began to pitch around the time that I started watching her, and watching her pitches move out of the zone was inspiring.
What’s the best hype song and why? My hype song constantly changes, between weekends before games or if I find a random song while I’m working out. I like any song that brings up my energy, most commonly rap or pop songs.
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? My favorite TV show is “The Office.” I have watched The Office way more than what is considered normal, enough to where I can recite the casts’ lines in many different episodes. I like to have it on as background sound, and the humor is simple.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? When I’m not on the field, I enjoy cooking and baking. I love to try different recipes that I see online and enjoy them with my family.
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