HAMPTON, VA (WTKR)- There are a couple things that stand out about Zack Easton when he's on the pitcher's mound. First, his long hair spilling out from under his cap. Second, and perhaps more notable, his rare baseball gift.
Easton, a sophomore at Virginia Peninsula Community College, is an ambidextrous pitcher. He's one of the few players in all of baseball, at any level, who can pitch with both arms. It's a phenomenon he stumbled upon in seventh grade after playing football.
"I was throwing everything left-handed," Easton said of his football days. "When I'd go back to baseball it was everything right-handed. My mom was like 'you play football left-handed. Why not play baseball left and right-handed?'"
"He'll come in between innings and I'll be like 'how's the arm feeling?,'" added VPCC head coach Shane Harrison. "He's feeling great and I'm like 'well, you've got the other one if you need it.'"
Switch-pitchers are extremely rare. There is currently only one known ambidextrous hurler in professional baseball and none at the Major League level. In eighth grade, the Richmond native decided to go all-in and put his skills to work.
"I didn't have a six-fingered glove then," recalled the pitcher. "My coach would have to toss out my left-handed glove and toss out my right-handed glove to the mound."
Fast forward, and Easton has been fitted with the proper equipment. He has a six-fingered glove that is interchangeable between his two hands and is now dealing from the rubber for the Gators. When facing a switch-hitter, the sophomore must announce which hand he'll be throwing with and stick with that arm for the entire at-bat. His regular game includes a number of things fans don't see every day at the ballpark.
"It's hard to describe, especially when you're at a game and you hear the crowd," pointed out Harrison. "'He's pitching from the left side now. Now he's pitching from the right side.'"
"That's my favorite impression," Easton added. "Every team I've been apart of, they'll talk it up. 'Did he just switch arms?' That's my favorite part."
Pitching is one of the many areas where Zack is ambidextrous. He can write and shoot a basketball with both hands, but can only bat right-handed. He says he favors his left hand while eating as well. Harrison noted that his pitcher can drop his glove and throw to first base with either hand on a bunt attempt by the opponent, depending on which way his body weight is taking him.
What lies ahead for the pitcher? Easton says he's more of a "live in the moment" kind of guy and doesn't like to look too far into the future, but he does note that he hopes the Gators jersey is not the last uniform he wears.
"There's always a level you can do up, but time will present itself," he said. "I don't want to say I'm going to make it to the big leagues, but, like I said, the time will present itself."
VPCC plays its next home games on April 19 when the Gators host Paul D. Camp for a double-header at Hampton's War Memorial Stadium.
