Phil Fox, Christian Zilli, Jake Kramer and Brandon Coughlin were the top four pitchers on the Hempfield baseball team that made it to the WPIAL Class 6A baseball championship game in 2021.
The Spartans had strong and shrewd pitchers. They also had courageous winners for important games.
Now, the four players are strong separate relievers at their respective Division I and II programs: Fox at Pitt, Zilli at Seton Hill, Kramer at Cal (Pa.) and Coughlin at Lehigh.
“They are all fierce competitors and they all wanted to play in crucial moments,” said Hempfield coach Tim Buzzard. “It’s unusual for high schoolers to be that way. They wanted to control the result. That's just who they are. I'm not surprised by what they’re doing.”
Kramer and Zilli are some of the top D2 players for saving games in the country.
Kramer, now a 6-foot-3 and 235-pound sophomore, had six saves by mid-week, tying him for sixth place in the country.
His ERA and WHIP were 0.56, and he had 14 strikeouts and four walks in 16 innings.
After the fall of his freshman year, Kramer's coaches saw him as a reliever. He made the transition in the spring and took on a setup role.
His speed increased and he became a closer, making six saves last season and earning All-PSAC second-team honors.
“Improvement led my coaches to trust me in the closer role, which I’ve grown to love,” Kramer said. “The pressure of having the game on the line and the team relying on me is where I thrive. Despite offers to switch to a starting position, I couldn’t let go of the closer role that I’ve become so passionate about.
“It became evident to me that there were certain school records I could aim to break as a closer. That was another reason I stayed in the position.”
Cal (17-6, 6-2) was tied with IUP (14-6, 6-2) for first in the PSAC West Division.
“Jake was always a bulldog,” Buzzard said. “He was a strike thrower and loved to compete in big games. He’s found a way to pitch at Cal.”
Seton Hill (17-9, 4-4) was in a three-way tie for third in the PSAC West, with Zilli as its closer.
Zilli (2-0), a junior, had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.36 WHIP with four saves. He had allowed only three hits and struck out 14 in 11 innings.
“I can’t say that I knew for sure that all of us would become high-level relievers, but I did know that we all had what it took to evolve into successful college baseball players,” Zilli said. “In high school, we faced many pressure scenarios and played in numerous tight games against tough opponents, which helped us feel at ease in those moments. Our success is also a testament to the great coaching we received from coach Buzzard and his staff.”
Zilli shifted from an infielder’s role last year to the bullpen, which gave him a stronger sense of purpose with the Griffins.
“I realized that I was likely sliding down the depth chart as this year approached,” Zilli said. “I was determined to make a difference this year and realized that playing in the infield probably wouldn't help the team.”
Zilli has changed how he throws and it has made him much more successful.
“Christian transformed himself into a pitcher,” Buzzard said. “He went from throwing over-arm to sidearm.”
Zilli put in effort to change his pitching technique to one that Kent Tekulve would appreciate. He now throws sidearm.
“I believed I had the mindset to be a good pitcher, but I wasn't physically ready, so I started throwing from a sidearm slot, which felt natural from my time as an infielder,” Zilli said. “I gained confidence in this and developed an arsenal around it with the help of some teammates and the Seton Hill coaching staff. Since then, I’ve just been trying to constantly improve, while keeping my job as simple as possible: Throw strikes and compete as hard as I can.”
Fox leads Pitt (12-13, 2-10 ACC) with two saves. The redshirt sophomore was 2-1 with a 0.96 ERA in 10 appearances (18.2 innings).
His 22 strikeouts were way more than his two walks, and his WHIP was also impressive at 0.80.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Fox said of his former teammates finding success in college. “At Hempfield, we had a lot of hard-working guys who enjoyed working on their craft in school and on their own. We all enjoyed being around each other in a positive environment, and this is what allowed us to be so successful. Coach Buzzard is an amazing coach and really loves what he does. I couldn't say enough good things about him and the program he built. He is a huge reason for me becoming not just the pitcher I am today, but most importantly the man I have become.”
Fox started his college career at Gardner-Webb but was delayed by Tommy John surgery.
He entered the NCAA transfer portal and has found lasting success as a closer at Pitt.
“Phil was our starter, our ace,” Buzzard said. “He has a great arm and was a solid two-way guy. His junior year is when he said, OK, I want to be a pitcher now.”
Fox said his surgery delayed his start in college baseball but also led him to his current role.
“My first time stepping onto the mound in a live-game situation was in the spring of 2023 during our scrimmages,” he said. “Those were my chances to perform and prove that I was ready to pitch again.
“I kept putting together good performances, and eventually they decided to put me into the closing role, which I have found to love and excel at.”
Fox said he needed a “change of scenery” when he came to Pitt.
“Pitt felt like the perfect fit for me, being a Pitt fan my whole life,” he said. “So far, things have been great and I’ve found a lot of success and enjoyment playing with my team.
In Coughlin, Lehigh (16-10-1, 3-4 Patriot League) has a pitcher who can handle middle innings. Although, Coughlin (1-2, 13 Ks, 11 BBs, 11 IP), a sophomore, does have one save.
“I would say that my role here has been somewhat similar to a setup role,” Coughlin said. “I have mostly been pitching in close games in the later innings to set up our closer. Whether that be for three innings or one, I have to be ready for any situation.”
Coughlin was a good outfielder at Hempfield, but he always had strong arm.
Buzzard said that the player was very skilled, athletic and could run well. He also asked about what he should focus on and when he pitches well, he is quite tough.
Having been a pitcher himself, Buzzard is proud of his players' success and doesn't seek much credit for it.
Buzzard mentioned that these players were very accountable. If they didn't perform well in a situation, they would acknowledge it and strive to do better next time. All four of them were team captains. Any coach could have led them, but they made their own path.
This refers to the players moving from the bullpen to the mound.
