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Zac LaNeve Weighs Baseball Options for Future

Pine-Richland graduate must decide between a career with the Florida Marlins or attending the University of North Carolina.

It was a phone call that Zac LaNeve had to pull over to take.

He was driving his younger sister, Alexandra, to take her driver’s test when his phone rang. It was the Florida Marlins on the other end.

“I had been watching the [Major League Baseball] draft, but I hadn’t been picked so I decided to take her,” the 18-year-old said. “When I saw who it was, I definitely pulled over, parked and took the call.”

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It was the call that may change his life.

LaNeve knew he was a good player – he had been recruited by colleges since he completed his freshman year at , and he had accepted a baseball scholarship to the University of North Carolina. But he wasn’t sure he would be drafted by a major league team.

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“It was wonderful, but a bit overwhelming,” he said.

After he received the news, LeNeve said he shared it with Alex and his good friend and fellow baseball player, Tyler Lawrence.

“They were so happy for me, we were just jumping in the car,” he said, laughing.

Then the phone rang again. This time, it was his dad, Matt.

“He was watching the draft and saw my name come up. He was so happy.”

Matt LaNeve said he and his wife, Dayna, knew fairly early on that Zac loved baseball.

“I remember him walking around with a bat in his hand when he was only 1. He was always hitting the balls that a neighbor would throw him, and then he played with his brothers,” the elder LaNeve said.

Richland Township residents Matt and Dayna are also the parents of Cody; 14, Troy, 11; and Christian, 7. All of the boys play baseball, and as a proud dad, Matt has something to say about all of their games.

“Cody loves playing and is quite good and Troy is the homerun king. Christian may actually be the one who is most into it,” he said.

Alex loves playing sports and is quite the natural athlete, but doesn’t have a favorite, according to her father.

“I think she lasts in a particular sport about one year before she moves to another,” he joked.

When the college recruiters started knocking on the LaNeves' door, Zac’s brothers were ready to help him choose a college.

“Troy is bigger and more outgoing and Zac is more reserved, so he would always want to take him along on the recruiting trips – he was his little agent,” said Matt LaNeve.

On the other hand, Christian was convinced they wanted to recruit him.

“When the coach came from Baylor, he kept saying, ‘You know he is really coming to see me,’” said Matt.

Both Zac and Matt LaNeve said the recruiting process was a bit overwhelming at times. The close family talked a lot about Zac’s options.

Matt LaNeve said he also asked for advice from his good friend, Bob Mollenhauer, whose son, Dale, plays for the Baltimore Orioles franchise. Dale graduated from Pine-Richland with Pittsburgh Pirates player Neil Walker.

“Dale went to college first and then was drafted, so it can go both ways,” said Matt LaNeve.

Now that Zac LaNeve has heard from the Marlins, he will wait to see what their final offer is before he decides to go right into professional baseball or head off to college.

Either way, Matt LaNeve said he and his wife will leave it up to Zac.

“If you had asked me a year ago, I would have definitely said Zac had to go to college. But this is his dream,” the elder LaNeve said. “I did make him promise that if he goes right to the MLB, that he will go back and get his degree later.”

In the meantime after the call, Zac LaNeve finished his errand and took Alex for her driver’s test. She passed.

“It was a good day for our family,” he said.

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