Kevin Zarnoch Jr. began his baseball career in Dorchester when he was 4 years old. Some 19 years later, he has taken his talents beyond the city and onto Cape Cod, where he continues to pursue a dream.

When the 23-year-old made his debut last month with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, it was his latest step on a journey that has taken many twists and turns. 

“I feel like I’ve unlocked a totally new version of myself as a pitcher,” said Zarnoch in talking with The Reporter. “I’ve started up my time here incredibly hot. I haven’t allowed a run in over six innings and have struck out ten with one walk, which is pretty exceptional.”

The right-hander, who stands at 6-3, formally began playing baseball at four years of age and was a talented athlete by the time he reached high school. In his first few seasons at the Boston Latin School, he played for fun, but by his senior year, college coaches had begun to take notice. 

“I was a bit of a late bloomer both physically and mentally in terms of someone who took baseball seriously,” Zarnoch said.  “I cared on the field in high school, but I didn’t do anything in the off season. I didn’t train; it was just something to do with my friends.”

When he wasn’t in season, Zarnoch preferred getting breakfast at McKenna’s Cafe, playing in the Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester Safe Summer Streets basketball league, and hanging at Malibu beach. 

Baseball became a bit more serious in his final year of high school when he left the outfield for the pitcher’s mound. 

“I always kind of wanted to pitch but I wasn’t great at throwing strikes and that’s kind of an issue as a pitcher. I was a captain my senior year, so I really pushed for it with the coach, and he decided to give me a shot and it worked out,” Zarnoch said. “Throughout my senior year, I started to realize I was good enough to play in college and maybe I should.” 

After graduating from BLS in 2019, Zarnoch went on to play DIII baseball at Worcester State University. But as was the case for most collegiate athletes, his freshman season was canceled by the pandemic after just two games. 

Covid protocols also impacted the sophomore season by reducing the usual 40-plus game schedule to 23 games. When things finally returned to normal during his junior year, Zarnoch battled various injuries and struggled to stay healthy throughout the season.

It wasn’t until his fourth year in Worcester that the Dorchester kid finally showed his wares. “My senior year finally all my work paid off, I got right, got healthy, had a really good year, and then I entered the transfer portal and did last year at UMass Lowell.” 

Since his first two seasons at Worcester State did not count, Zarnoch still had two seasons of eligibility after graduating. He put them to use in Lowell, where he is pursuing his master’s degree in criminal justice and playing DI baseball. 

In his first season as a River Hawk, he pitched 14.2 innings with 8 strikeouts. Hoping for a better output the following spring, he channeled his inner “Dorchester grit” and immediately hopped back into training at the end of the season. 
“I was pitching in the Boston Park League just trying to stay in shape and see hitters. The coach of my team has a connection to the Harwich Mariners, and he reached out to them,” said Zarnoch.

Whatever the coach told the Mariners worked: By mid-July, he had packed up his belongings, left the city, and moved to Harwich, where he is hoping to make the most of the opportunity.

“It was totally unexpected to come down here if I’m being honest; it’s a dream come true,” he said.

He added: “The most gratifying thing about being here is seeing the support from friends and especially my family. Seeing how proud my mom, my dad, my brother, and my sisters are, that’s something that stands out to me and I feel it pretty much every second of every day.” 

While Zarnoch, who dreams of playing professionally, looks forward to a potential playoff run with the Mariners, he’s also got his eyes on what will be his final NCAA season next spring.

“I’m really hoping to be one of our guys at Lowell, whether that’s a conference starter or late-inning reliever. I just want to win and play meaningful games late into the season.

Wherever he goes, Zarnoch maintains pride in his roots. “To me, Dorchester is a bit more than just the place I was raised in. It’s where the majority of my close friends and family reside, and where all my formative experiences happened. Dorchester in a sense molded me into who I am.” 

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