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Zach Lardy |

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Joey Whelan

6/30/2010

Developing into an All-State caliber athlete isn`t easy, it requires talent, countless hours of work and a little bit of luck. Achieving that feat after undergoing a life altering move midway through your career is even tougher.

Sports Spotlight.Moving nearly 600 miles away from home halfway through high school isn`t an easy task for most teenagers. Zach Lardy isn`t most teenagers.

Zach Lardy, Governors Pitcher "I think I`ve really matured the last two years here. I had to come to a new school and just break in - it had me work that much harder."

That work manifested itself during the Nebraska native`s senior year into an unexpected state run for the Shiloh Christian basketball team and an All-State nod for baseball. Now in his second season with the Bismarck Governors, Lardy`s growth on the field has been evident.

Mike Skytland, Governors Head Coach, "his development has been really, really good and I think his upside is definitely there to be a really good player in the future also."

Lardy has made his mark as a pitcher where he posted a 5-1 record with 52 strikeouts in 31 innings during the high school season in leading the Skyhawks to a second consecutive state playoff berth. The right hander has been at his best when he`s doing two things.

Zach Lardy, "I`m hitting my spots and I`m getting my off speed stuff to work for me. I have a pretty good fastball, when I can get off speed stuff going it really helps that fastball a lot more."

Perhaps his greatest degree of growth has come as a leader, something he exemplified at Shiloh Christian.

Lardy, "we lost a lot of players, so it was more of just being a team player and helping other players get to where they need to be."

And something he`s continued with the Governors.

Skytland, "as far as leadership Zach is more of a quiet leader. He`s a competitor and I think the players feed off that."

Lardy in turn has fed off his experiences in Legion Baseball.

Lardy, "I`ve matured a lot these last two years playing for the Govs. I`ve learned a lot about competition and what you have to do to get to the next level."

And with offers on the table from several local programs already including the University of Mary and Minot State, the next level might not be all that far off. Lardy and the he Governors play in Fargo on Thursday. The annual Bismarck vs.Mandan holiday series is Saturday & Sunday at the Chiefs home ballpark.

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