CLOSING CREDITS
Zane Robbins lives for the pressure-packed situations.
Give the fifth-year Eastern Illinois University closer a one-run lead in the ninth inning and one won't see any semblance of fear cross the Millville graduate's face. The two-pitch hurler is like the director in those pressure cooker moments and those in attendance or crossing his path in the batter's box are just awaiting what he knows is the inevitable ending to the script: a save.
So it's no surprise when Robbins was named to the first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference team, ranked 16th on D1 Baseball's top-50 relief pitchers for this season, and placed on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award preseason list, he took that more in stride for how far he's come rather than adding pressure to his role for the Panthers.
"The recognition is something I'm appreciative of and thankful for. I've wanted to play baseball all my life and I'm thankful for my coaches and family for getting me to this point and helping me with the one thing that I love," Robbins said. "... I just don't consider it any of it a success until we win a conference championship and are playing in a another regional (tournament)."
The Panthers will certainly need Robbins' success from a year ago to get there. That might be more difficult now that the opposition — especially in the conference — has a track record against the closer. But for the Panthers to get anything close to his numbers from last spring, going 4-1 with a team-best 1.57 ERA and striking out a school-record 13.2 batters per 9 innings pitched (50 in 341/3) while recording a conference-high seven saves, would be a great momentum boost. Oh, and his first save of this season would put him atop the school record with 19.
"The success I've had is truly a testament to the teams that they've been able to put together here," Robbins said. "The offense scores the runs for me to record saves, the defense makes the plays behind me and catching me isn't easy."
Not bad for a converted starting pitcher who once tipped his curveball so badly, "batters could see it coming from a mile away."
The hurler throws a fastball ranging from the upper 80s to the lower 90s and a knuckle-curve with great movement in the upper 70s while rarely mixing in a changeup. When needing out a tough situation, Robbins turns to his beloved curveball that he learned as a freshman at Millville.
"It has a lot of tilt to it and has a different look to it than what (the batters) see all weekend," Robbins said. "It's helped up to this point."
Of course, the journey hasn't always been smooth. Robbins originally attended Hartford University where he intended to be a starting pitcher. He only made a pair of starts before the COVID pandemic hit and when the Hawks switched him to the bullpen, he got roughed up. While transferring, Robbins played summer ball in the Appalachian League in Greenville, South Carolina, helping the Drive win the Collegiate League's inaugural championship.
Though he was already attending Eastern Illinois, the coaches noticed the growth Robbins made in the bullpen, making their decision easier to make him pitch in relief.
While Robbins misses some of the perks of starting, being a reliever has been a perfect match.
But there is still work to do.
Robbins, who says a few Major League Baseball teams have been out to scout him, talking to coach Jason Anderson exclusively, wants to "make sure I am a complete pitcher that (the Panthers) could rely on all year."
"The focus has been on me, on taking care of my numbers," Robbins said. "Hopefully the other stuff will follow because there's nothing I'd want more than to take my game to the next level."
If he doesn't get that call, Robbins isn't ruling out a trek home to pitch for the Williamsport Crosscutters. He did so for a few games last summer before they switched to Indy ball, and he enjoys returning to the area during Christmas and summer breaks.
But first thing's first: he's here to help the Panthers finish the script his way, one knee-buckling knuckle-curve at a time.
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