Zylstra focused on one more season

Former Humboldt High baseball standout Austin Zylstra has a new appreciation for any athlete who has had to overcome a major injury.
Zylstra, who will be a fifth-year senior at Northwestern College in Orange City in the fall, has spent the majority of the 2018 season recovering from shoulder surgery back on March 6.
Instead of playing a key role for the Red Raiders, who qualified for the NAIA National Tournament, Zylstra was forced to spend time on the sidelines as a cheerleader.
The Red Raiders compiled a 30-20 won-loss record and won the Great Plains Athletic Conference title to earn a trip to nationals, where they were eliminated after going 0-2. NWC suffered narrow losses to Taylor University (2-1) and to Cumberland University (8-7).
Not being able to be a part of the dog pile celebration on the field when the team edged Midland 2-1 in the conference final to earn a trip to nationals was a difficult pill to swallow.
“It was hard not being part of the dog pile and watching the guys celebrate qualifying for the nationals. But in a way it was still special. I practiced with them up until the season started. To see that kind of success and not be a part of it was difficult for me,” Zylstra said.

See full story in the Aug. 9 issue of the Humboldt Independent Newspaper. Subscribe today for print/digital access by selecting the link on this page to get started!