Throughout his athletic career, Christian Zilli has always proven to be versatile. During his time at Hempfield Area, Zilli excelled in three sports – football, basketball, and baseball. After opting to continue on the diamond at Seton Hill University, Zilli started as a position player before transitioning to a full-time pitcher. Over the past three seasons, he’s been one of the best relievers in the conference. As his final campaign winds down, Zilli is in the spotlight for this installment of the Westmoreland Alum Q&A.

Zilli cracked the varsity roster with the Spartans as a freshman in 2018. That year, he appeared in 11 contests, compiling a batting average of .375 with one run scored. On the mound, he worked 3.1 innings, registering an ERA of 2.10 with one walk and one strikeout. Collectively, the Spartans went 16-6, including 8-2 in the section. After earning a first-round bye in the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs, the Spartans defeated Pine-Richland before falling to North Allegheny in the semifinals.

The next year, Zilli played in 19 games, amassing an average of .156 with six runs and six RBIs. As a pitcher, he worked 18.2 innings, posting an ERA of 4.87 with 16 walks and 21 strikeouts. Hempfield Area achieved a record of 11-10, including 5-5 in the section. Back in the WPIAL Class 6A postseason, the Spartans fell to Upper St. Clair in the opening round of the playoffs.

Zilli's junior year of 2020 was cancelled as a result of COVID.

Back on the field as a senior in 2021, Zilli appeared in 24 games, hitting .307 with 25 RBIs, 18 runs, and five stolen bases. On the mound, he threw 16.1 innings, notching an ERA of 1.71 with a dozen walks and 17 strikeouts. As a result, he was tabbed as an All-Section selection. The Spartans had a banner season, going 16-9 overall, including 7-3 in the section. In the playoffs, Hempfield Area bested Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Norwin to reach the WPIAL Class 6A Championship. However, Hempfield Area came up short against North Allegheny. In the PIAA bracket, the Spartans knocked off McDowell, but lost to Spring-Ford to conclude the season.

Zilli also thrived on the gridiron and hardwood with the Spartans. As a senior, he played quarterback and threw for 687 yards and eight touchdowns, while he averaged 11.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in basketball.

His future was in baseball, however, as he matriculated to nearby Seton Hill University for the 2022 season as a two-way player. That year, he appeared in just one game as a pitcher with the Griffins, working a scoreless inning. Seton Hill went 33-19-1 overall, including 15-13 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division. Although the Griffins failed to qualify for the PSAC Tournament, they advanced to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional, claiming a victory against Slippery Rock University and a triumph against West Chester University before losing two in a row to the Golden Rams to end the campaign.

The following season, Zilli appeared exclusively as a position player. He played in a dozen games, including two starts, hitting .071. Collectively, the Griffins enjoyed a banner season, posting a mark of 48-13, including 26-2 in the PSAC West. The Griffins cruised through the PSAC Tournament, walloping Shippensburg University, California University of Pennsylvania, and twice defeating West Chester to claim the title. From there, the Griffins hosted the Atlantic Regional, defeating Shippensburg before falling to Mercyhurst University. However, SHU rebounded to defeat East Stroudsburg University, and then notched consecutive wins against the Lakers. The Griffins moved on to the Atlantic Super Regional, where they lost twice to Millersville University.

In 2024, Zilli reinvented himself as a pitcher, and emerged as a top option out of the bullpen. He appeared in 17 contests, going 3-1 with five saves, registering an ERA of 1.99 in 22.2 innings, issuing seven walks with 23 strikeouts. Seton Hill enjoyed another stellar season, going 41-17, including 20-8 in the PSAC West. Seton Hill dropped the opener in the PSAC Tournament, though, losing to Shippensburg. Nonetheless, the Griffins still moved on to the Atlantic Regional, defeating Millersville before a setback against East Stroudsburg. However, Seton Hill rallied to defeat the Marauders and then claim two straight wins against the Warriors. Back in the Atlantic Super Regional, the Griffins captured a win against Indiana University of Pennsylvania, but then lost two in a row against the Crimson Hawks.

Last season, Zilli pitched in 13 games, securing a pair of saves with an ERA of 3.22 in 22.1 innings of work, with eight walks and 14 strikeouts. The Griffins went 40-18, including 21-7 in the PSAC West. In the PSAC Tournament, SHU edged Shippensburg in 10 innings, and followed with a victory against IUP. The Griffins came up short against Millersville in 13 innings, though, and subsequently lost to Cal U. In the Atlantic Regional, the Griffins steamrolled Cal U, but lost to Millersville. However, Seton Hill once again rebounded, claiming two wins in a row against the Marauders. In the Atlantic Super Regional, Seton Hill lost twice against East Stroudsburg, including an 11-inning setback in the second contest.

This season, Zilli has seen action in 14 games, going 2-1 with three saves and an ERA of 2.37 in 19 innings, issuing nine walks with 13 strikeouts. Thus far, the Griffins have gone 41-9, including 26-2 in the PSAC West. Seton Hill opens PSAC Tournament action on Thursday.

Christian set aside time to answer questions about his emergence as a pitcher with the Griffins, the finest qualities of his legendary coach at Seton Hill, and the best individuals he faced on both the hardwood and the diamond at Hempfield Area.

Q: How have you evaluated your performance this season?

A: As a team, we keep our evaluations as simple as possible, especially for pitchers. Did you throw strikes? Did you work ahead? Did you execute your pitches? Outside of that, everything else is noise that gets in the way of what is important. I have matured greatly in my play style from my junior year when I started pitching. I have really started to value those three main aspects of pitching, and the results have continued to get better because of it.

Q: What pitches do you throw, and which do you consider your "out" pitch?

A: I throw a sinker, cutter, slider, and changeup. I have different out pitches to different hitters, but my sinker is my most reliable pitch to create soft contact.

Q: After playing sparingly as a two-way player your first two years, you became a key reliever in 2024. What led to that breakthrough season?

A: I realized that with the current infield we had at the time (Jack Oberdorf, Owen Sabol, Joe Fiedor) along with the incoming recruits of the next few years (Owen Henne, Owen Mandler, Brady McGuire) that my opportunities would be few and far between. I really wanted to make an impact on the field at Seton Hill, so I tried pitching sidearm in an effort to offer a skillset that others did not have. With the help of a few teammates during my summer in Elmira, NY, along with the help of Coach Martin, I was able to effectively transition into a sidearmer, and my past experiences in many sports, as well as my first two years as a Griff, had prepared me to compete in big moments.

Q: What factored into your decision to return for a fifth season?

A: Being able to earn a Master's Degree in business analytics, along with getting to do my favorite thing (play baseball), with my favorite people, at my favorite place, was an opportunity that was simply a no-brainer for me. The support and willingness from the coaching staff to have me back for my fifth season is something of which I am very appreciative, as well.

Q: What team and individual goals did you establish for this season?

A: Our team goals are the same every season, and are laid out from the first meeting of the year in August to the last game of the season in June. Serve others before ourselves. Be academic champions. Win the PSAC West. Win the PSAC Tournament. Win the Atlantic Region. Win the NCAA Championship. For this season, my goal has been to give back as much as I can to my teammates to make sure that they have the same Seton Hill baseball experience as I did. Being able to pass along acquired knowledge and tricks of the trade has made this year very fulfilling for me.

Q: What are the best attributes of your head coach, Marc Marizzaldi?

A: I can't say enough good things about Coach Maz. He is the model of our team's core values. He doesn't just display leadership, he teaches it. He gives every player the truth, regardless of circumstances. He cares more about you as a person than as a player. He is 100 percent committed to doing whatever it takes to put people and the team in a position to succeed, and sacrifices so much for the betterment of the program. He is the ultimate culture driver and turns our team into a family. He is the gold standard of leadership and being a man.

Q: What led to your decision to attend Seton Hill?

A: What I was making my decision on was if the school could prepare me for a career in physical therapy (I have since changed career paths) and if the baseball team was a winning program. While Seton Hill checked those boxes for me, the separator between Seton Hill and a few other schools was the core values and standards at which the baseball program operates. Being able to surround myself with those philosophies on a daily basis allowed me to mature immensely and really made me a better person, teammate, and player from top to bottom.

Q: What is your major, and ideal future profession?

A: I completed my Bachelor's Degree in data analytics this past summer, and I will complete my Master's Degree in business analytics in August. I aspire to stay in sports, and either be an analyst for a sports team, or be able to leverage my analytical background, along with my personability, to become a coach.

Q: Aside from baseball, what has been the best part of college?

A: Being able to turn teammates into lifelong best friends has been the highlight of my college career. Having so many people with common interests to bond with on a daily basis makes it so easy to connect with one another. Pursuing excellence and doing difficult things together has taken us from teammates to brothers.

Q: You also played football and basketball at Hempfield Area. How did those sports benefit your baseball career?

A: The easy answer would be that it allowed me to become a more well-rounded athlete physically, but I truly believe that having the opportunity to compete in meaningful games all year round, and in different environments, prepared me to be adaptable at the next level. My success wasn't immediate, nor was it easy, but thanks to my experiences of success, failure, shortcomings, overcoming, etc., I knew what it took to be a winner, and was prepared to face the challenges that being a winner requires you to go through. I also was fortunate to be a part of a lot of winning teams in different sports as well, so having a winning background made my decision for college pretty easy.

Q: What was your fondest high school memory?

A: Playing in the WPIAL Championship in baseball my senior year was an awesome moment, and I am lucky to have shared it with such an awesome group of teammates. Hosting two WPIAL playoff games in basketball my senior year was also a great memory, although there were limited fans allowed inside due to COVID.

Q: Who was the best individual you faced in high school?

A: One guy that we could never stop in basketball was fellow Griffin, and now one of my good friends, Ryan Meis. He hit a game-winning buzzer beater against us my sophomore year, and then scored about 20 on a Monday night in Spartan Field House my junior year while being double and triple-teamed. In a summer league basketball game early on in my high school career, we played against soon to be NCAA National Player of the Year, Oscar Tshiebwe, and his Kennedy Catholic team that also featured Maceo Austin. In baseball, Cole Young was probably the best and most well-rounded player who I played against. He hit a ball in the WPIAL Championship game harder than I had ever seen a ball hit before. The best player that I ever played baseball with is current St. Louis Cardinals 2B JJ Wetherholt. We played travel ball together for Beaver Valley from ages 13-17.

Q: Do you have any superstitions or rituals for baseball?

A: I wouldn't necessarily call them superstitions, but I have the same game day routine for every game. I do the exact same drills in my catch play, I have the same pregame infield-outfield duty, I stand in the same spot, surrounded by the same people in our pregame prayer circle, and I do my handshakes with all of my teammates before starting lineups are announced.

Q: What is your favorite social media app?

A: I am a Twitter (now X) warrior because of the amount of sports updates and highlights that are on there. I take pride in being the first person to inform my friends on happenings in the sports world, and that is where I get all of my information from.

Q: If you were stranded on an island with one teammate, who would you choose? Why?

A: I would take avid outdoorsman and wilderness enjoyer Jakob Haynes. He would know what to do in every situation. He hunts, fishes, loves a good fire, and would be able to make limited resources last a long time. I also think Zach Herb would keep good company if Jakob was taking one of his prolonged naps.