Zach Alarid is not a Kansas native. The Sam Houston State freshman is originally from Montgomery, Texas, a small town of about 2,000 people about an hour from Houston.
But, he made the long drive 15 hours north, along with three Sam Houston teammates, to play for Great Bend this summer due to a connection to the program through Bat Cats' head coach Roger Ward.
In his second start for the team, Alarid made a little history with a 7-inning no-hitter, allowing just one base runner on a second inning walk. Alarid through his two starts has pitched 13 complete innings without allowing a run and striking out 16 batters.
His performance is one of several strong starts for Great Bend, as the team has a combined ERA of 1.53 through eight games, and a 7-1 record. The hot start comes at a special time for the Bat Cats, as the team is celebrating its 10th year in existence.