MHS baseball player signs with Northwest Florida State

MILTON — Milton High School baseball player Zach McKnight has signed to play with Northwest Florida State College. His versatility and work ethic are what gave him the opportunity, according to coaches.

MHS celebrated McKnight’s achievement Nov. 15 in the school auditorium with MHS head baseball coach George Blake and Northwest Florida assistant coach Chris Johns.

"He is a complete ball player. He has not one set position," Blake said. McKnight puts in work both during the season and between seasons on the field and in the weight room.

"This guy works his behind off during the season, always in the cage or getting ground balls," Blake said. "In the off season, he also works hard in the weight room. When he first came in he was about 120 pounds as a sophomore. He’s probably 180 pounds now…He makes the guys around him better."

Johns said he saw the same in McKnight when Blake invited him to watch McKnight practice.

"The thing that I liked about Zach is, like coach said, how he practiced," Johns said. "He’s kind of a grinder. He’s diving all over the place in the infield. He was working hard, running on and off the field. He’s just the type of guy we want around.

"He’s going to make everybody better by his work ethic."

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: MHS baseball player signs with Northwest Florida State