Northwestern University Athletics
Zach Schara Signs Minor League Contract With Texas Rangers
7/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 25, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern right-handed pitcher Zach Schara (Madison, Wis./West) signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers today.
"I'm really excited," said Schara from his Wisconsin home. "My family is very happy and, to be honest, I was a little taken aback by the phone call (from the Rangers). But now, it's time for me to go be a professional baseball player and prove myself at the next level."
Schara joins teammate Gabe Ribas as the only Wildcats to sign professional contracts in 2002. Schara is the 36th Wildcat to play beyond the collegiate ranks under 15-year head coach Paul Stevens. Nineteen of those 36 players have been pitchers.
Schara ended his collegiate career with 289 strikeouts and 333.1 innings pitched, both career records. Besides topping the strikeout and innings pitched lists, he wound up third on the all-time wins list (24) and fourth on the all-time games started (47) list. His four-year record as a starting pitcher was 24-20.
Hampered by a hand injury midway through the 2002 season, Schara struck out 59 hitters, throwing 74.0 innings. His final start came in the Big Ten Tournament, where he went eight-plus innings, striking out seven, to defeat top-seeded and tournament host Minnesota.
Schara's professional career gets underway right away, as the Rangers have asked him to leave for Texas this Saturday. He's scheduled to pitch sometime in the next 7-to-10 days.
