Zoned Sports Academy Gives Scholarships to Middlesex HS Students

The baseball mom or softball dad is easy to spot. They spend their evenings in the bleachers, sitting through countless innings, huddled against all kinds of weather, cheering on their kids with reckless abandon, all in the hope that their little slugger might one day make it big.

That big day has arrived for some of them. Zoned Sports Academy last week awarded $10,500 in scholarships to 11 student athletes in recognition of their accomplishments on the ball field, in the batting cage, in the classroom, and in their communities. This marks Zoned Sports’ 15th annual Scholarship Week. The academy has given $189,000 in scholarship money over that time.

The Middlesex High School Students receiving scholarships are Ryan Volmer and Jess Forte. Volmer plans to attend Mercer County College and Forte plans to attend University of Hartford in the Fall.

"These scholarships recognize athletes who have succeeded in far more than baseball and softball," said Zoned Sports owner Duke Baxter, himself a former professional baseball player. "They recognize each of these athletes as well-rounded individuals, whose accomplishments reach well beyond the diamonds they play on. They are true champions in their schools, homes and communities. These scholarships provide a way for us at Zoned to recognize and give back to these young role models, as well as for those who will follow in their footsteps in years to come."

The Zoned Baseball/Softball Scholar-Athlete Scholarship Award is an annual scholarship based on a rigorous application process. Athletes must exhibit outstanding character and integrity, and hold leadership positions on their baseball or softball team, as well as within their communities. They must provide academic transcripts and community service credentials as part of the application process.

About Zoned Sports Academy

Duke Baxter broke the NCAA’s single-season Doubles’ Record (31) in his senior year at the University of North Florida and went on to play professional baseball for three years finishing with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League. In 2002, he founded Zoned Sports Academy as an indoor baseball and softball training facility built on the belief that every person who walks through its doors will be given the tools to be the best he or she can be. As a result, Zoned trains athletes on both the mental and physical aspects of sports, and employs professionals that know what it takes to educate, motivate, and inspire players to exceed their goals and dreams. Baxter, who holds two U.S. Patents for baseball training devices, is a life-long resident of Bridgewater, N.J., where he still resides with his wife and four children. For more information about Zoned Sports Academy, call 732-537-1770 or visit www.zonedinc.com.